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Today’s verses:

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:57-62

Reminds me of these verses:

A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.  Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil. I t came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”  When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” Luke 8:5-8

Reminds me that we prefer to take the bible literally.

In the first we have unknown strangers.  Some approach Jesus – others he approaches.  In the second we have seeds.  Some yield a crop – others don’t.  And at the heart of all of this literalness is The Kingdom of God.  Except The Kingdom of God is not literal.  Which could be taken to mean that at the heart of the bible is … What exactly?

Something not literal but figurative.  Explained by – not literal but – figurative parables.  Parables that are made-up stories.

And yet we prefer the facts of the matter, the factual bible, the inerrant and infallible bible, the Word of God bible.  God said because the bible said and the bible is God.  We prefer commandments and laws and rules and must and must not.  God said because the bible said and the bible is God.

And that is why I should believe?

But what about this … ?

“He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’” Luke 8:9-10

The secrets (of the figurative) have been given to you.

You, dear believer, have been given the secrets of the figurative.  All the literal and made-up stories, the figurative and factual …  YOU have been given the secret of ALL of this.

So why do I hear that love is not enough?  Why do I hear we need rules?  Why do I see those who love – who know the secret of love – who have the secrets of the figurative within … why do “we” exclude them just because they see more than “God said because the bible said and the bible is God”?

If we have been given the secret of all of this “bible stuff” … why do we choose to ignore what we have been given … ?

Because God said because the bible said and the bible is God.

That is no “secret”.

That is “I’m gonna get my dad on you” stuff.  That is what scaredy-cats do.  There is no secret in that.  We all understand that.

But if we have been given the “secrets” of this bible …

Why would we ignore such a precious gift?

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