Why do you speak to them in parables?

On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes gathered together to him, so that he got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Then he spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear!"

And the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

"And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,

And seeing you will see and not perceive;

For the hearts of this people have grown dull.

Their ears are hard of hearing,

And their eyes they have closed,

Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,

Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

So that I should heal them.'

"But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;"

- Matthew 13:1-16

In today's reading, the lectionary skips forward in Matthew and gives us this reading, of the parable of the Sower. This week's readings will skip around a bit in Matthew. I don't know the reason why, but I suspect it is because Thursday, May 13th, is Ascension Day in the Episcopal Church. On Friday, we will resume at the place we left off, just in Jesus' conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount.

On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes gathered together to him, so that he got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. By this time in Matthew's gospel, we are to understand that Jesus has a great following. He has performed many miraculous healings, preached extensively, and been engaged in challenges with the temple leadership.

Then he spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear!" In today's reading, something new is happening. Jesus is speaking in parables. My study bible notes, about the parable of the Sower: "In the Old Testament, metaphors of sowing and harvesting are common (Ps. 126:5-6; Is. 55:10-13; Jer. 31:27-34; Hos. 2:21-23; and Joel 3:12-14), part of the daily lives of the people. In this parable Jesus is revealing himself as the promised Messiah, the sower on earth." In tomorrow's reading, we will receive Jesus' interpretation of this parable. But for today, may I ask my readers to think about their impressions on their own?

And the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" For today's reading, this question takes us to the heart of the matter. This reading is about parables themselves. What is their purpose? Why are they taught? Why does Jesus preach this way? Here is his answer:

He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given." My study bible notes here: "The mysteries of the kingdom are not mere esoteric concepts or a body of religious truth only for the elite. Nor is the true understanding of the parables simply an intellectual apprehension. Even the disciples find his message hard to understand. Jesus preached and taught the same message to all; but it is to the 'babes,' the simple and innocent, who are open to the gospel and have the faith to receive this mystery, which is the reality of the Kingdom." There is a deeper reality for us to grasp in our faith - the surface of our faith and the decision to have faith is just the beginning. There is a depth into which we are initiated, and which we can pursue if we go forward. The parable itself is an illustration of this process. We shall explore that further in tomorrow's reading. Keeping in mind that the daily readings shift to this part of Matthew's gospel in preparation for Ascension Day, let us ask -- Into what are we initiated? How is it that we participate in these mysteries?

"For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand." My study bible notes, once again: "When one has zeal, he will be given more from God. But if he does not use what he has, and fails to participate in the life of the Kingdom, God's gifts will be taken away. This is a hard saying, but true." Jesus' answer emphasizes the gift of spiritual understanding. Not everyone has this gift. We must think - who is the giver? Clearly, there is more to it. We must be open to the gift. There is a choice, deep down within ourselves, to pursue it - to cultivate and grow, to open a place in our hearts for this seed to be planted, to nurture and water it. For the disciples, the cultivation of such a gift is the purpose and the meaning of this teaching - an essential. Otherwise, we may lose even what we have. Our active choice is always at play, and active choice is what is asked of us as we live this life of his followers.

"Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand." The mysteries of the kingdom are not merely for those who wish to dabble on the surface, but for those whose hearts are open to its reality and its power, its presence. There is a deeper source for faith than we know - and the road of discipleship consists of growth in faith and understanding.

"And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.' " The words of the Prophet Isaiah are given to him in a vision, by the voice of the Lord, to speak to the people, to recall them back from sin - and to follow the Lord. Jesus uses this passage to teach us about the purpose of parables. They are to separate those who truly have their hearts open to the treasure of the spiritual kingdom, and those who do not. Jesus closes this passage with the words to his disciples: "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;" It is not the great crowds and the multitudes he is seeking after, but those who will listen - who can listen and hear, who have a place in their hearts for this wisdom and spiritual reality, who consider it their treasure, and who will see.

It's interesting to read, here in chapter 13, in Jesus' first parable, reflections of the Sermon on the Mount. (See readings and commentary of Monday, April 26th through Saturday, May 8th, 2010 -- beginning with The Beatitudes and ending with The Narrow Gate.) As we have just finished going through the Sermon on the Mount, I cannot help but notice the themes touched upon in the Sermon, reflected here again in this discourse to his disciples. We are to have an active faith. We do not rest on a surface acceptance, but we are called to grow in discipleship. Here, Jesus is speaking of how we grow in our understanding. The Sermon on the Mount teaches us about love in action. Both are components of an active faith.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus preaches against the hypocrites, for whom faith is about a show to the world, and not honest treasures in their hearts. And in today's lesson about parables, Jesus is preaching in this specific way just so that he draws those to him for whom the treasure of the kingdom is surely in their hearts. He wishes for those whose ears can hear and whose eyes can see - not "actors" (hypocrites) who pretend to piety. As my study bible points out, this is not about a religious elite or a mere intellectual understanding, but is for "the 'babes,' the simple and innocent, who are open to the gospel and have the faith to receive this mystery, which is the reality of the Kingdom." That is, those who are "pure in heart" whom we read about at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, in The Beatitudes. And not only the pure in heart, but also the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, who are peacemakers, and who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. So this parable will also teach us, when we read Jesus' interpretation in tomorrow's reading.

How deep does your faith go? How can it be challenged? Are you growing - and seeking to grow? Let us ask ourselves these questions. As we cultivate ears to hear and eyes that see, we go forward in active faith, with our hearts turned toward the kingdom, ready to receive and grow in our faith. Remember that in the Sermon on the Mount, we are told, "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light." What do we treasure? And which treasures do we store up for ourselves? The choice is ours.