This is the first of a series on parables of the earth. Jesus is the Master of telling parables by using common illustrations or short stories to make a point. The gospels are full of powerful examples. In my walk with God, I have found that the Holy Spirit increasingly teaches me by giving me a picture or a parable from something I am observing. His creation is rich with lessons about the kingdom of God, problems we face, relationships, human foibles, etc. So the pictures and stories in the series are real and relatively current. I can only share with you what he has shown me. I hope you enjoy them.
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- I have land that needs work or clearing. Poison ivy and oak are a nuisance. If you get the leaves against your skin or you get in the smoke from burning these vines, it can produce an annoying itchy rash for weeks. As I was walking a path this fall, a bed of ivy had turned golden orange. Such a nuisance weed had transformed the ground to something beautiful. As I was thinking about how the Lord makes things beautiful that were once ugly, I appreciated the outdoor lesson. My life was certainly ugly before he began a process of restoration.
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- With the fall scene of the bed of ivy fresh in my mind, the same walk took me past a clump near a country road. The colors of the leaves were magnificent, and the detail within each leaf was accented by the colors. It reminded me of the breadth of the work of Jesus Christ in His people. Yes, he is mindful of big things like the whole body of Christ as we move toward that time when we will be with him, but unlike us, he never loses sight of the individual and the detail within one person’s life. It is humbling to consider that almighty God stoops low enough to be with each of his children–even when we think we are weeds, having little use.
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- In the fall color changes, not everything turns at the same time or in the same way. Only a few minutes after noticing poison oak patches, I noticed a mixed patch of poison oak and virginia creeper. Some had turned; some were still green. God reminded me of his patience with us when we are at different stages of life or situations. We grow impatient with each other when we don’t all learn or understand things at the same time or in the same way. God, however, works with each one and all the apparent differences without respect of persons. The result is something beautiful–like the variety in this image.
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- Virginia creeper turns earlier than most leaves in the fall. And the leaves almost always turn bright red. Since it is a weed, most people don’t notice it, but the red color stands out when it is against grey rock or a tree trunk. And isn’t it just like the Lord: we might think someone is a real weed, but put that person in the right situation and what God has done stands out in a striking way. He also reminds me of watchman when I see the vine begin to change colors, because it notes that the Fall season is upon us and other trees will be turning colors and losing leaves within a few short weeks. Last, poison oak and virginia creeper often form thickets. Deer love to rest in the thickets, and they eat the berries and the leaves on the vines. The kindom of God is pictured similarly: like a mustard plant. It grows so large and tall that birds can make a home. God’s work is to make his people a home for the lost, the oppressed, and the needy. They can see Him, if we let him work within us, through what we offer: righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. [Mt 13:31-32, Rom 14:17]
