“With many such parables he spoke the word to them”. (Mark 4:33)
That one line from our gospel is packed with so much meaning. Why does Jesus use parables to teach? It is because they nearly always have an element of surprise, of counter-culture, which he uses to force the listener to think and make a decision about accepting or rejecting the kingdom of God in their heart. And the “word spoken to them” is the Word-God! Through the parables, Jesus is trying to illustrate for the people the meaning of his own presence among them, the meaning of his mission and his person and the meaning of the kingdom of God. In other words, what is important about the parables is the religious message they convey about human life, about our life with God, and how we are to live with God and one another.
It isn’t always easy to grasp the meaning of the parables, not just because of what is revealed in the words spoken, but often in what is not said by the words. Parables often nuance our relationship in all of life. Sometimes they usually present one single point or message, no matter how short or long they are, and often a universal statement in what makes life worthwhile—in our actions. This is the key to understanding the parables.
The details of the parable have no independent significance. For example, the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin each have a message: God’s joy over one sinner who repents. However, in the parable there is the one message and the details are given just to build up the one message. Jesus seldom explains his parables. Why? Parables do not give precise explanations or answers. They invite the listener- us- to question ourselves about our life and relationships including with God.
Instead of solving problems and supplying answers, Jesus puts problems and questions in the heads of listeners and forces them to think. Afterwards, by thinking, reflecting, and lving we will discover the solutions to the problems Jesus has put in our heads.
The parables of Jesus have a purpose to bring about a change of mind, a change of heart in the hearer, to move the hearer to conversion. The parables are invitations therefore, waiting on our response in action. The parable is not effective until it is internally accepted and then put into action. The response of the hearer/reader completes the meaning of the parable.
There is a great variety of themes in the parables: God’s mercy and compassion, forgiveness, love, justice, care for those who are poor, about wealth and possessions, and following God’s Word-Jesus the Christ. But the most frequent theme of the parables is what the kingdom of God is to be like-how we are to cooperate with God’s work in the world to help make the kingdom real and present —like today’s parables-of the sower and mustard seed.
And Jesus and life teaches that we are not able to bring about this kingdom by ourselves. It is a work of God, and human beings cooperate in bringing about this kingdom by our love, justice, forgiveness, and care for those who are poor, way we use riches, and possessions and our stewardship of all including our planet. Those are the ways we cooperate and make the kingdom of God a reality. It is to be understood in terms of love. It is the coming to power in and through human’ beings of the self-communicating love of God. This rule of God’s love also requires our activity.
As we celebrate Father’s Day this weekend, we pray to see God’s love reflected in the lives of our earthly fathers, what I call an endangered species in our nation since more and more families are raised by single mothers and/or grandparents. We need God the Father’s love emulated in family life-lived as God intended with parents teaching children love, security and who God is by their witness of family life.
Back to the kingdom of God, a spiritual director now long dead, invited me to reflect on one question every night before going to sleep: what did I do today to help build the kingdom of God?
We all could use such an exercise if we want to bring hope, peace, love and Christ into daily living. What did you do today to help build the kingdom of God?
Blessed cooperation in God’s graces open to all, Fr. Gordon