Parables

Stories - There are many different types and styles of stories.  They may be true, fiction, science fiction.  They can be told in the first person, or third person.  The best actually have a point to make.

One of the greatest pieces of literature ever written is the Bible.  In it are contained many stories.  It is the history of a people and the accumulated teaching of Jesus recorded by many authors. 

Many of these stories such as the story of Jacob and Esau or should I reverse the names: is one case in point.  Esau being the oldest twin was to inherit.  Jacob being the younger wouldn’t.  Esau was the outdoorsy type while his brother was more of a stay at home scholarly type.  One day after hunting Esau comes home hungry.  Jacob had been at home all day, making red lentil soup.  Complaining of his hunger, Esau agrees to give his birth right to Jacob for some of his soup.  He eats and goes on his way but hates his birth right from that day on. 

Now this is quite paraphrased but the essence of the story is still there.  We are talking of a time some three thousand years ago when even the rich would probably have had some experience with personal hunger.  Unlike today when, unless you have experienced the great depression, like myself you have never really experienced periods of great privation.

How many of you would give up your inheritance to a sibling for a bowl of soup?  Not many and it is very unlikely that any person more used to privation would have either.

Therefore there is a doubt among biblical scholars that this story is true.  But that doesn’t matter.  What is important is the point that this story is trying to make, and that point may be different for everyone that actually hears it. 

A story that makes a point or teaches is a parable. And Jesus'  teachings and the Bible are full of them.  Unlike past generations who would read the Bible and take its written word as the (please excuse the pun) gospel,  we have biblical scholars who do nothing but research events that occur in the Bible and pronounce that they are confident that said event never occurred.  But this is besides the point.

 The Bible is a collected set of teachings made up of lessons to illustrate points to an ancient  people, and they still teach each of us a lesson today.

Masonic ritual and history is, to a large extent, composed of parables.  The priesthood in King Solomon’s time was where there was real power for someone not born into a Royal family.  I always wondered how an assistant high priest had a great pillar named after him.   Now I can understand how King Solomon would name a pillar after a great ancestor of his own.   But I can not see a mere assistant high priest receiving such an honour.  As it turns our these two names were the ancient names of guide posts thousands of years prior to the building of the temple at Jerusalem. 

Similarly the traditional history in the third degree is considered by Masonic scholars to be just a story - something that never actually occurred.  Again I had wondered about this.  The weakest area of the skull is the temple and being hit here twice with pointed instruments swung with malice would not be conducive to remaining on your feet, no mater how tough you are.  Here again, it doesn’t matter because that is besides the point.  It is a parable a story with a point and a message to impart. 

Our symbols offer the same possibility for multiple interpretations.  Let us for example look at the point within a circle.  Do you just think that this is just a geometry problem?  Or have you considered the possibility that there may be other interpretations.  The point may have other interpretations.  The point may represent the individual, the circle the boundary line of his duty.  Does it refer to the old phallic religions and the point is the symbol of fecundity?  A third interpretation says that the point represents the sun, which gives the earth the heat that is necessary for production while the Circle represents the universe.  To each brother that has thought on this problem each could be correct.