Like the enigma of a new culture, preaching parables can be intimidating. Understanding this challenge, Blomberg brings pastors a unique volume on interpreting and preaching this unique genre of Christ’s teachings. The author of Interpreting the Parables and distinguished professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary who also did his doctoral thesis on parables under Professor I. Howard Marshall in Aberdeen, Scotland, Blomberg is no lightweight theologian putting his pen to a task outside his league.  His concise but vast survey of theologians’ and preachers’ handling of the parables from the days of the New Testament up to the present time (13-23) bolster his credentials for writing on this topic.

Thomas O. Long rightly observed, “Preaching a parable is a novice preacher’s dream but often an experienced preacher’s nightmare” (13). Understanding the “quagmire of interpretive debates” one will encounter when he plunges into a parable, Blomberg writes so that readers can “glean useful material from the principles of interpretation illustrated here, along with the outlines and structures of my talks, the examples of contemporization and application, and the commentary sections on each sermon” (217).

Blomberg introduces his book by providing a brief survey of parable interpretation (13-15) followed by an outline of his own approach (15-17), commentary on the latest work in parables (17-23), presuppositions guiding his hermeneutic when interpreting parables (23-25), an outline of his own book (25-28), and reflections on his own homiletical method that will be used in the following printed sermons (28-31). Blomberg makes each of the fifteen chapters of his book a sermon on a parable followed by a short commentary explaining why he did what he did. This makes his book 10% principle, 90% example. Blomberg concludes his work, reflecting on the stewardship themes in most of the parables, as well as the triangular structure of master, good servants, and bad servants, what Blomberg believes is a picture of the gospel: “The gospel message, after all, is essentially triangular in nature—a master figure (God, through Christ’s atoning death) seeks to redeem lost humanity, but some rebel and refuse his offer of salvation (the wicked subordinates), while others accept his grace-based offer and respond by becoming Jesus’ disciples (the good subordinates)” (218). Blomberg’s last paragraph invites the reader to submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ and receive His forgiveness if he has never done so.

Blomberg follow’s Adolf Julicher’s two volume work, Die Gleichnisreden Jesu (1899), by refusing to follow the early church practice of allegorizing the parables. However, he departs from Julicher’s one-point interpretation, preferring to extract one point from each main character in the story (15, 25).

Blomberg’s chapter sermons reveal painstaking time spent drafting true or fictitious contemporary parables paralleling the biblical parable to help the audience get the idea Jesus was pointing out. Examples of this are found all over his book: the stories of Bob, Johnny, and Marla (33-35), the two imaginary neighborhoods (45-47),  the sacrifice of Jeannie VanVelkinburgh to save an African immigrant (56), the fired IRS worker (82), and most notably, his fictitious parable about the multibillionaire in Washington (70).

Blomberg’s method of drawing out one point per main character is not only hermeneutically sound but simplifies parable interpretation and makes it easy to structure a sermon from one. On the downside, it sometimes leaves the reader (or hearer!) without one main theme, making the sermon harder to remember. For example, in chapter 1, his sermon “The Parable of the Prodigal Sons and Their Father,” extracts three lessons, each from one of the main characters in the story. First, repentance is always possible for those who want to return to God (36). Second, God’s people ought not to begrudge his generosity for even the most wayward of sinners (37). Third, God in his lavish love forgives the sins of both sons and wants us to do likewise (38). Blomberg’s first point is about repentance, his second about begrudging God’s generosity, and his third about God’s forgiveness. If he tied these into one major theme like, “The Infinity of God’s Grace” or “Treating Others with the Patience God Treats Us,” his sermon might be far more memorable and powerful. Another example can be found in his third sermon chapter, “Who is My Most Important Neighbor?”, where he outlines three lessons. First, believers are called to show compassion to anyone in need (58); second, religion often gets in the way of demonstrating God’s compassion for people (61); and third, even my enemy is my neighbor (63). How much more memorable this would be if Blomberg’s main point was something like: “Meet the Needs of Anyone in Need,” and then to support this thesis with the sub-thoughts of “Don’t let religion or enemies get in the way of meeting people’s needs.” Blomberg shows honest humility by admitting this weakness: “Perhaps it is simply due to my lack of creativity or imagination, but I cannot always think of a way to summarize concisely in a simple proposition the three main lessons of a tripartite passage” (22).

Blomberg’s failure sometimes to let the immediate occasion that instigated Jesus’ telling of the parable bear influence on its meaning is questionable. (Admittedly, not every parable offers this luxury.) In many cases this would yield a single point, far easier to remember and far closer to Jesus’ intention. The parable of the prodigal sons was triggered by the Pharisees’ complaint that Jesus was dining with sinners (Luke 15:2), which unveils Jesus’ main point: God forgives even the worst of sinners when they humble themselves. However, when telling the parable of the good Samaritan, he includes the occasion when he reads the text.

Blomberg’s messages excel in helping the audience to understand the ancient culture and customs behind the parable and bridging from that world removed 2,000 years from our time into our current world. Examples include the typical reaction of a first century Jewish father to his rebellious son illustrated by Blomberg’s own father’s reaction when he arrived home one hour after curfew (39); the Jew’s superstitious assumption that physical sickness and poverty meant punishment for an evil life compared to today’s health and wealth gospel (47-49); and the oxymoron of “good Samaritan” paralleled by those who are the most hated in our global village (63-64).

On the other hand, his messages usually pass over many theological nuggets and golden details found in the text, unless it is an interpretive challenge such as the definition of “Hades” in Luke 16:23. Blomberg preaches as a man unrestrained by American elitism, showing tremendous compassion for the hungry, naked, weak, and sick in other parts of the world. His messages are delivered with humility but seasoned with good examples from his own life, so that his audience can see that he is striving to live out what he is preaching.  

Blomberg also shows a great sensitivity to the text, refusing to let popular interpretations force his position, such as, the typical view that the story of Christ’s separation of the sheep from the goats teaches “that all the people of the world will be judged by their response to the poor, no matter who those poor people are” (206). Instead, based on Jesus’ words, “brothers of Mine” instead of the more generic “people” or “humanity,” Blomberg sees this passage teaching that all the world will be judged based on how they treated the redeemed community (208). Blomberg demonstrates tremendous tact and humility by not rushing in with his non-conventional view with blazing guns, but challenges the more traditional and popular view with gentleness but courage (214).
Seven guiding presuppositions to Blomberg’s interpretation and preaching of parables shape his approach to communicating this unique Bible genre to contemporary audiences. First, if Jesus’ narrative texts include the six structures identified in the introduction (15-16) then they classify as parables (23). What Blomberg’s six structures actually are is unclear, even though they apparently show up on pages 15-16. Second, “all of the parables impinge on Jesus’ understanding of the ‘kingdom of God’” (23). Third, “the parables are authentic in the form and context in which they appear in our canonical Gospels” (23). This demonstrates his strong conviction about inspiration and God’s ability to preserve His written Word. Fourth, the main characters in the story do stand for something (24). Out of this conviction grows Blomberg’s practice of finding one point per main character (15). Fifth, Jesus intended his parables to both reveal truth and conceal truth (24). Sixth, it is vital that the preacher contemporize the parable (but not replace it) for the sake of the present day audience’s understanding and ability to apply. Seventh, messages from parables that are paralleled in other gospels should “stress something of what is unique to the specific version of the parable at hand” (25). In other words, a parable preached from Matthew should carry its own message unique to Matthew’s gospel even though that same parable may be told in Luke.
Blomberg’s seven presuppositions reflect excellence in scholarship, as so clearly demonstrated in his introduction, as well as a deep conviction that what we have today in the pages of the Bible is truly the Word of God.

Personally, I was convicted on my lack of compassion for the needy, now realizing that serving the needy permeates many of the parables! For preaching, Blomberg’s fourth presupposition that every main character carries a lesson to be learned is not only justified by Jesus’ interpretation of the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, but helps me to keep parable interpretation simple and drafting a sermon on a parable straightforward and hermeneutically sound. This has been the greatest help from Blomberg’s work. Also I would be remiss not to mention that Blomberg’s example of contemporizing each parable without ever eclipsing the original parable is a powerful lesson for me in not letting the ancientness of the text minimize its contemporary relevance.

The book was a bit sluggish to read, for sermons written for verbal communication do not carry the same punch and interest as sermons written to be read. But this is understandable in light of Blomberg’s desire to teach preachers by example, not just theoretical instruction.

Craig L. Blomberg. Preaching the Parables: From Responsible Interpretation to Powerful Proclamation. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004. 251 pp. $17.99