Parable of the Holy Grail

He put before them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like a thief who stole the Holy Grail, which Joseph of Arimathea lost while traveling upon the ocean. For two thousand years the golden chalice lay in the darkness of the deep, becoming encrusted with silt, sand, coral, barnacles, and other creatures of the sea. When finally found, the priests proclaimed it a Holy Relic, which God had entrusted to them alone. They locked it deep within the temple, and worshiped its form, though they could not see the genuine beauty hidden within.

"The priests made a great show of the relic on holy days, but the people asked 'How can we know the Grail truly lies within?' They replied, 'Surely you know that God has given to priests alone the power to reveal His Truth?' Others asked why the priests did not remove the encrustation of the centuries, to reveal the original radiance of the Holy Grail itself, to which the priests replied that attempts to restore the Grail to its original condition would surely damage it beyond repair. But one among the people, wishing to see it for himself, and thus reveal its Truth to the people, broke down the door of the temple, and stole the Grail from the place where the priests had enshrined it. Hearing the noise, the high priest accosted the thief, and soon the other priests surrounded him, demanding the Grail's return to its place on the altar.

"But he refused, saying, 'You would hide the True Grail from the people, but I would reveal it in all its glory!' And thus speaking, he dashed it down against the marble floor, breaking loose the sediments of the centuries. The gold of the Grail shone forth a dazzling Light, which blinded the priests, leaving only the thief with his eyes unveiled. But truly, more than with his eyes did the thief see the Grail with his heart.

"Then the priests, even in their blindness, caused him to suffer death by crucifixion. But I say unto you that only this thief among them all will inherit the kingdom of God."