thoughts on Parables

The parable is the invention of a creative God. I am often arrested by the strategy of Christ. Rarely, if ever, did Christ give us a sterile pronunciation of the taxonomy of the salvation. He didn’t lay out the fine details of what the kingdom of heaven looks like. He never came right out and says, “OK sit down here Peter and let me explain to you’re the concept of election, substitution, or evangelism (in five simple steps that all incredible spell out a word). Sure, the Nicodemus passage in John 3 is pretty cut and dry, but remember that Nicodemus was a little taken aback by the idea of being born again (Parable) and Jesus kept referring to the mystery of the wind. (Parable once again). Jesus hardly ever spoke without the use of irony, imagery and story. That sounds a little radical to say but it is as true as it can be. He didn’t give us a dictionary or a chart. He simply spoke of this radical, life-changing message with words like- “Once there was a man who had two sons.” When he wants to rebuke my crazy bent to over-think a situation he simply (in scripture) points at a flower and says, “Look at those lilies. They aren’t really working!” Jesus was not only pro-parable but like everything else, he invented them!

Why? Why did he not send us the whole story in 300 pages with a few four-color maps and charts, including a complete correct interpretation of the end times? I think He wanted us to roll up our sleeves and wrestle with the truth. Like most Rabbis, he longed for us to sit on the temple steps and engage the scriptures.

And I’m so glad he chose stories. They remind me of the mystery of the gospel. It’s about faith in a God I have not seen. It’s about redemption and it’s about judgment. It reminds me that sometimes the best way to teach the Bible is through practical, non-hyper-theological terms. It’s about runaway kids, lost valuables, and the bad guys getting their just deserts. It’s about being like birds- flying and trusting in God’s provision. It’s about being like dirt. Good dirt! The kind that receives seeds without rocks or weeds.

That’s what makes the Bible so like it’s Author. It’s timeless, powerful, and transformational. That’s what God’s word is. It’s the grandest, most surprising book I have ever read.