eFollowingJesusFeb17 - Why teach in parables? (read Matthew 13:10-17)
Remember high school math? A parabola curves elegantly around a focal point, equidistant to a line, never touching the line or the focal point. Like Aristotle or Plato, Jesus tells "parables," stories that curl us toward the focus of our lives, the kingdom of God. Clarence Jordan said that a parable of Jesus is like a Trojan horse: you let it in, and then - Bam! - it's got you.
Jesus didn't teach by listing bullet points, propositions to be believed. Instead, he told stories about farmers, fishermen, parents, bridesmaids. Why? Stories are memorable. But more importantly, your life doesn't feel like points or propositions. "Tell me about yourself," and you'll give me a few stories every time.
More elusively, Jesus explained that he taught with stories in order to hide and reveal - all at the same time! Whether we "get" the story, whether the parable "works" or not, depends on our inner, spiritual posture. Truth can be shut out, our ears get clogged. Are we open? Are we ready to be transported to another world, to have our imaginations reshaped? Will Jesus' stories seem obscure? or illuminating?
Lord, thank You for Jesus' parables; I want my life's story illumined by Jesus' stories.
James
james@mpumc.org
Here is the full text of Matthew 13:10-43 - 10: Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" 11: And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12: For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13: This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14: With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: `You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive. 15: For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.' 16: But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17: Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. 18: "Hear then the parable of the sower. 19: When any one hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in his heart; this is what was sown along the path. 20: As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21: yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22: As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23: As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty." 24: Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25: but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26: So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27: And the servants of the householder came and said to him, `Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?' 28: He said to them, `An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, `Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 29: But he said, `No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30: Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'" 31: Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; 32: it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." 33: He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened." 34: All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed he said nothing to them without a parable. 35: This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world." 36: Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." 37: He answered, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; 38: the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39: and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40: Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. 41: The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42: and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. 43: Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
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