#175 - Mystery

Is it true that the “tree” that grows from the mustard seed is actually considered more of a weed in the region where Jesus lived?

It’s this kind of unexpected tidbit that makes me fall even deeper in love with Jesus and his style of teaching. No matter how learned we are, there are still surprises such as this; things that invite us to ponder each parable anew and reexamine what we “think” we know about the great mystery we call God.

In the atrium with the children we describe parables as “short stories Jesus told that hold a mystery.” They are not mysterious because Jesus is trying to conceal something from us or keep the Kingdom of God hidden from us, but rather it is because the mystery of God is so big and beyond our understanding, the closest we can come with our little brains to understanding is through metaphors, or parables.

The first thing that parables teach us is that “mystery” is not something different than our everyday lives; rather it is the real meaning – the secret truth – the hidden seed at the very heart of our lives. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to interpret a parable because each holds a surplus of meaning that we can never exhaust; a mystery not in the sense of a puzzle or problem to be solved but rather as the sometimes-elusive depth of life where meaning dwells.

Tis true that the mustard seed isn’t highly prized. It is used to flavor food and some parts of the plant are thought to have medicinal properties, but it is also considered something of nuisance.