Mon, 09 Mar 2026 19:57:58 -0400 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1726925 en-us © 2026 Stories for the Waiting Room yes 9d6f2b7c-9890-55fe-a1c5-9ad6b67ad456 Dr. Mark A. Proctor episodic false Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) parables, Jesus, Christianity, New Testament, existential, Biblical Interpretation, Biblical Studies Dr. Mark A. Proctor https://storage.buzzsprout.com/pon280eu5fwovugqhe0z1j45xsxi?.jpg https://www.buzzsprout.com/1726925 Getting By Part 2: The Sower (Mark 4:1-9; Matt 13:1-8; Luke 8:4-8; Gos. Thom. 9) In the second and final episode on Jesus' parable of "The Sower," Dr. Proctor discusses the genre of allegory and its relevance for studying Jesus' parables. Having acknowledged the presence of allegorical treatments of the "Sower" in each of the Synoptic Gospels, he and Lee move on to proffer an alternative way to understand the parable. Using clues from the development of the tradition after Mark and the commentary present in ancient agricultural texts about crop production rates, Mark and Lee settle on an interpretation of the famous story that is relevant and timely for anyone dealing with the wearying effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.

]]> In the second and final episode on Jesus' parable of "The Sower," Dr. Proctor discusses the genre of allegory and its relevance for studying Jesus' parables. Having acknowledged the presence of allegorical treatments of the "Sower" in each of the Synoptic Gospels, he and Lee move on to proffer an alternative way to understand the parable. Using clues from the development of the tradition after Mark and the commentary present in ancient agricultural texts about crop production rates, Mark and Lee settle on an interpretation of the famous story that is relevant and timely for anyone dealing with the wearying effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.

]]> Dr. Mark A. Proctor Buzzsprout-10708003 Mon, 30 May 2022 18:00:00 -0400 4905 2 4 full false Getting By Part 1: The Sower (Mark 4:1-9; Matt 13:1-8; Luke 8:4-8; Gos. Thom. 9) In the first of two episodes on Jesus' parable of "The Sower," Mark and Lee first discuss a variety of unproductive responses to the Coronavirus pandemic before turning to examine the story's content. As one of three quadruply attested parables, the story's authenticity seems undeniable. Yet the versions of "The Sower" present in our source material each have their own unique features worth noting.

]]> In the first of two episodes on Jesus' parable of "The Sower," Mark and Lee first discuss a variety of unproductive responses to the Coronavirus pandemic before turning to examine the story's content. As one of three quadruply attested parables, the story's authenticity seems undeniable. Yet the versions of "The Sower" present in our source material each have their own unique features worth noting.

]]> Dr. Mark A. Proctor Buzzsprout-10707965 Mon, 30 May 2022 18:00:00 -0400 4316 2 4 full false 5Wc: Matt 13:10-15 In the third and final episode on the topic of "why" Jesus spoke in parables, Dr. Mark and Lee investigate the changes Matthew made to Mark 4:10-13 in an effort to see how his "parables theory" differs from that of his source material.  In the process they discover that the parables cannot in Matthew serve the same charitable pedagogical function for Jesus that they do in Mark. Matt 13:10-17 instead excludes the possibility of public comprehension of Jesus’ message on the grounds that such insight “has not been given to them” (v. 11). This editorial change permits Matthew to counteract Mark’s negative assessment of the disciples, but only at the public’s expense. In Matthew, the disciples basically trade places with the public when it comes to who’s in Jesus’ good graces and who’s not. 

]]> In the third and final episode on the topic of "why" Jesus spoke in parables, Dr. Mark and Lee investigate the changes Matthew made to Mark 4:10-13 in an effort to see how his "parables theory" differs from that of his source material.  In the process they discover that the parables cannot in Matthew serve the same charitable pedagogical function for Jesus that they do in Mark. Matt 13:10-17 instead excludes the possibility of public comprehension of Jesus’ message on the grounds that such insight “has not been given to them” (v. 11). This editorial change permits Matthew to counteract Mark’s negative assessment of the disciples, but only at the public’s expense. In Matthew, the disciples basically trade places with the public when it comes to who’s in Jesus’ good graces and who’s not. 

]]> Dr. Mark A. Proctor Buzzsprout-10369596 Sun, 03 Apr 2022 13:00:00 -0400 3387 2 3 full false 5Wb: Parables for Dummies? What a waste! Having characterized Jesus' use of parables in Mark as his attempt to accommodate the public's need for pedagogical assistance in season two's opening episode, Dr. Proctor examines Mark's characterization of the twelve disciples in episode two. Whereas the public appears to have no problem discerning the meaning of his stories,  those closest to Jesus in Mark are by way of contrast least likely to understand his instruction. As a consequence of their collective dimwittedness, the disciples routinely require clarification in order to make sense of what Jesus says. 

]]> Having characterized Jesus' use of parables in Mark as his attempt to accommodate the public's need for pedagogical assistance in season two's opening episode, Dr. Proctor examines Mark's characterization of the twelve disciples in episode two. Whereas the public appears to have no problem discerning the meaning of his stories,  those closest to Jesus in Mark are by way of contrast least likely to understand his instruction. As a consequence of their collective dimwittedness, the disciples routinely require clarification in order to make sense of what Jesus says. 

]]> Dr. Mark A. Proctor Buzzsprout-10228874 Thu, 10 Mar 2022 18:00:00 -0500 3762 2 2 full false The Fifth “W:” Mark 4:10-13 Who? What? When? Where? Why? In season two's first episode, Lee and Dr. Mark address a very important question: Why did Jesus speak in parables? In order to provide an answer, they examine a critical passage  scholars commonly refer to as a the "Parables Theory:" Mark 4:10-13.  While nearly all versions of the Bible translate the first word in the Greek text of v. 12 with the English gloss "so that" or "in order that," Dr. Mark explains why doing so is problematic. He then offers an alternative approach to the verse that allows for understanding Jesus' parables as readily accessible heuristic devices that facilitate public learning by making his deeply existential topics comprehensible for everyone. 

]]> Who? What? When? Where? Why? In season two's first episode, Lee and Dr. Mark address a very important question: Why did Jesus speak in parables? In order to provide an answer, they examine a critical passage  scholars commonly refer to as a the "Parables Theory:" Mark 4:10-13.  While nearly all versions of the Bible translate the first word in the Greek text of v. 12 with the English gloss "so that" or "in order that," Dr. Mark explains why doing so is problematic. He then offers an alternative approach to the verse that allows for understanding Jesus' parables as readily accessible heuristic devices that facilitate public learning by making his deeply existential topics comprehensible for everyone. 

]]> Dr. Mark A. Proctor Buzzsprout-10228556 Thu, 10 Mar 2022 18:00:00 -0500 4254 2 1 full false A Kudzu Haven for Crop Stealing Scavengers: The Mustard Seed (Matt 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:18-19; Gos. Thom. 20) As one of only three quadruply attested parables in the Gospel Tradition, the Mustard Seed describes the transformational growth of what Jesus calls the smallest of all the seeds. Season one’s final episode begins with a lighthearted quiz before moving on to examine the various differences between the story’s four extant versions. In the process of doing so Mark and Lee discover it is possible to understand the Mustard Seed both as a similitude and a parable proper with distinct meanings. Though reading the story as a parable proper presents readers with difficult existential challenges, Dr. Proctor prefers this approach on the grounds it enhances the story’s aesthetic and yields a more timely meaning for our contemporary situation. 

]]> As one of only three quadruply attested parables in the Gospel Tradition, the Mustard Seed describes the transformational growth of what Jesus calls the smallest of all the seeds. Season one’s final episode begins with a lighthearted quiz before moving on to examine the various differences between the story’s four extant versions. In the process of doing so Mark and Lee discover it is possible to understand the Mustard Seed both as a similitude and a parable proper with distinct meanings. Though reading the story as a parable proper presents readers with difficult existential challenges, Dr. Proctor prefers this approach on the grounds it enhances the story’s aesthetic and yields a more timely meaning for our contemporary situation. 

]]> Dr. Mark A. Proctor Buzzsprout-8993967 Sun, 08 Aug 2021 13:00:00 -0400 5061 1 10 full false Parabolic Polyvalency Part 2: Filling the Hungry with Good Figs in Luke 13:6-9 In "Parabolic Polyvalency Part 2," Mark and Lee offer a second reading of Luke's story about the supposedly "barren" fig tree. The episode begins with an examination of the Third Gospel's largely negative presentation of money and the wealthy, and uses it to suggest a novel approach to the parable's content. Of critical importance is the following question: "What if the fig tree really isn't barren?"

]]> In "Parabolic Polyvalency Part 2," Mark and Lee offer a second reading of Luke's story about the supposedly "barren" fig tree. The episode begins with an examination of the Third Gospel's largely negative presentation of money and the wealthy, and uses it to suggest a novel approach to the parable's content. Of critical importance is the following question: "What if the fig tree really isn't barren?"

]]> Dr. Mark A. Proctor Buzzsprout-8842186 Sat, 10 Jul 2021 16:00:00 -0400 3722 1 9 full false Parabolic Polyvalency Part 1: Blind Loyalty in the Barren Fig Tree (Luke 13:6-9) The ninth episode of "Stories for the Waiting Room" introduces a new way of categorizing Jesus' parables. While interpretive comments accompany many of these stories, others Jesus presents in a less direct fashion as illustrations of the Kingdom of God. In the parable of the Barren Fig Tree, however, one encounters what Dr. Proctor describes as an uninterpreted parable. Such stories (all of which are in Luke) appear in the text without commentary, without clear ties to their surrounding context, and without comparison to the kingdom. As a consequence, Luke leaves his readers free to assess the stories' meanings in any way that might align with his broader purposes as a writer. The uninterpreted parables are thus capable of carrying multiple meanings; i.e., they are "potentially polyvalent." Having made this critical distinction, Mark and Lee use the opening scene of Luke 13 along with ancient horticultural texts to offer an initial interpretation the Barren Fig Tree that sees it as an illustration of loyalty's irrational demands. In the same way Jesus demonstrates loyalty to the Galileans in Luke 13:1-5 by countering their biased Judean critics, so the vintner shows fidelity to an out-of-place and barren fig tree in the parable that follows.

]]> The ninth episode of "Stories for the Waiting Room" introduces a new way of categorizing Jesus' parables. While interpretive comments accompany many of these stories, others Jesus presents in a less direct fashion as illustrations of the Kingdom of God. In the parable of the Barren Fig Tree, however, one encounters what Dr. Proctor describes as an uninterpreted parable. Such stories (all of which are in Luke) appear in the text without commentary, without clear ties to their surrounding context, and without comparison to the kingdom. As a consequence, Luke leaves his readers free to assess the stories' meanings in any way that might align with his broader purposes as a writer. The uninterpreted parables are thus capable of carrying multiple meanings; i.e., they are "potentially polyvalent." Having made this critical distinction, Mark and Lee use the opening scene of Luke 13 along with ancient horticultural texts to offer an initial interpretation the Barren Fig Tree that sees it as an illustration of loyalty's irrational demands. In the same way Jesus demonstrates loyalty to the Galileans in Luke 13:1-5 by countering their biased Judean critics, so the vintner shows fidelity to an out-of-place and barren fig tree in the parable that follows.

]]> Dr. Mark A. Proctor Buzzsprout-8675141 Wed, 09 Jun 2021 16:00:00 -0400 4073 1 9 full false The Sincerest Form of Flattery: The Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10) In the eighth episode of "Stories for the Waiting Room" Mark and Lee investigate Luke's parable of the Lost Coin. This unique story follows closely on the heels of the Lost Sheep (see episode seven), and so forms one of Luke's many gendered pairs. It concerns a woman's delight in finding a coin she misplaced in her home, and aims to illustrate the "joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Whereas the Jesus Seminar regarded the story's claim to authenticity as substantial, good reasons also exist for thinking the Lost Coin just might be the literary product of what Oscar Wilde once referred to as flattery's sincerest form.

]]> In the eighth episode of "Stories for the Waiting Room" Mark and Lee investigate Luke's parable of the Lost Coin. This unique story follows closely on the heels of the Lost Sheep (see episode seven), and so forms one of Luke's many gendered pairs. It concerns a woman's delight in finding a coin she misplaced in her home, and aims to illustrate the "joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Whereas the Jesus Seminar regarded the story's claim to authenticity as substantial, good reasons also exist for thinking the Lost Coin just might be the literary product of what Oscar Wilde once referred to as flattery's sincerest form.

]]> Dr. Mark A. Proctor Buzzsprout-8659846 Mon, 07 Jun 2021 11:00:00 -0400 4368 1 8 full false Joy in Recovering What’s Gone Missing: Lost Sheep in Thomas, Matthew, and Luke In the seventh episode of "Stories for the Waiting Room," Mark and Lee take a look at the three versions of Jesus' parable of the Lost Sheep in the Gospel of  Thomas 107, Matthew 18:10-14, and Luke 15:1-7.  In each instance, the gospel writers use Jesus' story to address their respective theological concerns. In Thomas the parable affirms the good shepherd's love for wise disciples. Matthew instead presents the sheep not as the biggest of the bunch but as a vulnerable and immature member of the flock in need of the shepherd’s care and rescue. Finally, Luke uses the Lost Sheep story to cast Jesus' association with tax collectors and sinners as his attempt to encourage their repentance and bring joy to God in the process.

]]> In the seventh episode of "Stories for the Waiting Room," Mark and Lee take a look at the three versions of Jesus' parable of the Lost Sheep in the Gospel of  Thomas 107, Matthew 18:10-14, and Luke 15:1-7.  In each instance, the gospel writers use Jesus' story to address their respective theological concerns. In Thomas the parable affirms the good shepherd's love for wise disciples. Matthew instead presents the sheep not as the biggest of the bunch but as a vulnerable and immature member of the flock in need of the shepherd’s care and rescue. Finally, Luke uses the Lost Sheep story to cast Jesus' association with tax collectors and sinners as his attempt to encourage their repentance and bring joy to God in the process.

]]> Dr. Mark A. Proctor Buzzsprout-8552612 Wed, 19 May 2021 19:00:00 -0400 3180 1 7 full false Contentment in a Kingdom of Slaves: The Dutiful Servant (Luke 17:7-10) Did Jesus condone slavery?  In the sixth episode of "Stories for the Waiting Room," Mark and Lee discuss one of the more difficult lessons Jesus teaches his disciples. While on his way to Jerusalem to die, Jesus tells them a story about a Dutiful Servant whose day begins and ends with labor performed at a nameless owner's behest in Luke 17:7-10. At the parable's conclusion Jesus offers the following bit of instruction: "So also you, whenever you have done all the things you’ve been instructed to do, you should say 'We are useless slaves. We’ve only done what we should’ve done.'" To help form a suitable response , Dr. Proctor examines three contexts for Luke's challenging similitude: 1) slavery in the Greco-Roman world, 2) the Stoic philosophy of Epictetus, and 3) Jesus' previous instruction in Luke 12:35-38.

]]> Did Jesus condone slavery?  In the sixth episode of "Stories for the Waiting Room," Mark and Lee discuss one of the more difficult lessons Jesus teaches his disciples. While on his way to Jerusalem to die, Jesus tells them a story about a Dutiful Servant whose day begins and ends with labor performed at a nameless owner's behest in Luke 17:7-10. At the parable's conclusion Jesus offers the following bit of instruction: "So also you, whenever you have done all the things you’ve been instructed to do, you should say 'We are useless slaves. We’ve only done what we should’ve done.'" To help form a suitable response , Dr. Proctor examines three contexts for Luke's challenging similitude: 1) slavery in the Greco-Roman world, 2) the Stoic philosophy of Epictetus, and 3) Jesus' previous instruction in Luke 12:35-38.

]]> Dr. Mark A. Proctor Buzzsprout-8477546 Fri, 07 May 2021 10:00:00 -0400 4293 1 6 full false Matthew's Conjoined Fraternal Twins: Treasure in the Field and Pearl of Great Price in the First Gospel The fifth episode of Stories for the Waiting Room investigates Matthew's treatment of the Treasure in the Field and the Pearl of Great Price. Dr. Proctor suggests both Matthew's arrangement of the two stories and his selection of Greek verb tense within them suggests the First Evangelist aimed to present the pair as a set of conjoined fraternal twins. The two parables in Matt 13:44-46 thus make separate points about the kingdom’s “hiddenness” and “costliness” that nevertheless entail one another. Should Matthew’s audience hitch their wagon to the message of either story, they will soon find its sibling’s twin claim in tow as well; for the stories’ proximity to one another and their structural similarity do not allow for their convenient separation. While all who locate the Kingdom of God's whereabouts should consider themselves fortunate, they must all pay a stiff fee to acquire it, one requiring they break from their morally suspect past. 

]]> The fifth episode of Stories for the Waiting Room investigates Matthew's treatment of the Treasure in the Field and the Pearl of Great Price. Dr. Proctor suggests both Matthew's arrangement of the two stories and his selection of Greek verb tense within them suggests the First Evangelist aimed to present the pair as a set of conjoined fraternal twins. The two parables in Matt 13:44-46 thus make separate points about the kingdom’s “hiddenness” and “costliness” that nevertheless entail one another. Should Matthew’s audience hitch their wagon to the message of either story, they will soon find its sibling’s twin claim in tow as well; for the stories’ proximity to one another and their structural similarity do not allow for their convenient separation. While all who locate the Kingdom of God's whereabouts should consider themselves fortunate, they must all pay a stiff fee to acquire it, one requiring they break from their morally suspect past. 

]]> Dr. Mark A. Proctor Buzzsprout-8399075 Sun, 25 Apr 2021 10:00:00 -0400 3620 1 5 full false Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers: Pearl of Great Price & Treasure in the Field in the Gospel of Thomas If a parable’s growth is a good indicator of a writer’s editorial interest, it seems clear the author of the Gospel of Thomas was willing to emend Jesus' parables about the Treasure in the Field and the Pearl of Great Price in such a way as to make profitable use of first-century dislike for profiteering. Comparing the Kingdom of God to a moneylending capitalist would be a surefire way to gather audience attention in the ancient world, but exactly what is Thomas’ point? Is he criticizing the family who let the kingdom’s possession slip out of their possession into the hands of a moneylender (Treasure in the Field), while simultaneously allowing a prudent merchant to access it by means of a wise investment he makes for himself (Pearl of Great Price)? 

]]> If a parable’s growth is a good indicator of a writer’s editorial interest, it seems clear the author of the Gospel of Thomas was willing to emend Jesus' parables about the Treasure in the Field and the Pearl of Great Price in such a way as to make profitable use of first-century dislike for profiteering. Comparing the Kingdom of God to a moneylending capitalist would be a surefire way to gather audience attention in the ancient world, but exactly what is Thomas’ point? Is he criticizing the family who let the kingdom’s possession slip out of their possession into the hands of a moneylender (Treasure in the Field), while simultaneously allowing a prudent merchant to access it by means of a wise investment he makes for himself (Pearl of Great Price)? 

]]> Dr. Mark A. Proctor Buzzsprout-8339548 Thu, 15 Apr 2021 05:00:00 -0400 2488 1 4 full false Woman’s Work in a Man’s World: Jesus' Parable of the Leaven The third episode of Stories for the Waiting Room examines Jesus' parable of the Leaven, which concern's a nameless woman's domestic activity. In keeping with Jesus' normal storytelling style, this brief account presents a stereotypical housewife engaged in the task of preparing bread. Yet the proportions of her recipe are all out of whack, and Jesus' positive use of traditionally negative symbols would likely have struck his audiences as a curious way to illustrate what life in the Kingdom of God must be like.

]]> The third episode of Stories for the Waiting Room examines Jesus' parable of the Leaven, which concern's a nameless woman's domestic activity. In keeping with Jesus' normal storytelling style, this brief account presents a stereotypical housewife engaged in the task of preparing bread. Yet the proportions of her recipe are all out of whack, and Jesus' positive use of traditionally negative symbols would likely have struck his audiences as a curious way to illustrate what life in the Kingdom of God must be like.

]]> Dr. Mark A. Proctor Buzzsprout-8294806 Thu, 08 Apr 2021 04:00:00 -0400 3393 1 3 full false Tackling the Question of Genre: What Are Jesus' Parables In the second episode of "Stories for the Waiting Room," Dr. Proctor uses the text of Ecclesiastes 9:14-15 to illustrate some of the basic narrative qualities of Jesus' parables. In addition to being terse accounts of status quo people in stereotypical life situations, the parables frequently insert unexpected "twists" that encourage readers to engage in the interpretive process. Paying attention to the contexts of the parables can frequently assist readers in their efforts to unravel Jesus' meaning. Episode two closes with C. H. Dodd's famous definition of "parable" in his book, The Parables of the Kingdom.

]]> In the second episode of "Stories for the Waiting Room," Dr. Proctor uses the text of Ecclesiastes 9:14-15 to illustrate some of the basic narrative qualities of Jesus' parables. In addition to being terse accounts of status quo people in stereotypical life situations, the parables frequently insert unexpected "twists" that encourage readers to engage in the interpretive process. Paying attention to the contexts of the parables can frequently assist readers in their efforts to unravel Jesus' meaning. Episode two closes with C. H. Dodd's famous definition of "parable" in his book, The Parables of the Kingdom.

]]> Dr. Mark A. Proctor Buzzsprout-8270966 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 19:00:00 -0400 2705 1 2 full false "Where's Waldo?" Locating Jesus' Parables In the first episode of "Stories for the Waiting Room," Dr. Mark A. Proctor discusses the four sources for Jesus' famous parables (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and the Gospel of Thomas) and the possible historical implications for stories lacking multiple independent attestation.

]]> In the first episode of "Stories for the Waiting Room," Dr. Mark A. Proctor discusses the four sources for Jesus' famous parables (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and the Gospel of Thomas) and the possible historical implications for stories lacking multiple independent attestation.

]]> Dr. Mark A. Proctor Buzzsprout-8270422 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 16:00:00 -0400 3181 1 1 full false