I read my first sermon on 5 parables of the kingdom of heaven last month, and I got so wrapped up trying to figure out what a parable was, I managed to write an article and a sermon. And as promised, here is the lesson I learned about the lesson.
At the start I thought I knew exactly what a parable was, namely that they were self-explanatory. But self-explanatory actually means unexplainable. Red is self-explanatory, and it turns our parables are just as complicated to explain as red. Most of us think that parables are similes, metaphors or possibly allegories.(*see note below) It turns out that parables are neither so limited nor so secret as any of these figures of speech.
Parables are meant to be understood. Unlike an allegory, where the author is trying to hide his meaning, usually to escape persecution, parables are meant to make the meaning clear, and in the language of the listener. So when Jesus was in the fields, he talked about seeds, and when he was by a lake, he spoke of fish. And he didn't say who was the fish or the seed to the listener, only, occasionally to the disciples when they didn't get it. He didn't have to, because the meaning of the parable is dependent upon the listener.
Just because they are meant to be easily understood doesn't mean they are to be easily dismissed. The parables all have twist that shake us up. Farmers may think they know everything about farming, but Jesus wasn't talking about the world we live in but the world we could live in if we step outside our usual way of doing things and our usual expectations. Parables are still meant to do this, and if they don't is is because we aren't farmers or we have heard them too many times. But knowing the words doesn't mean we know the meaning. We can change this by reading about first century Palestine, but we can also do it by reflecting on new parables.
The Parable of the Lottery Ticket
The kingdom of heaven is like a piece of trash blowing in an abandoned lot. Someone picked up the trash with a hard heart, complaining about litterbugs and urban decay. But before throwing it away, identified it, and seeing that it was a lottery ticket, complained bitterly about people who operate and indulge in lotteries. In a fit of peak, the person with a hard heart checked the lottery numbers and discovered the winning ticket. Suddenly, the scales were lifted from the heart of this person, and with great excitement, they used the lottery money to pay all the back taxes and purchase the abandoned lot.
What do you think it means?
Notes below-
*Similes are sentences that connect images with the words 'like' or 'as.'
*Metaphors are sentences where the subject is assigned characteristics directly, no like or as.
*Allegories are developed metaphors, multiple sentences, where each detail is important and a hidden or secret word for something else.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Sunday, July 24, 2005
The Kingdom of Heaven
Theme: The kingdom of heaven is small, valuable and inclusive and it is here.
Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And blessed be his kingdom now and forever. Amen. Today's Gospel is actually 5 lessons – all parables about the kingdom of heaven.
Section One: A bit on parables
When I stood up here a few weeks ago and picked a date out of a hat for my first sermon I had no idea what the reading was. After looking it up in the lectionary, I was able to tell people that it was the parable of the mustard seed. I have been getting a lot of sympathy, which I could not understand, because I have always thought that the parables were the easiest lessons in the whole scripture. But easy things have a way of getting really complicated really fast.
I could just spend my time up here telling you all about what parables are and how complicated they can get, but I decided that it made for a boring talk and an even more boring listen, so I decided to use it for my next Contact Article.
Instead, I am going to try to explain how the five of these parables in todays Gospel show us everything we need to know about the kingdom of heaven, or the Church. That the kingdom is made of the tiniest bit of potential that grows into the largest of things. That the kingdom is so valuable that the quality versus quantity arguments are useless. And lastly, that the kingdom includes everyone, regardless of merit.
Section Two: The kingdom is found in the smallest of things.
So let's start with the tiniest bits of potential. The parables that Jesus uses to explain how insignificant the work of the kingdom appears are those of the mustard seed and yeast. Both of these things seem useless when viewed in the palm of your hand, but plant the seed in dirt and you better have a large plot of ground around it. Yeast, is even more pointless. In fact, it dissolves in water, but add that yeast to flour and leave it in a warm and nurturing environment and the cup of flour will bubble up and overflow the pan.
The kingdom is made of another such tiny thing. What are the commandments? Love God. And love your neighbor. Love is an emotion that makes no sense, has no easily seen motivation, it is often unreturned. My actions can easily lead someone to be pleased with me, or angry with me. But nothing I can do will make someone love me. Love can only be given freely. Love is the tiniest bit of potential, and amazingly, the more you keep giving it away, the more of it that seems to come back to you. Like a tiny mustard seed, it can indeed become a place of rest and a source of food. Like yeast it can overflow and consume its container.
Section Three: Experiencing the kingdom causes us to desire no other alternative.
And there's another really amazing thing about love. Once it starts flowing, it's the most important thing. Any teenager with a crush can tell you how all consuming it is. But any couple who has been married for a long time, they can tell you how valuable it is.
Jesus uses two parables to try to shake up our idea about value. The first, a tale about a treasure in a field, and the second a pearl like no other. This first tale of treasure, my husband says is the basis of all good heist movies, like The Lady Killers with Tom Hanks. The second, however, I think more simply describes the spiritual journey.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls...” We are all like this merchant. Every soul on earth is seeking spiritual truths, and whenever we find something that sounds good, we pick it up and add it to our string.
I have a fabulous string of odd ball pearls I got in San Francisco for 40 dollars. They are all very large and each one of them represents for some pearl farmer a horrible disappointment. So disappointing that he is practically giving them away. If this string of pearls where perfect, they would be beyond price, they certainly wouldn't be strung altogether. Now, I particularly like this string because while they aren't any more perfect than I am, I really like pearls and this is the only way I am every going to afford an opera length strand of pearls. Many people go through their entire lives adding bits of spiritual truth to their belief systems and never actually finding their faith. Because it is easier to collect good enough rather than risk it all on perfection. Better to believe something than to experience true faith.
Now, I have another pearl necklace, and it was a gift, so I really don't know how much it cost, but it came with some certificates of perfection. It was a gift given to me for my first Mother's Day, by someone without children; Someone who now calls me for parenting advice in the middle of the night. There is only one pearl on that necklace, and the confidence- the faith- that I am a good parent and will have good advice, is what makes me wear it over and over. Is what makes me buy sturdier and sturdier chains for it and fear its loss.
I have never restrung my opera pears. They are still on the dental floss I bought them on, and I can't wear them now, because I don't trust them not to wind up all over the floor. They, like all the bits of other people's religions I collected when I was afraid I could never find truth, sit in the bottom of my jewelry box.
Section Four: The kingdom of heaven is inclusive.
There is one more parable in this greatest hits collection of Matthews. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind...” Then he goes on to say that the nets get hauled in and the fish get sorted. So I think it is pretty obvious that people are the fish. And that we are all mixed up in the net together. So the useful and sturdy tuna and the beautiful and painful jellyfish are swimming around in the net together.
But there are two things that are really important to our understanding of this. Two things that allow everyone, even non fisherman, like me, to go be fishers of men. It doesn't matter what you catch, and you won't be the one who has to sort it out. I feel like I ought to repeat this, it doesn't matter what you catch. You don't have to sort it out.
Our commandment is to love, our commission is to share. It is impossible to offer unconditional love and impartial judgment. That is why Solomon asked for wisdom, that is why Paul reminds us that God is the only one who can judge his people. Only God can offer such love and discernment.
Section Five: What have we said and what are we doing?
If we do what Jesus has commanded us to do, we will further the kingdom of heaven. We will love, we will value that love, and we will share it with all who come within our reach. How will we do it? By loving our neighbors as ourselves. By feeding the poor and visiting the prisoner.
The smallest action, unselfish love, like a mustard seed, like a grain of yeast, will explode into the largest expression of caring and will ultimately change the world. Changing the world is worth any price; to end suffering, to end poverty, to end crime. That price is embracing without discrimination. We cannot even conceive of such a price without Christ. By being an example, by offering intercession, every day, every moment, for us. For the kingdom of heaven.
(Pentecost 10, Year A, Proper 12)
Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And blessed be his kingdom now and forever. Amen. Today's Gospel is actually 5 lessons – all parables about the kingdom of heaven.
Section One: A bit on parables
When I stood up here a few weeks ago and picked a date out of a hat for my first sermon I had no idea what the reading was. After looking it up in the lectionary, I was able to tell people that it was the parable of the mustard seed. I have been getting a lot of sympathy, which I could not understand, because I have always thought that the parables were the easiest lessons in the whole scripture. But easy things have a way of getting really complicated really fast.
I could just spend my time up here telling you all about what parables are and how complicated they can get, but I decided that it made for a boring talk and an even more boring listen, so I decided to use it for my next Contact Article.
Instead, I am going to try to explain how the five of these parables in todays Gospel show us everything we need to know about the kingdom of heaven, or the Church. That the kingdom is made of the tiniest bit of potential that grows into the largest of things. That the kingdom is so valuable that the quality versus quantity arguments are useless. And lastly, that the kingdom includes everyone, regardless of merit.
Section Two: The kingdom is found in the smallest of things.
So let's start with the tiniest bits of potential. The parables that Jesus uses to explain how insignificant the work of the kingdom appears are those of the mustard seed and yeast. Both of these things seem useless when viewed in the palm of your hand, but plant the seed in dirt and you better have a large plot of ground around it. Yeast, is even more pointless. In fact, it dissolves in water, but add that yeast to flour and leave it in a warm and nurturing environment and the cup of flour will bubble up and overflow the pan.
The kingdom is made of another such tiny thing. What are the commandments? Love God. And love your neighbor. Love is an emotion that makes no sense, has no easily seen motivation, it is often unreturned. My actions can easily lead someone to be pleased with me, or angry with me. But nothing I can do will make someone love me. Love can only be given freely. Love is the tiniest bit of potential, and amazingly, the more you keep giving it away, the more of it that seems to come back to you. Like a tiny mustard seed, it can indeed become a place of rest and a source of food. Like yeast it can overflow and consume its container.
Section Three: Experiencing the kingdom causes us to desire no other alternative.
And there's another really amazing thing about love. Once it starts flowing, it's the most important thing. Any teenager with a crush can tell you how all consuming it is. But any couple who has been married for a long time, they can tell you how valuable it is.
Jesus uses two parables to try to shake up our idea about value. The first, a tale about a treasure in a field, and the second a pearl like no other. This first tale of treasure, my husband says is the basis of all good heist movies, like The Lady Killers with Tom Hanks. The second, however, I think more simply describes the spiritual journey.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls...” We are all like this merchant. Every soul on earth is seeking spiritual truths, and whenever we find something that sounds good, we pick it up and add it to our string.
I have a fabulous string of odd ball pearls I got in San Francisco for 40 dollars. They are all very large and each one of them represents for some pearl farmer a horrible disappointment. So disappointing that he is practically giving them away. If this string of pearls where perfect, they would be beyond price, they certainly wouldn't be strung altogether. Now, I particularly like this string because while they aren't any more perfect than I am, I really like pearls and this is the only way I am every going to afford an opera length strand of pearls. Many people go through their entire lives adding bits of spiritual truth to their belief systems and never actually finding their faith. Because it is easier to collect good enough rather than risk it all on perfection. Better to believe something than to experience true faith.
Now, I have another pearl necklace, and it was a gift, so I really don't know how much it cost, but it came with some certificates of perfection. It was a gift given to me for my first Mother's Day, by someone without children; Someone who now calls me for parenting advice in the middle of the night. There is only one pearl on that necklace, and the confidence- the faith- that I am a good parent and will have good advice, is what makes me wear it over and over. Is what makes me buy sturdier and sturdier chains for it and fear its loss.
I have never restrung my opera pears. They are still on the dental floss I bought them on, and I can't wear them now, because I don't trust them not to wind up all over the floor. They, like all the bits of other people's religions I collected when I was afraid I could never find truth, sit in the bottom of my jewelry box.
Section Four: The kingdom of heaven is inclusive.
There is one more parable in this greatest hits collection of Matthews. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind...” Then he goes on to say that the nets get hauled in and the fish get sorted. So I think it is pretty obvious that people are the fish. And that we are all mixed up in the net together. So the useful and sturdy tuna and the beautiful and painful jellyfish are swimming around in the net together.
But there are two things that are really important to our understanding of this. Two things that allow everyone, even non fisherman, like me, to go be fishers of men. It doesn't matter what you catch, and you won't be the one who has to sort it out. I feel like I ought to repeat this, it doesn't matter what you catch. You don't have to sort it out.
Our commandment is to love, our commission is to share. It is impossible to offer unconditional love and impartial judgment. That is why Solomon asked for wisdom, that is why Paul reminds us that God is the only one who can judge his people. Only God can offer such love and discernment.
Section Five: What have we said and what are we doing?
If we do what Jesus has commanded us to do, we will further the kingdom of heaven. We will love, we will value that love, and we will share it with all who come within our reach. How will we do it? By loving our neighbors as ourselves. By feeding the poor and visiting the prisoner.
The smallest action, unselfish love, like a mustard seed, like a grain of yeast, will explode into the largest expression of caring and will ultimately change the world. Changing the world is worth any price; to end suffering, to end poverty, to end crime. That price is embracing without discrimination. We cannot even conceive of such a price without Christ. By being an example, by offering intercession, every day, every moment, for us. For the kingdom of heaven.
(Pentecost 10, Year A, Proper 12)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)