This article is printed in the September Tidings.
Jesus was the consummate teacher.
During his three years on earth, Jesus used a variety of ways to communicate the truth about God. He gave sermons with memorable instructions such as “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” He would contrast teachings of his day with his own instruction such as the time he proclaimed “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love you neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” He would give direct instruction, too, such as “Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven…” Yet one of his most enduring legacies as a teacher came in his use of parables.
Beginning September 5 and continuing through early November, all of the sermons at DPC will be based upon one of his parables. One-third of all Jesus’ teaching moments in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) are in the form of a parable and each Sunday this fall, one of your pastors will draw from one of those stories as the focus of our worship. I suspect that some of the parables you hear will be comforting while others make you squirm. Some will offer you clear insight into what God is saying and others leave you confused. All of those reactions occurred in those who first heard them, too.
Wherever possible, we will try to understand the perspective of a first century Palestinian who first heard those stories, too. Jesus used images and actions from everyday life to make his point and not all of those pieces are easily translatable to 21st century life. Yet even though our culture has changed, the timeless nature of his message has not and in exploring how his stories might have first been heard, we can better explore the enduring truths the parables proclaim still.
That isn’t to say that there is only one faithful way to hear them. As is true of all Scripture so do the parables speak to us in diverse ways. In reflecting upon the Parable of the Lost Son, for instance (and we will give that one two Sundays to allow its narrative to come alive more fully), I would imagine some of you will resonate with the older brother who felt as if his reckless sibling got off too easily. Others will likely identify with the prodigal, recognizing times of wandering away from your roots for a time and of the blessing of a grace-filled return. Others yet will empathize with the father who felt only joy as he saw a son he feared lost come home. A good story allows for diverse interpretations and Jesus’ parables lend themselves to multiple meanings.
I hope you can join us as we share in this time of reflection together, seeking once more to discern what it is that the Good Teacher would have us know and do.