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From: devonst@burdvax.UUCP (Tom Albrecht)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc,net.religion.christian
Subject: Re: From Fig to finding a Candy Man
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Date: Fri, 3-Oct-86 12:33:54 EDT
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Posted: Fri Oct  3 12:33:54 1986
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marty@ism780c.UUCP (Marty Smith) writes:
>
>This whole business of Jesus speaking in parables, though I believe it to
>be true, seems to me to be a huge strategic blunder on Jesus's part.  Why do
>it?  If his purpose was to communicate God's word to the unwashed, uneducated
>masses, why speak in a language that is inherrantly more difficult to
>understand?  Why not speak the plain truth instead of a parable that can be
>interpreted many ways only one of which is the truth?  Or, and I'm sure
>you won't agree with this, do all possible interpretations of the fig tree
>fiasco contain some truth that Jesus wished to communicate?  If so, and I'm
>inclined to believe it is, then both Mikki's interpretation and yours are
>true in some sense.  ...
>

First of all, don't confuse the meaning of the verse with the application.
Each scripture passage has only one correct interpretation, but may have 
many different applications.  You learn that in Hermeneutics 101.  You can't 
interpret a verse one way and someone else interpret it another way and have 
both interpretations be correct.  One must be wrong; both may be wrong.  

Secondly, why don't you read the Bible to find out why Christ spoke in parables?
In Matthew 13 the disciples ASKED Him, "Why do you speak to the people in
parables?" and He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of
heaven has been given to you, but not to them.  Whoever has will be given
more, and will have a abundance.  Whoever does not have, even what he has
will be taken from him.  This is why I speak to them in parables:
	Though seeing, they do not see;
	though hearing, they do not hear or understand. ..."

That OT quote by Christ is from Isaiah.

It seems pretty clear that the reason Christ spoke in parables was to keep
hidden from unbelievers those truths which only the children of God could
understand.  It merely emphasizes the blindness of unbelief.  In many
places Jesus uses physical blindness as a picture of the state of the
unbeliever.  It's only when the Son of Man comes and removes the scales
from one's eyes that one can believe in Christ and receive His salvation.

>
>That snapping noise you just heard was the rubber band of your analogy.
>
>						Marty Smith

It never ceases to amaze me how so many people can be such experts
about Christ and His teachings and yet be so unfamiliar with His Word.

--
Tom Albrecht
"Reformata, semper reformanda"