“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.” (Matthew 13:1-2)

Sometimes, little details in the Gospels can elude us. The verses above, which introduce Jesus’ parables, are a good example. How many times have I read Matthew 13 and missed that this whole section is taught on the water? Where Matthew 5 introduces Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”, we might have titled this section Jesus’ “Sermon on the Boat”.

There is a provocative allusion in this, one that evokes the imagery of Psalm 29. “The voice of the Lord is over the waters…” The scene Matthew sets for us and what God wants us to understand is that Jesus’ parables are not simply the sayings of some man. They are the voice of God himself. They carry divine authority.

The implications of this are life-changing. Or perhaps it’s better to say they are life-giving. When God’s word rang out over the formless waters of Genesis 1, life emerged. Darkness gave way to light; formlessness turned to structure; chaos surrendered to order.

So it is with the voice of the Lord Jesus.  When we listen to his words, we can expect cataclysmic things to happen. He is the Lord of all creation. His voice thunders in majestic glory and has the power to soften even the most stubborn of forces in the world, not least of which are the rebellious hearts of proud sinners.

May we always treasure the power of his voice and rejoice in the life it brings us.