Sower, tares, mustard seed, leaven, hidden treasure, pearl, net, scribe – What do these have in common? Each is one of eight parables presented in succession in Matthew 13. These, along with all the other parables of Jesus, are short figurative analogies similar to fables, which, like the lengthy allegories and legends throughout the Old Testament, are intended to communicate timeless spiritual messages. The enduring nature of Biblical teachings is owing in general to their inspiration by the Holy Ghost and in particular to their innate quality of universal, eternal application. They are as old as old can be, yet fresh and new each time they cross our minds.
The wisdom of the Scriptures is in the discernment by which they are applied to any present situation. The imagery of the Bible provides a limitless cache of metaphors through which the Holy Spirit continuously speaks as she guides us, as Jesus promised, “into all truth.” God’s love, as demonstrated in Jesus, invites the broadest possible perception, in contrast to any efforts to narrow and restrict our understanding of the Scriptures to arbitrary boundaries. What do these parables of Jesus have in common? They are like windows into Heaven.
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Excerpt from the manuscript of the sermon preached by
Rev. Bill Lawson on July 30, 2023, at Briensburg UMC.
Complete Sermon with Bibliography and Notes:
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