“Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables.” During Jesus’ active ministry he was known for three things: he was a healer, he spoke with authority, and he taught in parables. These last two seem somewhat contradictory. When you speak with authority it would seem you give the answer and others have to take it or leave it as having magisterial weight. When you speak in parables you are telling stories that the listener has to figure out for him/herself. That Jesus was an authoritative speaker who taught in parables tells us how he exercised his authority — not by imposing it as a commandment from the holy mountain but as an invitation for the hearer to enter into the mystery. The tragedy arises when people “hear but not understand.” Unpacking the meaning of a parable requires work on the listeners part. They have to be willing to let go of their own preconceptions about holding onto what they have and instead sow it widely. They need to be able to see things from God’s eye view where every one of the sheep is valuable. They have to learn the value of the hidden treasure of God’s love and do all to possess it.
