Continuing on my in my reading of the date-sensitive, corresponding passages of the Rood Chronological Gospels, I came across an excellent example of the Master use of parable to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. I picked up right after the parable of the tares in Matthew 13, beginning in verse 44 on down through 53 with the corresponding passage in Mark 4:34. The passage reads as follows:
“…’The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field which a man found and then hid it again. Being overjoyed, he went and sold everything that he had and bought the field. The kingdom of heaven is also like a merchant searching for precious pearls. When he found one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it. The kingdom of heaven is also like a net that he cast into the sea. It gathered everything. When it was full they drew the net to shore and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the age–the angels will come forth and sever the wicked from among the just and cast the wicked into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.’ Yeshua said to them, ‘Have you understood all these things?’ They replied, ‘Yes master.” Then He said to them, ‘Every scribe who is instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who brings forth things out of his treasure chest, both new and old.’ When Yeshua finished these parables, He departed.” And Mark 4:34 reads, “Yeshua did not speak to them without speaking in a parable, and when they were alone He expounded all things to His disciples.”
For the first time in quite a while I became intrigued about Yeshua’s use of parables. Quite honestly, I never wanted anything to do with parables. Growing up and well in to my young adult and even later adult years, I shied away from reading and studying parables. I saw parables as traps and potential points of contention within the Christian community whereby anyone with an opinion and perspective on the Christian Faith could debate endlessly over what each person believes the true interpretation of any given parable to be. I didn’t understand why Messiah would resort to such a convoluted and uncertain method of teaching that served only to confuse and divide. Throughout my Christian life I’ve seen parables used to teach a wide arrange of Christian concepts, some of which were evidently more geared towards the furtherance of this and that minister’s or evangelist’s ministry and pocketbook. Most Biblically illiterate Christians care less about a true meaning to Yeshua’s parables. They are quite content with any feel good meaning that a savvy evangelist or preacher can pull from the seemingly simple story plots. Little do these individuals realize that the true meaning of these “earthly stories with heavenly meanings” was no where to be found or heard except to those who were privileged to have received the revelation. To someone like me who always sought after the true meaning of a Biblical passage and who abhorred simple verse-sound-bites, my fear of never understanding these stories was troubling to me.
In the Southern Baptist Church of my youth, it was ingrained in me that “parables were earthly stories with heavenly meanings.” I internalized that definition and carried it with me well into my 40’s and early 50’s. Interestingly, the understanding of why the Master taught (or even prophecied) using parables never went beyond that elementary school definition of the parable. Today, I’m taken by the enormity of Yeshua’s use of the heavily agrarian landscape of His people from which He to crafted His parables. And so it is that the use of the agrarian landscape in Palestine of His day provided a most rich analogical well from which to draw from. I know that it irked the Master’s disciples to no end that He taught using this method, but like many other things pertaining to the Master’s life, He had a reason for resorting to parables. Mark comments that Yeshua did not speak to them (the general swell of followers) without teaching in a prarble, and when Yeshua and His disciples were alone He expounded to them the true meaning of these parables.
Despite commentary by some that suggests the Master used parables to insight deeper and richer meaning to His explanation of the Kingdom, there seems to be a truer explanation for His persistent use of parables and I believe a clue as to why can be found in the parable of the tares. But before expounding upon the parable of the tares as a reason why parables, we can not ignore the fact that the Master’s use of parables was actually prophecied by the writer of Psalms. Found in chapter 78 verse 2 which reads: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.” And what better biblical platform to deliver this prophecy than the book of Psalms, the greatest storehouse of parables (or as Gill in his commentary describes–“…contains many things in it, expressed in a parabolical and enigmatical way…”) The Master carried on this tradition throughout His earthly ministry.
Now as to why the Master used parables to teach and prophecy about the Kingdom, I believe that it had to do with the people who were following Him. Knowledge of the Kingdom of Yehovah is precious and even in the above cited parable, verse 44, the kingdom of heaven is described as “like unto treasure hid in a field which a man found and then hid it again. Being overjoyed, he went and sold everything that he had and bought the field…a merchant searching for precious pearls. When he found one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” So precious is the revelation and content pertaining to the Kingdom of the overall message that the Master was delivering, that it was reserved for those who sought the Truth. Indeed, mainly the Master’s disciples were offered and provided the opportunity to receive the interpretation of the Master’s parables. The disciples were noted to frequently ask the Master to explain his parabolic and enigmatic teachings–“Yeshua did not speak to them without speaking in a parable, and when they were alone He expounded all things to His disciples” (Mark 4:34). The vast majority of followers, I believe, cared very little about the deep things of Yehovah and were likely hangers-on. These individuals wanted to witness something great or even to receive a meal (as mentioned in the story of the feeding of the 5,000). Only those sold out believers and disciples who were searching and ardent enough to seek after the Master and trouble Him for an explanation of His teachings were rewarded with an understanding of the delivered parable(s). The Master, it would clearly seem, never withheld anything in terms of an interpretation from those who earnestly sought the true meanings of His teachings.
And so it is with us. How many of us go on to be exposed to advanced teachings and truths, only to shy away from a true understanding or confirmation of that revealed truth? Instead of confronting the truth and dragging out of the giver a full explanation of that revealed truth, many of us simply walk away and never learn the fullness of that truth. There are a few precious followers who will not let the teacher go without a full explanation of the teaching. It is those individuals who are most blessed and who’s spiritual lives are taken to the next level, leaving the others behind to suck on milk and never progressing to the meat of the full and true Gospel message. It goes without saying too that these same parables canvas the pages of 4-Gospel records. Many of us will instead of tearing these stories apart to gain a full understanding and revelation of the parable simply get up from our reading with a nice little agrarian story to remind us of heaven and making sure we are good little Christians. No. It just isn’t good enough. The true disciples of Yeshua will not let these stories go by without an honest and truthful explanation and revelation of its meaning. Understanding parables can not be something that we shy away from as I have for so meaning years. It must be instead honey to draw us all in to a deeper understanding of the Kingdom of Yehovah and His righteousness.
The Master instructed that we must seek first the Kingdom and the righteousness of the Father. That Kingdom and righteousness comes apparently through steadfast searching and probing. I want to be a disciple who begs the Master at every turn, to explain why and how and then carry that message to the world. How about you?