Little Stories

Bible Reading: Luke 15:1-10

“There! That’s finished,” said Mom as she closed the refrigerator door. “This Key lime pie will be ready in time for supper.”

“I love Key lime pie,” said Serena. She closed the books she had been using. “I just finished my lesson for Bible club,” she said, getting up. “It’s about the parables in Luke 15. Mom, how come Jesus talked in parables so much? Why didn’t He just say what He meant?”

“That’s a good question,” said Mom. “Let’s think about it. What do you think the reason might be?”

“Well…parables are like little stories, and maybe Jesus used them to make the lessons He taught more interesting so people would listen better,” Serena suggested. “I like stories, and the parables in the Bible are interesting. They illustrate what Jesus was teaching, don’t they?”

“Right,” said Mom. “I think they also make Bible truths easier for us to understand. They’re a little like…well…” She opened the refrigerator. “Here,” she said, taking out a lime. “Would you care to eat this, Serena?”

“That lime?” asked Serena in surprise. “No way! They’re too sour.”

“You’re right,” said Mom. “It would be too much for your taste buds.” Mom took out the pie she had just made. “How about this? Could you eat a slice of Key lime pie?”

Serena laughed. “I could definitely eat a slice of that!”

Mom nodded. “You can still taste the lime in this pie, but it’s much sweeter, isn’t it? It’s suited for your taste buds so it’s not too intense and you can enjoy the flavor of the limes I used to make it.” She put the pie back in the fridge to chill. “I think that’s kind of what a parable is like—it helps our human minds, which respond to stories, understand the truth of God’s Word. Parables are suited to the way God created our brains to learn. Jesus could have told the people God’s truth in a more straightforward manner, and sometimes He did. But I think He knew they often listened and learned better from the parables—the little stories He told.”

Serena smiled. “I’ll remember that when I’m eating my slice of Key lime pie tonight!”

-Dalan E. Decker

How About You?

Do you enjoy stories and learn from them? The stories Jesus told illustrate truths we all need to know. Did you enjoy the stories He told in today’s Bible reading? Did you think about what they mean? Why not go back to Luke 15 and read the rest of the chapter? It contains a longer parable about a son who runs away from his father. Read it, then think about what it teaches about God’s love and forgiveness.

Today’s Key Verse:
Mark 4:33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Parables illustrate truths