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From: davet@vaxwaller.UUCP (Dave Triplett)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc,net.religion.christian
Subject: Re: From Fig to finding a Candy Man
Message-ID: <575@vaxwaller.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 8-Oct-86 18:58:34 EDT
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Posted: Wed Oct  8 18:58:34 1986
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> 
> 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.  She just happens to be working on a different set of
> problems in her life right now.  If you can't add any insight, then you are
> acting the "disciple who does no good" roll, and you should, by your own
> analysis, beware of lightning storms.
> 
> 
> 						Marty Smith
> 
> P.S.  I thought Mikki was of the female persuasion.  If I have erred here,
>       I apologize.

I disagree that the use of parables is a strategic blunder, that "the plain
truth" speaks more clearly across the almost two thousand years which have 
passed since the time of Jesus.  A parable, like a poem, or a good story
is actually much more powerful in presenting an idea than a simple statement
to that effect because it brings the hearer directly into the situation
through the use of "word pictures" and powerful images.

I found the statement "all possible interpretations of the fig tree fiasco
contain some truth" to illustrate another truth about scripture, that scripture
or the "Word of God" is inspired or "God breathed".  As is suggested above,
this means, among other things, that it is possible for a particular verse 
to have more than one meaning; the particular meaning seen by a hearer or
reader WILL depend upon where the person is at a particular momement, whether
the person is reading or seeking in faith or reading in an attempt to debunk.

I believe it was in the Gospel of Mark that Jesus told His disciples that it
wasn't given unto everyone to understand, that that was why Christ taught
many things by parable so that not everyone would understand.  This might
seem to conflict with what I say in my first paragraph but I believe that
parables do have the paradoxical nature of both being very clear to some but 
difficult to understand by others.
-- 
	Dave Triplett	 (415) 939-2400 x2087
	Varian Instruments 2700 Mitchell Dr.  Walnut Creek, Ca. 94598
	{zehntel,dual,amd,fortune,resonex,rtech}!varian!davet