Teaching versus Telling

A resounding message today has been the distinction between someone teaching versus telling, meddling versus preaching. I always find it interesting when I find so many intersections in my regular day and across all aspects of my life. Today’s intersection came not only from our Sunday School lesson, but also in my homework assignment that I may have waited until the last minute to complete (due today!).

In Sunday School we studied Jeremiah and his message to the Kingdom of Judah. It was a direct message challenging them that although they entered the temple they were not following all that God commands. Simply walking into the temple does not cleanse them from all their actions. His message was not received well and many called for his death. It was not viewed as a teaching point or coming from a place to redeem them but seen more as a condemnation of them.

In my homework, our lesson was about the use of parables by Jesus as teaching points. Each parable has a hook that is so out of place that it causes the listener to re-evaluate what they believe, it makes the lesson an enduring lesson versus the result of being simply told what is right or wrong.

As I thought through both these examples, I recognize in myself that I am more inclined to listen to a story, and analogy and learn from that versus being directly told what to do. I don’t know about you, but when I feel I have no choice, I tend to shut down and just do and not learn from the experience. Jesus used parables so we did not just receive an answer, but we learned how to live as God intended. These lessons were enduring.

Today, I pray that you celebrated the Sabbath and took time to learn something new. I pray that you spend time in God’s word today and everyday and look for those enduring lessons on how God wants us to live.