I have discussed context so many times the word is losing it's flavor (kinda like that salt analogy). But last night was another eye-opening moment for me - this time from the book of Luke - in discussion with my wife. We were reading chapter 8 - the parable of the sower and the seed.
My wife was asking me some questions about it and we discussed what this all meant. Then we read a little further to Luke 8:18 - "So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him." My wife explained it to me and she pointed out the 'listen' part.
I was in a state of revelation on the passage. I have heard that scripture used in many ways most of which include 'money'. But the context of the scripture frames the exact point of it. 'Take care of how you listen' - when he just mentioned the sower and the seed - which has in it 4 examples of people that 'heard' something - 3 with a similar outcome - and 1 was different. So what does it all mean? It means context baby, context!
Jesus seems to be referring back to that parable and to the idea of truly 'hearing' something. 3 people in the parable of the sower 'heard' something and then left it...so they did 'hear' something - but what they 'heard' is reduced to nothing - since they have nothing to show for it (they simply forgot it?). However one person 'heard' something and came away with a different conclusion - he took what he 'heard' and started to build upon it - so much so that in the end he made 100% gain from it. He not only heard one thing - he continued to hear - until he was bareing something from the experience (he had something to show for it). That scripture is all about listening and then building teaching upon teaching - what I would call a paradigm.
So that scripture (Luke 8:18 and the 'light' analogy before it in Luke 8:16-17) refers to something else in the chapter - to help enlighten the idea - that something is 'he who has ears to hear, let him hear'. Funny, I never knew that context could make me so happy.
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3 comments:
Fascinating, society
It's important to note what this parable led to. The next three verses after the parable are;
19 Now Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you."
21He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."
Yes, we have work to do.
:0) Your post also makes me very happy. Ain't it great when God speaks to us?
Pam
Amen! I agree that context is so important. I loved the insight that your wife shared with you.
Something I learned and you probably already know this, but this is something I learned about the bigger context of the book of Luke.
Luke is Volume 1
Acts is volume 2
Both books were written to the same guy, a Roman offical by the name of Theopolus (Not sure if I spelled his name right).
Christianity was illegal in Rome and Luke was writing these two books for two purposes.
One was because he wanted to prove to the Romans that Chrisitanity was not a new religion but it was the fulfillment of Judism.
And two because Paul was a prisoner at the the time, they were written as a defense for Paul the Apostle.
So the book of Luke is everything from the time of Jesus to his death and resurrection and the book of Acts picks up where Luke left off at the resurrection and covers the next 30 years of the church.
Isn't that interesting?
Bill
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