There had been all kinds of rumors about the man Jesus of Galilee.  He had left his home and spent most of his time with a band of twelve other men.  He appeared to have unusual powers.  Some claimed that he had healed their sick. Others said that he had cured their lame.  There were those who even claimed that he could cast out evil spirits.  

He was a man of considerable authority, yet he was very kind.  There were those who suggested he was the expected Messiah, the chosen of God, who would bring freedom and new life for the Jewish people.  But up until then, he had made absolutely no overture toward establishing a kingdom.  On the contrary, as pointed out last week, he had always dismissed large crowds.  But on the Sabbath of Palms, Read more…

The Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matthew 22:1-14) starts out by these intriguing words: ?The kingdom of heaven is like . . .?? In the Gospels there are several parables that start with these words.? Most people are interested in these parables regardless of what they think the hereafter holds in store for them personally.? Just think?learning what heaven is really like!? This parable does just that. Read more…

Almost everyone enjoys a good story, especially when the storyteller has a real talent for relating stories.? That is one of the reasons the parables of Jesus have attracted the interest of people from all walks of life dating as far back as the beginning of Christianity.? Jesus was a master storyteller.??

It was the genius of Jesus to use real-life stories?parables?to unite our vertical connection to the Almighty with our horizontal connections to all of life.? If the parables are properly understood, they make God real and foremost in understanding all of our relationships in our daily lives: personal, social, political, professional, recreational?yes, through the parables we can be connected to God in all that we think, say, and do, to life itself.? Read more…