(Matthew 9:37-8 KJV) Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.Jesus made a statement that sounds pessimistic.
(Matthew 7:14 KJV) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.On one side you have the vision that it is a good time to share the good news. On the other side you have the announcement that it will be rejected by most people. Which is it that we should focus on?
Another example of this tension is found when you compare the parable of the soils and the figure of speech that calls us “fishers of men.” One limits the results; the other looks at the potential.
Both extremes must be taken into consideration. This is part of the balance that is necessary to follow a living God dealing with living people in a real world. Many people will reject the Bible for what they call “inconsistency” or “mistakes.” That is because they want simple answers for complex questions and often don’t want the responsibility of thinking for themselves. If the Bible gave simple answers they would reject them too because they are simple.
Simple answers don’t usually meet the requirements of life because life isn’t simple. Sometimes they will, because the answers are clear, but we don’t want to accept them.
I am a believer partly because the Bible finds that balance. It gives the basics simply enough to reach the simple. It deals with the complexities in a way that will challenge anyone willing to put their thinking cap on.
I guess I can have it both ways.
homo unius libri
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are welcome. Feel free to agree or disagree but keep it clean, courteous and short. I heard some shorthand on a podcast: TLDR, Too long, didn't read.