the role of the lukan parables in terms of the purpose of luke's gospel

3. The Role of the Lukan Parables in the Purpose of Luke’s Gospel
Here, I will examine the role of the Lukan parables in God’s redemptive purpose, since Luke
strives to convey to his readers reassurance of the gospel in a presentation of God’s plan of
salvation. God’s plan of salvation toward a Christian includes newly-changed life in the
whole realm of one’s life in accordance with Jesus’ life and teaching.
Therefore, when Christians live up to Jesus’ teaching of the Christians life minutely
presented in the Lukan parables, it is in congruence with God’s redemptive purpose. What is
more, the Christian life concretely presented in the Lukan parables serves to accomplish
God’s saving purpose. In what follows, I will show that the Lukan parables as perspectives on
the Christian life serve to accomplish God’s saving aim, which, as has been established above,
is the purpose of Luke.
3-1. The Role of the Lukan parables as one facet of embodying God’s redemptive purpose
In Luke’s wider depiction of God’s purpose, the establishment and actualization of God’s
redemptive purpose emerge obviously in Jesus’ ministries, in his life, death, and exaltation, as
well as in his followers’ commissioned ministries. God’s saving aim is also established and
materialized clearly in the faith-life of His redeemed people. The pivotal characteristic of
God’s salvation agenda, which is embodied in the faith-life of Christians, involves the totality
of their newly-changed lives, in accordance with Jesus’ life and teaching. In this way, by
means of parables unique to him, Luke strives to convey to his readers that God’s redemptive
purpose in the Christian life is necessarily accompanied by a completely changed life, in
relationship to God religiously, to possessions economically, and to neighbours socially.
Firstly, the relationship of Christians with neighbours is presented as love and forgiveness
in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (10:25-37), the Parable of the Prodigal Son (15:11-32)
and the Pharisee and the Tax-Collentor (18:9-14). Luke gives prominent position to the need
to love and forgive all people. Christians should love and forgive their neighbours, including
enemies and sinners. It is the right attitude that all Christians should have towards their
neighbours.
Secondly, it is taught that Christians should use their own material possessions properly
which are entrusted to them for the service of God and the poor, in the Rich Fool (12:13-21),
the parable of the Unjust Steward (16:1-13), and the Rich man and Lazarus (16:19-31). The
Lukan Jesus repeatedly warns against the danger of attachment to riches as an obstacle to
discipleship, and calls for the positive use of wealth, especially in the form of giving alms to
302