If you are familiar with the prophets, you know they often told stories and then made spiritual application. We can read from Jewish histories that the rabbis did the same thing. It was a standard teaching method. In fact, some of the stories had the same elements, just as many jokes begin, “A rabbi, a priest, and a lawyer…” I have read in at least one source that the rich man and the poor beggar were staple characters in teaching stories all across the mid-east, even as far west as Egypt, one reason we should be careful about calling Luke 16 a “true story.” Jesus was known as a rabbi because he used some of the same methods.
I have known people who insisted that preachers and teachers should not “tell stories.” The Bible has plenty, they say, so use them. While in the past I agreed more than I disagreed, I have come to a change of mind. Yes, Jesus used some of the events from the Old Testament in his teaching, but far more often he used the events of every day life in stories we call parables. So I tell stories too.
Some people ask me how in the world I come up with the applications to all my stories. The answer to that is another reason I tell them. Some of them come easily but often I have to think for awhile to find a spiritual application. Guess what I am not doing while my mind is busy with spiritual things? Guess what does not happen while I search the scriptures trying to find pertinent passages? Far better to spend your time searching for applications to the events in your life than to brood over them, becoming depressed and bitter. Far better to see a way to improve yourself than to blame others as if the whole world were out to get you and you are the only one these things happen to.
Life is the training ground for an eternal existence. If I cannot become spiritual enough to handle things here, how will I ever become suitable for a spiritual existence with a Spirit Deity? That is our goal, but the way some of us lead our lives, never learning from them, I wonder if we know it, or even care.
Try today to make some spiritual applications from the things that happen to you. Think about your past and the many times you could have learned a lesson if your eyes and ears had been open to them. It is really not that difficult. If I can do it, anyone can.
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why do you speak to them in parables? And he answered and said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that which he has. Therefore I speak to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, By hearing you shall hear, and shall in no wise understand; And seeing you shall see, and shall in no wise perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and saw them not; and to hear the things which you hear, and heard them not, Matt 13:10-17.
Dene Ward
I have known people who insisted that preachers and teachers should not “tell stories.” The Bible has plenty, they say, so use them. While in the past I agreed more than I disagreed, I have come to a change of mind. Yes, Jesus used some of the events from the Old Testament in his teaching, but far more often he used the events of every day life in stories we call parables. So I tell stories too.
Some people ask me how in the world I come up with the applications to all my stories. The answer to that is another reason I tell them. Some of them come easily but often I have to think for awhile to find a spiritual application. Guess what I am not doing while my mind is busy with spiritual things? Guess what does not happen while I search the scriptures trying to find pertinent passages? Far better to spend your time searching for applications to the events in your life than to brood over them, becoming depressed and bitter. Far better to see a way to improve yourself than to blame others as if the whole world were out to get you and you are the only one these things happen to.
Life is the training ground for an eternal existence. If I cannot become spiritual enough to handle things here, how will I ever become suitable for a spiritual existence with a Spirit Deity? That is our goal, but the way some of us lead our lives, never learning from them, I wonder if we know it, or even care.
Try today to make some spiritual applications from the things that happen to you. Think about your past and the many times you could have learned a lesson if your eyes and ears had been open to them. It is really not that difficult. If I can do it, anyone can.
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why do you speak to them in parables? And he answered and said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that which he has. Therefore I speak to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, By hearing you shall hear, and shall in no wise understand; And seeing you shall see, and shall in no wise perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and saw them not; and to hear the things which you hear, and heard them not, Matt 13:10-17.
Dene Ward
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