It started out in his hometown of Nazareth. He taught in his home Synagogue. People could not believe what they were hearing. Some liked his gracious words, while others wondered why he spoke as an authority figure. Some did not like his interpretation of the scripture at all. While others merely wanted to hurl him […]
What a pericope! Tonight we get 5 ways to imagine the Kingdom of Heaven…more specifically: “God’s will being done on earth as it is in heaven!” 5 different parables… 5 different things to think about and to ponder… The Kingdom of Heaven is like “a mustard seed;” like “yeast” (leaven) into flour, like a “treasure” […]
I want to talk with you about the “net.” No, not the internet. Not a hair net. Not a butterfly net. And definitely not the dog-catchers net. I am not talking mosquito netting either. But a net – net, you know, a fishing net, just not the kind of “fishing net” that probably popped into […]
Jesus lived in an agrarian society, so it shouldn’t surprise any of us – many of his parables related to farming. When he told these stories originally, his audience would have resonated with talk about “fields,” “seeds” and “crops.” They understood what he was talking about! They could picture it. Been there, done that! One […]
Here we go again. Another week… Another parable from Jesus… And this one, (like last weeks’) also includes an explanation. This parable is only to be found in Matthew. 2 parables down, 38 more to go…just kidding, we do not touch on all of them…just a sampling is all we get… Are we even able […]
You’ve got to feel sorry for Mary Magdalene. I think she has been given a bad rap…and a bad rep. I say, “Hold off on all criticism of her.” Sure, she has fame many of today’s celebrities would envy. She’s played a leading role in works ranging from Renaissance paintings to just about every passion […]
The very nature of a parable is that a person must figure out the meaning of the parable and then apply that meaning – to one’s own life. Unfortunately, of Jesus’ forty parables, only two of them have explanations attached to them. The parable of the sower is one of those two parables that have […]
A parable is really a riddle – to be figured out. It is also a story with a hidden meaning…that people are to seek out. Or, you can just accept it as it is, at face value. Some say, it is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Regardless it was a teaching tool a […]
Some of you may remember Art Linkletter…and his specials about how “Kids Say the Darnedest Things.” It was great…always bringing smiles to people’s faces… Several years ago, it was all the news when an 18 wheeler was making its way through Iowa – and the driver misjudged the height of his trailer. His roof got […]
It goes without saying that life “is” – or – – certainly “can be” – very stressful. As a matter of fact, I think it is “safe to assume” that there is not anybody who will not one day – find themselves – bearing a load – “too heavy for them to carry!” We just […]