Luke 19:11 As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.
This is the introduction to one of Jesus' parables. For the moment, the exact parable is not important - it's the introduction that has my attention. We often wonder why Jesus told parables. Why didn't he just say what he meant and be clear about it? Here's one answer - because he was getting close to the end of his journey and his disciples seemed to be misunderstanding the point.
His disciples supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. Of course, we readers who know how the story ends know this isn't the case - at least not in how they thought it would happen. The kingdom of God did not appear in Jerusalem. Jesus died. He seemed to have lost. He needed to get them ready for this overturning of expectations. So he spoke in parables, to help them learn to think in kingdom ways - upside down, and surprising ways. Kingdom ways of thinking are so different from worldly ways it takes training. How's your training going?
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. This Sunday we worship at 8:30 and 11 with Education Hour at 9:45.
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