One of my daughters’ favourite jokes goes along the lines of
Knock knock
Who’s there?
Dave
Oh come in Dave
Jokes rely on a good punchline and the best punchline’s offer a twist, a surprise. In this case, the format of the knock knock joke is subverted. You are surprised because the joke doesn’t end as expected.
Parables rely on punchlines too. If you are going to preach on a parable, then whilst there is lots of detail to be found in the story that is of course interesting and helpful, what we are really looking for is the punchline, the main point of the parable. Actually, that’s true of much of Scripture. Whether you are engaging with a prophecy from the OT, one of Jesus’ miracles, a Psalm or the dense logic of Paul, you are looking to see what the argument or story is building up to, to find the main point.
Moreover, just as with jokes, we sometimes find that the punchline carries a twist, a surprising turn. Consider how it turns out to be the despised Samaritan in Luke 10 who is more righteous than the religious leaders, keeping the law by loving his neighbour. Or, consider the parable of the prodigal son, the punchline tells us that the older brother is as much lost as the younger one, indeed, it is he that the father goes out to specifically find and bring home.
So, if you find yourself preaching on a parable, look for the punchline and look for the surprising twist. What does it tell us?
Faithroots 