"Parables in Life" June 12, 2016

I Kings 21: 20-29 Luke 7: 36-42 On Wednesday evenings, the Bible Study Small-group have been reading and reflecting on the Book of Proverbs which in other places are referred to as the Book of Parables or the Book of Poetry. These are different from the Gospels or Epistles, as this is part of the Wisdom material. Over the years, our congregation has been split over those who enjoy my use of poetry in prayer and worship and those who have not. The reasons why I have selected classic poetry for prayers are numerous and I think important. First, that the Worship of God is different from anything else in life, so our language needs to be different from immogies and texting, prose and profanity. Second, poetry has a grace and rhythm all its own, and far more descriptive images than common language. Third to read poetry, or proverbs or parables, you have to slow down and think about the words, about The Word being God in our midst. But most important, if you have made the effort on a Sunday Morning at 9:30am to come into this House of God telling your spouse and children they need to be here, you know that we are not here to discuss the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, Quantum Mechanics, or the price of Groceries... And whereas with other fields, we can discuss objectively, when speaking of God, we are sharing together matters as personal as life and death, as intimate as trust and brokenness and forgiveness, vows and covenants, peace and community, which need to be described from a slant, otherwise the world will dismiss them as being as trite and predictable as the words of a political candidate. Jesus is described as having taught in Parables, in fact saying everything to the crowds as in parables. Which makes me believe the whole of each Gospel: the story of Jesus life, death and resurrection while true is a parable. Every story, and the whole of the Bible, is a parable: a memorable story that we identify with and catches us in meaning about God. As well as what are the parables in our lives, whether our lives as a whole are parables? In every Parable, the people and places named have meaning, as do their actions, otherwise there would be no point in naming them. Three weeks ago, I told the parable of someone brought before the Judge, who admitted they were guilty but could not pay the fine, and the Judge got off the bench took off their robes and paid the fine for them with a $100 bill. Now, when a preacher refers to The Judge they mean whom? God. Those who know they are guilty and cannot pay the fine? Us. A $100 Bill is an extravagant over abundance meaning Grace paid for us. And the description that the Judge stepped out of the Bench took off their robes, putting on a suit like us, then went back to sitting at the Bench as Judge, is Jesus. Early in the Gospel of Luke, 5 Chapters after the story of Jesus' miraculous birth and presentation at the Temple, 3 Chapters after Jesus' Baptism and Temptation in the Wilderness, Jesus was invited to Dinner at a Pharisee's home. This event occurs in each Gospel, yet in the rest, this occurs immediately prior to the Last Supper and Jesus' Crucifixion; and Lazarus' and Martha's sister the disciple Mary anoints Jesus as one does in burial of dead. In Luke, the telling is different, a Dinner at the home of a Pharisee named Simon, an un-named Prostitute anoints Jesus, not with a expensive perfume but with her tears, kisses, and the perfume of her hair. The dinner comes immediately after Jesus healed raised a Widow's Son from death to Life, the Disciples of John the Baptist ask if Jesus is the Messiah; and immediately prior to Jesus telling the Parables of the Sower sowing Seed on Soils, the Good Samaritan and the Sign of Jonah. All of which are essential details for interpreting this and what Jesus is remembered as saying, as a parable within a parable within a parable. What we know from the outset is that there is a Pharisee, hosting Jesus in the Pharisee's home, and while they were at Table a Woman of the City entered. When you hear the identification “Pharisee” we perceive him to believe right or wrong that he is a Righteous Man, maybe like us. The Pharisee perceives Jesus to be a Prophet, and his abilities as a Prophet will be determined by what happens at the meal. The Pharisee perceives the uninvited Woman to be a Sinner. In any parable, whenever there is a Table and Supper, this is reference to the Banquet of God described in Psalm 23 “My cup runneth over” and also a foretaste of Communion, which is Jesus' Last Supper, where we will know if Jesus is a Prophet and how powerful he is or is not. The Pharisee made a judgement (meaning he took on the role of Judge=God), about the woman and about Jesus, because Jesus allowed her not only to touch him, but to touch him with an over abundance of devotion and intimacy. At which point while reclining at the Table, Jesus tells a parable, within this story. “There was a Creditor with two debtors, one who owed the equivalent of 2 years wages, the other who owed a sum of less than two months. When neither could pay, he forgave both.” Now, who is it that has forgiven us our debts? The Creditor, the Father, the Sower, the King is always God and always acting out Grace. And Jesus asks the Pharisee by name, because those who feel righteous always want to be assured they are known by name for being righteous, and for making righteous judgements: “Which of these two will love the Creditor more?” Jesus assumes the Pharisee will believe there will be a difference in their responses, and the difference will be demonstrated by acts of love. Simon responds, as a righteous judge, by supposing “The one, whom the Creditor forgave more.” At which point, Jesus interprets their circumstance in the Pharisee's home as being the Creditor with two debtors. The Table and Simon's judgements signify this is: The Judgement Day like separating the Sheep from the Goats. The most basic customs of Community are how you welcome and treat strangers in your home. The norm was not simply to allow the guest to remove their sandals, but to wash their bare feet before entering, like that basin of warm soapy water outside the Camp during the summer. When you welcome someone, Romans did so with a Handshake, to be certain the other was disarmed, but as a welcome guest in your home you greeted them with a kiss. When they are a guest at your Table, you act out Psalm 23 by anointing their head with oil, like washing your hands and face to freshen up before a meal. However, Simon the Pharisee offered Jesus none of the basic hospitality that you would extend to any stranger; whereas the uninvited Woman bathed his feet with her tears and ceaseless kisses, and she wiped his feet with the ointment and perfume in her own hair. Therefore, Jesus is not simply a Prophet unable to judge what kind of woman this is, but Jesus is The Creditor, The Judge: God. Where the Pharisee and the Prostitute are both debtors, and therefore both sinners, but Jesus offers both absolute forgiveness of all their debts, all their sins. But the one believing they are forgiven less, both loves less and is judgmental of the other and of God. So, using what we have learned, we turn to the Book of Kings in the First Testament. Before we even begin to read, we know there is going to be a problem, because in Israel there is only one true King who is: God; and Kings of Nations, are as was predicted by the Prophet Samuel, going to consume your sons with wars, take your daughters for their harems, take your wealth and the land of God for their own. The worst of which was Ahab married to that jezebel: Jezebel. A jezebel is a woman not to be trusted, who seduces powerful men away from their values and ethics, God, and what they know to be right, in order to amass great power, wealth and land. Naboth was a Jezreelite who had a Vineyard in Jezreel. This was not real estate he had bought, not a farm he had cultivated, to Naboth this was his ancestral birthplace, part of Moses' Division of the Land of Milk & Honey gifted by God as an act of Grace to the People of Israel for all time. Can you sell that? Literally, “over your dead body!” The land which Naboth owns is not his house, or his factory, this is a Vineyard. Naboth's vineyard happens to be located immediately adjacent to the palace of the King, Ahab. Now in the Bible, a Vineyard always reminds us of the Parable of the Vineyard in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah's Vineyard represents the Nation of Israel as The Garden of Eden, established by God, with Caretakers of the Garden: Adam and Eve and their descendants Cain and Abel; Abel whose name means Evil for Abel killed his brother because he coveted what his brother had. As if this point needed to be underscored, what Ahab King of Samaria wants Naboth's Vineyard for, is to make his own “Garden.” We know there is a problem with Ahab's desire for this, because while Naboth's Vineyard is named as the Best parcel of land in the kingdom, Ahab offers either to pay for it, or to trade a “better” parcel. What better parcel of land could there be, than the best land in the kingdom? When Naboth explains that he cannot sell land which is his ancestral birthplace, Ahab becomes so depressed he goes home to bed and pulls the covers up over his head. Seeing her husband frustrated, Queen Jezebel asks the cause. To which she makes the most natural and evil of conclusions, “You are the King.” Meaning there is No God and you possess the power of God. If Naboth's Vineyard is only available over his dead body, pay disreputable men to lie that Naboth said something against God and King, for which he will be killed for Blasphemy and Treason.” This is what takes place, even to the extent that Ahab throws a Public Feast, where Naboth is guest of honor, until he is arrested for what others said he said, and Naboth was put to death. Which is the setting for our reading. But set within the whole of the Bible, when Abel killed Cain, and Ahab and Jezebel paid men to accuse Naboth of Treason and Blasphemy what other outcome do we expect for the Messiah, the True Son of God except to be arrested and executed, because Judas and the Leaders of the people said Jesus had committed Treason against The Empire of Rome, and Blasphemy against God by claiming to be the Messiah? The dangling thread is Elijah, the Prophet of God, who was sent to King Ahab, and finds him walking in the Garden which was Naboth's Vineyard. When else have you heard description of God or God's prophet meeting up with a man walking in the Garden? Adam after the first sin. We often imagine Jesus as smiling and loving, with children on his lap, or as the Choir sang “Standing at the door, knocking to come in.” I have often thought in the Modern world we have that backward, and Jesus should be trying to get out into the world. Christians, people of faith are never depicted as dour, but as happy people, who no matter what, smile. Yet here, when King Ahab meets Elijah, King Ahab's greeting to the man of God is: “Have you found me, O My Enemy?” Sometimes in Parables, we identify with the Shepherd who found the lost sheep and rejoices, when we should be the Sheep; or we identify with the woman who found the lost coin and celebrates, when we are what was valued which was lost; or as being the Prodigal who returns home, or the man who fell among robbers on the way to Jericho and was rescued by of all people a Samaritan. The question of Elijah and Ahab is as a Child of God, loved by God, under what circumstances in our lives would we greet God, or the prophet “Have you found me, O my Enemy?” Yet, even Ahab was able to turn and to repent, putting on sackcloth and asking for forgiveness. And God forgave Ahab and he lived in peace for three years. When this Church sent me for a Doctor of Ministry, there were many wonderful lessons, reading 20-30 books for each of two week classes, writing the history of this congregation, and comparing our circumstance with other congregations. But the most beneficial, which I would strongly encourage you to try, came from a class with Walter Brueggemann, taking three Bible passages you know very well and three you do not know, and use these as parables to tell your story, who you are and what do you need to say about your life?