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THE PARABLES
ENCOUNTERS WITH GOD
Welcome to the 2009 edition of Daily Devotions for Lent. Most of
our devotional texts this year are taken from parables spoken by
Jesus; a few come from Old Testament prophecy.
Jesus, like all good preachers, used analogy, simile and metaphor
to get his message across. He often told short stories, or
parables, to illustrate his teaching points.
Parables of Jesus tend to share certain characteristics. Many use
agricultural imagery. There are sheep, goats, figs (lots of
figs!), grapes, wheat, seeds, weeds and trees. Something – a
coin, a lamb, a child – is always getting lost in parables, but
the lost is always found. Some parables are set in the
workplace, some in humble homes, others in mansions of the rich
and famous. Whatever the venue, parables generally reflect the
everyday lives of disciples or experiences they would
understand.
Parables also share the quality of complexity. They may look short
and simple, but looks can be deceiving. We who read in 2009 may
not even understand the basic imagery. After all, the fig tree
is not an automatic symbol of abundance to us as it would have
been to the Jews of Jesus’ day. To us, yeast is just yeast and
carries no necessary connotation of the Messianic Kingdom.
“Talent” is a skill successful people leverage to earn large
amounts of money; it is not the money itself.
Our writers have struggled mightily to unravel the mysteries of
their assigned texts. It hasn’t been easy, because the parables
aren’t easy. These aren’t all sweet stories about love,
compassion and happy endings. They are insights into the mind of
God, providing revelations of God’s will for us now and glimpses
of God’s plan for the kingdom that is yet to come.
We pray that you will share our Lenten journey. Open your mind and
your heart. Encounter God through the parables!
For the Devotional Ministry Team,
Dallas Cronk, coordinator
Marcia Werts, copy editor
Mark Yeskie, webmaster
Lori East, graphic designer
Debbie Stephens, production manager
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