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Small Story Big Idea
Brian Mashburn
March 16, 2014
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Small Story Big Idea
I work with some great story tellers. Brad has a "Hali Story" on demand, and it is usually from that day. Kyle can make the most mundane moment an enjoyable drama that you don't want to miss. Adrian can have you laughing in a heartbeat as he recounts something he found funny. Doyle has a knack for excavating a spiritual truth in his retelling of an event. And while Craig is a man of few words, when he tells a story, you find everyone listening.
Jesus, however, was the master story teller. He knew that given the choice between stating a spiritual fact plainly (which he often did) or telling a little story that contained the big idea, the story would have a better chance at getting some hearers to think and reason. To examine their own lives in the face of truths that were often times not self-evident.
We begin a new series today looking at what was possibly the first parable Jesus told. In it, he takes the simple, common sight of a farmer sowing seed and creates a powerful "mirror" within which we can evaluate if we have received the message Jesus came to deliver.
Each week, one of our children will tell us the small story of Jesus, and each week, we will look for the big idea contained in it.
With his stories, Jesus was bringing to us a Kingdom. They are pearls of great value. But only for those who have the heart to accept them, the minds to understand them, and the will to live up to them.