At our church we teach this as “the eighth Kingdom parable” in this chapter. Simply stated, Jesus draws a line with a classic question, then draws it further by making the Kingdom the objective rather than the primary subject…in that He now compares a “scribe” to a “householder.” God is the Only One I know Who can ask me something I can’t answer…answer me a question I didn’t ask…and question answers I’m still hiding…all at the same time.
Furthermore…these followers may not have been hasty to answer “Yes, Lord”…for people in our time tend to assume they know so much and look upon these writings, assuming they even believe them, and further assume these followers knew so little. The main problem with that assumption is that all the evidence before us today suggests quite the opposite, that the people of today may actually be in decline and our predecessors were smarter, even if they didn’t have what we have…
Oddly enough, a “scribe” back then was perceived as having the social status of a “householder”…a belief Jesus does not hold to at all. On the contrary, Jesus seems to think what makes a diligent student of the Word a rich man in God’s eyes is that of receiving… “the whole counsel of God” …and “giving it all away.” However…I must also admit to my own tendency to read into the Scriptures and not let the Scriptures read me.
After all, Jesus isn’t highlighting this scribe as “bringing forth” the counsel of God. And I do remember thinking such things out loud, especially since this issue is highlighted elsewhere in these recordings. No, this parable means the student of the Word is casting out things once thought to be of value in light of the King from Whom one is learning. Moreover, (v. 51) the exchange between Jesus and His followers will factor right into this parable He gives them, one more reason why I will never read another Bible verse by itself again.
Meanwhile, I originally thought it rather impulsive of them to affirm their understanding of “all these things” simply because I couldn’t admit my own ignorance. Working out contradictions in the Scriptures would be easier to explain than renouncing my own version of good AND evil. It was only after “the Real Householder” repurposed my treasures that I would have anything to bring forth out of my life, either “new” or “old.” Now I’m aware that there are some in our church gatherings who interpret this parable by emphasizing “treasures” only as something of value to be retrieved arbitrarily and/or out of necessity. But then again, I’m aware that interpretation is its own situation, something Messiah is more aware of than I, hence the question, “Have you understood all these things?” And though it has taken me most of my time with the Lord to give a real answer, it has taken all of my time with the Lord to prepare for His answer.
Therefore, to this day, these are my findings thus far. This parable, in short, is God incorporating my life into His context. Most, not all, but most of what I’m doing now and points forward involves what the restaurant owners would tell their employees, “Clean as you go.”
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