Jesus used metaphors drawn from nature and stories to teach people about who He was, who God was, and what the kingdom of God was about. His teaching style is fascinating to study. Jesus was very different from what his listeners conceptualized God to be. He did not use lofty language and grand proclamations in his preaching and teaching. He stayed away from intellectual arguments. His simple lessons were ones people could relate to, taught in stories all could understand, and most importantly, spoke to the conditions of their hearts.
In two of the gospels, writers Matthew and Luke narrate Jesus’ efforts to encourage his followers to think about lilies, how they grow. Without much effort on their part, lilies appear resplendent and beautiful in the world. To the Jewish people of the dusty province of Galilee, King Solomon was legendary. Stories of King Solomon’s fame, his achievements, his wealth and gold, his lavish lifestyle, his numerous wives and children, and his poetry and godly wisdom surely took root in their imaginations as they were passed down through the generations. King Solomon, larger than life, would have been culturally embedded in their minds and hearts as the epitome of human splendor and majestic glory. He was greater than all the kings in the earth in both possessions and wisdom.
Within this common understanding, Jesus says a startling thing. A simple, yet unique flower possesses a beauty that far surpasses the splendor and wisdom of Israel’s greatest king. Jesus tells the crowd that God dresses the lily with so much beauty it outshines the full array of Solomon’s glory.
Jesus’ message is timeless, speaking powerfully into lives over the centuries. These ancient words remind his followers today to consider the lilies. How they grow. And how they do not have to work to burst out in shimmering color. And the reason for that.
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A ‘journey’ of clicks to thoughts about Lent
Following links around the internet isn’t always a pointless search. Here’s how I found this great material. I wonder, is the journey important anymore? Or just the destination? If it is…I joined Twitter. Then I looked up and followed Cornerstone University (because they have an online ESL program that I’m interested in.) They posted a
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What about…tomorrow?
“The next moment is as much beyond our grasp, and as much in God’s care, as that a hundred years away. Care for the next minute is just as foolish as care for a day in the next thousand years. In neither can we do anything, in both God is doing everything.” – C.S. Lewis
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All that I have commanded you
The room was very quiet when the guest speaker, Dr. Chris Mitchell from Wheaton College, started to unpack what the Great Commission is about. Matthew, in verse 20, wrote that Jesus told his disciples to teach the nations to “observe all that I have commanded you.” It is ironic that Dr. Mitchell was “preaching to
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Coming Out of the Dark
A freak snowstorm hit my area in October, and thousands of people were in the dark – for days. The lights and power were non-existent in my home for four days, the nights were dark and cold, and it looked like it would stay this way for many more days. When the lights came back
Consider the Lilies 
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