Parables for Preachers: The Gospel of Matthew-Year A [Paperback]

Barbara E. Reid (Author)

Book Description

Series: Parables for Preachers Series | Publication Date: September 2001

In the Gospels Jesus never explains his parables. Yet Sunday after Sunday preachers are asked to open up the meaning of the parables to their congregations. How can a preacher avoid offering pre- masticated fruit? How can the one who opens up the Scriptures do so in a way that enhances their savory, without ruining the power of the story? How can a preacher offer fresh fare when the same parable appears time after time in the Lectionary? In Parables for Preachers: The Gospel of Matthew Barbara Reid explores the answers to these questions.

The purpose behind Reid's work is to aid preachers by bringing together current biblical research on the parables in the hope that it will open up new vistas of meaning and help spark their creativity. Second, she offers an understanding of how parables communicate, and invites preachers to try out the parabolic techniques of preaching. The Synoptic Gospels show Jesus preaching primarily by means of parables, both spoken and lived. A greater understanding of the dynamics and meaning of Jesus' parables in their original context can aid preachers today in creating the same effect in modern believers.

In Parables for Preachers the first chapter explores the dynamics of Jesus' parables. Understanding how a parable "works" is the first step. Chapter two sketches contemporary trends in biblical interpretation of the parables. Next is an overview of the Gospel of Matthew, its author, historical context, and major theological themes. The remaining chapters examine each of the parables found in the Gospel of Matthew in the order in which they appear in the Lectionary for Year A. The concluding chapter and bibliography point toward further areas of study.

Parables for Preachers is not only for preachers, but for all who are interested in a deeper understanding of parables, particularly teachers, catechists, liturgy planners, and members of groups for homily preparation, Bible study, or faith sharing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A book not only for preachers but for all who seek a deeper understanding of Jesus' teaching in his parables. --Bookviews

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Parables for Preachers
The Gospel of Matthew Year A
Barbara E. Reid, O.P.
© The Order of St. Benedict, Inc., Collegeville, Minnesota. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced by any means, without the written permission of The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321.
Content
Matthean Parables in the Lectionary
Abbreviations
Introduction
Preaching Parabolically
Interpreting Parables
Overview of the Gospel of Matthew
Salt and Light (Matt 5:13-16)
Two Builders (Matt 7:21-27)
Sower, Seeds, Soil, Harvest (Matt 13:1-23)
Weeds and Wheat, Mischievous Mustard, Hiding Yeast (Matt 13:24-43)
Buried Treasure, Precious Pearls, Indiscriminate Dragnet (Matt 13:44-52)
Forgiveness Aborted (Matt 18:21-35)
Workers in the Vineyard (Matt 20:1-16a)
Saying and Doing (Matt 21:28-32)
Treacherous Tenants (Matt 21:33-43)
Dressed for the Feast (Matt 22:1-14)
Ready Maidens (Matt 25:1-13)
Investing Talents (Matt 25:14-30)
Separating Sheep from Goats (Matt 25:31-46)
Wisdom Justified (Matt 11:16-19)
Blind Guides (Matt 15:1-2, 10-14)
Straying Sheep (Matt 18:12-14)
Faithful Servant (Matt 24:42-51)
Conclusion
Bibliography

Matthean Parables in the Lectionary
In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus rarely explains his parables.2They are meant to be wrestled with by each generation of hearers who allow themselves to be disturbed and challenged by Jesus' subversive stories. Yet Sunday after Sunday the preacher is asked to open up the meaning of parables to their congregations. How can a preacher avoid offering pre-masticated fruit? How can the one who opens up the Scriptures do so in a way that enhances the savory offerings therein without ruining the power of the story? How can a preacher offer fresh fare when the same parable appears time after time in the Lectionary?
The first aim of this book is to aid preachers by bringing together current biblical research on the parables, in the hope that it will open up new vistas of meaning for them and will spark their own creativity. Second, the book offers an understanding of how parables communicate, and invites the preacher to try out parabolic techniques of preaching. The Synoptic Gospels show Jesus preaching primarily by means of parables, spoken and lived. A greater understanding of the dynamics and meaning of Jesus' parables in their original context can aid preachers today in creating the same effect in modern believers in a new context. This book is intended not only for preachers, but for all who are interested in a deeper understanding of the parables, particularly teachers, catechists, liturgy planners, and members of groups for homily preparation, Bible study, or faith sharing.
Parables in the Lectionary
The term "parable" covers a wide range of figurative speech: similitudes, extended metaphors, symbolic expressions, exemplary and true-to-life stories. Included in this volume are all passages except one3 in which the term parabol_ ("parable") occurs in the Gospel of Matthew.4Also included are similes with variations of the phrase homoios estin, "[such] is like ..." (7:24, 26; 11:16; 13:24, 31, 33, 44, 45, 47, 52; 18:23; 20:1; 22:2; 25:1) and hout_s, "in the same way" (5:16; 13:40, 49; 18:14, 35; 20:16) or h_sper, "just as" (25:14, 32). Included as well are the parables about Saying and Doing (21:28-32), and about Faithful Servants (24:42-51),5 though Matthew does not explicitly call these parables. There are other sayings and stories that could well be considered parabolic not included in this study. In one sense, the whole gospel can be regarded as a parable. As John R. Donahue puts it, the parables "offer a Gospel in miniature and at the same time give shape, direction, and!
meaning to the Gospels in which they are found. To study the parables of the Gospels is to study the gospel in parable."6
Parables are noticeably absent from the Gospel of John. The fourth evangelist never uses the term parabol_, nor does he preserve any of Jesus' stories in the same parabolic form as do the Synoptic writers. Nonetheless symbolic speech abounds in the Fourth Gospel. The closest thing to a parable is found in chapter 10, where Jesus speaks of himself as the Good Shepherd and the gate for the sheep. And in John 10:6 Jesus' disciples have the same difficulty in understanding this "figure of speech" (paroimia) as they do with the parables in Mark 4:10-12 and pars. The term paroimia occurs two more times in the Gospel of John (16:25, 29), where Jesus assures the disciples that a time will come when he will no longer speak in "figures" but plainly. This comes on the heels of the comparison of the disciples' anguish at Jesus' departure with that of a woman in labor. As she forgets her pain after her child is born, so will the disciples' grief turn into joy (16:21-24).
In chapter 1 we explore the dynamics of Jesus' parables. Understanding how a parable "works" is the first step. In chapter 2 is a sketch of contemporary trends in biblical interpretation of the parables. Next is an overview of the Gospel of Matthew, its author, historical context, and major theological themes. The remaining chapters examine each of the parables of the Gospel of Matthew in the order in which the appear in the Lectionary for Year A. We will first treat the parables that appear in the Sunday Lectionary, followed by those that appear only in the weekday Lectionary. The concluding chapter and bibliography point toward further areas of study.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Liturgical Press (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814625509
• ISBN-13: 978-0814625507
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #516,528 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pearl of great price..., May 23, 2003

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FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Parables for Preachers: The Gospel of Matthew-Year A (Paperback)

Barbara Reid's books on `Parables for Preachers' follow the Revised Common Lectionary. Because of this, the book for Year A concentrates primarily on the texts of the gospel of Matthew. Before getting into the heart of the texts, Reid presents introductory material on parables, preaching, and the gospel of Matthew. Reid states in her introduction, `In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus rarely explains his parables. They are meant to be wrestled with by each generation of hearers who allow themselves to be disturbed and challenged by Jesus' subversive stories.'

Subversive stories? One of the things that comfortable Christianity has sometimes forgotten is the revolutionary and radical character of Jesus and his teaching in the first century. Perhaps this is because the teachers are so familiar. How does one find new meanings in familiar parables that show up again and again? This is a particularly important question for preachers, and Reid addresses it directly.

The term `parable' can refer to a range of types of speech - it goes beyond the simple moral stories similar to Aesop's fables. As Reid says of the gospel of Matthew, `in one sense, the whole gospel can be regarded as a parable.'

Jesus, of course, was not the first to preach or teach in parables. In doing this, he was following an ancient and honoured tradition. This is a tradition that may be continued by modern teachers and preachers. Reid illustrates several ways in which parables serve to carry a message. They provide a way for Jesus to explain his experience of God and holiness without boxing it into academic or dogmatic statements. It helps connect the encounter with the holy with the common people and their daily lives. `In his parables, Jesus always began with the familiar. The images and situations he painted in his stories were from the fabric of daily life of his audience.'

Of course, Jesus' parables were broad and inclusive - nothing was outside the scope of God's realm. While parables began with the familiar, they never lingered there. They served to recast `common' creation in a new way - the realm of God. Of course, this then begs for interpretation, which is never as straightforward and simple as some preachers would have it seem. `What catches up with the hearer is that Jesus' parables are usually open-ended; Jesus rarely interpreted these stories for his disciples.... Because they are told in figurative language, the parables are capable of conveying distinct message to different people in diverse circumstances.'

Other aspects of parables that are key to their meaning include that they are not neutral, but always have a slant or bias, often toward the more marginal in society. They are a communal endeavour, and not really meant for individualists (something that Western society tends to forget). Parables are short, which makes for easier recollection - they are small like seeds, from which much may grow. Also, the final aspect of parables is similar to that of preaching - they are meant to be heard and lived, not simply forgotten.

Understanding how to interpret parables involves several things Reid highlights. They involve understanding the gospels themselves, in their own setting. The nature of the gospels is important - what kind of writing is this, and what is its purpose? Parables fall within gospel literature, so yet another level of understanding is required. Reid gives a quick overview of different modes of interpretation, including allegorical, historical criticism, social science study, linguistic and literary approaches, as well as the new forms of liberation interpretation. Reid is quick to underscore that `no one method provides the definitive key.' These methods are guides, but ultimately we are all charged with engaging the parables for ourselves and our communities.

As this text deals with the gospel of Matthew, Reid continues with a chapter looking at the gospel of Matthew, from issues of authorship, historical and social setting, documentary transmission and analysis, theological issues and overall purpose. The theological ideas of Christology, ecclesiology, and eschatology vary from gospel to gospel, as do some of the texts of the same stories. Reid states that, `from the beginning, Matthew has been the gospel most used by the Church in its worship.' It holds pride of place in the ordering of the gospels (despite the fact that Mark may be the earliest gospel), and needs to be treated with care for new generations, particularly in a post-Christian world with ever-deepening dialogues between Jewish and Christian peoples.

The remainder of the book looks at particular parables, seventeen in all, as they appear sequentially in the liturgical year. There is a chapter devoted to each one. These include parables both in the Sunday lectionary as well as the daily cycle of readings. Each section gives attention to major images, theological themes, narrative devsices, and a helpful list of preaching possibilities. This book does not provide set sermons, nor does it emphasise one theological approach exclusive to others.

Overall, this book is a very handy guide to anyone who reads the gospels, who is interested in preaching, or is interested in understanding more about one of the primary teaching/preaching devices of Jesus. Reid writes with clarity, sensitivity and care on her subjects. While she does tend toward a liberal interpretation of scripture, even evangelical and fundamentalists can find inspiration here, given that parables have never been meant to have literal interpretations placed upon them, and the multi-valent character of parables practically begs for as broad a range as possible for study. To that end, Reid has provided a generous bibliography for further research.

A pearl of great price, indeed.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Provides a fresh perspective on Matthew, March 28, 2002

By 

Michele Gill (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Parables for Preachers: The Gospel of Matthew-Year A (Paperback)

I had the great fortune to hear Barbara Reid speak at our campus this spring. Her insights into the parable of the woman with the alabaster jar planted a seed of wisdom that has already born fruit in my life. I bought the book to help deepen my "lectio divina" with scripture and am truly delighted that I did so. The parables are presented first, so one can study them without having to have a Bible present. Then Sr. Reid presents various lenses for interpreting the parables. I found the presentation of these differing lenses immensely helpful because they allowed me to see and understand each parable in a new light. It was like reading them for the first time. In addition, I appreciated the absence of one interpretation being claimed to be the "right" one. Rather, I allowed my own meditation to guide me toward the interpretation that best fit my situation. This is truly an excellent book, and I hope to soon purchase her other books in this series.