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

since Luke strives to reassure his readers of the gospel in a pattern of God’s plan of salvation.
Firstly, God’s plan of salvation toward for the Christian includes a newly-changed life in
every realm of life, according to Jesus’ life and teaching. The Lukan parables in the motif of a
new Exodus and the Way in the travel narrative place special emphasis on the whole realm of
Christian life, as shown in their relationship with neighbours, their relationship to material
possessions, and their relationship with God. Accordingly, when Christians live up to Jesus’
teaching of the Christian life that is presented in the microcosm of the Lukan parables, it is
not only in exact congruence with God’s redemptive purpose, but also concretizes God’s
redemptive purpose within their lives. Through the Lukan parables, Luke fervently desires
that his readers embody and realize the redemptive purpose of God within them through the
faith-life clearly presented in the parables, beyond simply responding to his Gospel positively
and accepting Jesus as Savior. Secondly, the Christian life concretely presented in the Lukan
parables further serves to accomplish God’s saving purpose. The Christian life which
includes a concern toward the marginalized, the proper use of possessions, and prayer,
ultimately helps to accomplish God’s redemptive purpose. If Christians accept the physically,
economically and ethnically weak, as taught in the Lukan parables, then they serve as the
good news to the poor that is announced in Jesus’ inaugural sermon at Nazareth, and help
accomplishment it. Furthermore, the proper use of possessions for the poor and God, in line
with God’s will, as shown in the Lukan parables, function to promote God’s redemptive
purpose. With respect to prayer, as taught in the Lukan parables, Christians must seek to
know the purpose and plan of God and commit themselves to its service in and through
prayer. In conclusion, all things considered, the Lukan parables, as perspectives of the
Christian life, play a vital role, not only in concretizing God’s redemptive purpose in the
faith-life of the Christian, but also in serving to accomplish God’s saving purpose.
To sum up, my goal in this dissertation was to show, particularly through the Lukan
parables in the light of Luke’s purpose, that he as a pastoral theologian has a special concern
for the faith-life of the Christian, and seeks to reassure his readers of the gospel that had
already been preached and taught to them. In the first place, the early Church had both
internal and external problems in their mixed community: On the one hand, it was comprised
of the Jews and Gentiles, the wealthy and the poor, male and female, and the like. On the
other hand, in their missionary context, they encountered many opponents. Apart from the
explicit confirmation of the gospel in Luke’s preface, one of the main problems would very
313