Jesus’ use of the concrete
Jesus made extensive use of the concrete in teaching the abstract.
Consider the following:
Concrete | Abstract |
“Look at the birds” | Trust |
“Consider the lilies” | Trust |
“The wind blows” | The Spirit |
“This little child” | True greatness |
“The poor widow” | Sacrificial giving |
“Show me a denarius” | Civic duty |
“Who is my mother?” | Spiritual kinship |
“Do you see this woman?” | True hospitality |
“Two sparrows” | Providence |
“The hairs of your head” | Providence |
Foxes | Homelessness |
Grapes and figs | Fruitful discipleship |
“Fishers of men” | Personal evangelism |
“The things you have seen and heard” | Data for John’s judgment |
Ox in the ditch | Humaneness |
Sheep in the pit | Humaneness |
Camel and needle’s eye | Perils of wealth |
The cursed fig tree | Penalty of hypocrisy |
Log and speck | Large and small faults |
“The narrow way” | The way to life |
“The narrow gate” | The way to life |
“Wolves in sheeps’ clothing” | False prophets |
“Children of the bride-chamber” | Festal character of the Kingdom |
“Lift up your eyes to the harvest” | Vision of human need |
“Snakes” | Wisdom |
“Doves” | Harmlessness |
“Cup of cold water” | Service to fellow-disciples |
“Reed shaken in the wind” | One view of John |
“Light of the world” | ? |
“Salt of the earth” | ? |
“Candle on the candlestick” | ? |
“My yoke” | ? |
“The appearance of the sky” | ? |
“The other cheek” | ? |
With minor modifications from Horne, Herman, Teaching Techniques of Jesus, p123f.