Surprise, Shock, and Gospel: Re-Interpreting the Parables of Jesus The Parables of Mark Castelot Summer Scripture Fr. George M. Smiga S.T. D. 18 June 2018 buildingontheword.org WHAT IS A PARABLE? A parable is a metaphor or simile drawn from nature or common life, arresting the hearer by its vividness or strangeness, and leaving the mind in sufficient doubt about its precise application to tease it into active thought. C. H. Dodd 1
THE KINGDOM OF GOD Central to the message of Jesus The reality of God s rule now and finally when Jesus returns Using images from this world parables show where to find the kingdom now and anticipate its emergence on the last day JESUS USED PARABLES BECAUSE THEY ARE A SUITABLE VEHICLE TO ANNOUNCE THE KINGDOM OF GOD: 1. Like the Kingdom the meaning of a parable cannot be fully pinned down or exhausted. 2. Parables require the participation of their hearers to produce meaning. 3. Parables adapt their message to every time and culture. 2
GROUND RULES FOR PARABLE INTERPRETATION: 1. Attend to the distinction between the parable and its frame. 2. Be aware of idealizing the superior character. 3. Do not collapse parable time. 4. Respect the world of the parable. 5. Focus on what does not make sense. GOSPEL OF THOMAS Greek fragment discovered at Oxyrhynchus by Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt in 1897 and dated 200 c.e. Complete Coptic translation (4 th century) discovered as part of the Nag Hammadi Library in 1945. Oxyrhnchus Original manuscript supposed to date 140 c.e. 3
Parable of the Garment and Wineskins [Mark 2:21-22= Matt 9:16-17; Luke 5:36-38; GTh #47] MARK 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins. GTh 47 Jesus said, "It is impossible for a man to mount two horses or to stretch two bows. And it is impossible for a servant to serve two masters; otherwise, he will honor the one and treat the other contemptuously. No man drinks old wine and immediately desires to drink new wine. And new wine is not put into old wineskins, lest they burst; nor is old wine put into a new wineskin, lest it spoil it. An old patch is not sewn onto a new garment, because a tear would result. THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER Mark 4:3-9 = Matt 13:3-9; Luke 8:5-8; GTh 9 4
MARK 4:3 Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold. 9 And he said, Let anyone with ears to hear listen! Who is the sower? What is the seed? What is important about the harvest? MARK 4:14-20 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. 17 But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. 20 And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold. 5
THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED Mark 4:30-32 = Matt 13:31-32; Luke 13:18-19; GTh 20 MARK 4:30-32 He also said, With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade. GOSPEL OF THOMAS #20 The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us what the kingdom of heaven is like." He said to them, "It is like a mustard seed. It is the smallest of all seeds. But when it falls on tilled soil, it produces a great plant and becomes a shelter for birds of the sky." 6
MARK 4:30-32 He also said, With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade. MATT 13:31-32 He put before them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches. LUKE 13:18-19 He said therefore, What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches. EZEKIEL 17:22-23 22 Thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of a cedar; I will set it out. I will break off a tender one from the topmost of its young twigs; I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23 On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it, in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit, and become a noble cedar. Under it every kind of bird will live; in the shade of its branches will nest winged creatures of every kind. 7
THE PARABLE OF THE TENANT FARMERS Mark 12:1-11 = Matt 21:33-34; Luke 20:9-18; GTh #65-66 MARK 12:1-12 Then he began to speak to them in parables. A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watch-tower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4 And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted. 5 Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed. 6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, They will respect my son. 7 But those tenants said to one another, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours. 8 So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this scripture: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 11 this was the Lord s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes? 8
ACTS 4:8-11 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and elders,... 10 let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone. 1 PETER 2:4-7 4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God s sight, and 5 like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture: See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame. 7 To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner. ISAIAH 5:1-2, 7 Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 2 He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watch-tower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes... 7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry! 9
MARK 12:8 8 So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. MATT 21:39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. LUKE 20:15 And they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. LUKE 20:9 He began to tell the people this parable: A man planted a vineyard, and leased it to tenants, and went to another country for a long time. GOSPEL OF THOMAS #64 He said, "There was a good man who owned a vineyard. He leased it to tenant farmers so that they might work it and he might collect the produce from them. 10
STRATIFICATION IN THE AGRARIAN SOCIETY OF 1 ST CENTURY PALESTINE The ruler and ruling class controlled both wealth and political power. Retainers served the ruling class and facilitated their goals. Peasants who comprised the majority of the society struggled to survive. The ruler i 1 U a, G u A / V ^ \ % Jp'/! % ^ % *v ':m z*+* * < ; Peasants Unclean and degraded Expendables Numbers Fig. 1. A graphic representation of the relationship among classes in agrarian societies. From Gerhard Lenski, Power and Privilege: A Theory of Social Stratification (New York: McGraw- Hill, 1966), 284, Fig. 1. Used with the permission of Gerhard Lenski. 11
THE SPIRAL OF VIOLENCE IN STRATIFIED AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES 1. Daily Oppression of the Poor 2. Revolt 3. Repressive Force GOSPEL OF THOMAS #65 He said, "There was a good man who owned a vineyard. He leased it to tenant farmers so that they might work it and he might collect the produce from them. He sent his servant so that the tenants might give him the produce of the vineyard. They seized his servant and beat him, all but killing him. The servant went back and told his master. The master said, 'Perhaps he did not recognize them.' He sent another servant. The tenants beat this one as well. Then the owner sent his son and said, 'Perhaps they will show respect to my son.' Because the tenants knew that it was he who was the heir to the vineyard, they seized him and killed him. Let him who has ears hear." 12