Jesus told the crowds all these things in stories; without a story he told them nothing. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth to speak in stories; I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.” Matthew 5:38

Many years ago, when I was Coordinator for the Network of Biblical Storytellers, I used a phrase from Psalm 78:2 as part of the organization’s logo: “I will open my mouth in a story.” Only now did I discover Matthew’s appropriation of Psalm 78:2 in his story of Jesus. Matthew used the Greek word parabolā which we translate “parables” or “stories.”

The parables to which the psalmist and Matthew refer are special stories from a holy source, meant for our spiritual growth. They are sacred stories, which is why we named our Circle of the Word with women in the jail “Sacred Stories.”