Sunday 27 July 2008

Background

This week we are looking at wisdom and understanding - but notfrom our human point of view - from God's point of view. As we seein this passage Jesus speaks to his disciples and followers usingparables ... and not everyone can figure out what he issaying.

The word 'parable' comes to us from a Greek word meaning 'to setalongside' - to put something in parallel to something else. Jesussets stories and images alongside his words and actions about thekingdom in order to give people parallel clues and understandingabout God's kingdom as proclaimed through Jesus' life andwork.

The term 'kingdom' was itself a dangerous term in the politicalclimate of Jesus' day. One thing Jesus' detractors used against himwas the fact that he proclaimed a kingdom other than that of Rome(Judea was a Roman province at the time of Jesus). Yet Jesus setparables of the kingdom alongside the standards of his day. Was heinciting people to armed revolt or to another understanding of'kingdom'?

However, not unlike a good riddle, the parable is given to us - thehearers - to figure out. Earlier in the chapter (verses 10-17)Jesus says to his disciples that he speaks to people in parables"because seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do notlisten, nor do they understand". He then goes on to tell thedisciples "Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, forthey hear". We are very much given the notion that it is only thosewho see Jesus for who he really is - his intimates both then andnow - who will have the wisdom to understand his parables.

It is then that Jesus launches in to telling them parables aboutthe kingdom. "The kingdom of heaven is like this ... "

To Ponder

Of the parables in this passage which do you findmeaningful and which puzzling or worrying? Why?

Do you find yourself as a spectator or willingfollower/ intimate of Jesus? What difference might this make toyour understanding of his words?