Dan,

Paul's letters hardly fit the definition of parables.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parable

Sells

Outside the notion of Jesus as a socialist, But emanating from your essay is:

Using the example of a boat motor. The logics of investing in a new boat motor are simple enough.
Resources are exchanged for a chosen benefit of reliability and safety.
But not without a cost.

The real cost of the exchange is measured against the negatives of the repayment of a loan maybe, or a real reduction in the resource of money, which will now be less available for other expenditure.

Compare that example, to trading away authenticity of the kingdom of God/heaven, as you appear to me to have done in your essay above, by classifying the Kingdom of Heaven as a parable.

By doing so, you have removed it from the metaphysical with its own arguments requiring explanation of a subject inside the noumena and phenomena.

Effectively, now the kingdom of heaven is non existent.

What do you gain in the trade of resources, from this approach?

Is Mise.
I'm not ignoring you.

Dan

"Was Jesus a socialist?"

Whats the bigger picture here?
It feels like you're moving around deckchairs on the titanic.

You'd think that someone with a religious perspective would comment on the seemingly real facts that the biblically prophesised 'End Times' are now here.

- At least that's what other Christian mobs are suggesting -

I don't recall at any point calling for state control of businesses?