Nudging us toward readiness
10 The disciples came up and asked, "Why do you tell stories?" 11-12 He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight." (Matthew 13:10-12) My daughter told me last night that she liked reading from my grandson's children's Bible. When I asked her why that may be, she was quick to reply, "Because the stories are easier to understand!" This is not an uncommon feeling. The "stories" of the Bible are a lot easier to understand sometimes when they have been brought into the language we best understand. I used to teach at vacation Bible school in the summers. My role