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Scripture Reading: Matthew 13

The sun and the wind decided to have a contest one day to see which of them was the strongest.  When they saw a man walking down the street wearing a warm winter coat, they agreed that whoever could get the man’s coat off would truly be the strongest.

The wind thought this would be a piece of cake, so he began to blow with all his might.  But the harder he blew, the tighter the man held onto his coat.  Eventually, the wind gave up, and the sun took a turn.  The sun came out from behind a cloud and began to shine brighter and brighter.  As the man got hotter and hotter, he finally took off the coat of his own accord.  The wind had to concede that the sun was indeed stronger.

When trying to get your family and friends to put their faith more fully in God, which approach do you think would work best?  To blow harder and harder like the wind, or to shine brighter and brighter like the sun?

I had to use this illustration one day to help a friend.  Although he meant well, his actions toward others often had the effect of repelling them from what he wanted them to do, rather than drawing them to do it of their own accord.  I could have just told him directly what was happening, but I felt by using a parable, he might be able to see better what was really happening.

Jesus knew the power of parables, too, telling them often.  Matthew includes seven of Jesus’ parables in Matthew chapter 13:  the parables of the sower, the weeds, the mustard seed, the yeast, the hidden treasure, the pearl, and the net.  Matthew says:

“Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable” (Matthew 13:34). 

Why did Jesus use so many parables?  When asked this question by His disciples, Jesus replied, in part:  “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand” (Matthew 13:13).  When confronted directly, people’s defensiveness can sometimes cloud their thinking to words that could otherwise be truly helpful.  People can often see a point better when it is illustrated as an external reality first, then they can apply the principle to their own lives internally.

The prophet Nathan used this approach when speaking to King David when David committed adultery with another man’s wife.  Nathan said:

“There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor.  The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. 

“Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.” 

David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.” 

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:1b-7a).

Through this story, David was finally able to see the truth of what he had done, leading him to true repentance.

The next time you have to approach someone with something that might be hard to share directly, try using a parable, an illustration or a story.  Rather than blowing harder and harder like the wind, try shining brighter and brighter like the sun!

Prayer: Father, give me wisdom to know how to approach those I love, so that they may hear Your truth in a way that moves them to action.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.