A good illustration can bring home a point in a way that words simply cannot. Sometimes, the singer, David Gates, is right: a picture is worth a thousand words. I’m currently teaching a series on the Book of Ruth on Sunday evenings at 6:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall (you are all invited!) and am often told that the slides help. Visual cues make a difference.
But what about when a picture isn’t available? Well, the good teacher will often paint a picture with words, encouraging the listener to imagine what is being spoken—thus, a “picture” of sorts.
Of course, the danger of an illustration is that it can distract from the point rather than highlight it. Instead of drawing attention to what you are trying to emphasize, an illustration can frequently distract the audience from the point and toward some sideline issue. This happens through word pictures as well.
In preaching, the use of a good illustration (often woven through the preacher’s words) is invaluable in communicating. Talk about theory all you like, but give a good analogy or example and the point is frequently driven home. But, as we said, the illustration can also be a distraction for the listener—who begins to think more about the illustration and less about the point being illustrated.
The classic use of illustrations by a Preacher is, of course, the parables of Jesus. Our Savior taught some weighty stuff, many challenging commands, and He drove them home with between 35 to 40 parables, short illustrations drawn from everyday life. These brief caveats were intended to connect His teachings and everyday situations, like a woman losing a coin, or a lost sheep, or a wayward son. The illustrations pack a lot of punch because they are so concise, so relevant, and so poignant.
This week in worship we will be studying Jesus’ “Kingdom Parables.” The object of so many of His pithy stories was to illustrate the presence of the Kingdom of God. Thus, many of His parables begin with “The Kingdom of God is like…”, and what follows is a situation drawn from everyday life, one the listener can easily identify with. Of course, the challenge is not to get lost in the illustration, but to learn and ponder the point of the parable. We will be doing this together in worship this Sunday with many parables of Jesus.
In preparation for worship, read chapter Matthew 13. We will focus specifically on verses 24-50.
- List out the parables Jesus shares here. I count six. What connects them all?
- Jesus uses these stories as illustrations of the Kingdom of heaven. But what point is Jesus illustrating? What is His teaching behind each parable?
- How easily would it be to misconstrue the point of the parable? Take, for instance, the parable of the fish in the net (verses 47-48)? What possible meanings could be behind this parable? Now read verses 49-50 where Jesus Himself explains the parable. Is the real meaning easy to see?
- Notice the difference between the parables of the hidden treasure (verse 44) and the pearl of great price (verse 45). Particularly, notice how the two items are found—one is sought after and one randomly discovered. What implications for the Kingdom might be made here?
- How does the point of the parable of the mustard seed (verse 31) differ from the point of the parable of the leaven (verse 33)? Assuming Jesus is not repeating Himself, what is being communicated here?
By Henry Knapp