9.11.2003
Dallas Willard on How Jesus Taught
As already suggested by our reference to "show and tell," Jesus teaches contexutally and concretely, from the immediate surroundings, if possible, or at least from events of ordinary life. This is seen in his well known use of the parable - which, from its origin in the Greek word paraballein literally means to throw one thing down alongside another. Parables are not just pretty stories that are easy to remember; rather, they help us understand something difficult by comparing it to, placing it beside, something with which we are very familiar, and always something concrete, specific.
Jesus' "concrete" method of teaching goes far beyond use of parables, however. You see it also in the way in which he captializes upon events that happen around him as he goes about his work. On one occasion as he teaches, for example, a man calls out from the crowd, asking him to make his brother divide their inheritance and give him his part so he can start living. Jesus responds with a story about a person who has all the wealth he desires - and yet has nothing (Luke 12).
Which leads me to ask, Why is it that so often we think teaching must deal with something deep and opaque? Why must we teach in propositions, proof texts and abstractions? That isn't how Jesus taught. He taught from the concrete to the abstract, from the real to the immaterial.
We need to employ the same devices Jesus did in our teaching in order to convey not just information but adoption of the concepts we are teaching including:
story
object lessons
current events
personal illustrations
Only then can we hope to convey a relevant, contemporary message of timeless truth.
As already suggested by our reference to "show and tell," Jesus teaches contexutally and concretely, from the immediate surroundings, if possible, or at least from events of ordinary life. This is seen in his well known use of the parable - which, from its origin in the Greek word paraballein literally means to throw one thing down alongside another. Parables are not just pretty stories that are easy to remember; rather, they help us understand something difficult by comparing it to, placing it beside, something with which we are very familiar, and always something concrete, specific.
Jesus' "concrete" method of teaching goes far beyond use of parables, however. You see it also in the way in which he captializes upon events that happen around him as he goes about his work. On one occasion as he teaches, for example, a man calls out from the crowd, asking him to make his brother divide their inheritance and give him his part so he can start living. Jesus responds with a story about a person who has all the wealth he desires - and yet has nothing (Luke 12).
Which leads me to ask, Why is it that so often we think teaching must deal with something deep and opaque? Why must we teach in propositions, proof texts and abstractions? That isn't how Jesus taught. He taught from the concrete to the abstract, from the real to the immaterial.
We need to employ the same devices Jesus did in our teaching in order to convey not just information but adoption of the concepts we are teaching including:
story
object lessons
current events
personal illustrations
Only then can we hope to convey a relevant, contemporary message of timeless truth.
