March 20

Parables

        When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; in order that ‘they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’”

Mark 4:10-12

            Jesus found himself surrounded by a crowd so he got into a boat, pushed a little ways out from shore and began to teach.  But He did not talk about spiritual realities or the End Days or the fulfillment of the Scriptures.  He talked about farming.  He explained, to this group of farmers, that when you throw seeds on poor ground they do not grow but if you throw seeds on cultivated soil, they will grow.

            And then He was done.

            Most of the crowd dispersed.  They were probably talking about what a waste of time this had been or how they already knew everything that Jesus had to teach. 

            Some stayed.  They approached Jesus and said that they did not understand what He was trying to tell them.  Could He explain?  Jesus turned to them and smiled, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God,” He told them. 

            They had not received anything yet, how could they have the secret?  What they knew was where to find the answers for their questions; the Kingdom of God is not about what you know, but Who you know.  Jesus taught in parables so that the exact meaning of His teachings would be hidden.  Those who really wanted answers would press in, ask questions, engage in dialogue and relationship and draw closer to Him.  Those who were only interested in debating or were only listening out of duty or boredom would not stay and they would quickly forget the story.  But those who were hungry for answers would hold the parable in their minds and their hearts.  They would hold it and study it and savor it as the realities of the Kingdom of God were laid out through simple stories and pictures.  They would bring their questions to Jesus and understand more and more through His teachings.

            God still speaks in parables today.  There are the stories recorded in the Gospels that we are able to study, but mostly I am speaking of living parables.  God has hidden Himself away in plain sight and invites us to find Him. 

            Nature is the easiest place to start.  The changing seasons tell a story of life, death and resurrection.  The millions of unique snowflakes outside the window reflect the creativity of God and His ability to make every person one-of-a-kind.  Our bodies are a reflection of the Church with many different parts working together for the good of the whole under the leadership of Jesus.  Anywhere you go, anything you look at, you can see a parable of the Living God if you look close enough.

            Then there are the ways that the Kingdom of God is played out in front of us, living parables that show the nature of God through the lives of His children.  For example:

            A few months ago, my son was at Tae Kwon Do, taking his test to advance to the next belt rank.  There were two dozen students all testing at the same time spanning all ages and belt ranks.  My son was doing my-son things:  he laughed too loud at inappropriate things, He wandered in the way of testers a few times, he did his patterns and his sparring with his own unique flair.  Some people found him a little odd, most ignored it.  Breaking Boards is at the end of the test.  The lowest ranks start and each belt level has its designated break that they need to master to advance.  There was a small girl who was having a brutal time breaking her board.  She took a good twenty whacks at the piece and was in tears that she could not break it.  She was given a rest and my son came up next.  Two boards, one in front and one behind.  He does a combination kick and the both explode.  I don’t know if the crowd roared, but I did.  A few minutes later the little girl comes back up and gives it another try.  She snaps the board in half and everyone cheers for her.

            At the conclusion of the test, all the students line up.  The head of the school announces that the night’s best test was from…my son!  He is shocked and has to be called up front a couple of times.  I’m smiling from ear to ear as he is handed a fancy certificate and then he opens his mouth to speak.  Uh-oh.  What is he going to say?  “I think this award should go to the little girl.  She showed perseverance which is one of the core values of Tae Kwon Do.”

            There was not a dry eye in the room.  Everyone who had been distracted or annoyed throughout the night with my son suddenly saw a glimpse of heaven:  kindness, humility, generosity and compassion all laid out plainly to see on that mat. The instructor told him that he earned the award and gave him his new belt as he began calling up the others.

            The Living Parables of the kingdom of heaven can be seen all around us if we are willing to look.

           

A moment to reflect:

Keep an eye out today for living parables.


Refrigerator Picture of the Day:

Sabrina, Age 20