Biblical Storytelling in Mark 4
Narrative makes up nearly half of the Bible. The next greatest genre is poetry, followed by prose discourse. If narrative constitutes nearly half of the Bible, perhaps biblical storytelling needs a revival as the chief interpretive discipline when seeking to understand the Bible better.
In the story of the soils in Mark 4, Jesus addresses the reason for why he constantly teaches using stories. After telling the story, his followers pull him aside and ask him to explain the story. Eugene Peterson in The Message puts it this way.
He told them, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom--you know how it works. But to those who can't see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them toward receptive insight. These are people---
Whose eyes are open but don't see a thing,
Whose ears are open but don't understand a word,
Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven.
The gospel writer has Jesus quoting a passage in Isaiah. But it is not just any passage; chapter six recounts the anointing of Isaiah. It is the famous "Here am I, send me!" passage. We tend to focus on the first part that is the commissioning of the prophet. The second half of the chapter details a prophecy of condemnation that ends off with the hope of the "stump" remaining in Israel for the salvation of the world.
Who doesn't understand?
Notice in the following verse that Jesus asks, "Don't you understand the parable?" The disciples struggle to understand and as such fall into the category of those who hear but don't understand. Jesus invites those hearing these stories to examine them for a deeper meaning. Stories provide more than just entertainment, they serve as a vehicle for long-lasting contemplation and change.
Hearing and Understanding a Story
In a previous post I referenced the tripartite meaning of the word "hear" that appears throughout the passage and hints back to the shema. It speaks to hearing, understanding and obeying. Whenever a story is told we instinctively place ourselves into the story, feeling with the characters and evaluating the choices that they are making. As a result, biblical storytelling serves as a significant way to impact meaningful and change in the actions of people.
Stories function as a significant tool in our efforts to influence people and communicate effectively. The art of persuasion (a.k.a. rhetoric) relies on stories as a key tool in appealing to a change of heart. Stories serve to appeal first the heart, then the mind and finally to action. Jay Heinrichs in his book, Thank You for Arguing, argues that the way to affect meaningful change in people is to begin with impacting the heart (mood). Pounding people with "truth" without appealing to a change of heart fails to persuade.
Remembering a Sermon
In the summer of 2006 I resigned my position as Associate Pastor at a church in Ontario to pursue my Masters degree in Saskatchewan. We had been at the church for over 6 years, and during that time I had preached on average 6 times a year. After a formal farewell service there was a reception where congregants could come and wish us well. One of the elders came up to me and said, "I want to thank you for all that you have done and I will always remember your sermon about the lamp." It took me a few minutes to realize which sermon he referenced.
Approximately 3 years earlier I had written and subsequently read an allegory for Epiphany Sunday. I had done nothing else as part of the sermon, only read the story. Out of all the well-wishes that day, that comment stood alone in its reference to any of the nearly 40 sermons that I had preached in my time at the church. A simple story stuck in the memory of a congregant. Storytelling became a part of my legacy. Now, with a focus on recounting the stories of Jesus I'm hoping that my legacy will include biblical storytelling.