The Waiting Father: Sermons on the Parables of Jesus

by Helmut Thielicke

A collection of sermons offering deep insights into the spiritual message of Jesus's fifteen major parables by Helmut Thielicke, the great German preacher and theologian. These were originally preached in Michaelskirche, Hamburg, in the mid-1950s. Thielicke approaches the parables in novel ways. In treating the prodigal son, for instance, he concentrates more on the loving father than the rebellious son, emphasizing the centrality of forgiveness. Similarly on the Pharisee and the publican, he shows that the publican is guilty of spiritual pride and arrogance, drawing attention to the dangers for the faithful. Both among expositions of the parables and among books for preachers, 'The Waiting Father' stands in a class of its own. Great scholars are usually poor preachers, and great scholars are rarely good preachers, but Thielicke manages to combine distinguished scholarship with fine preaching.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Spirituality, Christianity, New Testament, Religion, Reference

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1959

Reviews

[Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thielicke preaches in a different mode than most modern, conservative pastors. Similar to Luther's lectures on Genesis, Thielicke psychologically fills out what the people of Jesus' parables would be thinking, feeling, and experiencing. He stays relatively connected to the actual text, making these sermons not just a wandering off into whatever he was pondering in the moment. I really appreciate his psychological depth and insight, as well as his lack of temerity to mention philosophers and theologians, which indicates that his congregation is familiar with (for instance) nihilism, Nietzsche, and Marx.
He twice commends unbelievers who might be listening to his sermons to take Jesus seriously; to really try to pray to God and open oneself up to him, and see whether or not they find a void or a loving, waiting Father. All in all, I found these sermons fascinating and more edifying than I initially expected.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this back in 2001 and my notes from that time show that I found it very helpful in terms of digging deeper in Jesus' parables, their meanings and their applications. Something I could do with reading again, I think!

Read again in 2020. Better even than I remember. The translation, which is overall very good, in spite of some dated language, never reduces the power of what Thielicke is saying. This is the sort of book that is worth reading once every one or two years (like Martin Lloyd Jones' Spiritual Depression). It's the sort of book that brings you back to basics and shows where you need to take hold of your Christian life more clearly. But it's immensely encouraging as well, and that's probably its greater strength.

[Abby Litrenta · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really lovely collection of sermons on Jesus’s parables. Thielicke is a very eloquent preacher, and his unusual style of preaching gave me a fresh appreciation of many of the parables that I’ve gotten too used to. I also loved his recurring emphases on the importance of prayer (particularly of having time first thing each morning to get alone with God) and of the value of meditating on Scripture. Thielicke’s sermons are themselves models for meditating on Scripture, as he delves into layers of the parables.

[Connor Longaphie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The hype is lost on me

[Jason Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a marvelous collection of sermons on the parables. I began reading these to help broaden my language for preaching through some parables and found this collection to serve as a very convicting devotional. A deep love for Jesus, a gentle passion for the people he shepherded and a German mind make for a much needed perspective on some of the most important things Jesus told us 2000 years ago. Thank you, Helmut!

[Bruce Hendrickson]

I read an earlier edition long ago. This is one of my favorite books. It gave me a much clearer understanding of who we are in relation to our heavenly Father through Jesus when we play the role of the rebelious little brother and also when we play the role of the diligent older brother. If you think you are too much of a sinner to ever relate to God, you must read this book.