The Parable Of The Bomber

He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds . . .”   Matthew 13:3

Jesus told a story about a farmer who tossed seed on different kinds of ground. The story is so familiar that we may be in danger of missing the point. So here’s an alternative parable that may help us see the power of Jesus’ story more clearly: “The Parable of the Bomber”:

A certain bomber went out to drop his bombs. He flew over an evil city with many kinds of buildings. Some of the buildings were nothing more than wooden constructions, so when the bombs hit them, the buildings were immediately flattened. Other buildings were made of concrete, reinforced by steel. They looked as if nothing would move them, but when the bombs hit them, they crumbled like powder. In fact, everywhere the bombs were scattered, the buildings were completely destroyed.

After the bomber had finished his work, he flew over the city to take photographs. No matter where the bombs fell, the effect was exactly the same. Bomb craters covered the ground like Bubble Wrap. Rubble was strewn everywhere. Enemy activity was reduced to zero. The bomber’s mission was accomplished.

If Jesus had told this parable instead and the disciples asked him, “What does it mean?” imagine what Jesus might have said: “The bombs are the ministry of the Word of God. The buildings are the evils of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Some evils are deeply entrenched and strongly reinforced. But wherever the Word of God comes, evil is reduced to nothing!”

Sometimes I wish Jesus had given “The Parable of the Bomber,” but he gave “The Parable of the Sower” instead. God works by sowing seeds, not by dropping bombs. Christ is telling us that the will of God gets done in people’s lives not by earth-shattering explosions, but by the quiet teaching of the Word of God.

Where God’s work gets done it will be like a farmer sowing seed. The seed will not grow everywhere, but where it is received, it will produce an abundant harvest. What is your approach to ministry? In what ways are you more like the bomber? Where are you more like the farmer?

For further reading, see Matthew 13