I have a unique question to begin our reflection today: who is the teacher you remember most from either grade school, high school, or college?
How much is this person memorable to you for what she taught or who he or she was? What stories do you remember this person sharing?
I suspect what makes the teacher memorable is not what he or she taught you about the subject you were studying at the time. Rather, who the person was is the largest impression in your memory. What stories this teacher shared that illuminated some part of your life’s journey then or now is what you truly cherish. The subject material in school is important, but it serves as a very convenient means to teach other life lessons that are not contained in textbooks. Life lessons stemming from pain, loss, failure, true joy, faith, hope, and love are usually embedded in the stories we tell.
Jesus understood the power of a story to convey his points. I think that is why the Word of God is a person about whom stories are told. We Christians do not have as our primary sacred documents logical arguments or a collection of esoteric sayings. We have stories where Jesus shares his life in order that we may let our guard down to let God enter our story. Logical arguments do not always touch to the level of the heart where a story may reach.
Since Jesus reminds us the power of stories today, take a moment to reflect on the biblical story that speaks to you most. What is it about the story that speaks to you? What does the story remind you about Jesus and the path of discipleship? How has that biblical story become part of your life story?