The Parables of Jesus

It is a joy to read the works of the late James Boice. He was one of those teachers who not only had a passion for God's word and a solid grasp of theological doctrine, he also had an amazing ability to gently explain even the most difficult concepts in ways that are easily digestible. The Foundations of the Christian Faith is just another great example of this. In the Parables of Jesus, James Boice takes a look at 22 parables spoken by our Lord, separating them into five different categories based on their main application. He groups them into parables of the Kingdom, parables of Salvation, parables of Wisdom and Folly, parables of the Christian Life, and parables of Judgment. He walks the reader through each parable, discussing the overall theme of the parable and then examining the details and meanings of the imagery used by the Lord in these instructive stories. These parables were not new to me, and for most of them I had a pretty good idea what Jesus was teaching in His use of them. But even those parables I felt I already had a handle on, I gained additional insight into because of the sound exposition by Boice. There were a couple of parables he explained that I thought I understood before, but that completely surprised me as he worked through them. One example of this in the third chapter of the book where he discusses the man who found the treasure buried in the field and the merchant who found the pearl of great value. That single chapter alone was worth the price of the book many times over for me as it actually helped me better understand the process involved in my own conversion! And finally, of course, there were a few parables that had always been a little mysterious to me. This book helped shed some helpful light on those as well. The story of the persist widow and the unjust judge is a good example here, and he tied this parable to a neat story about George Mueller and the persistence of prayer in a way that was very encouraging. All in all, I highly recommend this little gem of a book. I think there is a lot of value and worth tucked into this book, and the simplicity of the presentation in no way undermines the depth of the wisdom it elucidates. Without a doubt or a misgiving, I will be recommending it and sharing it with other believers in the faith.

This book had a very positive theological impact on my life. In each chapter, James Boice tackles a different parable, relying on the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Boice groups 22 of Christ's parables into those relating to kingdom, salvation, wisdom & folly, the Christian life, and judgment. He then summarizes and provides useful background information and commentary on each one. The actual teachings of Christ himself plus the helpfully illuminating commentary by Boice gave me an enhanced understanding of Christ's will and encouraged me to draw closer to Him in appreciation for the peace and salvation He offers. Highly recommend this book.