Parables

Pictures, Analogies, Representations, Images, Likenesses, Examples, Stories, Similes, Metaphors, Similitudes, Icons, Graphs, Diagrams,...

Again Jesus began to teach beside

Lake Galilee. The crowd that gathered round

him was so large that he got in to ride

a boat, and sat down in it, out from land,

in water, and the crowd stood on the shore

at water's edge. And he used par-a-blés*

to teach them many things (that would not bore):

“Well, listen! Once there was a man … one day …

And Jesus when concluding, said, “Listen,

then, if you have some ears - given by God!”

It’s like he pushed them to get eager when

they had a gift - to use it! - He gave prod!

And when he was alone, some of those who

had heard him came to him, with those  twelve men

-  disciples, and they asked of him now to

explain the parables. He looked at them…

“Well you’ve been given now the secret (king,

to make sense of the secrets of his reign,

the secret that you have here ain't a thing,

but it still helps make sense…)  he looked again...

the secret of the Kingdom of the God,”

“But all the others, not here, are outside,

they get to hear those parables a lot.

And while they stay there, they’ll look near and wide

yet not see; they may listen, - they won't "get".

For if they did, why they’d re-turn to God,

and he’d forgive, for he’s for giving yet.’”

Then Jesus said “You are not such a clod”...

and asked them, “Do you now not  understand

this parable you heard now? - Wait a tick,

we’ll change that (by the secret now at hand)!

How, then, will you “get” parables? - And quick?

… (See  Mark 4:14‭-20 )

Then Jesus kept on, “Who of you would  bring

a lamp in and then cover it right up?

You put it on it’s lampstand, that’s the thing!

(These parables are meant to help light  up!)

The folk who “get” that much will turn around

and ask, and think, and go back to the source,

till meaning is dis-covered, & is found.

They listen with the ears they “got”, of course!

He said to them, “Pay close attention to

these things you hear! For images abound.

The same rules that you use to judge those who

are round you will be used on you, I've found!

The vicious or the virtuous cycles:

the seed that’s planted bears a bigger crop.

Whether you ride mine, or Bill's, or Michael's,

the way you move might keep on and not stop>.

Those who have got something will be given

much more, because they act and use and go

t' where their curiosity has driven

them, but with those who don't, it is not so.

And Jesus went on to say to them all,

“The Kingdom of God is like this...” again.

“The reign of God, the way he does his rule,

is diff’rent from how it is here with men…”

Another time he says: “What shall we say

God’s leadership is like?” he even asked.

“What parable shall we use here today

to help us see what it is like, it's task?

And then he said, it's like this. “A man takes

a small seed (so it’s living, not just “stuff”)...”

He heralds out his message and he makes

up heaps of parables like these (some tough),

he told them as much as they could take in

and understand. He always used a few.

He wouldn’t speak to them without using

some stories, but when he was with those who

would get alone with him and ask a lot,

and let him ask a lot of them as well,

he would explain till all of them had got

the whole of it, for they had him, who’d tell!

---

*  the French-like pronunciation is used here - the plural ae sound as in the end of cafe, valet, balet, fiance, pericopae(?)

> Thinking of Mulgar Bill's Bicycle

“Again Jesus began to teach beside Lake Galilee. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it. The boat was out in the water, and the crowd stood on the shore at the water's edge. He used parables to teach them many things, saying to them:  “Listen! Once there was a man who .... And Jesus concluded, “Listen, then, if you have ears!” When Jesus was alone, some of those who had heard him came to him with the twelve disciples and asked him to explain the parables. “You have been given the secret of the Kingdom of God,” Jesus answered. “But the others, who are on the outside, hear all things by means of parables, so that, ‘They may look and look, yet not see; they may listen and listen, yet not understand. For if they did, they would turn to God, and he would forgive them.’”  Then Jesus asked them, “Don't you understand this parable? How, then, will you ever understand any parable? … Jesus continued, “Does anyone ever bring in a lamp and put it under a bowl or under the bed? Isn't it put on the lampstand? Whatever is hidden away will be brought out into the open, and whatever is covered up will be uncovered. Listen, then, if you have ears!”

He also said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear! The same rules you use to judge others will be used by God to judge you—but with even greater severity. Those who have something will be given more, and those who have nothing will have taken away from them even the little they have.”

Jesus went on to say, “The Kingdom of God is like this. A man scatters  ...

“What shall we say the Kingdom of God is like?” asked Jesus. “What parable shall we use to explain it? It is like this. A man takes a ...

Jesus preached his message to the people, using many other parables like these; he told them as much as they could understand. He would not speak to them without using parables, but when he was alone with his disciples, he would explain everything to them. Mark 4:1‭-‬3‭, ‬9‭-‬13‭, ‬21‭-‬26‭, ‬30‭-‬31‭, ‬33‭-‬34 GNTD