When Jesus came rather directly declaring and demonstrating that the long-awaited time of God’s salvation had finally arrived, he soon discovered that his directness proved to be a challenge to the ones he had come to save.
As Mark tells us in his gospel account, Jesus came as a messianic (God-anointed) King, announcing that he was bringing into vibrant view the kingdom of God. His actions, teachings—and eventually, his death and resurrection—accomplished once and for all the rescue God had eternally intended for the world. And yet, the very ones most prepared to receive him were so confounded by him that they confused his Spirit-filled, heavenly Father-directed efforts for those of the enemy his life and death were destined to overcome.
By the fourth chapter of Mark, Jesus realizes that if he is going to get at the heart of his hearers, he will have to come at things in a not-so-direct manner. And so, Jesus began to tell it slant[1] through parables: “And he was teaching them many things in parables…” (4:2).
The disarming nature of a story makes the parables the most useful tool in Jesus’ arsenal, as Robert Capon reminds us. “In resorting so often to parables, Jesus’ main point was that any understanding of the kingdom his hearers could come up with would be a misunderstanding.”
Now here is the thing about parables, they don’t define, diagram, or systematize; instead, they describe something, usually something just as real but more challenging to see than the everyday elements of the short stories themselves. Things like our souls, our hearts, our relation to the world, how God relates to us, and, of course, the kingdom of God. Parables, since they are stories (at least most of them), neutralize our assumptions about how God works by coming at challenging topics sideways. Because they come at us on the slant, parables get to the heart of our relationship with God and one another before we know what to dismiss.
Eugene Peterson once said that “Parables trust our imaginations, which is to say, our faith. They don’t herd us paternalistically into a classroom where we get things explained and diagrammed. They don’t bully us into regiments where we find ourselves marching in [moral, unthinking conformity].” Parables are crafted to foster relationship with the communicator of the stories. Parables don’t do the work for us; they require us to put in work, imaginative or meditative work. Effort we could call the work of faith. They train us to hear the voice of the Lord and see with the eyes of the Spirit (see Matthew 13:11-17).
In other words, while we (like the men and women of Mark 1-3) can misunderstand Jesus’ straight-line efforts before he can get us to see what he sees, the parables get around our defenses by inviting us into a relationship with the teacher and the text. Parables invite us into a courtship of faith, requiring the use of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength as we grow into maturity in the kingdom.
So, here are the parables we will be entering together this Epiphanytide. Our encouragement is to not just wait until the Gathering to jump in, but to walk with Jesus into these stories with intent at least twice a week. To help, we’ve put together a schedule along with some questions to ponder along the way.
WEEK OF JANUARY 8th
Day One: Read “The Parable of the Hidden Treasure” in Matthew 13:44. It’s a short parable (really short!), but don’t let that fool you. There is a lot packed into this quick image so, re-read the parable asking the Spirit for eyes to see and ears to hear all the details presumed and truth revealed, then write down any thoughts, observations, and questions that come to mind.
Day Two: Re-Read Matthew 13:44, and then consider the following questions:
Who is Jesus telling this parables to, and why? (See verses 36-43)
Why might the man be in a field he doesn’t own? Do you think he was looking for the treasure or did he just happen upon it? Why did he cover it up and not just claim it immediately as his own? Why not give the treasure to the owner of the field in hopes for a bit of reward?
What might constitute “all that he has,” presently?
Why might the phrase “in his joy” prefacing the finder’s selling of everything be important?
Sunday: Re-Read Matthew 13:44, asking for eyes to see the true nature of God with us, for us, and in us.
WEEK OF JANUARY 15TH
Day One: Read “The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value” in Matthew 13:45-46. Once again, it is a short parable, but we know now that doesn’t mean it isn’t a mighty story. There is a lot packed into this quick image so, re-read the parable asking the Spirit for eyes to see and ears to hear all the details presumed and truth revealed, then write down any thoughts, observations, and questions that come to mind.
Day Two: Re-Read Matthew 13:45-46, and consider the following questions:
What makes this parable different than the one before it? (pay attention to what the kingdom of heaven is “like” in the two stories) How does that impact the way you think about this parable’s meaning?
How long do you think it took the merchant to find “one pearl of great value”? How many fine pearls did he already possess or pass up in search of it? What might constitute a pearl worth selling all in the kingdom?
Sunday: Re-Read Matthew 13:45-46, asking for eyes to see the true nature of God with us, for us, and in us.
WEEK OF JANUARY 22nd
Day One: Read “The Parable of the Net” in Matthew 13:47-50. While still a short parable, this story is considerably longer than the previous two, and feels very different. So, re-read the parable asking the Spirit for eyes to see and ears to hear continuity of the three parables and the truth revealed in all three. Then write down any thoughts, observations, and questions that come to mind.
Day Two: Re-Read Matthew 13:47-50, and consider the following questions:
How does this parable relate to the bigger them of the chapter? (Read verses 24-43)
In the previous parables you were the “finders”. Who are you in this parable? How does the kingdom of heaven being a “net” differ form it being a “treasure”?
What might constitute something caught in the sea being good verses being bad? Especially for a first century fishing community, and disciples who were fishermen themselves. Why might that matter?
Sunday: Re-Read Matthew 13:47-50, asking for eyes to see and courage to live in and share the true nature of God with us, for us, and in us.
[1] One of my favorite poems is Emily Dickenson’s Tell It Slant. A poem that seems to me to speak to the method and disposition of Jesus as he revealed to us the superb surprise of life with God now and forever.