Jesus also said, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what shall we compare it? It is like a mustard seed which, when sown,
is the smallest of all the seeds scattered upon the soil. But once sown, it grows up and becomes the largest of the plants in
the garden, and even grows branches so big, that the birds of the air can take shelter in its shade.” Jesus used many such stories,
in order to proclaim the word to them in a way that they would be able to understand. He would not teach them without parables;
but privately to his disciples he explained everything.
REFLECTION:
Stories are favorite vehicles of many great teachers in history to
transmit their teachings. Jesus is not an exception. He uses imagery culled
from everyday life to explain what the Kingdom of God is. The beauty of
this technique is that it is open-ended. The hearer will continue to ponder
on the story and slowly discovers new truths. It is like peeling a cabbage
layer after layer and each time, new truth is encountered. Thus the
hearer is engaged in a process of discovering little by little the deep
truths of the Kingdom of God that is multi-faceted.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2021