A Note from Pastor Shelly

Parables of Life

Jesus often taught using parables. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke record around thirty-six different parables (give or take depending on how you count them). And as we made our way through the Gospel of Matthew this summer we encountered many of those parables—of the seed and the sower, of the weeds and the wheat, of the treasure of the field and the pearl of great price. And now as we continue in the Gospel of Matthew through to the end of November we will encounter many more parables including the parable of the wedding feast, the parable of the talents, and the parable of the sheep and goats.

That might seem like a lot of parables and sometimes we might find ourselves thinking—just as the crowds and disciples did at times—tell us what you mean straight up! But Jesus himself said of his teaching in parables that he teaches this way so that we do not confuse hearing with understanding and seeing with perceiving. In other words, he calls us to something deeper. He calls us to listen until we understand and to watch until we perceive what is truly happening. Parables force us to do this. The stories that Jesus tells aren’t just lessons about farming or about conserving oil in our lamps or where to invest our talents of gold, these are stories about our lives, how we live them, and most of all where God is in the midst of our lives.

And studying Jesus’ parables not only tells us about God in our lives, they give us practice for understanding and perceiving God actually at work in our own lives. Life often feels like a parable or a puzzle. It has a deeper meaning, a bigger picture, but how do we get to it? We walk with the One who leads us outside of ourselves, takes us below the surface, and shares a way of life with us that is filled with beauty and meaning and honesty and love. We walk with the teacher of the parables, Jesus our Lord.

See you in worship where we together listen to Jesus’ parables and seek more than just seeing and hearing, but true understanding through Jesus’ word,

Pastor Shelly