Imago Dei Community

Pastor Michelle Jones explains that parables are like time bombs that only explode after they permeate our hearts. Jesus uses them to cause us to wonder and ponder and see the kingdom of God in a fresh way.

Jesus is performing a series of healings. The crowds are following him and the Pharisees are getting fed up. They object to two things: he reframes the Sabbath as a gift rather than rules; and he heals people on the Sabbath, which their rules forbid. Jesus’s mission and humble character—he refuses to put himself on a platform or use power to defeat the religious rulers. He prefers quiet and unnoticed ways to show his divine nature, rather than applause. We want attention. Unfortunately, making a lot of noise and branding ourselves gets us the wrong attention.