From: Jim Armstrong (jarmstro@qwest.net)
Date: Mon Jun 16 2003 - 23:38:05 EDT
I''ll venture to offer a contrary opinion.
Jesus spoke in parables to make sure that the ideas were unmistakably clear.
The problem seems to be that the message is at once too simple and too
challenging to accept as is.
There are no secrets. There's nothing hidden.
It's in Micah 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
and again in Matthew 25:37-40
Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You
hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink?
'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and
clothe You?'
'And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'
And the King will answer and say to them,
'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these
brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'
...just in case we missed it in the witness of the life of Jesus.
"Is that all there is to it?" Yes, I think so.
Look at the life of Jesus - what he does and why he does it! Isn't it
all there? Isn't that enough?
It just seems to be so hard to do that it is more comfortable to spend
time and energy in an effort to study, study, study, trying to make more
of it than it is.
To do more - to make it more complicated than the simple charges of the
Micah and Matthew passages - generally seems to serve something in and
of us,
flying in the face of humility of which we are in great need.
Jesus is identified with the Logos. The Bible is not the Logos. Rather
it points to the Logos.
I think that's the intent when John writes, "he that hath seen me hath
seen the Father" (Jn 14:9)
[Keep in mind that John also said, "No man hath seen God at any time,"
(Jn 1:18 ),
so one may surmise that John is not literally saying that looking at
Jesus is the same as looking at God.]
Emulating the life and example of Jesus is challenging enough.
Do we really need anything hard to understand?
Is there anything more worthwhile?
JMHO - oh, did I manage to blow the H part even with this posting? :-)
Jim Armstrong
Debbie Mann wrote:
> I feel a little guilt over my last comment. I have tried to listen and
> debate the position of the Bible without opinion. However, my heart
> has an opinion. I use scriptures throughout every day to help with
> many aspects of my day. I am addicted. My head opinion is of course
> influenced by my heart opinion.
>
> My combined opinion (head and heart):
>
> God provides the simple to confound the wise.
>
> Matthew 13:34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in
> parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them.
>
> That's a strong statement. The reason is given that He was uttering
> secrets that were kept secret since the world began.
>
> Luke 12:2 says that there is nothing hidden that will not be made known.
>
> This theme of the secret or the hidden is more than an evening's Bible
> study.
>
> Jesus is The Word. The Bible is The Word. Jesus said nothing to the
> multitude that was not in parables.
>
> I think the thesis is pretty clear hear.
>
> The Bible was written for our learning that we might have hope - but
> it was not written as a primer with clear, unambiguous information. It
> was intentially set up to require faith to peal away the layers of the
> onions. Jesus personally explained the meaning, on at least one level,
> of each of his parables to his disciples. They didn't get it. Over and
> over they didn't get it - and they had full time tutoring for years.
>
> By the way, the Bible sure doesn't teach much that's positive about
> falling in love in a romantic sense. Is there one positive story about
> boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after? Jacob
> and Rebecca is about the closest I can come up with.
>
> Debbie Mann, PE
> Debbie Mann Consulting
> (765)477-1776
>
>
>
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