Why Parables?

29Oct
Then the disciples came and asked Jesus, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?  

-Matthew 13:10


Whenever it is my turn to preach in church or to give the children the chapel talk at school, I am most pleased when the scripture reading for that day is one of Jesus’ parables. No Bible verses are more pregnant with meaning and ripe for elucidation than the rich and deeply theological tales spun by the Great Storyteller himself.


Priests-to-be learn in seminary that there is a danger in interpreting or “explaining” any of Jesus’ parables, and not just because they are so laden with meaning and import that a simple sermon or homily cannot do them justice.


More important, perhaps, is that such preaching can actually rob the parable of its true power: the power to challenge the listener to plumb the depths of the story, like a Zen koan, for him- or herself. For it is in the very act of contemplating the multi-leveled tale that we enter more deeply into the truth and reality of the reality and presence of God.


This is more than a purely intellectual effort, but one of the whole self, prayerfully leaving aside assumptions to more fully enter into and engage in a deeper way with what Jesus is trying to convey.


Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ question was “The reason I speak to them in parables is that ‘seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.’” Just listening to an explanation is like attending a lecture – you might learn something, but rarely are you changed. But dwelling on and with a story with multiple characters, perspectives, motives, and unexpected outcomes can shape us in new and transformative ways.


The next time you hear one of Jesus’ marvelous parables, especially if it is one very familiar to you, I encourage you not to try to “solve” or “understand what it means” but, instead, just to carry it in your heart for a while.


You might be surprised by where it leads you!


Musical Reflection - Tell Me the Stories of Jesus - Tabernacle Choir


Loving God of Mystery and Truth, help us to know you in ways more deep than the intellect can fathom, more profoundly than our ears or eyes can perceive. Enter our hearts and change us, Lord, this day and always. Amen.

GospelParablePentecost

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