Most of us love getting absorbed in a good book. If not a book, a movie or a good TV show. And while there may be good music or attractive actors, it is ultimately the story that draws us in. A story doesn't have to be true to have an impact on us. A fictional story can still get us thinking about our own lives and reality. Jesus know this about us (go figure, he knows everything!), and so when he went around preaching and teaching about the kingdom of God, he spoke often using parables. Parables are short stories that illustrate a truth, principle, or moral lesson. At our last class meeting, we explored some of Jesus' most famous parables. There are three parables about lost things in Luke 15 - the lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7), the lost coin (Luke 15:8-10), and the lost son (Luke 15:11-32). The truth Jesus wanted hearers to take away from these stories? There is a huge party in heaven (maybe, hopefully, even on earth!) when someone who's been living a life far from God is found by him. |
In another famous parable we read, the one about the sower and the seeds and the soils (Matthew 13:1-23), Jesus even explains what everything stands for in the story (see verses 18-23).
In the middle of that parable, Jesus' disciples ask him why he speaks with these stories. Jesus' response:
In the middle of that parable, Jesus' disciples ask him why he speaks with these stories. Jesus' response:
That is why I use these parables,
For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. (Matt. 13:13)
That's a pretty enigmatic statement, but I think what Jesus means is that people have a hard time really hearing truth from God. But if Jesus can tell them a story that gets them thinking, they just might open their ears - and their hearts - a little more than they thought they would.
Also in Matthew 13, we read the parable of the wheat and the weeds (Matt. 13:14-30). It's kinda like if you had a big bowl of your favorite candy, M&M's, and someone dumped a bunch of your least favorite candy, Skittles, into the bowl. Would you sort them all out right away? In Jesus' telling of the story, he says when it comes to judging the righteous from the wicked, God is going to let them co-mingle until his final judgment - when he (not us!) will take care of any sorting that needs to be done.
Also in Matthew 13, we read the parable of the wheat and the weeds (Matt. 13:14-30). It's kinda like if you had a big bowl of your favorite candy, M&M's, and someone dumped a bunch of your least favorite candy, Skittles, into the bowl. Would you sort them all out right away? In Jesus' telling of the story, he says when it comes to judging the righteous from the wicked, God is going to let them co-mingle until his final judgment - when he (not us!) will take care of any sorting that needs to be done.
Coming up soon...
On Wednesday, November 19, we will be discussing lesson #11, "The Company Jesus Kept".
A few additional reminders from our schedule: We will have a little break for Thanksgiving - no class on November 26.
Please make sure you have December 6 on your calendars. We are taking a class trip to the Sioux City Gospel Mission. We'll meet at church at 9:00 a.m. and spend a few hours volunteering there. All parents and mentors are encouraged to join us.
A few additional reminders from our schedule: We will have a little break for Thanksgiving - no class on November 26.
Please make sure you have December 6 on your calendars. We are taking a class trip to the Sioux City Gospel Mission. We'll meet at church at 9:00 a.m. and spend a few hours volunteering there. All parents and mentors are encouraged to join us.