Pictures of a Christ Follower. Parables for Lent

It’s day two of Lent which means there is still time to print your reading plan and catch up for our 40 Days with the Storyteller series! Grab your free bookmark reading plan: Lent 2019 Reading Plans Bookmark and Image

Early in his ministry, Jesus was teaching his disciples about the new kingdom. He was taking old ideas about faith and religion and turning them upside down.

In The Storytelling God, author Jared C Wilson explains that the Hebrew word for parable is rooted and related to the word “mashal” which means “proverb”. A parable, in Jewish understanding, is an illustration of wisdom. Ancient authors did not have pictures or diagrams or maps to enhance their writings (and besides, Jesus taught his disciples orally) so they used the language of symbolism to illustrate their teachings. Over the next three days, we’ll be reading parables that show us pictures of what a follower of Christ looks like.

Day 2: Matthew 5:13-15

In Matthew 5:13-15, Jesus tells the crowd that they are salt and light, giving them, and us, a picture of what a person who follows Jesus should look like.

What does salt make you think of? Flavor? A preservative? A stable compound, plentiful but valuable.

Can salt lose its saltiness?

“Most salt in the ancient world derived from salt marshes or the like, rather than by evaporation of salt water, and therefore contained many impurities. The actual salt, being more soluble than the impurities, could be leached out, leaving a residue so dilute it was of little worth.” (https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Mat/Mat-5.cfm?a=934013

How about light? Our house is out in the country, surrounded by fields. When it gets dark, it’s DARK. Almost oppressive. Sometimes I’ll go out at night and see the lights of the city in the distance. It’s dazzling and it really does light things up for miles around.

What does it mean for a Christian to be light?

“Don’t shine so others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see Him.” – C.S. Lewis

Day 3: Luke 6:46-49

But how do we live like salt and light in a dark and rotting world? We’ve already talked about how Jesus was doing a new thing, restoring us to a place where we could again live in relationship with him. But to do this, Jesus said, we have to DO what he says.

he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.

I like the imagery of verse 48, digging deep to lay your foundation on the rock. This life in Christ is not easy but there is value in the doing the hard work. When our faith is active it is strong, like the foundation of a house, able to withstand the flood.

Day 4: Luke 7:36-47

Let’s set the stage a bit for this passage. Jesus is eating at the home of Simon, a Pharisee. A “woman of the city, who was a sinner” hears he is in town and shows up for the party. That’s an interesting character description. Aren’t we all sinners? What sets this woman apart?

The Greek word used here for “sinner” is hamartolos which is translated as “devoted to sin, not free from sin, wicked, and specifically of men stained with certain vices or crimes, as in tax collectors or heathens.” Heathen, according to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, means Gentile, other than Jewish; an idolater. Can you relate with the woman of the city? I know I can.

Our sin is a debt we cannot pay. Whether it’s 50 or 500, it is more than we can afford. Thankfully, Jesus has cancelled our debt. We can be like woman, deeply, unashamedly grateful, or we can be like Simon, proud and scoffing behind Jesus’ back.

What can you do today to show Jesus your gratitude?