The Art of the Parable

Over the past year or so, I have really began to appreciate the literary genre called the “parable”.  When you look at what is recorded about Jesus in the current canon of Gospels, almost everything he taught was done in parable form. Why? Because Jesus’ parables taught so much more than if he just spelled out point 1, then point 2, etc.
He told stories that put pictures into people’s minds, that caused them to search through their experiences and compare them to what he was saying.  It allowed them to see the new ideas in the light of their life.
Whenever Jesus told a parable, he always emphasized “whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”  In other words, he was saying, "Don’t just listen with your ears; listen with your heart. Don’t just hear my words; hear my deeper meaning. Don’t listen for the literal meaning accessible to your rational mind; seek deeper for a meaning that requires that you make a personal investment of your sincere effort and your imagination. Don’t think I’m just talking about literal, physical birth or water; realize I’m talking about something much deeper.”   from The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth that Could Change Everything by Brian McLaren.

When a parable confounds someone, it pushes them to ask further questions, to search farther. And many times a parable goes beyond just informing them. It begins to transform them into new people. And that’s why Jesus taught in parables - because his message wasn’t merely aimed at conveying information. It sought something more important: the spiritual transformation of the hearers.

McLaren continues, "if it’s the heart that counts, then hearts can’t be coerced; nobody can be forced. They can be invited, attracted, intrigued, enticed, and challenged— but not forced. And that, perhaps, is the greatest genius of a parable: it doesn’t grab you by the lapels and scream in your face, ‘Repent, you vile sinner! Turn or burn!’  Rather, it works gently, subtly, indirectly. It respects your dignity. It doesn’t batter you into submission but leaves you free to discover and choose for yourself."

Maybe we need to re-read the parables of Jesus.  Maybe we should start teaching the parables, instead of trying to interpret things (and in turn enforce things) to the letter of the law?