master broadcaster
Jesus was a strategic broadcaster. Whenever crowds gathered around the Savior, it wasn’t long before He sat down to teach them about His kingdom. But how did Jesus teach the masses? He told stories. A farmer sowed seed in a field (Mark 4:1-8); a seed sprouted without anyone knowing how (Mark 4:26-29); a mustard seed grew into a tree that…
four hearts
Theologian C. H. Dodd described Jesus’ parables as stories that tease us into thought. They provoke us— shock us even—into deep soul-searching.
The first parable in Mark 4 is a good example. Jesus compared His preaching mission to a farmer sowing seed that fell on different types of soil. Jesus’ missional success depended not on His message (the “seed”), but…
the holy riddler
Mighty, majestic, awesome. Gracious, loving, kind. Such descriptors for God are common, and rightly so. But how many of us would add “playful” to the list? How many of us think of God as the One who toys with us—the holy riddler?
“Son of man,” God commands Ezekiel, “give this riddle, and tell this story to the people of Israel”…
