Adult Sunday School – Parables by Dr. John Yieh, Virginia Theological Seminary

Making Sense of Jesus' Parables

Potomac Presbyterian Church
The Rev. John Yieh, PhD
The Molly Laird Downs Professor of New Testament
Virginia Theological Seminary

Jesus is a master of story telling, unique in using provocative and memorable parables to proclaim the mystery of the Kingdom of God.  In his parables, what can we learn about him and his messages?  How do we make sense of those parables and find their relevance to our faith and life today?

In three sessions, we will explore how best to hear Jesus' messages for his contemporary audience.  We will probe how Mark, Matthew and Luke presented Jesus' parables to highlight certain ideas for their churches.  We will also assess how influential theologians in history have interpreted them and reflect on what those parables may speak to us.

The three topics are:

1. Jesus' Parables of the Kingdom of God in Mark's Gospel (1/10/21)
2. The Parables of Grace and Judgement in Matthew's Gospel (1/17/21)
3. The Parables of Joy and Charity in Luke's Gospel (1/24/21)