This past week in Confirmation class we talked a little bit about parables. Each of the students had a parable to read and then share about what they thought it meant. Each of them had very thoughtful, unique ways of seeing what the parable was offering the reader. 

Once upon a time I found parables very frustrating. Why make a message that has to be figured out? Why can’t all of Jesus’ lessons be as clear as the Ten Commandments? 

It took me a while but I eventually found beauty, joy, comfort and peace in parables. I came to see them not so much as a lecture but instead as a discussion. A time to read, ponder and re-read what Jesus is saying. I often have new or different feelings and understandings come to the surface each time I settle in to visit one of these peaceful puzzles. 

The parable that is sticking in my head this week is the parable of the yeast. “He told them still another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.’” (Matthew 13:33) It is amazing that one sentence can create so much thought and contemplation. Is it saying that the Kingdom of Heaven is being diluted or separated while we are here on earth and we need to work to get back to its wholeness or is it reminding us that God is mixed in with us in everything we are and do while on this earth? Or is it saying something completely different? 

Parables are a gift and I believe they are one of many ways to connect with God. Asking questions, discussing with others, listening to new perspectives and welcoming new ways to connect with Jesus’ message are essential for a strong relationship with the world as well as personal spiritual growth. 

I love rhyme and I have found parables rewritten as poems to be enjoyable for me. Here is one for you to enjoy based on Mark 9:50 titled Salt by Maurice Dyson. 

 

Salt within a nation,

Aids its preservation:

Acting as an agent of God’s grace.

Salt opposed to leaven,

Brings a taste of heaven,

Till we meet the Saviour face to face.

 

Saltiness is biting,

Found in word or writing;

Giving them a qualitative note.

If the salt is lacking,

With its signal backing,

Evidence of Christ could be remote.

 

Lamps not burning brightly,

Might appear unsightly,

If they are not trimmed with proper care.

So our lives should savor,

Of a godly flavor,

With a love that reaches everywhere.