Collect for Trinity 3
Lord, you have taught us that all our doings without love are worth nothing: Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love, the true bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whoever lives is counted dead before you. Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ’s sake.
2 Corinthians 5: 6 – 17
Mark 4: 26 – 34
Why parables?
‘Now, what I want is Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the mind of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them.’
So speaks Mr. Gradgrind, the teacher in Charles Dickens ‘Hard Times’, in the first chapter of the book. He couldn’t be more wrong. ‘Facts’ alone actually stultify the process of reasoning. On their own, they do not convey meaning or enable learning. To do so, they have to be contextualised, and easily the best way of doing this is through the vehicle of story; and so through the ages, story has been used as the basis of wisdom transfer. Stories have the ability to convey deep truths across generational, cultural and even linguistic boundaries in a way that dry facts never will. Not only that, but the use of stories to teach a lesson offers the added benefit that people actually enjoy hearing them; they are easy to remember and can be repeated and shared. When learning is not seen as a chore but as a pleasant experience, it is also at its most effective.
Jesus is speaking to a crowd by the lakeside. Some will be educated, some not; there will be those who want to learn, others who are just passing by and listen out of curiosity. The stories used by Jesus to explain the Kingdom of heaven – the ‘parables’ – offer understandable truth to all of them whoever they may be– and through many generations, to us.
But to get the best from a story or parable does demand that we think about (and put into practice) it’s significance. What audience is Jesus addressing? Do we identify with one of the actors? Is He explaining about the Kingdom? Is His purpose teaching, encouraging, or rebuking? What lesson are we meant to take away?
Eventually, even Mr Gradgrind realises that facts alone cannot coney truth. A parable may not be ‘factual’ – but does tell a truth – and it is truth that sets us free.
Previous Posts
Praying Together 17th March 2024
The Anglican Church of Ireland has produced an excellent example of the way in which St Patrick’s life embodies the Five marks of Mission – a real cause for celebration and a model for us to follow (And by the way, St. Patrick’s flag colour is blue, not green.)
Praying Together 10th March 2024
It’s a day of being aware of, and thankful for, the caring and loving relationships that exist within family and friends.
Praying Together 3rd March 2024
And what of our anger? Is it based on injury to self? Injury to others? Or injury to love, to forgive, to serve? Can we defend it at the foot of the Kingly throne?
Praying Together 25th February 2024
‘Which am I – the chicken or the pig? Jesus makes it clear that in following Him, there is no half-way house – our values are either of the material world, or of the Kingdom.
Praying Together 18th February 2024
The world is in flames. Are you impelled to put them out? Look at the cross. From the open heart gushes the blood of the Saviour. This extinguishes the flames of hell. Make your heart free by the faithful fulfilment of your vows;
Praying Together 11th February 2024
It’s the same for us – we cannot build our faith on just one or two aspects of Jesus’ story. The fundamental truth we need to accept that He is risen from the dead and He is Lord, alive.
Praying Together 4th February 2024
He asks for no reward, save that of loving His creation, His Father and our neighbours (all of them) as He loves – do we even do that?
Praying together 28th January 2024
So, says Paul, eat or don’t eat. Stop making a fuss over things that don’t matter, and get on with loving your neighbour.
Praying Together 21st January 2024
as we celebrate this week of Christian Unity, let us consider what service we could offer together, that we wouldn’t be capable of achieving on our own – the whole being much greater than the parts.
Praying Together January 14th 2024
Plough Sunday has its roots in medieval times, when the parish church was often used to store a communal plough in the winter months, then being decorated and blessed before the rhythm of the agricultural season begins once more on Plough Monday
Praying Together 7th January 2024
When the world looks at us, sees our actions, our life, do we reflect the light of Christ, and further His Kingdom? Or do we deepen the darkness?
Praying Together 31st December 2023
Jesus – the revolutionary terrorist according to the Sanhedrin – is different, however, in one unique regard.
His only weapon is love.
Even for enemies.
Which is how His Victory is won.