By Mike Elms
The Parables were one of Jesus’ principal teaching and preaching tools, but 2,000 years later, they are dying.
While this is a bold statement, there’s a reason to why this is happening. According to a recent Gallup study, only 44% of Christians in the U.S. regularly attend church. Since 2000, this number has decreased by 4%. Additionally, the American Bible Society notes that fewer people are reading the Bible.
So, an increasing number of folks are not hearing the Parables that Jesus told, and when stories are not heard, they’re not retold. And when stories are not heard and not retold, they die.
Think about it. For centuries the Parables were regarded as the greatest stories ever told, but if we’re honest, many people nowadays would give that accolade to Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones or the Hunger Games – each of which have a moral underpinning, but not a spiritual one nor a heavenly one. Therefore, how can we help keep these stories Jesus told 2000 years ago alive today?
Here are 3 suggestions, or, as Eddie Cochrane once sang: “Three Steps to Heaven.”
Step 1: Study the original Parable, as Jesus told it
Most Christians are familiar with the Parables—maybe too familiar. Many of us have known them for most of our lives and have the inclination to believe we know all they have to tell us.
Wrong!
Hebrews 4:12 reminds us “the word of God is alive and active.” The Parables are constantly shape-shifting, bringing fresh perspectives to our changing circumstances. We need to keep going back to them and interrogating them anew. If we do, we shall find them speaking to us here and now.
They will also bring fresh perspectives to the world around us. We may well find a particular Parable speaking to one or more of our friends and family, our neighbors or our work colleagues. And those fresh perspectives will be Kingdom perspectives!
Step 2: Imagine how Jesus might tell these Parables to us, today
Jesus told his Parables in first century Palestine, using imagery and storylines that made sense to the ancient, agricultural society and culture he was speaking into.
They featured kings and servants, wineskins and vineyard workers, shepherds and their sheep, fig trees and goats, tax collectors and Samaritans. However, if he were telling these stories to us, here and now, surely he’d use different imagery.
I believe that he would resonate with our 21st century, ultra-diverse society and culture. Perhaps he would tell stories involving builders and electricians, entrepreneurs and investors, lawyers and newspaper editors, Ferraris and Fords, sailboats and motorboats, a ski-trip and a theme park.
The underlying messaging wouldn’t change, but the storyline would.
The Hershey Bar first appeared in 1900. The recipe formula for the bar itself has remained largely unchanged, but the packaging has undergone many changes. The aim being to keep the product contemporary and relevant.
The Parables of Jesus have endured for centuries, but their impact often depends on how they are understood in the present.
To make these timeless lessons resonate with today’s world, Ivan Filby and I have “reimagined” their settings while preserving their original message in our latest book.
The Good Samaritan, for example, becomes the “Caring Russian Ultra,” the Lost Sheep is retold as the “Missing Pupil,” and the Rich Fool takes on the form of the “Selfish Lawyer.”
By placing these stories in familiar, modern contexts, our goal is to help Christians engage with the Parables in a fresh way—seeing their relevance not just as ancient wisdom, but as truths that speak directly to the challenges of our time.
Maybe even inspire them to create their own storylines!
Step 3: Share the Parables with your community.
Jesus told his stories for the intention that they would be shared and re-told. While this is a big challenge, it’s up to us to do that!
Whether you use a resource such as Jesus Unbranded to start a small group study, encourage your pastor to teach about the Parables from the pulpit or share these stories with your friends and neighbors, we must continue to find ways to point others to the powerful, transformation teachings of Jesus, which still apply to us today.
With intentionality, we can keep the stories of Jesus Alive. Are you ready for this challenge?
