Questions and Response on Jesus’ Teachings and Life, Essay Example

How does Jesus’ use of parables of reversal challenge the understanding of the kingdom of God among his contemporaries (see chapter V of Christian Footings)?

Specifically understanding the parables of reversal that Christ used in explaining his thoughts, his teachings and the ways of living that he hopes to impose on the people who opted to follow him provides a clear identification of the primary footings of Christianity. Imposing on the need of his listeners to think, analyze and inquire imposes on the fact that Christ wants to show how much rooted Christianity is on reason and logic. Practically, he also uses this approach to assure that his listeners are able to comprehend to what he is imposing about religion, life and the ways by which he hopes to guide his followers towards the right path of living.

This is the reason why most of his contemporaries were divided into two-types of listeners, the ones who just listen, and the ones who think. Using parables have provided these individuals to think of God’s kingdom through imagery. Understandably, Jesus Christ is trying to present them with something they have no knowledge of. Hence, through logical imagery, Christ aims to help his listeners understand the unknown through giving them relative ideas of the known which he uses to refer back to God’s kingdom. In the aim of explaining how God’s Kingdom could be better understood, he uses the parable of the seed, whereas he imposes that when the seed does fall in a rich land, then it will surely grow, but if it falls in a land that has never been tilted, or soil with thorns, then the seed would not properly grow (Matthew 13:1-17). In a way, Christ points out that only those who really try to listen, think and reason out with what they are being presented with will be the only ones to realize the real meaning of God’s kingdom.

Based on your reading of Albl and Imperato, do you think the Gospels offer an accurate view of Jesus? Why or why not?

Basing from the readings, it could be analyzed that the gospels specifically point out who Jesus was through imposing on the analysis on how he taught and how he tried to reach out to his listeners. Christ has been described to be an intelligent rabbi who is able to provide ample learning for his followers that would specifically be based on reason and logic. This imposes that Christ himself was able to reach out to the hearts of the people because of his strategic use of the human thirst for accurate knowledge. There is a difference between a “fed knowledge” and a “chewed understanding”. Most people who are really looking for the right path to follow or are conscious about their spiritual growth would not only be interested in knowing, but would be more interested in understanding. Unlike other wise men who were known to the human society through time, Jesus as defined through the gospels as someone who intends to help his listeners understand rather than just know. He basically challenges their capability to think to convince them towards the truth he opts to share. With good control over the thinking of his listeners through relatively connecting with their instinct to reason out, Jesus is able to make extensive relation to his listeners thus affecting their lives deeply.

References:

Albl, M. (2009). Reason, faith, tradition: Explorations in Catholic Theology. St. Mary’s Press Christian Brothers Publication.

Imperato, R. (2000). Christian Footings. University Press Of America.