This post on Jesus’ parables is part of the August Synchroblog, a monthly event where bloggers around the world write about various topics at the same time. If you are a blogger or writer, make sure you join us next month! It’s a great way to meet other bloggers and blog readers.
Most people find Jesus’ parables to be rather confusing. If that is you, guess what? You are on the right track to understanding Jesus’ parables! Seriously.
I often laugh when I read what the disciples say to Jesus in Matthew 13:51 after He has told a string of several particularly confusing parables. Jesus says to them, “Have you understood all these things?” and they answer, “Yes, Lord!”
Frankly, I think this was a case of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” I think that none of them understood much of what Jesus was saying (for when have they ever understood much of Jesus’ parables before?) but were all too afraid to admit that they had no clue what Jesus was talking about, and nobody was courageous enough to admit it. Too bad there wasn’t a child nearby to yell out, “Hey! I don’t understand! Tell us what you mean by these parables, Jesus!”
Well, I am not a child, and I am not one of the apostles, but let me admit it publicly, “I don’t think I understand Jesus’ parables.”
And you know what? I think that is EXACTLY what Jesus wants. In fact, confusion is the goal of the Jesus’ parables. Did you know that? So if you are confused by what Jesus says in His parables, you are on the right track. If you are confident you understand all of Jesus’ parables, you probably need to have your pride meter checked. Jesus told parables so that people would not understand what He was saying, and He had very specific reasons for doing this.
Let me show you what Jesus Himself said about the parables, and then I will conclude this post with a chronological list of all Jesus’ parables in the Gospels.
Why Jesus Spoke in Parables
You sometimes hear pastors say that since Jesus told stories, so should we. I think we could have a debate about the effectiveness of storytelling in our preaching and teaching, but one thing we cannot argue is that “since Jesus told stories, so should we.” Jesus didn’t tell “stories.” He told “parables.” Parables are very different than stories. Though there are similarities between stories and parables, stories are often given to illustrate a truth or help people remember a point that was made, while parables, on the other hand, are given to hide the truth and confuse people about the point that was made.
At least, that is what Jesus says about why He told parables.
As we all know, Jesus told parables. The apostles were always getting confused by His parables and were relieved when He finally spoke plainly to them (John 16:29). The fact that the apostles were first century Mediterranean Jews who lived and listened to Jesus for three straight years, but who were still confused by Jesus’ parables should give us hope that if they were confused, it is okay for us to be confused as well.
Yet confusion was the goal and purpose of the parables. At one point in Jesus’ ministry, the apostles come to Jesus and say, “Why do you speak in parables?” (Matthew 13:10). They were confused by what Jesus said in his parables, and the multitudes who listened to Jesus’ parables were often confused as well by what Jesus was teaching, and so the apostles were kindly telling Jesus that He might do better if He spoke plainly to the people.
Jesus tells the apostles in Matthew 13:11-17 (cf. Matthew 13:34-35; Luke 8:10) that the reason He speaks in parables is so that the people will “see but not see, hear but not hear.”
In other words, Jesus told parables to mask the truth, to hide it, to cloak it, to make it unclear. Jesus’ parables are supposed to be confusing! He wanted them to be confusing!
Why would Jesus do that? Didn’t Jesus come to reveal God to us? Doesn’t Jesus want people to understand the way of salvation? Aren’t good teachers supposed to teach with clarity?
Well, this actually gets us back into the whole theology of the Bible as well. If you have been honest with yourself enough to admit that some of Jesus’ parables are confusing, then you are probably also honest enough to admit that much of the Bible is confusing also. One of the reasons Jesus spoke in ways that were confusing to His audience, is because… this is what God has always been doing!
So if we want to ask why Jesus told stories that were intentionally confusing, then we also need to ask why God would inspire the Bible to be written in ways that were intentionally confusing. The answer to one question will also be the answer to the other.
And do you want to know why?
Here is why: Scripture and parables are confusing because God doesn’t want us to get life from a book. The Jewish religious leaders were trying to get their life from a book, and Jesus scolded them for it (John 5:39-40), and so also today, many people seem to think that life comes from studying, learning, and following the Bible. But it doesn’t.
Life comes from God alone. Life comes through Jesus Christ. He IS life.
And so when God inspired the Bible to be written in confusing ways, and when Jesus told parables that were confusing, their goal was not just to confuse people, but to get people to come to the source of life for an explanation. God didn’t inspire the Bible to be written just so we could have a book about God. Neither did Jesus tell parables just so we could have some profound spiritual truths. No, the Bible is a tool to lead us into a relationship with God and the parables are a tool to lead us into a relationship with Jesus.
When Jesus told confusing parables, the proper response was for people to go to Jesus and say, “What in the world? That made no sense, Jesus. What did you mean by that parable?” And Jesus always responds by saying, “Ah! I was waiting for you to ask. Let’s talk about it.” And that is what He does. He sits around and discusses the parables with those who want to learn more and who come to Him seeking a relationship. That is why He tells the apostles in Matthew 16 that their eyes and ears are blessed because they see and hear what many prophets have longed for. What did they see and hear? Not the parables…. but Jesus Himself!
This is the same way we can approach Scripture. When the Bible is confusing, the proper response is to go to God and say, “What in the world? This makes no sense, God. What were you thinking? What is going on here?” And then God can say to you, “Ah! I was waiting for you to ask! Let’s talk about it.”
Why is the Bible confusing? For the same reason Jesus’ parables are confusing: God doesn’t want us to be “people of the book.” He wants us to be people of His family. He wants us to be His sons and daughters. And as His children, when we read something in His book that doesn’t make sense to us, He doesn’t want us to shake our head, throw up our hands and say, “I’ll never understand the Bible.” Instead, He wants us to develop a relationship with Him by going to Him with our questions and concerns.
Of course, I should tell you how God often answers your questions and concerns. In my experience, He usually says something like this: “Oh yes. That text. That’s a tough one. But listen, don’t worry about that right now. Look at your neighbors over there struggling with their marriage. What do you think we can do to help them?”
If you look through Jesus’ parables in the Gospels, note that after many of them, rather than really provide much of a verbal explanation, Jesus takes His apostles to love or serve somebody. After the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus told several parables, Jesus goes and cleanses a leper, heals the centurion’s servant, and many other people (Matthew 8). After telling a parable about new wine in old wineskins, Jesus raises a young girl to life, gives sight to blind men, and gives a mute man back his voice (Matthew 9). This patterns is followed throughout the Gospels.
So don’t be surprised if following Jesus means following Him with lots of unanswered questions. The parables were designed (along with the rest of Scripture) to bring you into the company of Jesus. After that, Jesus shows you what the parables mean, not by answering your questions, but by leading you to love and server others.
…Which turns out to be the meaning of Jesus’ parables all along.
A List of Jesus’ Parables
Here is a list of Jesus’ parables in chronological order (Credit goes to The Narrated Bible in Chronological Order for this list).
- New cloth on an old coat (Matthew 9:16; Mark 2:21; Luke 5:36)
- New wine in old wineskins (Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37-38)
- Lamp on a stand (also see #6) (Matthew 5:14-15)
- Wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-27; Luke 6:47-49)
- Moneylender forgives unequal debts (Luke 7:41-43)
- Lamp on a stand (2nd time, see #3) (Mark 4:21-22; Luke 8:16, 11:33)
- Rich man foolishly builds bigger barns (Luke 12:16-21)
- Servants must remain watchful (also see #44) (Luke 12:35-40)
- Wise and foolish servants (also see #42) (Luke 12:42-48)
- Unfruitful fig tree (Luke 13:6-9)
- Sower and four types of soil (Matthew 13:3-8, 18-23; Mark 4:3-8, 14-20; Luke 8:5-8, 11-15)
- Weeds among good plants (Kingdom of Heaven) (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)
- Growing seed (Kingdom of Heaven) (Mark 4:26-29)
- Mustard seed (Kingdom of Heaven) (Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:18-19)
- Yeast (Kingdom of Heaven) (Matt 13:33; Luke 13:20-21)
- Hidden treasure (Kingdom of Heaven) (Matthew 13:44)
- Valuable pearl (Kingdom of Heaven) (Matthew 13:45-46)
- Fishing net (Kingdom of Heaven) (Matthew 13:47-50)
- Owner of a house (Kingdom of Heaven) (Matthew 13:52)
- Lost sheep (sheep as children, also see #29) (Matthew 18:12-14)
- The sheep, gate, and shepherd (John 10:1-5, 7-18)
- Master and his servant (Luke 17:7-10)
- Unmerciful servant (Kingdom of Heaven) (Matthew 18:23-34)
- Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37)
- Friend in need (Luke 11:5-8)
- Lowest seat at the feast (Luke 14:7-14)
- Invitation to a great banquet (Luke 14:16-24)
- Cost of discipleship (Luke 14:28-33)
- Lost sheep (sheep as sinners, also see #20) (Luke 15:4-7)
- Lost coin (Luke 15:8-10)
- Lost (prodigal) son (Luke 15:11-32)
- Shrewd manager (Luke 16:1-8)
- Rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)
- Workers in the vineyard, early and late (Matthew 20:1-16)
- Persistent widow and crooked judge (Luke 18:2-8)
- Pharisee and tax collector (Luke 18:10-14)
- King’s ten servants given minas (also see #45) (Luke 19:12-27)
- Two sons, one obeys one does not (Matthew 21:28-32)
- Wicked tenants (Matt 21:33-44; Mark 12:1-11; Luke 20:9-18)
- Invitation to a wedding banquet (Matthew 22:2-14)
- Signs of the future from a fig tree (Matthew 24:32-35; Mark 13:28-29; Luke 21:29-31)
- Wise and foolish servants (2nd time, see #9) (Matthew 24:45-51)
- Wise and foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)
- Servants must remain watchful (2nd time, see #8) (Mark 13:35-37)
- Three servants given talents (also see #37) (Matthew 25:14-30)
- Sheep and goats will be separated (Matthew 25:31-46)
There are, of course, some keys which help us to understand Jesus’ parables. Among them are understanding God’s outrageous grace, what Jesus means by the “Kingdom of Heaven,” and what Jesus thinks about religion (Hint: He hates religion). It is also critical to grasp some of the historical-cultural background themes and ideas from the first century Mediterranean world. If you want to learn more about these things, I highly recommend the following resources to get you started:
Resources for Understanding Jesus’ Parables
- How God Became King by NT Wright
- Kingdom, Grace, Judgment by Robert F. Capon
- Poet and Peasant and Through Middle-Eastern Eyes by Kenneth Bailey
- Repenting of Religion by Greg Boyd
If you know of other good books on the parables of Jesus, let me know in the comment section below.
Other People who Blogged on Jesus’ Parables
Here is a list of other bloggers and authors who contributed to this month’s synchroblog on Jesus’ parables. Go check them all out!
- Parabolic Living – Tim Nichols
- Seed Parables:Sowing Seeds of the Kingdom – Carol Kunihol
- Parables – Be Like the Ant or the Grasshopper – Paul Meier
- The Parables of Jesus: Not Like Today’s Sermons – Jessica
- Penelope and the Crutch – Glenn Hager
- Parables and the Insult of Grace – Rachel
- Changing Hearts Rather Than Minds – Liz Dyer
Seeing, you do not see; hearing, you do not hear; and let’s add reading you do not understand. Search the Scriptures because you think you’ll find eternal life there. Instead you find reasons not to love your brothers and neighbors. Rather than theologians and great Bible scholars we find people who love the Bible and their theologies more than their neighbor. Ah, but he’s a drug dealer! He’s gay! She’s a prostitute and a gossip! Rather than understand the Scripture, we place our faith in it instead of in Jesus.
Nailed it, Sam!
i agree with not making a golden calf out of any Theologian but sure how Sam nailed it when he said people love the Bible more than Jesus? Christianity teaches Jesus and his words are the author of the bible.
Preach it!
Sorry but sometimes love must be tough love, like telling someone the truth. It is called Intervention. Sometimes people mistake correction as hatred but if I’m about to venture into muddy waters please tell me before i become reckless or ship wreck.
Wow! I should have had you write this post! Thanks for the great comment.
??? Can you please explain how God and Jesus are separate from the Bible since Christianity 101 teaches both God and Jesus inspired men to write the bible under the unction of God’s Holy Spirit.
I was blessed to give a sermon on the Prodigal Son, which really should be called The Costly Love of the Father. I used Dr. Ken Bailey as my main source outside of Scripture. Here is the link if you have 40 minutes with nothing else to do. http://rockymountaincc.sermon.tv/8576353
Thanks, Scott. Ken Bailey is great!
Great points, Jeremy! Jesus didn’t bother with trying to teach the unreceptive, but laid his teaching for the “babes.” Can’t get life from a book! I like that!
Thanks, Glenn. I am looking forward to your book!
Christianity 101 teaches Jesus taught love but he also taught that those that love him keep his commandments. He did not teach love at the expense of His Holiness. It is not one or the other, sorry. He also taught the words he spoke and the Gospel is how one discovers life. He said those that love him obey him. I think it is safe to say we are a work in progress or process.
John 14:15
If you love me, you will obey my commandments.
The Bible is the only book where we can not only know the Author, but He lives inside of us as believers. That’s why reading the Bible is so powerful and life-changing, more than any other book. And the only way we can make sense of it is when we have a relationship with the Author and allow Him to explain it to us. That’s why the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. They need to listen to the Holy Spirit to understand God’s Word and His plan of salvation. We don’t worship the book, we worship the Living Word Jesus Christ.
Yes, the Bible is powerful because it can be used for good or evil. It has been abused and used a weapon for fear based control, for getting rich, for starting wars, etc.
It has also been used for good. The written word is a doubled edged sword. Remember, the letter killeth, the Spirit giveth life. The letter of the Word(the Bible) was written by men who were inspired. It would be no different than if you, in your inspiration and love for God, wrote a book. 2000 years from now, many of which you wrote, culturally, would be outdated and then people could use it 2000 years from now for both good or evil.
For example, Paul wrote 2000 years ago that woman shouldn’t speak in church, that woman should cover their heads, etc etc. But today, culturally it doesn’t apply. It was for that time.
Dustin,
Good points. We do need to be careful how we read and use Scripture. It has been so abused.
You basically said what I summed up ,that mainstream Christianity teaches the Holy Spirit is the teacher. He has to reveal the truth and guide into all truth, otherwise reading the bible will be just like reading any other book.
So true, Vince! Love it. It is amazing to realize that the Author lives in us and communicates with us not just on the page but through our Spirits.
Yes Amen to that Vince
Jeremy,
I’m with you on this, mostly. There’s a lot in Scripture that really doesn’t pop up in three dimensions until you actually experience the situation that it’s meant to address. That said, I feel like you omitted half of Jesus’ explanation. He said, “Because to you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”
As you say, the parables were meant to conceal the truth from some — but to reveal the truth to disciples. The fact that they’re meant to be confusing doesn’t relieve us of the responsibility to understand them.
Yep I missed the second part of this verse to. But still this does not make it less confusing a lot of times.
Tim,
You are right. I kind of mentioned the idea when I wrote that Jesus intended for people (e.g., his disciples) to come ask Him for an explanation. I think this is what he meant when he said that they understood what He was talking about. They understood it because they asked Jesus to explain it, and He did.
People forget that before the Bible we call the Word was written, and even before the foundation of the world, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. So if the Word was a Spirit from the beginning, why do we try say the Word is limited to a book?!?!
Why do we try to put God in a box?? God’s Word will never be limited to a words of the Bible.
Great points! Jesus is the Word of God.
Jeremy, I really appreciate your reflections on Scripture and your willingness to ask hard questions so we’ll keep thinking. Please keep it up!
I’m not totally with you, though, that “confusion is the goal of Jesus’ parables.” Matt 13:35 shows that Jesus spoke in parable so he might better clarify the truth for the crowds (reveal what was hidden).
You mentioned Jesus’ quote from Isaiah 6 (found in Matt 13:13-15), but I think there’s more to Isaiah than meets the eye. Yes, it seems at first as though God is purposefully confusing people so they won’t believe. But, in the larger context of Isaiah, this “sensory-malfunction” language (eyes that don’t see, ears that don’t hear, etc.) has less to do with divine efforts to confuse and more to do with human idolaters taking on the image of their false gods (which have eyes but don’t see, hands but can’t save, etc.).
Isaiah 2:6-22 describes the humiliation that falls on the house of Jacob for having worshiped idols. They share the same fate as their idols. It’s like, “you want to worship blocks of stone? Fine. I’ll grind you up with them!”
Isaiah 44:9-20 contains a particularly scathing parody of idolaters, who end up having their eyes and hearts shut, so they become hard and blind like the wood they sculptured and worshiped.
Isaiah draws on imagery from Psalm 115. “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see…Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.” So those who worship idols end up with failing sense perception, unable to understand the truth.
So Jesus told parables to expose this state of affairs so he could redeem it. He speaks parables, not to confuse these people, but to expose their idolatrous worship and bring it to the light (Matt 13:35) so they might trust him. In addition, I think he knows they’ll harden themselves even further and try to kill him. But that’s okay with him, because he needs to get killed so he can die for the sin of the world.
Rather than confusing his point, his parables make his point crystal clear. This clarity divides people in their responses to Jesus. But the problems come to the surface so he can deal with them (correcting disciples’ misunderstanding, fleeing or resisting Pharisees, etc.). The confusion lies not in Jesus’ parables (which were intended to clarify), but in the hard idolatry-filled hearts of sinners.
When we don’t understand Jesus’ parables, it ought to get our attention and cause us to ask whether we even want to understand. My idolatry dies a slow death. Too slow.
What do you think?
Peter,
I think I am in basic agreement with you. I just didn’t go into the great background material like you did. The parables always have “a sting in the tale” (to steal a phrase from someone I don’t remember), and are often meant to reveal a false attitude or action that we are harboring. The are stealth truths.
So you are right. When we don’t understand, it might be because we don’t want to see the truth, and are not ready (or willing) to let Jesus point it out to us.
Great reminder! Thanks.
So if you have basic agreement, how does that jive with your conclusion that Jesus tells parables to hide the truth and confuse people? I tried to show that he’s actually clarifying the truth and helping people understand (but they make it more confusing by their idolatry).
I see but I just don’t understand. 🙂
Christianity 101
There are two groups of people God and Jesus were speaking to in the Bible… The Saved and The lost–those rejecting him, those accepting him called the elect.
The contradictions of the bible is due to people not understanding this one point.
Parables are designed to help people understand. When Jesus spoke to people they heard his words in their ears and saw him speaking but they didnt “hear” what he said and seeing they didnt perceive. So by speaking in parables it was like him saying let me explain it to you another way…then he would say its like (fill in with a parable) So because he saw people were hearing but not getting it he used parables to help them understand….what a clever way of explaining something in a way that makes something easier to understand! Totally illustrates the wisdom of Jesus. The problem still exists today where people hear the gospel but dont really hear/take the message to heart.
As an avarage guy I found His parables straight forward to understand and after reading other peoples comments on them soon realised there was always more than initially met the eye.
After reading a book called The prodigal God I realised it was not just about the youngest son but about all the characters.
Jesus knew how hard hearted we had become and wanted us to come back into relationship with Him and the world He had created for our pleasure.
I think those who did not perceive did not like what they heard so ignored it. They did say “who does he think he is, isnt he Joseph the carpenters son”.
Its not just the message but the messenger we judge. We can only perceive by and through the power of the Holy Spirit, as we are not wise in ourselves to understand.
Clive,
Yes, this is the beauty of Scripture. I do think that much of it can be understood on a first reading, but even after we think we have mastered a passage, someone else can come along and show us whole new levels of meaning and significance.
Wow, interesting post and it’s generating some interesting discussion, too. I like your thought that confusion in God’s Word could be a tool to draw us nearer to Jesus, the Word. There is still much I don’t understand about the Bible, but I have certainly found that my lack of understanding itself will draw me closer to the Divine if I let it.
Thanks, Rachel.
I used to get frustrated that every time I found an answer to a Bible question, I discovered ten more questions. Now I just enjoy that part of it. It shows me that I will never get bored with Scripture. And if I study it at the feet of Jesus, then learning Scripture helps me dialogue with Him. It’s a win-win!
Good post, and great points. One thing that makes me crazy about Parable interpretation is some teachers have taught that there are “keys” to parables. Meaning, birds are always the evil one. Or Yeast is always sin. Then they go on to contort the parable into something that really makes no sense, like: The “Kingdom of God” is like a mustard tree and had birds (lots of demonic activity) nesting in it? What? Or The Kingdom of God is like a lump of dough with leven (sin) in it….again… What? Jesus was confusing, but those who teach that way are thoroughly confused.
Ha! Well, I have taught that way sometimes, but I see your point. I wonder if it is really true that certain symbols always mean the same thing in all parables. Hmm…. it may not be true. You raise a good point.
In the parables the field is compared to the conditions of mens hearts. But it is also the place where tares and wheat are sown. I the parable about the treasure hidden in the field, the treasure can have dual interpretations… If the treasure is a human hidden in the field (the world) who Jesus died for, then the man is Jesus, who “sells everything he has” and buys the field. But Jesus said the *kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field*, which changes the meaning to; The kingdom is most valuable thing there is, get it at all costs. …and that echos the other teachings of Jesus (Come follow me- foxes have holes-sell all you have- etc…) Neither is a wrong application, but both can now been seen as truth if you don’t come from the position that symbols always have the same meaning. I know a woman who teaches a Jewish Roots class. She looks at the Bible through a Hebrew perspective. She once went to a Messianic synagogue where they were going to look at the Parables. There was one older couple, 10-12 Jewish leaders, and her. Her story goes that all night they went round and round with a few parables, and then said the meeting was over. She said, “well, what’s the answer? What does the parable really mean?”… The response was, “The answer is not the point, the seeking out the answer is the point.”
Jeremy,
I once thought that symbolism in the bible was consistant and always meant the same thing, but I don’t really think that anymore. The parable of the mustard seed that grows into a tree probably was the strongest argument for me. Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that while a small seed grows into a great tree and the birds come and nest in its branches. Traditional parable interpretation usually sees birds as symbols of evil, and I have heard many attempts to explain how it could be that evil is setting up shop in God’s kingdom, but none of them is really satisfying. I do not believe birds are evil here, it seems to me more that Jesus is pointing out that in the kingdom things are restored to the way they should be, like they were originally intended to be, kinda like birds nesting safely in a tree, but I suppose I could be wrong as well.
FedEx
Interesting; I’ve never heard that approach. Such an interpreter could run into difficulty explaining the “son” in Matt 21:29 and the “son” in Matt 21:37. Back-to-back parables would have different “keys”!
This author forgot the role of God’s Holy Spirit. Reading the bible without the Spirit of Truth to reveal it means you will be reading a book like any other book but without understanding The Holy Spirit is the Revelator of Jesus and all that he spoke. Any born again believer is guided and taught by the Holy Spirit who comes along beside those in Christ to enlighten them on the meaning of the words Jesus spoke. Yes, God and Jesus spoke on Love but they also spoke on Holiness and Truth.
That seeing you do not see and hearing you do not hear was Jesus quoting the Prophet Isaiah 6:9. This was speaking of people who would hear and reject the truth.
John 16:13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
John 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will TEACH you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Guest,
I see you wrote a lot of comments on this post. I had trouble seeing what your comments had to do with the main post or with the points of the other people who commented.
I welcome people who disagree, as long as they are gracious in their interactions, but please keep your comments succinct and on point.
“Guest” suggesting that the Holy Spirit will help you understand the Bible/the parables is very much on topic since the article is about lack of understanding.
Amazing! You must have Spent a couple of hours writing all these comments, but what is your point? It seems to have something to do with correcting narcissistic teens so they don’t grow up to become jerks who don’t agree with what their parents taught them. Is that your point? What does it have to do with this post and the comments? FYI: Jeremy and I are not the same person.
Sam, I have often wondered a about that, I have never seen you in the same place at the same time. You sound very much like each other, hmmmm’ maybe you really are Jeremy’s alter ego. J/K 🙂
I have often noticed that some people come here with an agenda and simply try to make a post fit their preconceived ideas rather than actually engaging the topic of the post. And sadly, nearly all
of the posts they make are long winded and confusing.
Hope things are well with you and yours in SD. Blessings
FedEx
FedEx, You’ll have to ask your friend Kathy Escobar. She’s seen both of us, in person, at the same time. Jeremy’s the theologian. I’m the love-your-neighbor guy. Jeremy has three young daughters. I have three young grandchildren.
Yes, it does appear that some folks use someone else’s blog as a platform to spreads their own message, rather than interact with the topic at hand. In the case of Jeremy’s blog, it appears that Jeremy has one or two, possibly three commenters who post under a variety of names who have an underlying agenda.
All is well in SD. Hot, but o.k.
Sam,
I will ask Kathy, and maybe ask for photographic evidence. LOL, I am sorry for jumping on that. it just seemed to good to let go, you and Jeremy being the same person. I can just imagine Jeremy having long theological discussions with himself, no seriously, I can really imagine that.
FedEx
I didn’t think you really considered that we are the same person. A
comment awhile back seemed to think we are, which was the basis for the
idea. Our mystery commenter(s) almost without exception goes after both
Jeremy and me, usually on the same post, which I think is one giveaway
that it’s the the same commenter(s), regardless of the name they’re
using at the moment.
We plan to go back to Denver and would love to say hi when we’re there.
My office is in Denver, only about 20 minutes from the Refuge. I would be glad to meet up with you when you are out this way.
My office is in Denver, only about 20 minutes from the Refuge. I would be glad to meet up with you when you are out this way.
Hey Edwin and Sam!
I feel like you were “talking” about me. I’ve been long winded and confusing (I’m sure) more often than not (in my life).
I wish I wasn’t. I try to work on that, but I usually fail.
But, like you said… it’s not supposed to me about me… or “I, I, I”.
I have been sufficiently chastised though, and I am under much guilt and condemnation now (kidding there).
O.K., I’m stopping 🙂
M.
Unless you’re the person(s) who posts under a variety of names, we weren’t talking about you. 🙂
Mark,
Sam and I have been chatting on here for quite a while and we just notice that sometimes people are less than genuine in their comments. Particularly when they seem to say the same thing over and over or to ramble off topic. It was not intended to be a direct or even indirect, really, affront to any one person. We all fall into the trap of long windedness and rambling at times, my wife reminds me that I often do when I am on a topic that is close to my heart. Hope you will continue to engage, even if it is at times ling winded and confusing.
FedEx
Although the bible tells us we all have an innate knowledge of a higher being. None of us would come to know God (thru Jesus) unless he first reached out to have a relationship with all of us. I find that amazing, the Alpha and the Omega came to us before we can go to Him.
True points! We love because He first loved us, and we only know Him because He came to us to reveal Himself to us.
Hi, Jeremy: I have two comments . . .
The first is, I’d like to ask you to please reach out in love to those who post on your blog, even if you don’t care for the way they choose to post their comments: One poster, named Guest, asked you on several occasions to answer a question, which you never answered. What if Guest had sincere questions about the Bible, moreover about God, and honestly wanted to know your response to the questions? You asked Guest to keep his/her comments succint and on point, and assume that s/he is arguing with your post, but you never related with him/her, never responded to the true question. If we’re going to follow Jesus, don’t you think your responses will need to be more loving, more caring, and more like his?
The second comment is this: you are a wise young man, and have discovered an incredible, deep truth here. Religious people throughout all time, from pagan to Jewish and yes, to Christian today, have sought a book to worship, so that they think that they will be free from having to truly worship their Creator, from truly following Him. (And this has put them under an incredible yoke of bondage!) Life is relationship: relationship with God, and relationship with others. God is not some dead author like Hemingway or Shakespeare: He wants us to read His word within a relationship with him. Thank you so much for sharing this post! May we all get this . . .
Juan
thanks alot good points
I’m a big fan of stargate it’s Sci fi but however there are some very interesting perspectives in stargate. A religion in stargate spoke in parable which held all the knowledge of the universe, all knowledge of good and bad. But only the truly good would reach enlightenment through it because the knowledge held could only be understood by someone with a good heart, someone who thinks good would understand. If the knowledge found its way in the hands of evil, bad person or even demon, the devil, they wouldn’t get anywhere with it because their heart and way of being is not good enough to be able understand, so it wouldn’t make sense to what’s bad. Could this also be why jesus spoke in parables? Just wondering O.o
Hi Jane i like sci fi as well but there are flaws in the theory you have proposed first our hearts are wicked and there are none that are good we are all sinners.Notice the use of all knowledge of good and evil that is what lead man into sin in the first place in the garden of eden.Satan knows the word but doesnt walk in it.The only way we can understand the truth is to get to know the truth{Jesus} and walk in his ways.The more we walk in the truth the more he reveals to us.
Other books to consider regarding understanding the parables:
a) Rediscovering the Parables, by Joachim Jeremias
b) Short Stories by Jesus, by Amy-Jill Levine
Many of Jesus’ parables indicate that God can be found in the unclean and the corrupt.
The Samaritans were considered unclean. The gospels point to travelers who journey around Samaria. The Samaritans were considered the illegitimate heirs of Israel. Their holy temple was on Mt. Gerazim, not on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Remember, it was the Samaritan who embodied God’s mercy and compassion to the beaten Jew in the ditch.
Luke’s parable domesticates the story’s original bite. If Jesus told this parable today it might be called The Parable of the Sweaty Muslim with AIDs,
According to the first-century biologist, the mustard plant was a weed with dangerous takeover properties. It could easily ruin a farmer’s crops.
The leaven [the yeast] in the baking bread was not put there in the dough. It was “concealed” by a WOMAN. All thorugh the New Testament there are references to leaven as unclean and corrupt [“the leaven of the Pharasees,” for example].
Jesus was a party animal. He was called “a drunkard and a glutton.” He ate and drank with the destittute, the sicks and the castoffs of the culture and healed them by associating freely with them.
All these historical facts speak to the truth that Jesus found God in both the good and the evil, as he says in Matthew 5:45.
Interesting perspective, and I get the idea that God does not want people to follow a book…but Jesus verbally taught people who were choosing to listen. He even had to explain everything to his disciples, which he did in private. Yes, He explained it to them…so why not others? I need more reason that Jesus deliberately confounded people. He did not come to burden people, but to offer life and freedom. Your explanation almost sounds like he was making people “jump through hoops” to know the truth – that would be no different than the hoop-jumping required by the strict Jewish codes of law.