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01 - Teaching in Parables - Christ's Object Lessons · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: Chapter one teaching in parables. In Christ's parable teaching, the
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  Speaker 1: same principle is seen as in his own mission to
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  Speaker 1: the world, that we might become acquainted with His divine
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  Speaker 1: character and life. Christ took our nature and dwelt among us.
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  Speaker 1: Divinity was revealed in humanity, the invisible glory. In the
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  Speaker 1: visible human form, men could learn of the unknown through
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  Speaker 1: the known. Heavenly things were revealed through the earthly. God
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  Speaker 1: was made manifest in the likeness of men. So it
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  Speaker 1: was in Christ's teaching, the unknown was illustrated by the
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  Speaker 1: known divine truths, by earthly things with which the people
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  Speaker 1: were most familiar. The scripture says, all these things spake
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  Speaker 1: Jesus unto the multitude in parables, that it might be
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  Speaker 1: fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will
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  Speaker 1: open my mouth in parables, I will utter things which
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  Speaker 1: have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
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  Speaker 1: Natural things were the medium for the spiritual. The things
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  Speaker 1: of nature and the life expres sperience of his hearers
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  Speaker 1: were connected with the truths of the written Word, leading
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  Speaker 1: thus from the natural to the spiritual kingdom. Christ's parables
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  Speaker 1: are links in the chain of truth that unites man
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  Speaker 1: with God and earth with Heaven. In his teaching from Nature,
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  Speaker 1: Christ was speaking of the things which his own hands
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  Speaker 1: had made, and which had qualities and powers that he
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  Speaker 1: himself had imparted in their original perfection. All created things
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  Speaker 1: were an expression of the thought of God. To Adam
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  Speaker 1: and Eve in their Eden home, nature was full of
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  Speaker 1: the knowledge of God, teeming with divine instruction. Wisdom spoke
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  Speaker 1: to the eye and was received into the heart, for
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  Speaker 1: they communed with God in his created works. As soon
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  Speaker 1: as the Holy pair transgressed the law of the Most High,
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  Speaker 1: the brightness from the face of God departed from the
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  Speaker 1: face of nature. The earth is now marred and defiled
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  Speaker 1: by sin. Yet even in its blighted state, much that
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  Speaker 1: his beautiful remains, God's object lessons are not obliterated. Rightly understood,
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  Speaker 1: Nature speaks of her create. In the days of Christ,
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  Speaker 1: these lessons had been lost. Sight of men had well
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  Speaker 1: nigh ceased to discern God in his works. The sinfulness
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  Speaker 1: of humanity had cast a pall over the fair face
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  Speaker 1: of creation, and instead of manifesting God, his works became
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  Speaker 1: a barrier that concealed him. Men worshiped and served the
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  Speaker 1: creature more than the Creator. Thus the heathen became vain
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  Speaker 1: in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. So
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  Speaker 1: in Israel Man's teaching had been put in the place
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  Speaker 1: of God's. Not only the things of nature, but the
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  Speaker 1: sacrificial service and the scriptures themselves, all given to reveal God,
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  Speaker 1: was so perverted that they became the means of concealing him.
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  Speaker 1: Christ sought to remove that which obscured the truth. The
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  Speaker 1: veil that sin has cast over the face of nature.
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  Speaker 1: He came to draw aside, bringing to view the spiritual
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  Speaker 1: glory that all things were created to reflect. His words
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  Speaker 1: placed the teachings of nature, as well as of the Bible,
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  Speaker 1: in a new aspect, and made them a new revelation.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus plucked the beautiful lily and placed it in the
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  Speaker 1: hands of children and youth. And as they looked into
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  Speaker 1: his own youthful face, fresh with the sunlight of his
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  Speaker 1: father's countenance, he gave the lesson Consider the lilies of
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  Speaker 1: the field, how they grow in the simplicity of natural beauty.
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  Speaker 1: They toil, not neither do they spin. And yet I
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  Speaker 1: say unto you that even Solomon, in all his glory,
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  Speaker 1: was not arrayed like one of these. Then followed the
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  Speaker 1: sweet assurance and the important lesson. Wherefore, if God so
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  Speaker 1: clothes the grass of the field, which to day is
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  Speaker 1: and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall He
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  Speaker 1: not much more clothe you, o, ye of little faith.
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  Speaker 1: In the Sermon on the Mount, these words were spoken
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  Speaker 1: to others. Besides children and youth. They were spoken to
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  Speaker 1: the multitude, among whom were men and women full of
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  Speaker 1: worries and perplexities, and soar with disappointment and sorrow. Jesus continued, Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: take no thought, saying what shall we eat, or what
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  Speaker 1: shall we drink? Or wherewithal shall we be clothed? For
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  Speaker 1: after all these things do the gentile seek? For your
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  Speaker 1: heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Then,
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  Speaker 1: spreading out his hands to the surrounding multitude, he said,
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  Speaker 1: but seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,
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  Speaker 1: and all these things shall be added unto you. Thus
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  Speaker 1: Christ interpreted the message which he himself had given to
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  Speaker 1: the lilies and the grass of the field. He desires
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  Speaker 1: us to read it in every lily and every spire
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  Speaker 1: of grass. His words are full of assurance and tend
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  Speaker 1: to confirm trust, in God. So wide was Christ's view
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  Speaker 1: of truth, so extended his teaching that every phase of
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  Speaker 1: nature was employed in illustrating truth. The scenes upon which
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  Speaker 1: the eye daily rests were all connected with some spiritual truth,
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  Speaker 1: so that nature is clothed with the parables of the Master.
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  Speaker 1: In the earlier part of his ministry, Christ had spoken
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  Speaker 1: to the people in words so plain that all his
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  Speaker 1: hearers might have grasped truths which would make them worse
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  Speaker 1: unto salvation. But in many hearts the truth had taken
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  Speaker 1: no root, and it had been quickly caught away. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: speak I to them in parables, he said, because they
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  Speaker 1: seeing see not, and hearing they hear not. Neither do
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  Speaker 1: they understand. For this people's heart is waxed gross, and
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  Speaker 1: their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they
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  Speaker 1: have closed. Jesus desired to awaken inquiry. He sought to
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  Speaker 1: arouse the careless and impressed truth upon the heart. Parable
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  Speaker 1: teaching was popular and commanded the respect and attention not
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  Speaker 1: only of the Jews, but of the people of other nations.
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  Speaker 1: No more effective method of instruction could he have employed.
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  Speaker 1: If his hearers had desired a knowledge of divine things,
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  Speaker 1: they might have understood his words, for he was always
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  Speaker 1: willing to explain them to the honest inquirer. Again, Christ
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  Speaker 1: had truths to present which the people were unprepared to
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  Speaker 1: accept or even to understand. For this reason, also he
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  Speaker 1: taught them in parables by cannes, acting his teaching with
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  Speaker 1: the scenes of life, experience, or nature. He secured their
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  Speaker 1: attention and impressed their hearts. Afterward, as they looked upon
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  Speaker 1: the objects that illustrated his lessons, they recalled the words
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  Speaker 1: of the divine teacher to minds that were open to
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  Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit. The significance of the Saviour's teaching unfolded.
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  Speaker 1: More and more mysteries grew clear, and that which had
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  Speaker 1: been hard to grasp became evident. Jesus sought an avenue
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  Speaker 1: to every heart. By using a variety of illustrations. He
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  Speaker 1: not only presented truth in its different phases, but appealed
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  Speaker 1: to the different hearers. Their interest was aroused by figures
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  Speaker 1: drawn from the surroundings of their daily life. None who
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  Speaker 1: listened to the Savior could feel that they were neglected
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  Speaker 1: or forgotten. The humblest, the most sinful heard in his
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  Speaker 1: teaching a voice that spoke to them in sympathy and tenderness,
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  Speaker 1: and he had another reason for teaching in parables. Among
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  Speaker 1: the multitudes that gathered about him, there were priests and rabbis,
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  Speaker 1: scribes and elders, herodians and rulers, well loving, bigoted, ambitious
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  Speaker 1: men who desired, above all things to find some accusation
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  Speaker 1: against him. Their spies followed his steps day after day
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  Speaker 1: to catch from his lips something that would cause his
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  Speaker 1: condemnation and forever silence. The one who seemed to draw
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  Speaker 1: the world after him, the Savior understood the character of
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  Speaker 1: these men, and he presented truths in such a way
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  Speaker 1: that they could find nothing by which to bring his
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  Speaker 1: case before the Sanhedrin. In parables, he rebuked the hypocrisy
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  Speaker 1: and wicked works of those who occupied high position, and
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  Speaker 1: in figurative language clothed truth of so cutting a character
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  Speaker 1: that had it been spoken in direct nunciation, they would
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  Speaker 1: not have listened to his words and would speedily have
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  Speaker 1: put an end to his ministry. But while he evaded
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  Speaker 1: the spies, he made truth so clear that error was manifested,
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  Speaker 1: and the honest in heart were profited by his lessons.
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  Speaker 1: Divine wisdom infinite grace were made plain by the things
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  Speaker 1: of God's creation. Through nature and the experiences of life.
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  Speaker 1: Men were taught of God the visible things of Him
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  Speaker 1: since the creation of the world were perceived through the
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  Speaker 1: things that are made. Even his everlasting power and divinity
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  Speaker 1: in the Saviour's parable teaching is an indication of what
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  Speaker 1: constitutes the true higher education. Christ might have opened to
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  Speaker 1: men the deepest truths of science. He might have unlocked
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  Speaker 1: mysteries which have required many centuries of toil and study
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  Speaker 1: to penetrate. He might have made suggestions in scientific lines
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  Speaker 1: that would have afforded food for thought and stimulus for
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  Speaker 1: invention to the close of time. But he did not
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  Speaker 1: do this. He said nothing to gratify curiosity or to
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  Speaker 1: satisfy man's ambition by opening doors to worldly greatness. In
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  Speaker 1: all his teaching, Christ brought the mind of man in
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  Speaker 1: contact with the infinite mind. He did not direct the
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  Speaker 1: people to study men's theories about God, his word, or
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  Speaker 1: his works. He taught them to behold Him as manifested
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  Speaker 1: in his works, in his word, and by his providences.
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  Speaker 1: Christ did not deal in abstract theories, but in that
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  Speaker 1: which is essential to the development of character, that which
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  Speaker 1: will enlarge man's capacity for knowing God and increase his
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  Speaker 1: efficiency to do good. He spoke to men of those
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  Speaker 1: truths that relate to the conduct of life and that
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  Speaker 1: take hold upon eternity. It was Christ who directed the
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  Speaker 1: education of Israel. Concerning the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: He said, thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,
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  Speaker 1: and thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in
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  Speaker 1: thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and
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  Speaker 1: when thou liest down, and when thou risest up, and
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  Speaker 1: thou shalt find them for a sign upon thine hand,
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  Speaker 1: and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes, and
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  Speaker 1: thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house
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  Speaker 1: and on thy gates. In his own teaching, Jesus showed
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  Speaker 1: how this command is to be fulfilled, how the laws
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  Speaker 1: and principles of God's kingdom may be so presented as
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  Speaker 1: to reveal their beauty and preciousness. When the Lord was
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  Speaker 1: training Israel to be the special representatives of himself, he
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  Speaker 1: gave them homes among the hills and valleys. In their
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  Speaker 1: home life and in their religious service, they they were
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  Speaker 1: brought in constant contact with nature and with the word
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  Speaker 1: of God. So Christ taught his disciples by the lake
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  Speaker 1: on the mountain side, in the fields and groves, where
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  Speaker 1: they could look upon the things of nature, by which
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  Speaker 1: he illustrated his teachings. And as they learned of Christ,
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  Speaker 1: they put their knowledge to use by co operating with
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  Speaker 1: him in his work. So through the creation we are
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  Speaker 1: to become acquainted with the Creator. The Book of Nature
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  Speaker 1: is a great lesson book, which, in connection with the scriptures,
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  Speaker 1: we are to use in teaching others of his character
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  Speaker 1: and guiding lost sheep back to the fold of God.
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  Speaker 1: As the works of God are studied, the Holy Spirit
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  Speaker 1: flashes conviction into the mind. It is not the conviction
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  Speaker 1: that logical reasoning produces. But unless the mind has become
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  Speaker 1: too dark to know God, the eye too dim to
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  Speaker 1: see him, the ear too dull to hear his voice,
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  Speaker 1: a deeper meaning is grasped, and the sublime spiritual truths
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  Speaker 1: of the written Word are impressed on the heart. In
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  Speaker 1: these lessons, direct from nature, there is a simplicity and
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  Speaker 1: purity that makes them of the hut highest value. All
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  Speaker 1: need the teaching to be derived from this source in itself.
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  Speaker 1: The beauty of nature leads the soul away from sin
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  Speaker 1: and worldly attractions, and towards purity, peace, and God. Too
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  Speaker 1: often the minds of students are occupied with men's theories
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  Speaker 1: and speculations, falsely called science and philosophy. They need to
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  Speaker 1: be brought into close contact with nature. Let them learn
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  Speaker 1: that creation and Christianity have one God. Let them be
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  Speaker 1: taught to see the harmony of the natural with the spiritual.
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  Speaker 1: Let everything which their eyes see or their hands handle
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  Speaker 1: be made a lesson in character building. Thus the mental
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  Speaker 1: powers will be strengthened and character developed. The whole life ennobled.
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  Speaker 1: Christ's purpose in parable teaching was in direct line with
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  Speaker 1: the purpose of the Sabbath. God gave to men the
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  Speaker 1: memorial of his creative power that they might discern him
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  Speaker 1: in the works of his hand. The Sabbath bids us
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  Speaker 1: behold in his created works the glory of the Creator.
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  Speaker 1: And it was because he desired us to do this
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  Speaker 1: that Jesus bound up his precious lessons with the beauty
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  Speaker 1: of natural things. On the Holy rest day, above all
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  Speaker 1: other days, we should study the messages that God has
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  Speaker 1: written for us in nature. We should study the Saviour's
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  Speaker 1: parables where he spoke them in the fields and groves,
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  Speaker 1: under the open sky, among the grass and flowers. As
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  Speaker 1: we come close to the heart of nature, Christ makes
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  Speaker 1: his presence real to us and speaks to our hearts
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  Speaker 1: of his peace and love. And Christ has linked his
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  Speaker 1: teaching not only with the day of rest, but with
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  Speaker 1: the week of toil. He has wisdom for him who
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  Speaker 1: drives the plow and sows the seed. In the plowing
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  Speaker 1: and sowing, the tilling and reaping, he teaches us to
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  Speaker 1: see an illustration of His work of grace in the heart.
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  Speaker 1: So in every line of useful labor and every association
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  Speaker 1: of life, he desires us to find a lesson of
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  Speaker 1: divine truth. Then our daily toil will no longer absorb
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  Speaker 1: our attention and lead us to forget God. It will
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  Speaker 1: continually remind us of our creator and redeemer. The thought
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  Speaker 1: of God will run like a thread of gold through
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  Speaker 1: all our homely cares and occupations. For us, the glory
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  Speaker 1: of His face will again rest upon the face of nature.
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  Speaker 1: We shall ever be learning new lessons of heavenly truth
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  Speaker 1: and growing into the image of His purity. Thus we
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  Speaker 1: shall be taught of the Lord, And in the lot
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  Speaker 1: wherein we are called, we shall abide with God. End
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  Speaker 1: of chapter one.