Parables as Pedagogical Tools in Christian Religious Education: Insights for CRE Teachers from Matthew 13 at SD Swasta Batas Marubi
Keywords:
Parables, Christian Religious Education, Pedagogical ToolsAbstract
This study explores the pedagogical significance of biblical parables as instructional tools in Christian Religious Education (CRE), focusing on insights drawn from Gospel of Matthew chapter 13 and their implementation at SD Swasta Batas Marubi. The research is motivated by the need to strengthen faith-based pedagogy that not only transmits biblical knowledge but also shapes students’ character and spiritual maturity. The study involved 31 Christian students, supported by one Christian classroom teacher and one CRE teacher. Using a qualitative case study design combined with a Systematic Literature Review (SLR), data were collected through classroom observations, in-depth interviews, document analysis, and reflective field notes. The findings reveal that parable-based instruction significantly enhances students’ understanding of theological concepts, stimulates moral reflection, and nurtures spiritual awareness. Parables such as the Sower, the Weeds, the Mustard Seed, and the Hidden Treasure were found to be particularly effective in cultivating values of perseverance, discernment, patience, humility, and commitment to God’s kingdom. The effectiveness of this approach is strongly influenced by the pedagogical competence of teachers, especially in narrative communication, contextualization, dialogical engagement, and spiritual modeling. Teachers’ lived example emerged as a central factor in enabling students to internalize biblical values meaningfully. This study concludes that parables are not merely narrative teaching strategies but transformative pedagogical instruments that integrate cognitive, affective, moral, and spiritual dimensions of learning. The results contribute to the development of contextual Christian pedagogy, especially in elementary education, by offering an empirically grounded and biblically rooted model of parable-based instruction suitable for pluralistic educational settings.
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