An extended review of a 2025 book by Keith Bodner
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Baker Academic, 2025. 200 pages. $36 (ebook $26, audio $15)
Of all the sayings of Jesus in the Gospels, the parables are without a doubt some of the most spiritually enriching, yet also the most challenging passages to read and understand. Whether it be the countercultural (or counter-worldly) ways of the Kingdom of God, or the different historical-cultural background of the parables compared to our modern, Western society, the parables continue to both convict and perplex readers.
Yet perhaps even more challenging are the so-called financial parables and their often counterintuitive descriptions of business, investment, charity and payment/reward. How is one to understand the Parable of the Shrewd Manager in Luke 16 where a dishonest manager is fired, gives discounts to his boss’s clients, but then is praised by his boss for being wise?
Or, what about the Parable of the Persistent Widow in Luke 18 where an uncaring judge finally renders a just financial verdict because of a widow’s persistent appeals? What do such parables tell us about the character of God and the nature of the kingdom?
Throughout these stories, we see the unexpected at every turn – wages are the same no matter the amount of work, children who squander wealth are welcomed with open arms, and small donations are often infinitely greater in the Kingdom of God than large investments.
For those seeking to dive into the topsy-turvy world of the financial parables, Keith Bodner – professor of religious studies at Crandall University in Moncton, N.B. – has gifted readers with a fresh and succinct guide in how to interpret these teachings of Jesus.
In this book, Exploring the Financial Parables of Jesus: The Economy of Grace and the Generosity of God, Bodner walks readers through some of the most challenging parables with an eye to their historical-cultural context and how these passages reveal the character of God and demonstrate that grace is the core principle of the Kingdom of God.
Unlike the economies of the world which prize success, preach scarcity and promote the ruthless acquisition of wealth, the parables teach that God’s grace is not only unearned, but “is offered as a gift and ought to be received with gratitude. Moreover, grace is the most prized asset in this kingdom, and miraculously, there is no scarcity as there is with other resources.”
Each of Bodner’s seven chapters walks the reader through a parable or two in detail and how they point to God’s generous character and the centrality of grace in the divine economy. Additionally, Bodner’s attention to historical-cultural context also provides compelling connections to stories (and indeed parables!) within the Old Testament.
For example, in order to illustrate what parables are and how they function, Bodner points to 2 Samuel 12 and the prophet Nathan’s confrontation with King David. Through this story, the author shows us how parables can “be less innocent than they sound,” “can have more personal application than immediately meets the ear,” “might have several layers of meaning,” and whose function “is to challenge our perspectives and shift the direction of our lives.”
Another example of where this book shines is in the attention to not only ancient context, but also to modern context. Replete with pop culture references and modern business parallels, readers will find that the situations presented in the financial parables are not so dissimilar to problems today.
Through easy to understand prose and apt examples, this book would serve well as an introductory, undergraduate textbook on the subject or as a small group/church study for lay people who wish to delve into the parables.
However, unlike other textbooks/introductions, Bodner does not include example questions nor a dedicated section for further readings (though the bibliography and footnotes are helpful in this regard). Given the important connections to both the Old Testament and modern culture, such questions would have been useful here.
Ultimately, Exploring the Financial Parables of Jesus is an excellent guide to this often confusing aspect of Jesus’ ministry and teachings. As such, I highly recommend this book to all who seek to learn about the countercultural nature of the Kingdom, the generosity of God, and the economy of grace so foreign to a world obsessed with possessions and wealth.
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