Introduction
In the Bible, Jesus tells his followers a number of parables. These parables were aimed at explaining God’s plan to the common folk based on examples they could understand. How did these stories teach valuable lessons to the listeners of God’s word? After telling a short and simple story, Jesus then proceeded to provide an analogy of how the Kingdom of God functions. Many of these stories touched upon the principle that repentant sinners could enter God’s realm. With all the time that has passed since Jesus’s era, His parables can still be applied to society.
Jesus’s Teaching in Modern Times
The parable chosen for this devotional essay is the parable of the two sons. Jesus used it as an analogy to how sinners would enter the Kingdom of God if repentant, while those followers devoted to God will not if they do not repent. A modern story dedicated to the same principle can be told. For example, a con artist used to cheat people out of their money. However, upon seeing an impoverished son of a family he tricked, he repented, gave all the stolen money away, and started visiting a church. The said son grew up and decided to have revenge upon the con artist, tracking the man down. However, the fraud is full of regret and offers to compensate for his opponent’s losses with what little money he has left, begging for forgiveness. Despite this, the young man is still full of anger and brutally beats the man up. While it may seem that the fraud is in the wrong, he will enter the Kingdom of God for regretting his past actions, while the vigilante will not, as he let his anger turn him to sin.
Conclusion
Thus, Jesus’s teaching still works in modern times; moreover, in the modern, technological and nuanced world we need His guidance more than ever. In the past, it was simple to recognize sin; now, with all the information about the greyness of the world known to the general public, it is easy to become distracted and confused over what is right. Creating analogies of Jesus’s parables with modern, sophisticated life may help guide the sinners to God’s light.