December 5th
Daily Reading
Psalm 78:2-4
for I will speak to you in a parable.
I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
stories we have heard and known,
stories our ancestors handed down to us.
We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
Isaiah 6:9-10
And he said, “Yes, go, and say to this people,
‘Listen carefully, but do not understand.
Watch closely, but learn nothing.’
Harden the hearts of these people.
Plug their ears and shut their eyes.
That way, they will not see with their eyes,
nor hear with their ears,
nor understand with their hearts
and turn to me for healing.”
Matthew 13:10-15
His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables,
For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.
This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,
‘When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’
Matthew 13:34-35
Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:
“I will speak to you in parables.
I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.”
(Readings taken from Bible Gateway, https://www.biblegateway.com/ New Living Translation)
Once Upon a Time…
Telling stories is a quintessential feature of being human.
The need to hear stories and tell stories is deeply integrated in our DNA.
We love to read great tales of love and war. We are thrilled by suspense and intrigue.
We watch films that allow us to suspend disbelief as we are transported to another time and place. We are captivated by documentaries that highlight the plight or curiosity of the human condition. We teach our children through fables; stories that subtly introduce them to notions of identity, citizenship, or character.
Stories are woven into the cultural tradition of all nations and their people.
They can be hard to hear. Troubling to reconcile.
Or joyful. Hopeful. Inspiring.
Stories help us to order and make sense of our world.
But stories are not innately fiction. Stories are simply the framework we use to scaffold the hearer into tangible concepts and truths.
It is no surprise then, that Creator God, in whose image we are made, chooses to engage in stories as a way to communicate with us. He uses stories to reveal to us His tangible concepts and truths.
God values stories. The stories of the prophets. The stories of the disciples. The stories of women and men who encounter Him, captured throughout the pages of this collection of books we call the bible.
The Christmas Story is the greatest story ever told, because in this story, each one of us are written in as characters. My story mercifully collides with God’s story, through the arrival of Jesus, and transforms my future.
It makes the Christmas story worth considering. Worth sharing.
Will you share this story today?
