Tonight's parable is based on Luke 13.17-20
Having just honored a woman, the great King left the crowd,
leaving a gang of flustered self-righteous in his wake. He didn’t get far
before the crowd’s rumble of whispers turned into laughter and excited talk. A
smirk came to the King’s face and joy filled his heart. So he turned around to
face the crowd—a move which silenced them immediately as they waited expectantly
to see what their ruler would do next. Gazing over them for a few seconds, he
raised his eyebrow as was common to his near-mischievous humor. Then he smiled.
“What is my kingdom like? What can I compare it with?” he
asked, the smile never leaving.
Several in the crowd elbowed each other, the elderly couple
stood intently looking, and the 15-year old mumbled something. None of them feared
answering due to rebuke, but all of them feared that if they answered, they might
accidentally speak over the King’s words. All of them, of course had answers, ‘the
kingdom is like perfection,’ ‘like a family,’ ‘like a beautiful bride.’ But
none of them spoke.
The King looked over the crowd once more and saw a little
girl holding a puppy. Chuckling to himself and nodding, he said, “My kingdom is
like a little puppy.” The girl looked wide-eyed and turned red. Kneeling beside
her the King spoke gently, “My kingdom is like a little puppy that grows into a
big great dog. Once grown, she gives birth to a litter of her own, and they
become the pets of many, snuggling against their legs, eating their mess, and
bringing them comfort on a cold winter day.” The dog licked the King’s face,
and the crowd laughed.
Wiping off the saliva, he stood up. He cleared his throat
and asked, “What is my kingdom like?”
The little girl whispered, “Like a puppy.” And those who
heard her nodded in agreement.
“My kingdom,” the King continued, “is not just like a puppy.
My kingdom is like a campfire. The Boy Scout takes a spark to the kindle. What
starts as a small flame soon becomes a great fire and overtakes all the wood in
the pit. And who doesn’t want the warmth of a fire on a chilly autumn night?”
The looks on their faces betrayed them. Anyone could see
their minds racing to connect the dots.
The crowd would have many new answers to the question “What
is my kingdom like?” So the King smiled yet again, scratched the puppy behind
the ears, and turned to walk away. The group behind him laughed and talked
excitedly again, but though the King smiled as before, he continued on his way.
This was his kingdom.
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