Ben Wilson

And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet, and bring hither the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. For this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.

And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet, and bring hither the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. For this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.

And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field, and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry and would not go in.

And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field, and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry and would not go in.

Therefore came his father out and entreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment. And yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

Therefore came his father out and entreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment. And yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry and be glad, for thy brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found. It's just a very powerful way to illustrate this principle that, yeah, I'm trying to go to the people who were lost and bring them back. Isn't that worth celebrating?

And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry and be glad, for thy brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found. It's just a very powerful way to illustrate this principle that, yeah, I'm trying to go to the people who were lost and bring them back. Isn't that worth celebrating?

Even though, yeah, like the righteous people, they have their reward. They're keeping the commandments and they're doing what they're supposed to be doing. But we should celebrate when people who were wayward come back. And he could have just said that, but the story just is really, really powerful. And so that's one of these things that great communicators are good at is making comparisons.

Even though, yeah, like the righteous people, they have their reward. They're keeping the commandments and they're doing what they're supposed to be doing. But we should celebrate when people who were wayward come back. And he could have just said that, but the story just is really, really powerful. And so that's one of these things that great communicators are good at is making comparisons.

Parable is just one of the most effective teaching devices there is, period. And Jesus was a master of it. Paul Johnson has a good quote about this. He says, There are not half a dozen lines of his teaching without an image, and often an unforgettable one, which has entered into the repertoire of writers all over the world.

Parable is just one of the most effective teaching devices there is, period. And Jesus was a master of it. Paul Johnson has a good quote about this. He says, There are not half a dozen lines of his teaching without an image, and often an unforgettable one, which has entered into the repertoire of writers all over the world.

Inadimate objects spring to life, animals are anthropomorphized, nature teems with purposeful moral activity, and human beings often assume a dignity, a profundity, or a pathos thanks to the brilliant glitter of Jesus' imagery. We hear of living water, the blind leading the blind. Jesus wishes to gather the children of Jerusalem.

Inadimate objects spring to life, animals are anthropomorphized, nature teems with purposeful moral activity, and human beings often assume a dignity, a profundity, or a pathos thanks to the brilliant glitter of Jesus' imagery. We hear of living water, the blind leading the blind. Jesus wishes to gather the children of Jerusalem.

Jesus loves single trees standing in isolation, the olive, the fig, the vine, and uses them tenderly. He speaks of the late summer and the whitening harvest. He loves roots, branches, and leaves, and sees images of people in all of them. And I think he does. He often uses metaphors of nature to explain principles. And I think those are particularly powerful because they're universal.

Jesus loves single trees standing in isolation, the olive, the fig, the vine, and uses them tenderly. He speaks of the late summer and the whitening harvest. He loves roots, branches, and leaves, and sees images of people in all of them. And I think he does. He often uses metaphors of nature to explain principles. And I think those are particularly powerful because they're universal.

Everyone understands trees and seasons and things like that. And so that's a major part of his most famous teachings. And I think the other thing that parables do is they help stimulate thought in others. Instead of just hearing and then accepting or rejecting a teaching, when you hear a story like that, you turn it over in your mind and you really think about it and its implications.

Everyone understands trees and seasons and things like that. And so that's a major part of his most famous teachings. And I think the other thing that parables do is they help stimulate thought in others. Instead of just hearing and then accepting or rejecting a teaching, when you hear a story like that, you turn it over in your mind and you really think about it and its implications.

So like I said, he has many, many parables. Those are just two of my favorites. Um, but there are dozens of parables in the gospels.

So like I said, he has many, many parables. Those are just two of my favorites. Um, but there are dozens of parables in the gospels.