Jesus’ Shortest Parable

Jesus’ Shortest Parable

What’s the shortest parable Jesus ever told? It’s the one comparing the Kingdom of Heaven to the head of a household. The whole story is this: he brings from his storeroom both the new and the old. That’s it—the whole story.

But it’s rich in meaning. First, the Kingdom of Heaven is the storeroom for all the People of God, Old and New. Jesus is the head of this storeroom and household, embodying things from both the Old Testament and the New Testament, because they’re all about Him.

Finally, the current Kingdom of Heaven—that’s us, the salt of the earth and the light of the world—must imitate our Head and draw on both the Old Testament and the New Testament. That’s why we have all those readings on Sundays, and it’s really smart to pray with them.

Fr. Joe Tetlow