"Read A Parable"

St. Paul’s Cathedral in London miraculously survived the bombing of London during World War II.  What a magnificent facility dedicated to the glory of God. Sir Christopher Wren was the architect.  He is buried in St. Paul’s Cathedral, evidence of his genius. On his tombstone is the simple inscription, “If you want to see his monument, look about you.”

Jesus taught in parables. People today know little about the Bible but often know something of the parables, e.g. the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan. Jesus enjoyed using parables, “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.”  Jesus directs our thoughts to God. “If you want to know what God is like, look at the world.” The things of this world can point us beyond ourselves to God.  Sight is a faculty but seeing is a gift of God.

The stories we call parables, give us pictures that help us grasp abstract ideas. You cannot read the parables of Jesus without making a judgement call. Flashes of insight come that somehow we have missed. Could it be that Jesus created these parables spontaneously? They were not edited or crafted perfectly but erupted out of the passion of the Savior’s soul. They are improvisations that grow out of the mud and scum of things.

Remember, the parables are not allegories.  You are not to take a parable and dissect every detail and put it under a microscope. No! The parable is a weapon that stabs our psyche and awakens us to the truth. Often, a single truth that leaps to mind is the intent!  We are not to look at a parable to grasp the whole of the Christian faith.

Suggestion: Now read a parable such as Matthew 13:1-9, Mark 4:30-32, or Luke 16:1-12.

Blessings!