Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in stories; he did not say anything to them without using a story. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in stories, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”
The Stories of our Lives
by Sue Sainsbury
Matthew 13:34-35, NIV
We had a day off recently and it was wet, windy, and dreary. I was tired. I didn’t want to see anyone or go anywhere. I just wanted to rest. And so, although it felt absolutely decadent, when there were so many jobs to do, I sat in my favourite chair and read a book. All day long! It was a story book. And it was beautiful.
The plot was a bit wild, in all honesty, but the characters were believable and had all the right instincts. The people, who were all imperfect, of course, had empathy and tenderness. They were kind to those who needed help, and patient in the situations they didn’t understand. They made mistakes, and the plot turned on the confusion they all experienced. But they each had a ‘back story’, which emerged as the chapters rolled on. It explained why they were as they were, why they made the choices they did, and the reader was drawn in to feel compassion for them in their flaws.
There was genuine sorrow in the story, loss, loneliness, and the pain of dealing with the uncertainties of life in a broken world. I absolutely loved it. And I felt a bit bereft at the end. What was going to happen to all these imaginary people that I’d come to care about?
As I ponder that, it makes me think of Jesus and the way that He told stories. He drew people into the plots and enabled them to feel what the characters felt. He surprised His hearers, and shocked them sometimes. Scripture has power to do that to us today. I wonder if there is a story or a parable that you read which takes you on an emotional journey with Jesus.
Even as I write this, the story of the wonderful, faithful, ever-loving father comes to my mind (Luke 15:11-32). His two sons treat him very differently, but neither of them seems to respect or return his unconditional love. They make their own choices and take their different paths, one staying and working dutifully, the other demanding his inheritance (as if his father were already dead) and skipping off to live wildly.
I wonder if you relate to either of them. Is it the apparently reliable one, burning with unforgiveness at the shameful behaviour of his brother, and then raging at the injustice of his being allowed to return? Or is it the self-centred younger son who seems to do just what he wants to, without any thought for the impact it will have on his family – or himself?
Maybe you relate to the father who is loving, watching, and waiting for his boys to be reconciled to himself and to each other, longing for them to be filled with the unconditional love and acceptance he has for both of them.
I wonder what God might whisper to your heart as you take a journey into one of the stories Jesus tells, with Him walking alongside you.
Sue Sainsbury and her husband, John, have just begun a big, new adventure as part of the leadership team at Ellel Grange, where they are committed to living lives as disciples of Jesus and helping others on their journey with Him.
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