#Parables

[loveerran]

There have been some (if I may) very nearly groundbreaking positives at recent General Conferences. Here is Elder Dale G. Renlund calling on the the saints to be saints. Begin quote:

“before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left (Matthew 25:31-46).”

Those on His right became heirs in His kingdom, and those on His left received no inheritance. The distinguishing characteristic was whether they fed Him when He was hungry, gave Him drink when He was thirsty, housed Him when He was a stranger, clothed Him when He was naked, and visited Him when He was sick or imprisoned.

Everyone was perplexed, both those on the right hand and those on the left hand. They asked when they had, or when they had not, given Him food, drink, and clothing or helped Him when He was vulnerable. In response, the Savior said, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

The message of the parable is clear: when we serve others, we serve God;… The divine impulse to serve others is illustrated in a poem written in the 19th century by the Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg. My siblings and I repeatedly heard the poem “Farmer Paavo” throughout our childhoods. In the poem, Paavo was a poor farmer who lived with his wife and children in the lake region of central Finland. Several years in a row, most of his crops were destroyed, whether through the runoff from the spring snowmelt, summer hailstorms, or an early autumn frost. Each time the meager harvest came in, the farmer’s wife lamented, “Paavo, Paavo, you unfortunate old man, God has forsaken us.” Paavo, in turn, stoically said, “Mix bark with the rye flour to make bread so the children won’t go hungry. I’ll work harder to drain the marshy fields. God is testing us, but He will provide.”

Each time the crops were destroyed, Paavo directed his wife to double the amount of bark that she mixed into the flour to ward off starvation. He also worked harder, digging trenches to drain the ground and decrease his fields’ susceptibility to a spring runoff and an early autumn frost.

After years of hardship, Paavo finally harvested a rich crop. His wife exulted, “Paavo, Paavo, these are happy times! It is time to throw away the bark, and bake bread made only with rye.” But Paavo solemnly took his wife’s hand and said, “Mix half the flour with bark, for our neighbor’s fields have frosted over.” Paavo sacrificed his and his family’s bounty to help his devastated and destitute neighbor.

The lesson of the Savior’s parable of the sheep and goats is that we are to use the gifts we have been given—time, talents, and blessings—to serve Heavenly Father’s children, especially the most vulnerable and needy.

[lionofchaeronea]

The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, William Blake, ca. 1799-1800

[artist-issues]

Also, I don't know if I've ever said this, but sometimes I feel it needs to be said—no human-made story is ever going to get Christianity exactly 100% right, whether in metaphor or in allegory or in symbolism.

Because Christianity is reality. It the framework upon which everything else hangs. So it would be like if I made a movie about elephants. I could go out and document an elephant's whole life from start to finish. I could produce a faithful account of what the elephant was feeling and thinking. And I could dramatize it without fudging the facts or skewing the truth observed about that elephant in any way.

But when you look at it, it'll still just be A Story About an Elephant. It won't be the elephant. And because it's not all-inclusive, because it's not everything there is to know about the elephant right down to its atoms and ancestry and how many breaths it took and what every other animal thought of it, etc., it won't even be a perfect explanation of the elephant. It'll just get super close.

Because stories are communication. But communication has nuance and suffers from limitations. Especially clear and impactful communication. So, while I might say something true about elephants by making a story about them, I'll never be saying the whole and perfect truth about elephants. Just like you can use a story to say something true about Christianity (or any truth) but you'll never be saying the whole and perfect truth about Christianity.

Besides, God already did that. So relax and be earnest--you're just shining a spotlight on truth. You're not inventing it or breaking it down exhaustively.

[a-queer-seminarian]

“But what I love most about the parables are the details. ...I love that Jesus knew you can’t sew a patch of shrunk cloth on an old garment or the patch will pull away, and that you can’t pour new wine into old wineskins or the skins will burst. ...

I love these details because they reveal to me a God who is immersed in creation, deeply embedded within the lives of God’s beloved. Ours is a God who knows how to mend clothes and bake bread, a God familiar with the planting and harvest seasons, the traditions of bridesmaids, and the tickle of wool on the back of the neck."

- Rachel Held Evans, Inspired

[correctopinionhaver]

and once they got halfway across the river, the scorpion stung the frog. as he died the frog said "why did you do that, now we'll both die?" the scorpion replied "my behavior is the result of complex set of social and environmental factors, not innate biological characteristics."

[tomicscomics]

11/10/2023

Aw...

JOKE-OGRAPHY: The class is drawing pictures of Bible verses.  The girl, Agnes, chooses to draw one of her favorites, but she's misheard the words.  In the actual story, Jesus tells His disciples "parables" (or stories with morals).  She mishears "parables" as "pair of bulls," so she thinks Jesus had two disciples who were male bovine.  She's excited to draw Jesus's animal friends and has a whole headcanon where they're the children of a cow who was in the manger when Jesus was born.  The news that she's misheard the story destroys her, and it takes weeks for her faith to recover.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Good Samaritan

25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 He said unto him, “What is written in the law? How readest thou?”

27 And he answering said, “`Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself.’”

28 And He said unto him, “Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live.”

29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said unto Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 And Jesus answering said, “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his raiment and wounded him and departed, leaving him half dead.

31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him and passed by on the other side.

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was. And when he saw him he had compassion on him,

34 and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.

35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host and said unto him, `Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again I will repay thee.’

36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?”

37 And he said, “He that showed mercy on him.” Then said Jesus unto him, “Go and do thou likewise.” — Luke 10:25-37 | Third Millennium Bible (TMB) Third Millennium Bible, New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Cross References: Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Deuteronomy 6:24; Leviticus 18:15; Leviticus 19:18; Isaiah 58:7; Matthew 10:5; Matthew 18:28; Matthew 19:16; Matthew 24:34; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:52; Luke 10:38; Luke 16:15; Luke 18:31; Luke 19:28

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Notes: The parable of the Good Samaritan is a story to illustrate how we “love our neighbors as ourselves.” When other people need our help the most, like the man on the road, is when our love for neighbor is truly tested.

[cryptids-and-muses]

Nothing makes you understand old folk tales like working with small children

What is me lying to the kindergardeners about how I TOTALLY saw a kid break their finger with my metal pegs so don’t pick them up!!! than the modern day equivalent of telling children you saw a river monster drown someone so don’t go near the water!!!

[momentsbeforemass]

True

Sometimes the parables of Jesus are bad ideas. Or they’re just odd.

Like today’s Gospel, the one about the shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep to find the one lost sheep.

So why do the Gospels spend so much time on parables? For the same reason that Jesus said them in the first place. Because they’re true.

Not in the sense that they’re describing something that actually happened.

Whether they were historical events or not? That’s not really the point.

Not in the sense that they’re an example that we should literally follow.

Leaving 99 sheep unattended? That’s a bad idea if you’re a sheep farmer.

Parables are true. In the sense that they show us what God is like.

And what the parable of the shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep to find the one lost sheep shows us about God is God’s love. For each one of us. Individually. No matter what.

Even though you’ve strayed. Even though you’ve cut yourself off from everything and everyone that reminds you of God.

No matter what you’ve done. No matter how far gone you think you are.

God is looking for you.

In case you wondered how much God loves you.

Today’s Readings

[mxgha]

There was a man who dwelt in the east centuries ago, And now I cannot look at a sheep or a sparrow, A lily or a cornfield, a raven or a sunset, A vineyard or a mountain, without thinking of him; If this be not to be divine, what is it?

~ G. K. Chesterton

[alasse-earfalas]

44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. - Matthew 13:44-46 KJV

I was listening to this song about v. 44 above, and it struck me that the treasure the man found was far more valuable than the purchase price of the field. Selling "all that he had" was hardly a sacrifice for the man, compared with what he knew he would gain by buying that field. Likewise, when we give our all to the Lord, we find in time that the Lord gives us far more in return.

Unlike the man in the first parable, who happened upon his treasure, the merchant was actively searching for "goodly pearls". And he found one: a "pearl of great price". It was of such a high value that the merchant, like the man with the field, was willing to sacrifice all that he had in order to obtain it. No doubt he knew the value of pearls and had come across many already. No doubt he understood just how priceless this singular pearl was. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matt. 7:7). Those who honestly seek the truth will find it, and will understand the eternal value of what they have found.

No matter how we come by the gospel of Jesus Christ, whether by happenstance or by diligent search, the same sacrifice is asked of each of us: "all that [we] have". But the return is far greater: eternal life in the presence of God.

That is why the kingdom of heaven is like the man and the merchant: because it is filled with those who understand this, filled with those who sacrificed all other treasures for the matchless gift to be there.

[dailydanielewski]

"I'd like to add a quick note here, and this is sort of the tricky thing about this entire narrative that we're going to pursue: what I do here is actually not what I do, and what I say is not necessarily the point of what I say, because what matters most is what will be left unsaid, what's left open, what's left wild."

― Mark Z. Danielewski, Parable no9: The Hopeless Animal and the End of Nature

[timharrold]

Jaywick is a small community near Clacton-on-Sea on the North Sea coast of the county of Essex in England, UK.

[raised-to-walk]

🤔 Ever notice how the Prodigal Son story isn't just about the rebellious kid who comes home? There's actually TWO lost sons in this famous tale!

One son ran away and wasted everything, while the other stayed home doing all the "right" things… but both were equally far from their father's heart. The plot twist? The "good" son might have been more lost than his wild brother!

Here's what hit me:

The father ran to meet his wayward son while he was still far away - no lecture, just love ❤️

The dad threw a massive party for the son who messed up (talk about unexpected!)

Meanwhile, the "perfect" older brother couldn't even celebrate his brother's return 🤦‍♂️

Sometimes being physically present doesn't mean our hearts are actually there

Really makes you think… which son are you more like? The one who runs away, or the one who stays but keeps score?

[blessedarethebinarybreakers]

Extravagant blessing, good news for all

While teaching [the crowd], Jesus said, “Listen to this! A farmer went out to scatter seed…” When they were alone, the people around Jesus, along with the Twelve, asked him about the parables. He said to them, “...The farmer scatters the Word…” - Mark 4:2a - 4, 10-11a, 14

The beauty of parables is that they demand discussion, invite interpretation.

I struggle with the “parable of the sower” because it’s one of the few that the Gospels depict Jesus explaining in detail. Aaaand he waits till only his closest friends are around to do so.

Christians frequently fall into the trap of believing we’re privy to insider information, that we enjoy extra special favor from God. We get smug; we forget that all humanity is made in the Divine image, all Creation overflows with Divine love.

I don’t know why Jesus waits till the crowd leaves before unraveling this parable. Maybe he prefers leaving it open to interpretation, so that they have to puzzle it out together — but he knows the disciples, his “farmers,” need clear instructions.

Regardless, what stands out to me in this parable is that the farmer sows the Word not just on good soil, but everywhere — on the path, on rocky soil, among brambles. There is no scarcity of Word! We aren’t called to be miserly about whom we share it with; we are called into loud, joyous, generous extravagance! 

For it’s often the case that the very people we assume don’t want or “deserve” God’s Word, God’s goodness, God’s liberation, already have it — and are ready to share it with us.

How can you sow God’s liberating Word in your daily life — not arrogantly, not pressuring others to adopt your personal beliefs, but with a joyful invitation into mutual relationship? How can you prepare yourself to receive God’s Word from sources you might not expect? 

- Shared on Daily Ripple on 15 Feb, 2024