Submitted by Pastor Brad Dush, Fairfax Methodist Church

Jesus often taught in parables. A parable is a simple story drawn from everyday life that conveys a deeper spiritual truth. In some ways, parables are like Aesop’s fables, short, memorable tales that carry a moral. Just as the fable of the scorpion and the frog reminds us that actions flow from character, Jesus’ parables reveal what is true about God, humanity, and the Kingdom.

It is essential to remember that the parables of Jesus were not necessarily real events that actually occurred. They were stories He crafted and spoke, yet they carry real truth. Jesus did not merely explain doctrine; He told stories, ordinary, earthly stories with heavenly meaning. In them, familiar images became windows into God’s Kingdom, and simple scenes revealed something unexpected: a God who draws near, a Kingdom breaking into our world, and a reversal of expectations.

G.K. Chesterton, the English essayist and Christian apologist, once wrote, “Fairy tales, then, are not responsible for producing in children fear, or any of the shapes of fear; fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon.” Parables work much the same way. They do not invent the struggles of life; those are already felt in our hearts. Parables show us that God has an answer.

N.T. Wright, a renowned New Testament theologian, points out that parables are about mysteries being revealed. As Luke records, Jesus said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that although they see they may not see, and although they hear they may not understand” (Luke 8:10 NET).

For the remainder of 2025 and into 2026, in my “On The Spiritual Side” offerings, we will explore several of Jesus’ parables, examining their meaning in His day, what they reveal about God’s Kingdom, and how they continue to speak into our lives. Each reflection will include at least one FYI, a word of background or context that highlights something we might otherwise miss. These stories continue to open our eyes and ears, pointing us toward the truth of a God who welcomes, restores, and calls us into His Kingdom. I will also note the Gospel locations where each parable is found, since not every parable is repeated in all four Gospels, and I will occasionally suggest why a parable appears in only one. To keep us grounded in Scripture, I will use the New English Translation (NET) throughout this series unless otherwise indicated. The NET might be new to many of you, as it is to me. I have enjoyed reading it so far. I look forward to our time together in the Red Letters!