Dear Logos Family,
“And he told them many things in parables, saying….” Matthew 13:3
Last week we started a new series on the Parables of Jesus. Parables are short stories that convey spiritual truth about God’s Kingdom. They are a discreet way of teaching spiritual truth without focusing directly on the person of Jesus.
In his early days of ministry, Jesus did not want everyone to know his true identity. Even some of his close disciples who watched him perform miracles and followed him for three years didn’t fully grasp who Jesus was until the end.
Shortly after the Last Supper the apostle Philip said in John 14,
“Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
Jesus had to reassure him as to his true identity:
“Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. (John 14:8-9)
Given the nature of the world we live in, we too, as Jesus’ followers, must be discreet about how we talk about our Lord. We must learn to be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)
The parables of Jesus are designed to tweak people’s curiosity about God. The Parable of the Sower that we looked at last week reminds us not to be too analytical where we sow, what type of “soil” we sow seed into. Because we never know. We never truly know how a “word spoken in season” will take root in a person’s heart and lead them to the Savior. We are simply called to be faithful sowers – both in word and deed. And to trust the Lord that His word will not return void. (Isaiah 55:11)
May you find joy in planting the seeds of life!
Pastor Bill