Commentary on Parable Doctrine

Hala Maloki 7/25/09 DRAFT

Parable Doctrine and Religious Identity

Practice of the teaching requires no sense of religious identity. Those who would practice the teaching’s principles, not knowing of Jesus and the parables, stand the same chance for increase as those that do. But if you associate practice with Jesus then his identity can affect you.

Jesus’ teaching existed within the context of Hebrew tradition but he did not work through the religious hierarchy. His teaching only depended on the sound of his voice and the understanding of his students. The intangible intent of his message was emphasized by the absence of religious
structures. But even in the open fields the kingdom was saturated with the complicated influences of the dominant religious institutions. We have inherited his teaching wrapped in multifaceted religious traditions that have formed around it. But as it was in his time, so it is in ours, his teaching helps us understand the effect that religious traditions have on our experience of the intangible reality.

Testifying to the inheritance of ideological struggle, there is a lingering anti-establishment air in Christianity that propels the mood of both the disciples of Jesus and the followers of John the Baptist into our own time. But where Jesus objected to the use of religious law to persecute the
least, John objected to the failure to enforce religious law against the powerful. The teacher defended the least from both the established religious law and the anger of the mobs.

Because the original teaching did not come to us with a name, we know it only by its teacher. But once you know the secret of the teaching it can be reconstructed as parable doctrine. Through parables Jesus invoked the Hebrew tradition of the kingdom of the resurrected dead to introduce the kingdom of the living. Parable doctrine invokes the Christian tradition of the kingdom of heaven to restate the original living kingdom teaching.

There are two kinds of parables; introductory parables and instruction parables. Jesus’ introductory parables were designed to lead to a revelation; the realization that he was talking about the present moment rather than a future time. His entry into the kingdom was through a
religion associated experience. Teaching parables instruct those who have already entered. The use of parables signals the shift from common interaction to religious interaction. Parables identify the teaching itself [and therefor the meaning of ‘kingdom’]. Always using parables made it possible to keep the teaching distinct even while employing traditional symbols. But the teaching is not fulfilled until it is internalized in the spirit. As yeast comes to life in dough so the teaching works through the spirit of a human being. But as it is absorbed it gives up its distinct religious [yeast] identity.

Religious Interaction

The religious nature of Jesus’ teaching was obvious, this was not common interactions [practice]. When he was with his followers their religious interactions were discussions of the teaching and advice on its practice. But inherent in religious interaction is the possibility of religious organization. The first concern of any grouping of practitioners of parable doctrine should be to make sure that they do not subvert the teaching through their religious activities. Religious grouping should be carefully exercised because of the danger of substituting religious interaction for practice [teaching influenced common {normal} interaction]. The association of the teaching with religious groups can impede the application of the teaching in common interaction and compromise the experience of the kingdom.

Both Christian doctrine and parable doctrine maintain that Jesus is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Belief in Christ is at the heart of the Messianic doctrine and the belief that Jesus is Christ is the basis of the Christian Church. The parable teaching of Jesus is the heart of parable
doctrine but the church plays no role in it. Because of the dominance of the Messianic doctrine in Christianity the original parable teaching was obscured, even if the internalized, identityless, teaching continued to function within some Christians. So the primary reason for creating a
religious institution that maintains a religious identity based on parable doctrine would be to see that the secret of the kingdom remains available.

Unassociated Interaction

Religious interaction is associated with teaching but is not the teaching itself. But there are other kinds of interactions which are not associate with the teaching at all. In some interactions, like those that involve fighting [arguments or games], the teaching is relevant only to disengagement rather than engagement. Practicing the teaching works to get ahead of fighting by creating conditions that are not conducive to conflict. If you find yourself engaged in fighting don’t try to justify it through the teaching. This includes characterizations of good and evil doing battle within the spiritual reality. The model of spiritual growth is not a conflict model. Though it is necessary to stand by your principles to achieve increase, be wary about getting into situations where principles become weapons; using your religion to justify attacking another or thinking that your religion will not allow you to avoid evil or disengage from a fight.

Understanding the teaching means knowing when it is not applicable. Unassociated interactions [warfare, politics, business] should not invoke the teaching. Conscious application of the teaching to unassociated interaction should be undertaken with the great care and acknowledgment of
consequences. Remember, good, increase, and the effect on the least, measures your words and deeds.

Religious Identity

The imperative to be perceived as part of the dominant religious tradition can affect practice by not allowing for common interaction. If you find that your perceived religiousness is threatened by common interaction then you should examine what role your religion plays in your identity.
‘Practice’ does not allow for stratigic manipulation. Only when your religion allows you to apply the teaching directly to the exercise your actual spirit can practice serve the purpose of increase.

Hypocrisy is a combination of being ignorant of ones own spirit and judging others through religion. The easiest remedy is not to judge. But if you judge, don’t use religious justification. Judging is an unassociated interaction but you can learn from it. The genius of the teaching is; the worse your judgment is, the worse you are at interacting, the greater the rewards of practice. Internalize humility so you can accept being wrong. Internalize forgiveness so you will be free to grow past being judgmental.

Non-Materialism

Jesus and his followers roamed the countryside leaving in their wake individuals who were now conscious of the intangible reality. Jesus taught them that their potential for spiritual growth can be negatively affected by material concerns. But unless those initiates were able to give up their
jobs, families, and other responsibilities and become religious vagabonds, they had to return to their homes and carry on the best they could. After the death of the teacher, the disciples themselves settled into neighborhoods where the initiates lived. Thus the effort to square the
teaching with the surrounding culture began in earnest.

We have inherited a religious tradition that has made many compromises to materialism. Christians often moderate the teaching on non-materialism by referencing Hebrew law, Some religious leaders even associate wealth with spiritual greatness. Rather than subverting the
teaching by trying to associate it with materialism, it is better to make a clear distinction between them.

The argument is made that only when material needs have been met can a person reach their spiritual potential. Certainly good physical health is conducive to being happy. But there are two approaches to solving problems of material needs; one is to do everything you can to meet them, the other is to do everything you can to minimize their importance. Clearly, Jesus is teaching the second approach. He dismissed values such as financial responsibility and the owning of property as non-essential. Because those who do not have money or property can apply the teaching without surrender of wealth and status, they are more likely to benefit. Those who have money and property may find it harder to adopt a non-materialist doctrine. The good news is, realizing that you are not willing to have less in order to grow more, is in itself a valuable lesson in humility. Its is a function of increase to find out about yourself. All the more reason to practice acceptance and forgiveness and to not carry religious identity into common interaction. As you practice you will slowly grow towards being a non-materialist.

Once the ‘least’ receives the teaching they are no longer the least in that they have been equipped for increase and yield. If they embrace non-materialism, and if those who keep wealth recognize the validity of non-materialism, then they can belong to the same religion. Being poor
on its own is not necessarily a desirable state. If you are poor and are in constant anxiety because of it, or if you think that being poor justifies being mean to others, then you are in a worse position than one who has money, lives without anxiety, and is kind to others. Someone who has material wealth can be rich spiritually as well, But following the teaching inevitably leads to non-materialism and it is unlikely that the greatest in the kingdom would also be the wealthiest on earth.

Claiming the teaching while hanging on to materialism, requires being careful about how you effect those who are not materially encumbered. The sharing of wealth is no substitute for common interaction, especially if it is done in a way that reinforces social position, creates anxiety, or obligates others. If your interactions with a poorer person is always concerned with you giving or not giving to them, you may forfeit the spiritual growth that could be gained through normal interactions.

Being poor does not necessarily mean being non-materialistic. Poverty can indicate the influence of materialism or induce materialism. If your interactions with a richer person is always concerned with what you can get from them, you may become skilled at taking advantage of others. If you try to take advantage of others, but are not spiritually suited for it, not only will you remain poor but you will also forfeit growth through interaction.

As the teaching makes allowances for poverty, it also mediates a whole array of spiritual deficits. Just as the teaching minimizes the stigma of being poor so also it minimizes the stigma of being spiritually weak. Spiritual and material poverty are not the goal, rather they are conditions
that are responsive to the teaching. If you make more bad judgments than good, odds are, adopting the practice of non-judgment will improve your situation over time. Allowing things to work themselves out [acceptance] can result in growth and yield. When bad judgments concern money, non-materialism [as a form of non-judgment, allowing for the disentangling {forgiving} of material concerns], may coincide with more material comfort. But if you let pride in spiritual growth or gains in material wealth distract you from the teaching you will forfeit the perspective that brought that good to you.

Internalizing the Teaching, Growth

Practice is the application of the teaching to common interaction. The intangible reality has been determined by interactions that have come to pass and those interactions will determine the interactions that will come to pass. Practice changes your spirit [your emotions and ways of
thinking] and by those changes, your actions and reactions change also. In as much as you can access your own potential for increase, this allows you to avoid any evil that you may have inherited from the intangible reality. Because the teaching is fully integrated when it is internalized, the internalized teaching has no religious identity. Religious identity is maintained only to keep the teaching available. Maintaining religious identity relies on religious interaction which is not a substitute for common interaction.

yield

The natural product of growth is both chaff and grain. It does not happen all at once or just at the end of life. As good and bad increase they can be told apart. Let go of the chaff and hang onto the grain. Yield is the grain, it is the manifestation of good. This includes all the good normal
stuff that happens to you, things like feeling happy or sleeping well, and all of the extra-ordinary good things that happen, things like revelations and healings.

COMMENTARY ON COMMENTARIES

Parable doctrine is an interpretation of the parables that is presented as a reconstruction of the teaching. A commentary on parable doctrine is a way to express views on the parable teaching and the doctrine’s representation of the teaching. A commentary on tradition is a way to express parabalist views on religious traditions [especially any parable doctrine traditions that may develop]. Commentary on commentaries is a way to express opinions on the purpose and content of a particular commentaries or commentaries in general.

If you find a commentary agreeable or not, the doctrine stands on its own. Once you have the key to the kingdom from the parables, and understand the teaching, you can find your way through any of the things that have come to pass because of it.

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