Hearing His Voice #116

Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”

Luke 7:40

Simon the Pharisee observed a sinful woman intruding on his dinner party and tried to make a point about her. He needed a new perspective, so Jesus gave him one—through a story. Jesus could have simply rebuked him or started an argument with this stuck-in-his-ways religious leader; a direct confrontation would have provoked an entertaining and heated discussion. But it would have been a fruitless one. What was the way into Simon’s heart? A metaphor. An illustration. A story that the man could relate to.

With this illustration, Jesus made the point that Simon had been looking at this woman through the wrong lenses. As most experts in the law tended to do, Simon’s biggest issue in such situations was how to separate between righteousness and sinfulness and, more specifically, how to remain unstained by sin and take a stand against it. Jesus showed him the relationship behind the event. The woman wasn’t there to corrupt the guests; she was there to express deep gratitude to the Savior who had cleansed her. Her love for Jesus was entirely appropriate. Simon’s attitude toward her wasn’t.

This is often how God speaks to us—through stories, metaphors, illustrations, and visual case studies. The circumstances in our lives are frequently much more than just circumstances; they are object lessons in what God wants us to learn. He speaks through them, just as He spoke to Simon. Why? Because this is the language that can pierce the barriers of our hearts. We can understand illustrations. They can give us a radically new perspective—if we know to look for a new perspective in them.

Notice what God is saying through the stories around you. Is He making a point? Shedding different light on an old problem? Reshaping your sympathies and expectations? Very often, He is. His voice can be challenging. But if we accept His challenges, they can change our lives.

Jesus, feel free to challenge me like You challenged Simon. I’m open to change. I invite You to reshape my perspective, even if it stretches me out of my comfort zone.