Psalms 80 * 77 (79); 2 Samuel 7:1-17; Acts 18:1-11; Mark 8:11-21You can hear the exasperation in Jesus' voice today trying to make the disciples understand what is going on....I think he is doing a bit of transposition of his annoyance at the Pharisees onto his slow-witted disciples. Be that as it may, Jesus spoke in analogies, using symbolism, irony, and many other literary tools to illustrate his points. And yet, even though we know this, even though this is common knowledge, there are so many in this world who insist on being literal in their translations of the Bible. So much of the complexity of God's involvement is lost when we box ourselves, and in fact box God, in these translations. We lose the potential for growth, newness, surprise when we try to put limitations. This attempted limiting of God's work is the height of arrogance. The good news is that God will still find a way to get through to us. The big question is are we ready and open for that voice?
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Copyright 2009, The Rev. John F. Dwyer. All Rights Reserved.
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