And with many such parables, He spoke the Word to them as they were able to hear it. But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.
Mark 4:33-34
Storying - How did Jesus teach people? parables - everyday stories that made one main point. It's so interesting that "He did not speak to them" in any other way. He did not speak to people without a story. Why? They would not have been able to hear it in any other way. They were not ready. They would not have understood. It wouldn't have made sense to them what He was talking about; His mission, His kingdom, His nature, His identity, but only in stories, only indirectly. This was their culture. He met them where they were. He taught them in their culture's preferred learning style, oral learning, which is the preferred learning style for most of the world even today.
I have been finding that this is very true for our field and locale. The people love stories and learn through stories. During home Bible studies many times someone will go off on one point and tell a long story either passed down through generations, through local history, through muslim tradition, through a movie from TV, or from wherever they can find it. Stories make sense to them. As I explained things of God together with a brother in Christ to a new believer, I found the local brother using story after story, either from the Bible, from experience, from a film version of the Bible and even muslim tradition to make each point. And though I, as a westerner with more of a literary (information based) learning style, can begin to get impatient and want to get back to the point (the information), the other locals present are glued to every word of the story. It is their way of learning passed down from generation to generation.
It was Jesus' way of teaching the masses of lost people, to draw them in, to catch their attention, to help them understand. Then when they came to Him to know more, they became His students (disciples) and little by little He explained all things to them because then they were ready and able to hear it.
Am I speaking to people in a way that they are able to hear? Am I actually communicating or am I just talking at people? Am I like Jesus or just trying to serve God my own way? Or the way that someone else told me to? We need to speak the truth in love. Knowledge puffs up but love edifies. Love meets people where they are at. It doesn't stand above and preach down unintelligible facts. However true our words may be, if the person we are speaking to is not able to hear, it is a waste of time, or even worse a hindrance to the gospel because of a misrepresentation of Christ's character. The gospel and it's contents mean eternal life or eternal death for every human being on earth. Yes, it is the most precious and valuable thing on earth without contest. So let us not throw Pearls to swine by speaking it in our own way without discerning what is going on with the hearers and their ability to hear. This is true in every culture. Remember Princess Bride? Kevin Savage didn't want to hear it. But the story gripped him. And most of us remember that story telling session very well because it gripped us too. It's fun, actually. God help us communicate Your Word in Your way, being led by Your Spirit with every word. Thank you Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment