There is nothing I love more than a good story. A good story can move you, transport you, motivate you, challenge you and teach you. When you think about the most important lessons you’ve learned in life – much of those lessons were learned thru a story. Often times you cannot change someone’s mind or opinion or heart by simply telling them and definitely not by arguing with them – I think that has become very clear lately – but you give them a word picture – you tell them a story where they can see a concept or hear it in a different way – then their eyes can sometimes be opened. Story is powerful.
“Stories create community, enable us to see through the eyes of other people, and open us to the claims of others.”
– Peter Forbes, photographer and author
That is why art is so powerful – because art is just storytelling thru different mediums – prose, poetry, comedy, drama, music, dance, - it is all storytelling. You remember things better when they are attached to a story - you remember the arts. Some of my most eye-opening moments have been thru story
Ragtime – opened my eyes to racism and injustice and hatred in ways I had never truly understood before
Les Mis – gave me more insight into what true mercy and forgiveness and humility can look like
Annie and Ladybird
Can you think of a story – whether thru book or movie or theater or some other form – that opened your eyes to concepts that you hadn’t seen before – or opened your ears to ideas you hadn’t heard before?
Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today." --Robert McKee
This is a great quote but also a bit inaccurate – because it’s not just putting ideas into the world today – it has been that way since the beginning of time – the bible is full of stories. Powerful rich stories. Some of the most powerful are the stories that Jesus used to teach his followers – these stories are called parables.
And these parables were used to open the eyes and ears of his followers at that time and his followers today
And I can’t think of a time in my life where I have needed and craved the words of Jesus more than I do right now. Some days I feel desperate to hear from him.
And that’s why I am so excited to be in this series that Barry kicked off for us last weekend – Ears to Hear – looking at these parables of Jesus. This is part of our BYOB series - bring your own bible – as we encourage you to dig deeper into the bible – discovering the worlds behind the text, of the text and in front of the text.
Parables aren’t unique to Jesus, Old Testament prophets used parables – as a matter of fact Jesus sometimes references the OT prophets in his parables - but the parables were a key part of his ministry. Jesus is a prophet of God - continuing the work that the OT prophets started
So, what’s the definition of a parable –
Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “A usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle.” According to this definition, the point of a parable is to take something unclear or unpersuasive and make them clear and persuasive toward a moral or religious point.
However, the parables of Jesus have a few key differences from this common understanding. Instead of making points clearer, people were often puzzled and surprised by Jesus’ parables. Jesus’ parables were head scratchers.
last week Barry said parable: a short story or illustration that gets across a deeper truth
The parables are one of the many ways that Jesus launched his mission of announcing and bringing into reality the reign and rule of God
“As part of his campaign, Jesus told stories…. They were, for the most part, not simply ‘illustrations,’ that is, preachers’ tricks to decorate an abstract thought or complicated teaching. If anything, they were the opposite. Jesus’ stories are designed to tease, to clothe the shocking and revolutionary message about God’s Kingdom in garb that would leave the listeners wondering, trying to think it out. They were stories that eventually caused Israel’s leaders to decode his rich message in such a way as to frame a charge against him, either of blasphemy, sedition, or ‘leading the people astray.’ Whatever the parables are, they are not, as children are sometimes taught in Sunday school, ‘earthly stories with heavenly meaning.’ Rather, they are expressions of Jesus' shocking announcement that God’s Kingdom was arriving on earth as in heaven.”
– N. T. Wright, Simply Jesus
They are first and foremost about the kingdom of God – the upside down kingdom – and those with ears to hear would come to understanding and those that didn’t have ears to hear – well they just didn’t get it and instead ended up using Jesus’ words against him – still happens today
So instead of reading a parable and asking, “How is this parable about me and my relationship to God?” We should reverse it and ask, “How is this about Jesus and his inauguration of God’s Kingdom?” When we start there, then we begin to see the new way of living that Jesus began with his announcement of the Kingdom arriving through him.
Jesus’ parables are often thought about as moral stories—how do you live in a right way? But Jesus wasn’t telling these so that you could have the right moral ideals. His primary focus was so that you understood what he was doing.
- Gospel authors preserved these for us - All about the kingdom and how it will come and how it will be received - Explain who Jesus was and what he was up to
Some of the concepts that he revealed with these parables:
The surprise of God’s kingdom – they did not expect the Messiah to enter like this
God’s upside-down kingdom – so contrary to how they lived and of course how we live
God’s kingdom requires a decision – there is a choice to be made will you follow him and help move the kingdom forward or not
These are concepts we are still grappling with right now. Storehouse of treasures that still can be interpreted today.
Could make bold claims that revealed truth to people that were open minded (those who had ears to hear) and conceal his message from those that were against him and buy him more time – to prepare his followers for his biggest surprise – the kingdom comes thru self-giving love – on the cross
And those that didn’t have ears to hear would actually use what He was saying against him – they would twist what He was saying and what He was about to turn against him and bringing charges against him – they don’t get it
“For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.”
Matthew 13:13
We’re going to dig into a couple of these parables in the book of Matthew but first let’s pray that we have ears to hear what He is saying to us in these next moments
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.”
Matthew 13:16
Let’s take a look at Matthew 13:31-35 and the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast
Hi to N Indy, Fishers and online audience
Parable of the Mustard Seed
31 Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”
Parable of the Yeast
33 Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”
34 Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. 35 This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:
“I will speak to you in parables.
I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.[a]”
These 2 parables are told in the midst of several parables that begin with “the kingdom of Heaven is like…”
And they are the 2nd and 3rd parables of 3 connected parables – the first one is the parable of the wheat and weeds – take a look when you can
For his listeners these illustrations would be completely relevant – he is being followed by farmers and fishermen – so they understand seeds and growth – he is talking to a big crowd at this point – it says earlier that he went out and a big crowd surrounded him and he got into a boat and began speaking while they stood on shore – I love that image – on the boat I imagine yelling over to the shore about wheat and yeast and seeds - and these 2 parables speak to both men and women – the mustard seed will resonate with the men while the parable of the yeast will speak to the women – men did the sowing but the women did the baking
Both parables focus on the ideas of expectation and patience.
The mustard seed is a small seed – but then grows large enough for birds to nest in it and find shelter
And the yeast – the actual word is zyme or leaven – it was old fermented dough – and Galilean women would keep these lumps of dough in a fermenting liquid and then work them into their new batch – and this fermented old dough would cause new dough to expand
The birds wait for the mustard seed to turn into a tree
The baker waits for the leaven to spread thru the dough until the whole loaf is mysteriously leavened
Jesus’ followers wanted the whole kingdom to come at once – they weren’t interested in waiting - had their own timetable – weren’t interested in God’s timetable – they needed patience
And their expectations were off - The kingdom is not going to come in with a bang, but it is a process like a growing bush and leavening bread
The surprise of God’s kingdom
Not like they expected. Jesus’ ideas and ministry is not something that can come in with a bang – it is so revolutionary – so contrary to culture that it needs time to be absorbed, understood and accepted – it is a process we are still in today
The way Jesus leads us into his love will always be slow and gentle, because it depends on how ready and willing, we are to accept or believe in it
We have a choice
God’s kingdom requires a decision
Like the Jews of Jesus' time, we would like to see the kingdom as something spectacular, that cannot but convince everybody of its truth.
Yet Jesus speaks of a tiny seed that will eventually grow into a tree that offers shelter to the small ones and yeast that takes time to spread thru the new dough
God’s upside-down kingdom
It starts out in a way no one expected – Jesus – coming as a baby – poor humble beginnings – small – like a mustard seed but eventually it will grow into tree - He’s referencing some old testament prophets here with this image of the small seed growing into a tree – trees represented great empires in the OT – Daniel 4 says
“‘While I was lying in my bed, this is what I dreamed. I saw a large tree in the middle of the earth. 11 The tree grew very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see. 12 It had fresh green leaves, and it was loaded with fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived in its shade, and birds nested in its branches. All the world was fed from this tree.”
Daniel 4:10-12
All the world will be fed from this tree…
The Kingdom of God – very tall and strong – all the world to see – that’s three it grows into
And Jesus says in the parable it will have a place for the birds to nest and shelter – birds almost always were negative images in the scriptures– even they would find shelter – Jesus is saying there is room for all - all can find shelter in this kingdom
And then you have this old dough that you that once you took it and put it in the new dough – it would cause it to expand and grow – permeate the whole world
Baby in a manger (small seed, leaven) – to where we are today
When Jesus taught this parable, God’s kingdom on earth consisted of only a few ragged fishermen. And think about it they didn’t even have the info we have today – they had no idea about the cross and the resurrection and the coming of the holy spirit. But in time, the kingdom has grown to reach nearly every single nation. It has grown just as Jesus said it would! And there is room in this kingdom for all
• These are the most comforting parables. These parables should encourage us. The kingdom of heaven has it’s own life-force – growing beyond all expectations. While we might not be able to “see” the growth of the kingdom every day, it is growing - both in the world, and in the hearts of the believers. We could not stop the growth of God’s kingdom any more than we could take the yeast out of a batch of dough or force a mustard plant back into its seed! Isn’t that encouraging? Listen to the promise that Paul wrote to encourage his friends:
All over the world the good news is bearing fruit and growing. It has been doing that among you since the day you heard it. That is when you understood God's grace in all its truth. - Colossians 1:6
The kingdom of God is on the move – have faith and be patient!
Yes, we live with a low-grade fever of sadness, but we should also live with a
Low grade fever of hope.
Like a small seed growing into a tree or yeast spreading out and permeating an entire loaf of bread – Jesus’ kingdom continues to grow. It may not be obvious to everyone but those of us that have eyes to see and ears to hear – he says to us at the end of these 2 parables
34 Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. 35 This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:
“I will speak to you in parables.
I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.[a]”
That’s straight from Psalm 78
1 O my people, listen to my instructions.
Open your ears to what I am saying,
2 for I will speak to you in a parable.
I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
3 stories we have heard and known,
stories our ancestors handed down to us.
We get to hear and understand things hidden since the creation of the world
This is what the people of God had been waiting for – this is what we’ve been waiting for
know that the Holy Spirit is on the move – always. This is the kingdom that has and will continue to change the world. This is the kingdom that will change people’s hearts – this is the kingdom that produces beautiful fruit – this is the kingdom that forgives sins, and heals broken pieces and places and brings things to life again and breathes hope into our world and moves people to mercy and determines destiny and redeems and reconciles and restores and relieves and reimagines and recreates. This is the kingdom of the crucified Jesus. This is the kingdom of the resurrected Jesus. This is the kingdom of self-sacrificing love. This is the upside-down kingdom. This is the kingdom that all are invited to be a part of. This is the kingdom I have put my hope and faith and trust in – this is the kingdom where my allegiance lies – this is the kingdom that I want to be a part of! Do you?
Nothing will change the world – nothing – except the kingdom of God – that is the only kingdom with true life-changing power
And it is still at work – right now
Questions for you:
Do you believe the kingdom is still on the move?
How are you seeing the kingdom move at the present?
How can you be a part of that kingdom movement?
Where do you need to have patience?
Where is your hope right now?
How is God’s kingdom growing in you – what is the Holy Spirit doing in your life for the seed to grow in you personally – for the leaven to spread thru out you and thru you for the world to see
The kingdom of God is on the move – have faith and be patient!