Parables and instructions in the Gospels

the long version

Separates the various historical layers that have grown over the original message and seeks to lay bare the core of the teaching of Jesus. By a close comparison of the different narratives as presented by the Gospels, the author unveils both the meaning of a given parable in a particular evangelist's account and the dominant theme of all the parables. This fundamental theme is not personal moral perfection but the preparation for the consummation of Jesus' work in the judgment of the Last Day. In this way through the parables "there is imparted a knowledge of Jesus and an impression of the depth and clarity of His knowledge of God which may not be compared with more facilely won knowledge in its ability to touch and even shake man's spirit."