HOMILY FOR 15th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME--A

 IN THE GOSPEL TODAY JESUS BEGINS TO USE PARABLES AS HIS MAIN TECHNIQUE FOR TEACHING THE PEOPLE ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.  AND HE WAS THE MASTER OF THAT FORM OF TEACHING.  HIS PARABLES ARE NOTHING MORE THAN SHORT STORIES TOLD BY THE MASTER STORY-TELLER.  BUT WHY DID HE PUT HIS TEACHINGS IN THE FORM OF PARABLES.

WELL, FIRST, TO INTEREST PEOPLE.  A STORY IS A STORY AND WE LIKE STORIES AND HAVE SINCE THE TIME WE WERE TODDLERS.  ANOTHER ADVANTAGE IS THAT PARABLES MAKE TRUTH CONCRETE.  IF JESUS GOT UP AND JUST TRIED TO EXPLAIN WHAT GOODNESS MEANS, WE PROBABLY WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND BECAUSE IT IS DIFFICULT TO MEANINGFULLY EXPLAIN ABSTRACT TERMS.

BUT WHEN HE TELLS THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN, WE GET THE PICTURE, QUITE CLEARLY, OF WHAT GOODNESS IS AND WHAT WE SHOULD BE LIKE.

TEACHING IS TAKING A PERSON FROM WHERE THEY ARE, FROM THE HERE AND NOW, TO WHERE THE STORY-TELLER WANTS THEM TO BE, TO THE THERE AND THEN.  BUT YOU HAVE TO START WITH THE HERE AND NOW, WITH WHAT PEOPLE ALREADY KNOW, TO GET THEM TO THE THERE AND THEN.  PARABLES DO THAT WELL.

THERE IS ONE OTHER, A THIRD, ADVANTAGE TO PARABLES THAT JESUS KNEW AND USED.  IF YOU TRY TO MAKE SOMEONE BELIEVE SOMETHING, YOU CAN TALK UNTIL YOU’RE BLUE IN THE FACE AND YOU’LL MAKE NO HEADWAY WHAT-SO-EVER.  THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU JUST CAN’T TELL PEOPLE.  THEY HAVE TO DISCOVER IT FOR THEMSELVES.  THAT’S ESPECIALLY TRUE OF IMPORTANT THINGS.

JESUS TOLD THE PARABLE AND THEN LET THE LISTENER FIGURE OUT THE POINT.  THE PARABLE POINTED TO THE TRUTH, BUT THE LISTENER HAS TO FOLLOW THE POINTER.  WHAT WE ARRIVE TO THAT TRUTH ON OUR OWN, WE ARE MORE LIKELY TO ACCEPT IT.

WELL, HOW DOES THIS EFFECT US?  JESUS TOLD STORIES TO BRING PEOPLE TO THE TRUTH BECAUSE THOSE STORIES ARE INTERESTING, UNDERSTANDABLE AND ALLOWED PEOPLE TO DISCOVER THAT TRUTH ON THEIR OWN.  BUT JESUS ISN’T AROUND ANYMORE TO TELL ANY MORE PARABLES.  BUT, WE ARE AND WE ARE, AFTER ALL, THE BODY OF CHRIST ON EARTH.  

SO WE HAVE THAT SAME JOB THAT JESUS DID.  WE HAVE TO BRING PEOPLE TO THE TRUTH OF GOD AND GOD’S KINGDOM.  MAYBE THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS TO STEAL A PAGE FROM JESUS’ BOOK AND USE PARABLES AND, IN FACT, NOT ONLY USE THEM, BUT BE THEM, BECOME LIVING PARABLES.

IF WE GET SOMEONE ONE ON ONE AND TRY TO EXPLAIN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, IF WE GIVE THAT PERSON BOOKS ON SPIRITUALITY, A COPY OF THE BIBLE, AND A CATECHISM OR TWO AND TELL THEM TO CALL US IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, WE ARE DOOMED TO FAIL.

WHEN GOD WANTED TO EXPLAIN TO THE WORLD WHAT GOD IS ALL ABOUT, HE DIDN’T SEND A BOOK OR A SET OF INSTRUCTIONS.  GOD SENT HIS SON, A LIVING HUMAN BEING.  IN A WAY JESUS IS A PARABLE, A STORY TOLD BY THE FATHER.  SCRIPTURE, AFTER ALL, DOES CALL JESUS THE WORD OF GOD.

WHEN WE WANT TO EXPLAIN GOD TO OTHERS, WE ALSO HAVE TO BE A LIVING PARABLE, JUST LIKE JESUS WAS.  WE HAVE TO BE SOMEONE WHOSE LIFE AND ACTIONS COMMUNICATE GOD’S MESSAGE.  THE BEST TEACHING TOOL TO COMMUNICATE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN IS TO BE A CHRISTIAN.  

OUR LIVES THEN SHOULD BE PARABLES OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN.  WE HAVE TO LIVE SO THAT SOMEONE CAN LOOK AT US AND OUR ACTIONS AND FIGURE OUT “WELL, SO THAT’S WHAT CHRISTIANITY IS ALL ABOUT.  LOOKS GOOD TO ME.  I LIKE IT.  I’LL TRY IT TOO.”

EVEN SO THERE WILL BE FAILURES.  WE CAN BE THE MOST COMPLETE PARABLE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND NO ONE IS SEEMINGLY LISTENING.  WE WILL BE TEMPTED TO DESPAIR BECAUSE OF CONSTANT REJECTION.

THE SAME REJECTION HAPPENED TO JESUS HIMSELF.  IN TODAY’S GOSPEL, JESUS IS PREACHING ON THE SEASHORE.  NOW THAT’S A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE BECAUSE HE USED TO PREACH IN THE SYNAGOGUES.  BUT THE SYNAGOGUES WERE NOW CLOSED TO HIM.  HIS MESSAGE HAD BEEN REJECTED.

WE NEED TO PLAN ON REJECTION ALSO.  SOMETIMES THE CHRISTIAN MESSAGE THAT WE LIVE, THE PARABLE OUR LIVES PROVIDE, WILL FALL ON ROCKY GROUND OR BE SMOTHERED BY WEEDS SPRINGING FROM THE WORLD OF MATERIAL CONCERNS.  BUT AS THE LORD ASSURES US IN TODAY’S GOSPEL, THAT SOMETIMES, MANY TIMES, OUR THE MESSAGE OF OUR LIVED PARABLE WILL FALL ON FERTILE GROUND.  THERE WILL BE A HARVEST, AS THE LORD HAS PROMISED, AND THAT HARVEST WILL BE BOUNTIFUL, A HUNDRED, OR SIXTY OR THIRTY-FOLD.