Teaching in Riddles (Week 35, Apr 23)

Reading

  • 2 Samuel 12:1–10

Silent Reflection

Remarks

All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables;
    I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”

Matthew 13:34–35 (ESV)

“You are the man!”

2 Samuel 12:7 (NIV)

We have about a month to go in this third section of the liturgy, and for these last weeks we’re going to be looking at a few parables as we consider some of the qualities we hope to see in people living by the resurrection of Jesus: generosity, forgiveness, and compassion.

Why parables? Well, because that is how Jesus chose to teach in many situations, specifically situations in which he was talking to a real individual who needed to have something within themselves confronted. For our purposes in this liturgical season of new life, we could say that they were people whose life was still marked by the old order of death and decay, and Jesus wanted to call them into a resurrection way of living.

Have you ever noticed that it seems like the hardest things we need to hear about ourselves are things we can’t hear very well head-on? If someone comes and tells me, “You’re really selfish, Reed,” what is my reaction? To be defensive. But if they give me an opportunity to see the truth about myself for myself, my defenses are lowered and potential for change opens up. 2 Samuel 12’s story about Nathan and David is a perfect example of this.

So, Jesus wanted to confront something in his hearers, but being as charitable and brilliant as he was, he offered them stories and allowed them the mercy of discovery. That’s how parables work—they reward those willing to put in the work with truth discovered, like putting in a long day’s digging and coming up with a treasure chest. And truth discovered (as opposed to just being handed over, like what happens with lecture-style information) is truth that can take root and really change someone.

He always saw their blind spots (and always sees ours). He saw bitterness in people who thought they were being merciful. He saw greed in people who thought they were merely asking for fairness. He saw a lack of mercy in people who thought they were earnestly preserving holiness. But instead of accusing or attacking, Jesus told stories and let the hearer decide what they would do with them. To ignore these stories and the hard truths they contain may be a good way of preserving ourselves, but it is not a very good way of growing into the full measure of Christlike people God wants us to be.

Parables are windows into more than just our own inner workings. They also are a window into the Kingdom of God. What is it like? Who is it for? What does it ask of us? Parables are like houses with many windows on all sides. Come inside the parable of the Good Samaritan, look through it at compassion. Then look out the windows over there to see something about love and enemies.

The Unforgiving Servant can lead to realizations about God, about me, about grace or consequences or forgiveness. The Parable of the Sower can foster conversations about evangelism, about evil, about what the church is, about social justice. There are many layers of truth to be discovered in them, but parables only really let you discover them when you come in and start living there.

Silent Reflection

Response

  • What stories (movies, books, etc.) have offered you a window into your own self? What did they make you realize?

  • What parable of Jesus do you love most? What do you love about it? What does it mean to you?

  • What parable of Jesus confuses you most? Does your confusion cause you to ignore it or dig into it?

  • Who do you know who could read and dig into the parables with you?