Slick Interpretations of Jesus
9 Jan
One of the principles I learned from a professor was, “Be wary of an ‘interpretation’ of Jesus words that ends up completely ignoring them.” Yet, I find myself doing this all the time.
For example Luke 6:30 says, “…If anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.” If I were preaching on this verse I would be super tempted to say, “Now don’t worry. Jesus isn’t saying that if someone steals something from you, you shouldn’t demand it back. What he’s saying is that we need to live generously.”
Really? Is that what he’s saying Tilford, because it sounded an awful lot to me like your trying to explain away a very straight forward interpretation of that verse with the assumption, “Well, dear Lord he can’t possibly mean that!”
The genius thing I do (among others) is withdraw a principle from the verse that ends up removing the prickly parts. Like the phrase I said above, “…what he’s saying is that we need to live generously.” Brilliant! This is especially helpful if I’m reading, preaching, or discipling someone through difficult verses of the Bible. All I have to do is read the verse aloud and then distill it into an easy to swallow principle that goes down like butter! Not only do I feel better about my faith but the folks I’m talking to are put at ease. Don’t worry friends. Following Jesus is easy!
I’m an idiot alot of the time.
Of course I’m not saying that all these “challenging” verses have straightforward interpretations that we’re blatanly ignoring. I think we need serious conversation and prayer about the difficult sayings of Jesus. However, I despise when we avoid those difficult conversations by quickly muzzling Jesus with a slick interpretation that assumes the easy route.
I think the world is waiting for a church that is better at being obedient than slick.
sometimes I feel like when we focus on the ignoring of the harder teaching of Jesus we are ignoring him all at the same time… and I say that in context with the focus on bringing up these teachings that has increased in recent years. I think about these types of things you brought up here fairly often. I still think we miss the point though if we do not consider the fullness of what Jesus did and what He was conveying to us when He walked the earth. That He is the bread of life, and that His flesh and blood, His very essence is our salvation. Salvation is literally Jesus, like literally, literally. I saw this in plain sight when I met Robert Rose and one night we were in a group setting in Waco and at a gas station under the hood of a econo van his face was literally glowing, and he is black. A forgotten, common saint, a flowing river of living water (just ask those prisoners he sat down with) the very essence of what Jesus seeks to do in a man. Wow what a revival we see if we would get back to the reality of living in holiness like the early church did, and obeyed the hard teachings of Jesus.
Good word Kyle. Thanks for chiming in.
Good stuff here Brett. I concur.
Thanks Stephen. Glad you enjoyed it.