34 All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”
(Matthew 13)
Jesus was more than a masterful teacher and storyteller. He was sent here on a Mission as the Son of God - to reveal truth, to display the character of God in the flesh, to give and be the Good News we need to hear and to have. His life, words, and actions were more clear and powerful than all the prophets before or since. (see Hebrews 1) It is not that parables in themselves are powerful; their power are in the tongue of the One Who uses them. As Matthew points out, Jesus was doing what the Psalmist spoke of in Psalm 78: passing on truth to coming generations by means of memorable parables. Much of Jesus' teaching we remember from our childhood because He used parables. But it is also much more than a memory device when added to the deep truths of God Jesus joined them with; they are powerful truths that transform our lives. Jesus, the Word, and things happen. May we never view the parables as simple, shallow statements. May we see them as deep treasures to hold and to unfold in our lives: "Oh, that's what Jesus meant when He said that..."
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