I was reading Luke 14 yesterday and saw something I wanted to comment on. It’s a simple thing, but maybe it is valuable nonetheless.
7 And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, . . .
Of course, this verse has a larger context. And the story that Jesus creates on the spot is tailor made for the moment. But the thing I want to focus on are the words “when He noticed.” Jesus noticed that the their hearts were not in the right place, and, as a result, he creates a parable to cut through their defense mechanisms and speak the truth they needed to hear. Read it for yourself, Luke 14:1-15.
It is a simple thing, but I think it is significant. Jesus saw a teachable moment and created a teaching designed for his audience on the spot.
Here’s a couple of thoughts:
If we are serious about following Jesus, we need to follow his example here.
- Ask God to make us alert to the teachable moments in our interactions with others.
- Be prayerful that God would give us eyes to see the moment.
- Take the initiative and speak into the moment with all the creativity we can muster.
That third thought is important as well. Quoting Scripture in these moments is not always the best tactic. Jesus made up a parable that snuck up on the hearers conscious so that they never saw what was coming. Alexander Whyte, British biographer and preacher from another century, said this of Nathan the prophet, but he could have been speaking about Jesus.
“Preaching is magnificent work if only we could bet preachers like Nathan. If our preachers had only something of Nathan’s courage, skill, serpent-like wisdom and evangelical instancy. . . . We ministers must far more study Nathan’s method; especially when we are sent to preach awakening sermons. Too much skill cannot be expended in laying down our approaches to the consciences of our people. Nathan’s sword was within an inch of David’s conscience before David knew that Nathan had a sword. One sudden thrust, and the King was at Nathan’s feet.”
Alexander Whyte, Referring to Nathan’s
Encounter with David in 2 Samuel 12
Bible Characters, p. 122.
Let’s give our friends, and neighbors and family, stories and parables filled with gospel truth designed to bypass their emotional baggage. Let’s work hard at it for the glory of the King.
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