In today’s Gospel Jesus speaks about the purpose of parables. Jesus often teaches using parables or stories taken from daily life such as the farmer sowing, or the story of the growth of a mustard seed. When his disciples ask him why he speaks in parables he explains:
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
This harsh saying of Jesus seems to set up two groups, the insiders and the outsiders. The “ingroup” get to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God and the outsiders do not. The spiritual journey of all disciples demands this movement from outsider to insider. The key here is that everyone starts as an outsider, and everyone is invited to come inside. Like the first disciples we can only “come inside” when we are humble enough to realize we do not have all the answers. When we think we have all the answer then we are closed minded and unable to learn or see anything new or different. We are like the people that Isaiah describes and who Jesus calls the outsiders:
“You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted and I heal them.” (Isaiah 6:9-10; Matthew 13:14-15).
Jesus tells his seemly ordinary stories or parables to shock us out of our ordinary way of thinking and seeing the world, others, and ourselves. His stories invite us to see things God’s way and with God’s eyes. We may see the world as evil and godless but God sees the world and ourselves as a field ripe for harvest, just waiting to experience God’s mercy and God’s love.
Sadly today, too often our leaders do not call out the best in us but rather the worst in us such as hatred, vindictiveness, racism, and pettiness. God sees and calls out in us the best. God sees us created in his image and likeness. Jesus’ parables heal our blindness and hatred as they call us to be people of compassion, love, and forgiveness. Jesus’ parables challenge our way of seeing and dealing with one another, especially the poor, the outcast, and the immigrant. We pray that God may heal our hatred and blindness.
“Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted and I heal them.” (Isaiah 6:9-10; Matthew 13:14-15).
Image: “Jesus Christ teaching on mountain” by Sealino is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.