Justice at the Margins: Jesus' Parables of Defiance and Disruption

Jesus was a teacher. One of the key tools of his teaching was storytelling. Through vivid parables of mustard seeds, leaven, wayward children, poor widows, rich men, and day laborers, Jesus helps us imagine the kingdom of God.

The parables of Jesus were well-conceived and artfully structured traps. They invite the listener into a simple story or comparison. They get the listener comfortable with the familiar territory of the scene. Then the parable switches everything around and frustrates ...