Thursday 23 July 2009

Parables

Cheddington Thursday 23 July 2009

Gospel Matthew 13

10 The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

11 He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Those who have will be given more, and they will have an abundance. As for those who do not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
       "Though seeing, they do not see;
       though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
       " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
       you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

15 For this people's heart has become calloused;
       they hardly hear with their ears,
       and they have closed their eyes.
       Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
       hear with their ears,
       understand with their hearts
       and turn, and I would heal them.'

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Sermon

Today’s gospel – interpretation of parables. Interlude between Parable of Sower and its explanation, then parables of weeds among wheat, mustard seed and yeast. This followed by explanation of Parable of Weeds.

Jesus only explains 2 or 3 parables. Meaning of rest left up to the hearer. Teaching by telling stories an ancient and effective means of getting messages across. Why the mystery? Why is his meaning not made plain?

Jesus quotes from Isaiah and from Psalms. He says people will listen but never understand. They will look but never perceive. If they would only open their eyes and ears, they would understand with their hearts and turn and be healed.

The meaning is not hidden from everyone, only those whose minds are not open to receive it. So when the disciples ask, Jesus explains what the parable of the sower actually means. But for those whose minds are not ready, they will not be able to understand.

Another reason is that the parables speak to each of us differently. This is evident from Godly Play. We show the children a box in which is the parable. Sometimes you cannot prise open the lid. Sometimes you can only life the corner and peep inside. Sometimes the lid comes off and you can see more clearly.

The message also changes as we grow up, and even each time we read the parables. The lost sheep means something to a 7 year old, but by the time she is 27 the meaning will have changed. At age 77 it might be very different still. This is the magic of parables.

It’s the same with other parts of scripture. How ready are we to receive the meaning of what we read? Our minds must be right with God before he will speak to us through his Word.

For if our hearts have become calloused and hard, or if our eyes are closed to the truth, or if we cannot hear with our spiritual ears, we cannot understand with our hearts and turn to God, who can speak to us in our minds and heal us.

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