Chapter 7 of Pope Benedict's book Jesus of Nazareth (this week's reading assignment) focuses on three parables: The Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and The Rich Man and Lazarus. The Pope believes the theme of these parables and parables in general is "Wake up, Wake up to Love!"A parable, the pope says, is a way to bring distant things to closer sight, or to lead the listener onto a journey. (p. 192). The story of the parable is a familiar image to invite listeners to "go beyond their existing horizons, to come to know and understand things previously unknown." Ibid.
Each of the parables discussed invites us to awaken to love. The Good Samaritan story invites the listener to compassion, to view himself or herself as neighbor to all, rather than to include or exclude others in the tribe or social group. The Prodigal Son story invites the listener to walk through the younger son's life history and to see that true freedom lies "in my father's home," rather than in selfish escapade. The primary love here is of the father's forgiveness, which heals. The story of the rich man and Lazarus at his gate invites the listener to see that true riches lie in love, first with God, then with our fellow humans, and never with material goods and hedonism.
In each case the parable also invites us to awaken to truth of love here and now. The eschaton is not an other-worldly existence, but is experienced now, in this world. Once we wake to reality as it is in truth, we can truly start to live.
The pope ends with a discussion of the rich man's demand for a sign. Why a sign? All men want reassurance that the asserted "better way" will indeed lead to the better life. The rich man is not gratified by yet another sign, but we readers of scripture know that "the sign of Jonas" is actually Jesus himself, who has been sent by the Father to invite us, in part via parables, to awaken to the truth of love, which is Jesus himself.
Listen to Bach, "Sleepers Awake!"
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