Thursday, February 25, 2010

Blogging through the Orthodox Heretic, day 8

Parable #8 examines the way we codify teachings in the Bible and often miss the point. In the story, a group of disciples heard Jesus teach that if a Roman soldier asked them to carry a pack a mile, do so 2 miles and took the words literally. They became known for carrying packs 2 miles and even began to build positive relationships with the soldiers who enjoyed their cheerful help.

When Jesus learned of their discipline, he told them they had missed the point and that if a soldier asked them to carry the pack 2 miles, they should go 3.

Of course, this same group would turn the 3 mile teaching into a requirement and would continue to miss the point. How do we tease out the real meaning of the words of Jesus and live as followers of Jesus rather than as followers of sets of rules?

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