Living the Parables: Applying Christ’s Teachings to Our Lives

Living the Parables: Applying Christ’s Teachings to Our Lives by Hank Smith  and Kathryn Jenkins

Living the Parables Review

If you are looking for a clear, easy to read, and easy to understand guide to the parables of the New Testament, Living the Parables is the book for you. Hank Smith writes like Hank Smith talks. Straightforward, and with a touch of humor in the right places. I am not as familiar with Kathryn Jenkins, but the chapters and the writing are seamless. I cannot tell you who wrote which chapters or in what manner they collaborated, because it just all flows as one voice.

The parables are an integral part of the four gospels and of Christ’s teachings, and I have seen many interesting interpretations of them over the years. Christ taught in parables, giving his words and stories many layers of meaning, specific to the listener. What I liked about this book is that the authors explain the parables in the context of the time of Christ. And then they tie that to today’s culture. While I know life was different then, and a little bit about that culture, Mr. Smith and Ms. Jenkins explain it in easily understandable and relatable terms. In addition, they break down the entire parable into these easily relatable terms.

And not just the ones we’re most familiar with. They analyze the four gospels and explain what parables are—and are not. Then they go through two dozen parables, sorted by topic area, in this book. I didn’t even realize there were that many.

As I study the New Testament, and as I prepare lessons or talks based on that book of scripture, or on parables, this will be the book I reach for to help make them understandable and more relevant to my life today.

Living the Parables Summary

As the world’s greatest teacher, Jesus Christ used His skills as a storyteller to teach and inspire His followers. The parables of Christ contain a wealth of guidance, but the deeper meaning of His words can sometimes be difficult to decipher.

Now, best-selling authors Hank Smith and Kathryn Jenkins — known and loved for their ability to approach gospel topics in a clear, light, and understandable way– take a careful look at the finer points of the Savor’s stories. They uncover the profound spiritual lessons hidden within and illustrate practical and accessible application for our day. In Living the Parables: Applying Christ’s Teachings to Our lives, readers learn through commentary from generations of Church leaders and religious scholars. In addition, the authors provide modern-day interpretations of the underlying significance of each account.

This volume will inspire followers of Christ to draw on the power of His Atonement by embracing a deeper understanding of His parables.

Living the Parables: Applying Christ’s Teachings to Our Lives by Hank Smith  and Kathryn Jenkins, is available in Paperback, Kindle and Audio CD from Amazon.com.

It is also available from Deseret Book.