by the Rev. Charlie Dupree
This Sunday, we hear Matthew’s Jesus offer a whole lot of parables.
What is a parable? Here’s a definition from the Dictionary of the Episcopal Church:
The term is from the Greek for “something placed by the side of something else.” NT parables are sayings of Jesus in which he uses metaphors or similes, brief or extended, to challenge people to a decision about his message. The parables of Jesus are “word events” in which the Kingdom of God breaks through in power. Parables may be understood as elaborated comparisons. For example, the Gospel of Matthew (20:1-16) records Jesus’ parable that likens the kingdom of heaven to a householder who hired workers for his vineyard at different hours in the day, and then paid all the workers the full day’s wage that he promised to the workers who were hired in the early morning.
You can review Sunday’s Gospel reading by clicking here. I’ll be preaching on this text. In preparation, you might take a look. What do you think Jesus is saying about the kingdom through these images of seed, yeast, treasure, fish? Which parable grabs your imagination? Which one most closely aligns with the way you think about the Kingdom, and, why?
Give it some thought . . .
See you in church,
Charlie+ (he/him)