Word Pictures

I am constantly aware and thinking about word pictures that communicate Biblical truth. That's why I love the parables of Jesus, and yet they frustrate me in much the same way the disciples were frustrated. Sometimes I just want to say "Tell it like it is Jesus." Oh, that's right, He just did.

How do you explain grace and forgiveness without giving examples of it? I believe the parables were Jesus' primary teaching/discipling tool, rooted in everyday living and experiences.

Do we have contemporary parables? Are there word pictures in our current living experiences that communicate Biblical truth about the Kingdom?

For Example: If sin is like a shared genetic mutation, then Jesus is the ultimate gene theropy.

As I imagine Jesus teaching the disciples about the Kingdom, Its hard for me to think that he would stop and the music would begin to play, and the disciples would crowd around, and Jesus would then begin "This is what the Kingdom is like . . . ".

No, I imagine Jesus walking along with the disciples, and being asked " What is the Kingdom like?" and Jesus simply looking and being observant to his surroundings, and saying " You know . . . its like this mustard seed." No big climatic shift, enhanced with music. Just matter of fact, "Here's the deal."

What are word pictures in our current culture that express Biblical truth. I think we're surounded by them, all we have to do is look.

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:2-6