Jesus The Jester #1 | "Hidden"

0:01 This autumn, our attention is going to be focused on the stories, the parables told by Jesus of Nazareth. A raconteur of the highest order, Jesus was, of course, known for other things as well. He was a miracle worker. He healed disease. He was an advocate for justice. He asked questions and waited through uncomfortable silences for bullies to drop their weapons. He was a mystic. He prayed to God a lot. He chewed on truth like a dog on a bone. He debated ideas and faith with politicians and clergy.

0:58 He was a caretaker. He shared baskets of fish with hungry folk. Eventually, infamously, this gentle soul was executed by the government of his day. The story of his death, as recorded in the Bible, is one of the saddest things ever. it's also we say here in church not the end of the story this death his death was a prelude to more stories even more amazing stories it's impossible isn't it my friends to know Jesus apart from the story that he lived, it's equally impossible to know Jesus apart from the stories that he told, apart from the beguiling parables he wove from the fabric of everyday life.

2:04 In these parables, we're introduced to a man who stares out his kitchen window, yearning for a glimpse of his wayward son. We meet a woman who needs a subversive, maybe magical loaf of bread. We follow a dusty traveler down the road and we gasp as he's brought up short by a brutal sight. This autumn, we're going to spend time together contemplating the vivid, make you think, change your life, stories told by Jesus. Stories that will take root in your head, stories that call us to imagine a different world, a world shaped by the ways of heaven. Today's passage from the good book starts us off with one such story, but then it pivots.

3:05 it turns to consider the nature of parables. It raises the question, why does Jesus use these curious yarns to speak about the kingdom of God? Why indeed? Our scripture for this morning comes from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 4, beginning with the first verse. Saints, let's go to work. Again, Jesus began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there while the crowd was beside the sea on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables. And in his teaching, he said to them, listen. A sower went out to sow and as he sowed some seed fell on the path and and birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil and it sprang up quickly since it had no depth of soil and when the sun rose it was scorched and since it had no root withered away. Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain growing up and increasing and yielding 30 and 60 and a hundredfold. And he said, let anyone with ears to hear listen. When he was alone, those who were around him, along with the twelve, asked him about the parables. And he said to them, to you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God. But for

5:15 those outside, everything comes in parables in order that they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen but not understand, so that they may not turn again and be forgiven. And he said to them, Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? parables. Friends, this is the word of God for you, the people of God. Thanks be to God.

5:52 One last announcement this morning. It's my pleasure to welcome to our service a distinguished guest who hails from the aristocracy of Uz, the Honorable Peter Daniel Strauss. I met Petey this this past week at the Port Authority bus terminal. He was trying to fly a kite inside the main hall there. And friends, at that very moment, I felt moved to invite this winsome soul to join us today on Homecoming Sunday. So please extend a warm Fifth Avenue welcome to Petey Strauss. to Petey Strauss. Petey.

6:52 I'm looking for Pastor Scott. Pastor Scott. It looks like Santa Claus. Pastor Scott. Oh, wait. Pastor Scott. Hello, Pastor Scott. Petey. Oh, hi. Hello, everybody. Have you seen Pastor Scott? Oh, hello. Nice to see you. Oh, nice. Pastor Scott. Petey. Petey. Oh, hey, there you are. I've been looking everywhere for you. Hello. Don't get up. Relax.

7:25 I'm done with the place. Petey, so glad you're here. Petey, this is your seat right here. Why don't you sit there? I've got a sermon to do. Just make yourself comfortable, OK? Right here, Petey, right here. Right there. Yeah. OK. Okay. Friends, our goal for this morning, as we begin a three-month study of the parables... Uh, uh, Pete. All right, let's try this again, my friend. Back this way, back down, back down. We have a spot where guests typically sit.

8:22 It's right here. See, that sign says reserved seating. That's for you. Oh, okay. Yeah.

8:44 Yeah, okay, thank you. All right. Our goal for this morning is we begin a three-month study. PD. This is not super complicated. I think you can handle it. Over here? Yeah, over there. That's what we're talking about. Reserved seating. This is... Oh, oh, oh, oh, your goggles. Okay. Yep. Yeah. Nicely done. Okay. Our goal this morning is we begin a...

9:45 Our goal this morning is we begin the stuff. Petey, do you like cookies? Cookies? Yeah, I like cookies. You know what? We have a secret jar of cookies. Who have a secret jar of cookies? Yes, a secret jar of cookies. It's in the vestry right through that door there. Cookies! I love cookies! Cookies! All right.

10:19 A little odd, but here we go. Our goal for this morning as we begin a three-month study of the parables is answering a basic question. Why did Jesus use these head-scratching stories to convey his central message, his good news? Each of these stories start by taking listeners down a sort of ordinary path. A farmer goes out to sow, and yet before Jesus is done, his listeners look bewildered. They stare at each other and whisper, what was that about? Can't you just speak plainly to us, teacher? Why use parables? That's a good question. Really good. Pick me, pick me, pick me.

11:16 Pick you? Pick me. For what? Why can't you just speak clearly, teacher? And why use parables? Well, funny you should ask. Petey, did you find the cookies? Yeah, I ate them all except one. This one looked like it was sacred. It looks just like Brian Kirkland.

11:46 Wow. Sacralicious. Petey, did you also notice that there are coloring books in the vestry? Coloring books? Yeah. And they're about the Bible. And I think it would be a good idea for you to go and look at those coloring books and try to place yourself in the Bible stories. Put yourself in those characters' shoes. Ooh. In the stories. In the shoes. I'm on it.

12:22 All right. where was I? Why does Jesus speak in parables? Let's start with a definition. The word parable has basic roots. Literally translated, the word parable means one thing thrown down next to another, from para, next to, and bole, to throw. And that's precisely how they work. In each of these stories, Jesus throws two things into the air alongside each other. First, he tosses out a concept, a grand vision for the world. He asks people to imagine the kingdom of heaven, the realm of God. And then he tells a story. He describes everyday people, shepherds and bakers, fathers and sons, bridesmaids and bankers. These people engage in commonplace things. They get into family fights. They search for lost livestock. They try to figure out how much to pay day laborers.

13:44 and there you have it. That's a parable. Okay. Okay. Petey, Petey, I know that's you. Petey, what is this? Petey, what are you doing? I put myself in the stories and the shoes. Really big shoes. They wore big shoes back then in the Bible.

14:23 And big, thick beards. Couldn't you guys get better beards here? Dr. Krieger, Patrick, did Petey put you up to this? All right, Petey. Yeah? It's almost time for your big number. Why don't you go change and get ready? Oh, I love big numbers. 47? Oh, maybe 100? Maybe 103? Oh, I love big numbers. Oh, wait, ow.

15:00 Okay. When Jesus tells a parable, he tosses two things up into the air next to each other like a juggler. God's realm is like a woman sweeping her kitchen. God's realm is like a man digging for treasure. God's realm is like a farmer storing grain in a silo. Is this the most effective way to introduce people to God? does Christ's verbal juggling give us clear insight into the ways of the divine? Here, even the good book has its doubts. In today's text, Jesus offers his first parable, an agricultural tale about a haphazard sower and his widely scattered seeds. And when Jesus is finished, the disciples look confused. What the heck was that? Responding, Jesus draws them into a huddle, and there he makes a curious declaration. To you has been given the secret, the Greek word here is mystery, of the kingdom of God. But for those outside, everything comes in parables.

16:25 What a strange response. The disciples ask, what does this mean? And our Lord answers, I've given you a mystery. Why does Jesus gift his followers with a mystery? Here, the disciples are not the only ones scratching their heads. For centuries, scholars have debated Christ's use of parables. some suggest tongue-in-cheek that Jesus was creating jobs for future preachers can can anybody ring meaning from these stories how about you or you

17:12 I don't know. Don't look at me. Is it just me or is it difficult to keep focus this morning? I think we were asking why parables. And here we should acknowledge an annoying truth. God is difficult to talk about. The Apostle Paul tells us that humans, finite beings that we are, see God through a dim glass. although I'm not sure we like Paul's lack of confidence we and preachers are most guilty of this we tend to act like we have God figured out and this can lead us when we start talking about God to shape a divine being who exists mostly to shine our shoes, to cater to our needs, our desires, our hopes. The Hebrew Bible has a name for this, idolatry. Parables provide an antidote to idolatry. The inscrutable, head-scratching aspects of these stories re-establish the otherness of God, the strangeness of God.

18:51 some suggest that Jesus dabbles in all this mystery because he's trying to tell the world rebellious truths and not get his head chopped off he's playing the role of the court jester he attacks unhealthy character traits like greed and corrosive responses to conflict like violence in almost sneaky ways. Did he just say what I think he said? And along the way, he sows the seeds, the values of heaven. Oh

19:46 Aha. Aha. No. No. No. I like to picture Jesus as a jester, although I think we need a caveat. He wasn't a court jester. Jesus spent the majority of his time talking not with governors and kings, but with ordinary people. Yes, he visited Pilate's court briefly, although he certainly wasn't there to entertain the governor. Mostly, the good book tells us that Jesus traveled from village to village and told stories. In fact, the profile cast by Jesus looks more like a traveling minstrel or perhaps the town fool.

20:52 The town fool. The town fool Jesus? That sounds pretty irreverent. But my friends, it was a comparison that made sense to early Christians. The Apostle Paul actually challenges the faithful to mimic their Lord's behavior. In 1 Corinthians, he admonishes believers, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. okay hit it Patrick

21:49 Nice most friends in World chamber lights... host... Oh, come on.

22:30 ... ...

22:51 ... Don't.

23:15 God bless Brian Kirkland. He never did this. Well, Pastor Scott, it was our honored guest for today on a Zoom call a few weeks ago who reminded me that the classic definition of a fool is an individual touched by God who speaks truths, mysterious truths that others are afraid to speak or would rather ignore. Thank you. Hey, Pastor Scott, it's been a pleasure working with you. And I think our time here is done. Do you know what time it is? It's, oh my gosh, it's 11.50. Ooh, ooh, I got a bar mitzvah around the corner. I got a bar mitzvah around the corner.

24:07 I got a bar mitzvah around the corner. It's been a pleasure, everybody. Let's give it up for Petey. So what do you think? Are you ready for Jesus the jester? Is that really what we need in this fraught and uncertain time? plate-spinning preachers and mysterious parables, a Messiah who the world deems to be a fool. I have two final thoughts on jesters, and then we'll be done. One of the more interesting and complex books that I read this summer, thank you David Clark, was Ian McGilchrist's The Matter of Things.

25:11 McGilchrist is a Scottish intellectual whose impressive scholarship ranges from neuroscience to philosophy, from modern medicine to literary theory. Now at first glance, McGilchrist's work looks like it has nothing to do with Jesus and his teachings. McGilchrist is focused on the brain. Specifically, he's interested in how the two hemispheres of human brains work. And here, the good professor tosses aside overly simple designations. The right brain is the creative side, the left brain the rational side. Instead, McGilchrist digs into contemporary neuroscience to sketch a fascinating picture of how our brains work. Here's a quick summary. The right side of our brain works all the time to perceive reality, to absorb the information being fed it by our senses, to draw in multiple streams of data.

26:15 The right side of our brain yearns to comprehend the world in all its complexity. The left side of our brain organizes the data that comes from the right side. It decides which data is valuable and which is not. And then it makes decisions about how to use this information for our benefit. it. The left side of the brain aims to apprehend the world, to develop an understanding of how the world works, and in turn to use that knowledge to try and control the world. Now, here's the rub, and you may see this coming. The left and the right sides of our brains want different things. And this leads to internal conflict.

27:11 The right side of the brain moves through the world and gets excited as it absorbs more and more data. All this information complicates our understanding of what's real and what's true. And the right side of our brain is okay with this. It likes to keep things open. There's always more data to be gleaned from this amazing world. The left side of our brain wants to make a decision about what is true to lock it down and end the conversation. It wants to decide on the facts and the debate and chart a path forward. According to McGilchrist, humans need both sides of their brain to function, and yet we typically prioritize one side of our brain over the other. We are prone to telling the right side of our brain to keep quiet while we allow the left side, which thinks it has the world figured out, to dominate.

28:16 Left hemisphere dominance leads to all sorts of problems. When we listen predominantly to the left side of our brains, we engage in narrow thinking. Our ability to problem solve stagnates. And in general, our anxiety goes up. When we stifle the right side of our brain, says McGilchrist, we become delusional. We start asserting that things are true in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Sound familiar?

28:55 What does all this have to do with parables? Why does Jesus use these funky little stories to picture the realm of God? Consider this scenario. Your left brain listens to a description in which a man runs down the road to embrace his wayward son, a young fellow who's spent his inheritance on wayward and wild living. The left side of your brain thinks, I've seen this sort of thing before. And there your brain makes a judgment. This father is a weak-kneed buffoon, a sucker who needs to face facts and gift his mistake-prone child with some tough love. And it's at this moment that Jesus leans in and asks, Is that really what you see? Look closely.

29:50 This father, running to embrace his beloved child, is channeling the wildly merciful, foolishly loving ways of God. And here the right side of our brain perks up. This isn't how things typically work. The right side of our brain pokes its neighbor. Does this change the way we look at the world, change the way we ought to act? What do we do with this new information? I have given you, Jesus says to the disciples, a mystery.

30:32 My friends, parables poke at our assumptions. They upend what we think we know. They scramble the patterns that we've decided are normal, typical, the way things always go. They open furrows in our minds and in these sacred creases, parables plant the mysterious seeds of God.

30:56 All right, one more story, then I'll sit down. Do any of you remember Emmett Kelly? Born in 1898, Emmett Kelly was one of this country's most beloved clowns. Now there are, as you probably know, many different types of clowns. There are rodeo clowns, mimes, there are heckler clowns and buffoons. Kelly was a sad clown.

31:30 Kelly's signature character was a frowny-faced, unshaven, raggedy-dressed fellow named Weary Willie. Under the big top, weary Willie's signature routine involved him sweeping the circus ring, and a spotlight followed the morose clown, and as the light danced about, Willie would try to sweep it away with his broom. The splash of light proved elusive, leading the clown to dash and slap and spin. But his efforts trying to vanquish the spot proved elusive.

32:13 Audience members laughed at the absurd clownish behavior. And as they laughed, Willie would pause, look at the crowd, pull out a handkerchief, and wipe away a few tears. He would pantomime great sorrow. people loved this sad sack clown why? well Kelly perfected his famous routine in the mid 1930s in the heart of the great depression the child of a poor family from Missouri Kelly knew loss and hardship and so did the people watching him perform They laughed at his act, but their hearts were drawn to the clown's pathos and honesty.

33:08 You see, Kelly gave people permission to stop pretending that everything was fine, that life wasn't hard. His clowning uncovered a deep-seated shared truth, and in that fertile soil, this circus jester planted seeds of hope. He reminded people that in the midst of life's hardships, there is solidarity to be found in communities of care. And there are even flashes of joy. Why does Jesus use parables to talk about God?

33:54 Maybe the answer goes like this. Jesus uses parables because Jesus knows us. He knows how we are wired. He knows that our crafty brains want to put up walls and duck the truth. And because Jesus loves us, he's determined like some crazy fool farmer throwing seed everywhere to break through to places where we can grow new life. Saints, we have a fascinating journey ahead of us this fall. We're going to partake of the parables of Jesus.