Jesus, not only our Lord and our God, was also a masterful teacher. Many called him “teacher,” or even “good teacher.” His teaching was, of course, about the reality of God’s love for us and what it means for us in our lives—in other words, the kingdom of God. He chose to convey this message, not through lengthy lectures, but through parables—simple, relatable stories with profound spiritual insights. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus shared about twenty-three parables. Mark’s gospel contains fewer, around nine parables. Mark liked to emphasize brevity and impact—the urgency of the kingdom of God. Luke, with its focus on compassion and social justice, records approximately twenty-seven parables, including unique ones like the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan.
Why did Jesus employ parables? They served as accessible entry points to the truth, and they transcend cultural and intellectual barriers. Parables bypass the defenses of prejudice and engage us at a deeper, emotional level. They are dynamic, inviting contemplation and reflection. Everyone can relate to a story. Storytelling’s power is its ability to embed timeless lessons in the fabric of human experience. Jesus, the ultimate storyteller, understood that narratives resonate, creating lasting impressions. Parables weren’t just stories; they were mirrors reflecting life’s complexities, inviting self-reflection and inspiring transformation. And for the most part, Jesus didn’t explain the parables because their meaning was self-evident. Those who are to feel convicted, feel convicted. Those who are to feel comforted, feel comforted. And conviction and comfort might indeed be felt both by the same listener upon the same parable! The beauty of parables lies in their simplicity, concealing profound wisdom for those with ears to hear—concealing profound wisdom for us. Through these stories, Jesus invites all, regardless of background or education, wealth or poverty, gender or sex, nationality, age, or sexuality, to grasp the mysteries of God’s kingdom and discover a deeper connection with what God seeks for us, for all people, and ultimately for the whole creation. Let’s listen to the story God is telling and where and how we fit in—for we, indeed, are also characters in God’s great story.
Let us pray. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
The kingdom of heaven is like this…
In a country once known for its unity, divisions had deepened. People had grown accustomed to huddling with like-minded folks, reinforcing their beliefs while dismissing, even demonizing those who held different views. This polarization wasn’t limited to politics but had seeped into all aspects of society, from the echo chambers of social media to family gatherings torn apart by ideological clashes. Amid this polarization, there were many who fell into three major clades of distinction: passionate advocates for social justice and equality, staunch defenders of tradition and order, and seekers of wisdom and compromise amid the overwhelming great confusion.
The country found itself in unprecedented times with many threats to the cherished ideals from which it sprung up—liberty, freedom, tranquility, equality, temperance, forbearance, the general welfare. Across the country, many things pointed to the imperfect union that the once united country had become. One powerful and very visible sign of the rotting, decaying unity was the infrastructure of the nation, particularly its bridges. There were many feelings about how to best address the problem of the bridges, which once connected the various parts of towns across the country, but now were crumbling due to neglect and disrepair. The crumbling bridges allowed literal chasms to arise across the country, themselves a physical representation of the ideological divide ripping the nation apart.
A woman, Sarah, driven by her passion for justice, believed that the only way to heal the divide was to build new bridges. She was convinced that it was time to reconcile the differences tearing the very fabric of the country apart. A man, Michael, staunchly believed in preserving tradition and order, and he feared that new bridges might upset the balance they had maintained for so long. He advocated for repairing the old bridges, despite their dilapidated state, as a way to preserve their heritage and values. Another woman, Emily, ever the seeker of wisdom, felt torn between these two perspectives. She saw the value in both approaches but understood that the bridges represented not just physical separation but also profound ideological disagreement. She felt someone needed to find a way to unite the two.
Despite Emily’s wishes, and desire for compromise from those like her, the polarization only grew worse, with Sarah and those with her who believed new bridges needed to be built denigrating Michael and those with him who felt that the past needed to be honored, who also in turn slandered Sarah and those with her. A vicious, circular snake consuming itself by the tail in a gluttonous, suicidal feeding frenzy. The need for a solution was increasingly urgent as more and more people throughout the country grew weary and even despondent, asking if ever the once united people could ever truly embody the ideals that created it. Finally, Emily, no longer satisfied to sit by, convinced Sarah and Michael to accompany her on a walk through the country to truly see it.
The journey took them through forests of misunderstanding and deserts of mistrust. They encountered challenges and obstacles that forced them to confront their own biases and preconceptions. Along the way, they met people who exemplified the best and worst of their respective ideologies.
They encountered a compassionate social justice advocate who, despite her good intentions, often alienated others by the stridency of her demands. They met a traditionalist who clung to the past, but his refusal to adapt hindered progress and perpetuated inequality. They saw both the strengths and weaknesses in all stripes of people, learning that true wisdom lay in balance. But for each interaction with someone of this or that way of thinking, there was another that clung to their own opposite way of thinking just as stringently. True wisdom lay in balance, but how to achieve it was the real issue at stake.
Finally, their journey brought them to a wise elder who lived in the heart of the divided country. She had witnessed the rise and fall of many bridges and had learned from each experience. The elder shared her perspective: “You must build a bridge that honors both the past and the future,” she spoke, with words like whispers of wind over dark lake waters, yet loud as the whirlwind of a rushing fire. “Bridges that respect tradition and embrace change. Bridges strong enough to withstand the storms of division and flexible enough to adapt to shifting needs.”
The wise elder, a matronly almost motherly celest spoke no more, but Sarah, Michael, and Emily felt her presence within them, and understood now how to speak with her same wisdom, having sought it out and encountered it firsthand. Sarah, Michael, and Emily set to work with a new vision for bridges that would serve as a symbol of unity. Building bridges that serve the needs of everyone upon the foundations of the old bridges that once well served the country—throwing out and making new where things no longer could be rebuilt, and learning from and building upon where the former things still proved a solid foundation that protected and served the good of all.
The work wasn’t easy. It required sacrifice and effort from all sides of the chasm. Sarah had to set aside her own apprehensions and lead by example for those who believed like her to do the same. Michael had to lay aside his own prejudices and lead by example for those who believed like him. The bridges would only be as strong as the foundation of trust and compromise upon which they were built.
People from all walks of life soon took notice to the change in the bridges throughout the country, and they found it impossible to ignore what they represented. The bridges testified to their common humanity, the shared values that underpinned their society, and the need to overcome their divisions.
Again the country was a beacon of unity around the world, a shining city on a hill. Countries facing similar polarization, looked to this renewed country to witness the new unity. They too were inspired to seek common ground and build bridges of their own.
Truly I tell you, disagreement and division arise, but everything will be made whole again at the coming of Jesus to gather us once and for all into his glorious, perfect reality. For those like us who look for that day, who await its coming, we needn’t wait forlorn and dejected or lost, for we’ve seen the glory of God who makes all things new. We seek it out and encounter it, in this place and in our day-to-day lives. For us and all those committed to seeking to perfect unity, justice, tranquility, care for all, general welfare, and the security of the blessings of life, liberty, and happiness to everyone made in the image of God, the seeds of humility bloom into the flowers of healing and the paths of restoration wind through valleys of sacrifice and peaks of humble understanding. Divisions crumble when the walls of pride are replaced with the bricks of sacrifice and humility, and the healing waters of sacred justice flow where sacrifice irrigates the fields of understanding stored up in the wealth of foregone generations. The day is surely coming when this land and all lands will blossom into the new garden of God; until that day, we are called to imitate the one who has promised us he will come again and through our very lives, through our sacrifice of humility and willingness to give over ourselves, reflect his goodness.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Rev'd Daniel W. Spigelmyer, Jr. 