Much of Jesus’ teaching is in the form of parables, stories with a message. He did this for one simple reason; it was a way of teaching a sometimes difficult or complex message in a way that is easily understandable and simple. Try summarising the message of any of his parables in one sentence and you will soon see quite how difficult it is.
We often miss the point of Jesus’ parables, because we try simply to extract a moral message from them, instead of seeing the full picture of what Jesus is teaching us. For example, in the parable of the workers in the vineyard, where those who have worked only one hour are paid the same wage as those who have worked a full day, is often interpreted as meaning no more than “we must not grumble or be envious.” If we extract no more than a superficial human message from Jesus’ parables, then we missed the point completely. In understanding Jesus’ parables, we must always remember that each parable has a double message. It tells us something about God, and in doing this, it also tells us something about ourselves. We need to recognise the God-figure and the “us”-figure in every parable.
In today’s Gospel, for example, there is far more to the story than “be kind to your neighbour” or “don’t be a hypocrite.” We too often look no further than the behaviour of the Samaritan as compared with that of the Priest and the Levite. The first thing to recognise is that, in the actions of the Samaritan, we see God. A Samaritan and a Jew were deadly enemies, yet in the story it is the Samaritan who shows compassion towards the injured, even dying, Jew. In real life, we are sinners, and sin place us in a state of enmity towards God. Sin has wounded us, and because of it we are in danger of losing our eternal life. God is the one who, out of compassion for us, saves us from eternal death by sending his Son to die in our place and rise from the dead to bring us to eternal life, in the words of Paul, while we were yet his enemies.”
What does this parable tell us about ourselves? As we have already seen, that we are doomed to eternal death unless God himself comes to our aid. We, wounded and dying spiritually because of sin, can do nothing to save ourselves. Salvation can come from God alone.
Secondly, and finally, it tells us that God’s compassion and mercy is given to us, not for ourselves, but so that we may be his ministers to all who need it. So often, those who need it most are those whom, under everyday circumstances, we might avoid. But God’s love and mercy is for all, not only those whom we find congenial. In the introduction to the parable the Scribe asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbour?” Jesus turns the question on its head: “Whose neighbour are YOU?” The parable answers that question by showing that anyone who is in need of God’s compassion and mercy is our neighbour. This parable, then speaks of God’s mercy and compassion towards each one of us, so that we might in turn be his agents of that mercy and compassion in his work to “lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of thy mercy.”
Fr Phillip.
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