There is an extraordinary power in storytelling that stirs the imagination and makes an indelible impression on the mind. Jesus employs a set of stories, known as the “crisis” parables to issue a warning, a summons to repentance, because of the lateness of the hour. Jesus says, “A tidal wave is approaching and you are lollygagging on the patio having a party.” Or as Joachim Jeremias puts it, “You are feasting and dancing—on the volcano which may erupt at any moment.”3 The impending crisis precludes procrastination: “Stay awake, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming,
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