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	Stories from Jesus  When Jesus gathered his disciples together, he often taught them by telling stories, called parables, which made clear a truth about God and about discipleship. Perhaps you would like to look them up in a Bible. Let's review some of those stories and their implications: In Luke 15:11-32 we read a story called The Prodigal Son. It says God has a love for us that will never stop. So we can love other people with this undefeatable love of God and quit worrying that God might have given up on us. Luke 15.1-10 is a parable about lost sheep showing how God seeks us out when we are lost. God takes great delight in bringing the lost back home again. God will delight in our return as well. Because of this truth, we can come home again and be God's messengers to seek out others who are lost and need to find their way home as well. Matthew 13:1-9 is a parable about a farmer sowing seed and God's acceptance of even the smallest response from us. So we are acceptable and we can invite even the most unpromising people to join us in our discipleship without any hesitation or fear that God would not approve. People respond in many different ways to God's invitation. So we invite everyone without fear of criticism. In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus tells the parable of talents that illustrates God's desire to bless even the smallest attempt at being a disciple. We can do what we can and that will be acceptable to God. We need not be the people on a Time or Newsweek cover. God will love us just as much anyway. Luke 11:1-10 is about going to a neighbor and asking for food, meaning that God will provide if we'll only ask. That frees you and me to live a discipleship life, trusting that God will care for us. We need not fear we'll be turned away. Luke 12:13-21 is about a farmer who had a tremendous harvest. It tells us that God wants us to be sharing people. It warns us against seductive wealth addiction. It says we must avoid greed and practice a stewardship and conservation of all the earth's resources. We can see ourselves as caretakers and stewards. Luke 10-25-37 is a parable called the Good Samaritan. In it, we learn that God wants us to care about others, no matter how undeserving or deserving they may be. We have already mentioned its implications. As disciples we are challenged to stand up for the poor, the homeless, the discriminated against, and the disenfranchised in whatever community we find ourselves. It is the disciple's way to serve them and a godly thing to do. A wonderful story about what laborers are paid is found in Matthew 20:1-16. It is a parable about God's generous undeserved love for all people. When we realize the magnitude of that undeserved love for us, we can then be freed up to have the same kind of unconditional love for others. Luke 5:34-38 records a parable Jesus told which says that God wants radical change from our old ways. It's about a vintner trying to put new wine in old containers. It just isn't good enough to join a church and continue living the way we always have lived. Discipleship calls us to let go of old ways and values and adopt a new lifestyle that follows the teachings of the one who called us. You are invited to take part in the fellowship of God's people called the church. Written by Jerry Schmalenberger Produced by the Education/Evangelism Team of the Division of Congregational Ministries-ELCA top of page