Kingdom Stories (2024)

When you think about Jesus and his teachings, it may be easy to default to moments like the Sermon on the Mount or his debates with the spiritual leaders and law teachers who harassed him. But very often, Jesus did not speak pointedly or directly about the law vs. grace. Instead, he told stories about what life is like in a kingdom called heaven. And from the sounds of it, it was quite different from the kingdom called Rome. Even the kingdom called Israel. The ruler of this kingdom ruled differently. The citizens of this kingdom had a different countenance. The way this kingdom defined love and justice and good and evil was different. But to really see the kingdom of heaven for what it is, Jesus did not choose the direct path. He spoke in what the Bible calls parables.

What’s the shortest distance between two points? A straight line. If Jesus wanted to get his point across in a direct, straight line, he most certainly could. He could just tell the straight truth—and there are times when he does. And often when he does, it penetrates too hard, cuts too deep, causes pain and hurt. The Sun is an amazing source of heat and light; we can see all around us because of it and we feel its warmth. But if you walk out and stare directly at the Sun, you won’t see more; you’ll see less. And if you walk out into the direct heat of a Shasta County summer day, that’s not warmth—that’s a blazing furnace of death. So rather than choose the shortest distance between two points—a straight line—Jesus arcs his truths. He comes around to truth using relatable stories, cultural moments, human emotion and wisdom; he strategically bends light and heat to open eyes and melt hearts to the goodness of his kingdom. He graciously and compassionate angles the truth, that we might see and know him more.