Parable telling, teaching and nature

As an Indigenous person, who also loves the teachings of Jesus, I have often seen similarities between the way Jesus taught and the way many Indigenous people think. The way many of my ancestors used to teach life lessons and the Indigenous worldview speaks to the how we are all interconnected. We are interconnected through each other and through nature. That’s why many animals such as the eagle or the bear are mentioned and many aspects of nature such as mountains, plants, and herbs are mentioned within an Indigenous worldview.

Jesus in Matthew 13 and 14 taught in parables to the crowds and his disciples. He used many aspects in nature to get his point across. The he explained what the parable meant.  Jesus talked about how, even though he spoke in parables, that many would not understand, or respond to the Gospel message and apply it to their lives. 

I also have a pastor friend, who is also Indigenous, and sometimes I would indirectly ask his advice through explaining a situation I was thinking about. Then, instead of him directly telling me what to do or give some options to think about, he would tell a story. Then I had to think about his story and wonder if I got anything out of it. Just because I’m Indigenous doesn’t mean I’m great at interpreting the meaning of someone’s stories. Was there some hidden meaning? What did he mean by that? Was he referring to me? So, understanding meanings behind stories isn’t always easy, whether it’s reading the parables of Jesus, or listening to a parable through an Indigenous worldview of story telling. 

The point I’m trying to get at is that when I look at how Jesus taught people spiritual life lessons, and how some Indigenous people teach spiritual life lessons, it’s vital to see the hidden meaning. The Bible says that those with ears to hear and eyes to see pay attention. Matthew referred to what Isaiah said when he referred to the fact that God called him to speak truth, but the people wouldn’t listen. God wanted him to warn the people, but they wouldn’t pay attention and respond with belief and action. What a calling that was!

Jesus also said many times to his disciples that they were slow learners and wondered when they would have true faith. So as believers we need to pay attention to the stories and parables that Jesus taught us in his word. If you understand what Jesus said, then be wise and do that thing. My fellow Indigenous people love to tell stories, and they love to talk about the interconnectedness of everyone to each other and to nature. 

Jesus’ parables were meant to show us how living in the kingdom of God was meant to be. When listening to stories from some Indigenous people, you can hear distinct aspects of nature and the lessons we can learn from how nature functions in its natural habitat. Jesus would tell stories of aspects from nature such as weeds, wheat, yeast, and mustard seeds. A traditional storyteller who is Indigenous would also use aspects in nature.  

Parable and stories are often hard to understand, but with the resources we have such as commentaries, online resources, our job of understanding is made easier. Scholars have taken the time to help us understand these stories more. Spiritual lessons in life that come from nature are immensely powerful because nature is all around us and they point us to Jesus. 

I encourage you to listen to these stories in the Bible and when you do understand them share that truth with others and apply it to your life. That’s when the Bible and these life lessons truly come alive in your life. If you are saying, I don’t understand this parable then ask for help and don’t allow yourself to be a person who doesn’t understand. Be a person who wants and desires to understand spiritual stories and then pass those lessons on to others because that’s how the kingdom of God is built. One story at a time.