Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
“‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
“‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

• Matthew 13:24-30

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables,
    I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”
Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

• Matthew 13:34-43

“Stories transport us into another world. They hold our attention. They become remarkable vehicles for the communication of truth and meaningful lessons that cannot be easily forgotten. If a picture is better than a thousand words, a story is better than a million!
“Some of the best stories are those spun from everyday life or from our past. Family histories are held together and handed down from generation to generation in stories. And these strong cords of memory actually become the ties that bind.
“Occasionally, a novel will yield a story that can hardly be sur­ passed, a plot that cannot be forgotten. Other great stories emerge from lives we read about. Biographies drip with interesting accounts worth passing on. …
“Stories, real and imagined, told with care and color, can say much more than a planned speech. It is probably not surprising, then, that the use of story was Jesus‘ favorite method of preaching: ‘he did not say anything to them without using a parable’ (Matt. 13:34 NIV).
“In fact, I’ve never heard a great preacher who couldn’t tell a good story. Woven into the tapestry of the strong message is the ability to communicate solid stuff through an attention-getting story.”

• Charles R. Swindoll, The Finishing Touch (Devotion for week 43, Wednesday)

I love telling stories, but I have gotten into trouble.  I wonder if a pastor has been told as people filed out of the sanctuary to shake his hand, “You are going to Hell because he told a fictional story.  Fiction is lying, and God hates liars.  Thus, all fiction is sin.  All those who say fictional things will burn in Hell …”

I could go on, because a few of the comments were a lot longer than that.  Some people excuse Jesus for telling parables because there might have been a farmer nearby that was separating the wheat from the tares or tossing seed indiscriminately on the road and the rocks, etc.  Nope, in some cases the gospel writer gets specific, and Jesus went onto a boat and the boat was anchored in shallow water.  All Jesus saw was beach and a few hundred people.  Note: He fed thousands, but I have given lectures from one-on-one up to several hundred, maybe five hundred tops.  Once you have more than say 30-40 people in the room, you do not see past the first two or three rows.  Okay, Jesus was 100% God as well as 100% man.  While His eyes saw the first three rows, His mind’s eye saw everybody and saw them down deep inside.

But let’s be serious.  I am not going to throw out my copy of the Narnian Chronicles because it is not just fiction, but fantasy fiction.  It is also allegorical, meaning you can see parallels to real life and spiritual concepts.

I started writing about the big city of Tracy on a dare to try to weave an entire story using idioms.  As it developed, I got to know the people in the story.  Yes, I am well-acquainted with the fictional characters.  Many are friends, and some remind me of people in my past that I did not like very much.  The one thing that I fight is that I want everyone to get to know Jesus Christ, and I probably have far too many true Christians in my stories, but I think there has been an awakening in the big city of Tracy.  Ah, there is my out!!

So, for you writers, keep writing your stories, the true ones and the allegorical ones and please, if I am reading them, do not leave out the funny ones.

And for those who think all fiction writers will burn in Hell, I have one additional question to ask.

Have you ever heard that our God is an awesome God?  He is a God of Love.  He is a God of Mercy.  He is a God of Grace.  There is not even a little singe for those who call upon Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.