students of jesus

If Jesus simply wanted to send a message he would not have used parables. A few moralisms would have done: “Follow the rules; live up to the standards you have been given; don’t drink, smoke or chew--and definitely don’t go with girls who do.” But that would have been merely adding to the religious burdens that already weigh us down.

Instead, he told stories. Lots of them. Stories he rarely explained and we have rarely understood. The Lord was trying to describe a place: the Kingdom of Heaven. Not “Heaven,” but rather that place characterized by the rule of the King. The kind of place can exist anywhere and anytime. We miss the good news if we insist on pushing the Kingdom all the way back to Heaven.

North American Evangelicals have bottled up his rule and reign and sealed the champaign until the end of the age. We also have a powerful urge to “explain” his stories in simple terms that reinforce our ideas of Heaven.

Just below is a “Pint-Sized Parable” for pint sized theology, producing pint sized believers. I love South Park-style animation as much as the next guy, and I have no objection with modernizing the language. I do, however, resist the attempts we make to limit His message. See what you think.

Why not investigate Matthew 18: 21-35 on your own? Listen to Peter's question and consider the Lord's answer. Do you think they were discussing a day yet to come, or were they exploring the merciless heart in our very own day?