The story is about an American researcher, Travis Proulx, who has made an interesting observation through his research, that people actually learn better if they are presented with less straight forward, more surreal learning experiences, rather than clear, well organised information and facts. While this seems to fly in the face of common sense, it is not really a new discovery. In fact, Jesus, who is widely regarded as one the greatest teachers of all time, used this learning technique more than any other.
I have already highlighted this to a certain extent in a previous post, "Jesus is the Question". More than preaching sermons or arguing apologetics, Jesus actually told riddles and parables; asked people probing and personal questions; and rarely gave a straight answer to questions that were asked of him. On the surface, not much a teacher, but this latest research might suggest otherwise...People often think that the reason Jesus told parables was to make the things of God clearer to his listeners. But when asked about why he told parables, he replied that the parables would only give insight to those who are seeking out the truth of God in their lives. For Jesus, this was the key to getting anything at all out of his difficult and surreal teaching methods. These people would listen to his parables and then ponder on them and reflect on what they might mean for them. It was through this kind of prayerful searching, that they would unlock the mysteries behind these strange, often obtuse stories (Matthew 13:1-17).
What do the stories of Jesus do for you?Before I go, I want to re-recommend, the "Jesus Asked" podcast series that I previously recommended in my "Jesus is the Question" post. You can either download the podcasts directly or subscribe to them via i-tunes.
Do it now !!!
Shalom...
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