Learning from Jesus' method of interpretting what it is like to be ruled by the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

Below is a (short URL) link to help us learn from Jesus' methodology of explaining what "The Kingdom of God is like.." i.e. of interpreting what it was like to live under God's rule (as distinct from the rule of leaders like Caesar or Caiaphas, Herod or Pilate, the Pharisees or Sadducees)

He first acted out, or made space for his disciples' acting out, of the qualities of faith, observation, curiosity, & love. That was both an illustrative & interpretive event, as well as a "bearing witness" to the True Love, & to a Loving Truth. When people questioned, or commented, or thought things to themselves, about these provocative events, he responded to them with real answers, or not (when they were not sincere questions/comments/thoughts). His answers were often in the form of stories, or pictures, or analogies, which drew on events, or "lively" things around them - that could spread or grow, like light, a tree, a crop, yeast, a seed, or relationships.


For us today, firstly, we can listen to & learn to understand Jesus' stories, before we secondly, tell them ourselves in settings & in ways that will communicate appropriately with our audience. Thirdly, we can go to the same tool-box that Jesus went to, and dig around for new stories to illustrate what it is like to live under God's rule.

In fact, Jesus told a "parabole" (Grk word = story, illustration, likeness, analogy) which said that a teacher of the law living under God's rule would be  "like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old." Matt 13:51-53

It seems to me as I look at Jesus' words, stories, and warnings, that Jesus had a tool box with two sections: a) God's world, & b) God's prophetic word, which was itself divided further into another two: b1) God's prophetic word spoken to people in God's world in the past & which was recorded in the scriptures, and b2) God's prophetic word spoken to people in the present world. Both needed to be recalled (& understood) to be heeded properly. This tool, the colourful table, with it's instructions,(goo.gl/YCQ0ML) is aimed at helping us to use Jesus' toolbox as well, and with his help, to make it our own (click here for the table on it's own - goo.gl/ZvHI2K ).

What analogy shall we use? Are we mining for nuggets, or fishing around for just the right tool in our tool-box, or inventing new things in this world (following the mind of God)? Maybe all of them, and a bit more!