Thought for Today
Psalm 78:2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old,
Matthew 13:34 Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing.
Luke 8:10 He said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so that 'looking they may not perceive, and listening they may not understand.'
Luke 12:41 Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?"
Monday evening, during our Bible Study, one member voiced what I believe is a frustration common to most of us. The question was asked, paraphrasing, ‘Why does the Bible have to be so confusing? Why is everything presented in parables and riddles? Why can’t the laws, lessons and commandments just be stated in plain language?’ I believe those are very good, relevant questions which deserve serious consideration.
In 1980 a movie titled The Gods Must Be Crazy premiered. The basic premise is that a tribe of hunter-gatherers from the Kalahari Desert discover a glass Coca-Cola bottle and believe it to be a gift from the gods. One member of the tribe sets out on a journey to return the bottle to those gods and the movie explores his (mis)adventures as he encounters modern, city life.
That movie and subsequent movies in the franchise explored what I think of as a clash of cultures. Any time one culture intersects another, multiple opportunities arise for misunderstanding and conflict. History is replete with examples. Most often, the culture with the least advanced weaponry fares the worst. But in every historical example, there are multiple examples of how each culture fails to understand the motives, the ethos and intentions of the other.
In our own nation’s history, the European explorers and settlers had one understanding of land and its ownership. The inhabitants they encountered had a completely different and totally conflicting understanding. We are still dealing with the resultant mess.
Just to add another degree of complexity, we need to remember what the Bible truly is. Far too often we approach the Bible as a sort of spiritual textbook. We try to read the Bible the same way we would read a history book, a language text or even a mathematics text. We expect to see names, dates, places, battles and results displayed and analyzed with the historical implications listed.
Of course, the problem is that is not what the Bible is. I often quote from The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms which tells me “Bible (Gr. biblia, ‘[the] books’) The canonical writings accepted as normative for a religious faith . . . Theologically, the Bible is acknowledged in the church as a revelation from God.” (pg. 29) Notice that word ‘revelation.’ Think then for a minute about how one goes about revealing what we can understand of the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Creator of all Creation; and, doing so in a fashion that can be understood by all cultures, nations, ethnicities across time.
As Christians, we believe "John 3:17 Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” Jesus’ task was to explain the unexplainable, and to do so in a way that the message would be understandable to all of God’s children for all of time. So, Jesus taught in parables, in relatively short, simple stories about people and things. That same dictionary defines it as, “parable (Gr. parabole, ‘a comparing’) A short story based on common experiences that contains a meaning.” (ibid, pg. 200)
In Luke’s gospel, Jesus said, "10:27 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." Jesus was then asked, "10:29 And who is my neighbor?" Jesus answered with the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
Irrespective of culture, history, ethnicity, irrespective of any knowledge of Levites, priests or Samaritans it is plainly evident that we are called to love those who provide compassionate care and aid.
Sometimes it is hard to understand the parables and riddles in the Bible. Paul promised, “1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.” I am fine with waiting . . . but, I’ll continue to study the Bible and try to understand.
Stay safe, ponder the parables, trust God,
Pastor Ray