Why Jesus spoke in Parables
Posted 05-25-2010 at 10:59 AM by Judy
Our language today has thousands of extra words that have come about since ancient days. Today's English particularly, has developed from many other languages.
We might possibly agree that if we heard someone speak English directly from the early 1700's we might not even understand it. Words and meanings change.
I could go on about history of language but it would take too long and besides, you can go on the internet and look it up. Bottom line, language can be used in many different ways, to impart many different ideas. Look what happens if you don't understand a word! Reading a book and going by a word, you could yawn or go blank. Go by more and you might put the book down and fall asleep. Kids go naughty and break pencils in school, flunk tests and fidget.
All over a word or words they don't understand.
Good teachers know kids learn best by example.
If you really want people to learn and remember something you might describe an idea using an analogy.
They didn't have Powerpoint presentations or whiteboards in those days. A guy like Jesus who didn't go to preacher school (since it came naturally) and didn't have official "credentials" to be a preacher. He disdained those guys who were over educated and tried to act better than everyone speaking big words to people, losing them entirely.
Jesus' words were spoken from the heart with emotion, to help people receive it best, in their hearts. It meant something. When he described a spiritual concept, many times someone would say "what do you mean?" and he would describe that concept using examples of every day life so the person could grasp it.
Another communication in those days was the quality of sound. Prayers consisted of chanting in verse and poetry, at various pitches. Singing!
Did you know that poetry is one thing that every language understands? It is aesthetics - a very high range of communication. That fact was discovered by L.Ron Hubbard many years ago. He studied poetry in college and actually measured the rhythms scientifically. You'd have to read his early research books to find out more on that subject, since that is not what I am writing about here. (He wrote down all his discoveries in a series of books called the "Basics", describing everything - fascinating reading!)
Anyway, most of the people of the day were not educated, and Jesus' words appealed to those people who had no hope for change, as they had been under suppression for so long. A certain small percentage of people could not understand truth - unfortunately we have seen these people in todays times as well. You speak truth and they deny its existence, make you wrong and fight you and argue that you are crazy.
Well, it happened then too. But if you made it into a story, people listened and duplicated it.
There was censorship at that time as well. The "certified" Rabbis stayed within a certain theme and were listened to by Roman censors, and they had a special area where they could stand and try to out do each other, for the attention of the people. Most people didn't really listen, though. Sorta like today when you go into a busy city where guys are standing on a soap box preaching to everyone but not really any one.
Even Jesus had to watch his words but the difference was, he had a real audience. Their attention was on him, and his attention was on them.
Everyone knew the real meaning of his words were truth and you notice his words got written into many different books of the Bible by different people?
Where are all those other folks words? The "official" Roman certified ones? Never done, cause first of all, they couldn't understand all the fancy wording, official confusion and red tape, and most importantly, nobody agreed.
Remember this is just a story, and I like to write in a simple way for understanding. Nobody has to believe it.
My poet/writer freedom of thought is what drives me in life, and makes living a lot more fun and interesting. And so I write.....
However, this could have some truth to it. I've done my homework.
We might possibly agree that if we heard someone speak English directly from the early 1700's we might not even understand it. Words and meanings change.
I could go on about history of language but it would take too long and besides, you can go on the internet and look it up. Bottom line, language can be used in many different ways, to impart many different ideas. Look what happens if you don't understand a word! Reading a book and going by a word, you could yawn or go blank. Go by more and you might put the book down and fall asleep. Kids go naughty and break pencils in school, flunk tests and fidget.
All over a word or words they don't understand.
Good teachers know kids learn best by example.
If you really want people to learn and remember something you might describe an idea using an analogy.
They didn't have Powerpoint presentations or whiteboards in those days. A guy like Jesus who didn't go to preacher school (since it came naturally) and didn't have official "credentials" to be a preacher. He disdained those guys who were over educated and tried to act better than everyone speaking big words to people, losing them entirely.
Jesus' words were spoken from the heart with emotion, to help people receive it best, in their hearts. It meant something. When he described a spiritual concept, many times someone would say "what do you mean?" and he would describe that concept using examples of every day life so the person could grasp it.
Another communication in those days was the quality of sound. Prayers consisted of chanting in verse and poetry, at various pitches. Singing!
Did you know that poetry is one thing that every language understands? It is aesthetics - a very high range of communication. That fact was discovered by L.Ron Hubbard many years ago. He studied poetry in college and actually measured the rhythms scientifically. You'd have to read his early research books to find out more on that subject, since that is not what I am writing about here. (He wrote down all his discoveries in a series of books called the "Basics", describing everything - fascinating reading!)
Anyway, most of the people of the day were not educated, and Jesus' words appealed to those people who had no hope for change, as they had been under suppression for so long. A certain small percentage of people could not understand truth - unfortunately we have seen these people in todays times as well. You speak truth and they deny its existence, make you wrong and fight you and argue that you are crazy.
Well, it happened then too. But if you made it into a story, people listened and duplicated it.
There was censorship at that time as well. The "certified" Rabbis stayed within a certain theme and were listened to by Roman censors, and they had a special area where they could stand and try to out do each other, for the attention of the people. Most people didn't really listen, though. Sorta like today when you go into a busy city where guys are standing on a soap box preaching to everyone but not really any one.
Even Jesus had to watch his words but the difference was, he had a real audience. Their attention was on him, and his attention was on them.
Everyone knew the real meaning of his words were truth and you notice his words got written into many different books of the Bible by different people?
Where are all those other folks words? The "official" Roman certified ones? Never done, cause first of all, they couldn't understand all the fancy wording, official confusion and red tape, and most importantly, nobody agreed.
Remember this is just a story, and I like to write in a simple way for understanding. Nobody has to believe it.
My poet/writer freedom of thought is what drives me in life, and makes living a lot more fun and interesting. And so I write.....
However, this could have some truth to it. I've done my homework.
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