:: in.a.mirror.dimly ::

My homiletics (preaching) professor trained me to make scripture easy to understand and to explain exactly what each passage means to my audience. While there is some value in biblical study and clear explanation for a group, we should not forget that Jesus didn’t always follow such a strategy.

Besides making difficult and challenging demands of his followers, Jesus made several confusing statements that left his audience wondering what he meant or even if he was possessed by a demon. As a result of these exchanges Jesus lost followers, received accusations, and was written off by many in his audience.

Many of his listeners stopped following when he claimed the following: I am the bread of life, my followers will never die, and you will see the Son of Man ascending and descending. He told parables with hidden and powerful meanings that cut to the hearts of some listeners and left others confused and bewildered.

Reaching an Audience

Jesus had a message from God to communicate, but he didn’t define success for his message by the size of his audience. It’s jarring to realize that Jesus could have probably grown a larger base of followers by toning down his message or explaining his theology better.

Perhaps we need to ponder this practice for ourselves as we consider the ways we teach and communicate spiritual truths. Are there times when we need to leave certain things unsaid so that our listeners are challenged to do their own thinking? Are we making it too easy to follow Jesus by always pressing for “the answer”?

The Benefits of Confusing Statements

Jesus left certain parts of of his message embedded in metaphors and parables so that his listeners had to ponder their meaning. I like the implication that understanding his teachings required dedicated time to think on them.

For disciples who are called to leave everything behind in order to follow Jesus, they shouldn’t be surprised when he also asks them to think long and hard about his teachings. John’s Gospel notes certain points (such as chapter 6) when the crowds balked at the words of Jesus. John, who often inserted explanations of what Jesus meant, didn’t offer an explanation for us either.

The author of the fourth Gospel knew that even as he recounted the life and teachings of Jesus, certain things should remain shrouded in mystery and ambiguity so that future disciples will ponder the teachings of Jesus anew and seek the guidance of his Holy Spirit.

This assaults are preferences for simple answers and clear explanations, but it assures us that the message of God can find a more lasting and permanent place in our hearts as we invest in pondering its meaning.