Thought for Today

Genesis 37:2 This is the story of the family of Jacob. 

Psalm 78:2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old,

Matthew 13:24 He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field;

Mark 12:26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  

Are you a storyteller? Not a liar, but a storyteller? Do you often find yourself trying to make your point, trying to explain something by telling a story? I do not consider myself a storyteller; however, at one point in their youth, our children suggested otherwise. They even suggested that I repeat my stories to the point that it would be better to assign each story a number and just shout at the number instead of telling the whole story. I’m sure that was just youthful exaggeration.

Yesterday, as we endured the Great Blizzard of ’26, literally, the Storm of the Century, I began to suspect that in the not too distant future, many will hear stories that begin something along the lines of , “That reminds me of the Great Blizzard of ’26 . . .” Not that I would ever resort to such machinations, but some might.

Reflecting on that, I realized as I looked around our home that almost every piece of furniture and every picture or painting on the wall has a story. Greta and I love to tell and retell all of those associated stories, what I call the background story. We did that yesterday as the Great Blizzard of ’26 huffed and puffed all around outside.

It is interesting to look at the words we translate as parable and story. The Greek παραβολή (parabola) had been translated directly into English as parable. The basic meaning is the same in each language, “setting one thing beside another to form a comparison or illustration.” (Friberg, Analytical Greek Lexicon) The Greek word often translated as story is βίβλος (biblos). If you are of an age that you still have a book labeled as a dictionary, look up the word Bible and look at the etymology of our English word.

In a very real sense, our Bible is a compilation of stories and parables. In that same real sense, stories and parables are the currency of lives shared together. That is especially true of lives shared together centered around a common goal. Couples share lives together toward to common goal of happy marriages. Friends become friends through that same currency of stories and parables. Certainly, our families of faith trade in that same currency.

Jesus was certainly a gifted storyteller. Rather than using classic rhetoric, the currency of Greek scholars and philosophers, Jesus employed parables. In the ‘industry’ and ‘commerce’ of restoring our relationship with our Creator God, Jesus traded in the currency of parables and stories.

For me, the Kingdom Parables are among the best examples. Jesus did not mean that we will all be farmers in the Kingdom of God. Jesus did not mean that we will all be seeds planted in the Kingdom of God. But, by relating the message to activities and processes familiar to all who have ever grown anything, Jesus offered his disciples . . .and still offers all of us today an insight into the mysteries of God’s Kingdom.

Think about your own favorite parable. Whether it is a Kingdom Parable or one of the others, think for a minute about the ideas and images that parable evokes in your mind. I love the Parable of the Talents. But, that parable is not about money, it is not meant to be some sort of financial guide. That parable is about our use of the various talents and abilities our God has given us.

I could not find a verse in the Bible that begins with “That reminds me of a story . . . “ But, time and again Jesus illustrated life lessons and kingdom lessons with simple stories and parables relating to our daily lives.

I’m sure that some day soon, I will hear myself begin a tale with, “That reminds me of the Great Blizzard of ’26.” I do find wonderful lessons in the currency of shared lives. Greta and I can share our stories with each other and recapture the memories and remind ourselves of the lessons we take from those memories. We can do the same with our friends and our family of faith. When we do, we come closer to the Kingdom of God.

Stay safe, trade in that currency of shared lives, trust God,

Pastor Ray