Parables are told only because they are true, not because…
““Parables are told only because they are true, not because the actions of the characters in them can be recommended for imitation. Good Samaritans are regularly sued. Fathers who give parties for wayward sons are rightly rebuked, Employers who pay equal wages for unequal work have labor-relations problems. And any Shepherd who makes a practice of leaving ninety-nine sheep to chase after a lost one quickly goes out of the sheep-ranching business. The parables are true only because they are like what God is like, not because they are models for us to copy. It is simply a fact that the one thing we dare not under any circumstances imitate is the only thing that can save us. The parables are, one and all, about the foolishness by which Grace raises the dead. They apply to no sensible process at all - only to the divine insanity that brings everything out of nothing.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Parables illustrate divine truth, not human models; they expose the paradox of grace that defies logic.
In simple terms: Parables show God’s strange, saving logic, not human advice.
Key Takeaway
Seek divine wisdom beyond human logic.
Themes
faith
grace
parables
divine paradox
Mood
contemplative
serious
Type
theological
philosophical
When to use this quote
- religious teaching
- ethical dilemmas
- personal faith crises
Key Concepts
theology
paradox
spiritual insight
Questions to Reflect On
- How does divine paradox challenge your expectations?
- Can you accept grace that defies rationality?
A Different Perspective
Human systems cannot fully emulate divine grace.