Dumbing Down the MESSAGE

Someone recently commented on a recent ‘shift’ in my teaching/preaching style at Desperation Church. They brought up various ‘physical object lessons’ that I’ve been using in my messages, such as cardboard boxes, jelly-bean filled oranges, conch shells, and even live jazz saxophone players. They were asking why I’ve started preaching in this way, and even asked if I was trying to ‘dumb-down’ the Message. Let me try and explain:

I’ve stated in earlier blogs how I’ve been studying the writings of a Messianic Jewish teacher by the name of Lois Tverber. Her insights, as well as other Messianic Jewish writers have greatly influenced me over the past five years or so. One of the things that I’ve learned is that Jesus, being Jewish and being called ‘Rabbi’, must have taught in ways that are pretty foreign to our culture today. Yet His teaching style would not have been foreign to the way that Jewish Rabbis taught in that day. This revelation has caused me to look at how I am communicating to others, and seeking to emulate His teaching style as often as I possibly can with my meager abilities.

You see, Jesus was a Master Communicator – I’m pretty sure everyone would agree with that. You don’t draw the kinds of crowds He was drawing if you can’t put your thoughts together in a way that people can understand, let alone “be amazed at His teaching” (Matthew 7:28). He spoke with authority. He spoke boldly. And, something that I’ve always loved, He told stories. Now, along with stories that used images to teach, rabbis would frequently use situations to go along with their teaching. For example, we know that Jesus washed His disciple’s feet. Another distinguished rabbi, named Gamaliel, got up and served his disciples at a banquet one time. When they asked him why he did such a humble deed he said;

“Is Rabbi Gamaliel a lowly servant? He serves like a household servant, but there is one greater than Him who serves. Consider Abraham who served his visitors . But there is one even greater than Abraham who serves. Consider the Holy One, blessed be He, who provides food for all his creation!”

Abraham was the most revered of all of their ancestors, and Gamaliel reminds them of when God and two angels came to his tent in Genesis 18, that he prepared a meal and served it to them. Then he hints that God Himself serves when He gives us our food. God Himself is a model of serving others rather than wanting to be served.

Jesus also used visual lessons many times, for instance, when He called a child and had him stand there as He taught.

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me” (Matt 18:2-5).

What is this Master Communicator doing here? He is using the child as a concrete example to show the humility that His followers must have, and the importance of not leading the innocent astray. Jesus may have used another example in this particular teaching as well, which I think is ubber-cool! Capernaum was the center of production of millstones, and was right on the Sea of Galilee, and was where Jesus did much of His teaching. Jesus continues...

“But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matt 18:6).

Considering where He was saying this, can’t you just imagine how He may have had His hand on an 800-pound basalt millstone as He gestured to His neck, and then to the Sea of Galilee?

Bruce Wilkinson, in his book “Secrets Of The Vine” suggests that when Jesus gave His famous “I Am the Vine” talk in John 15 that He very well may have been walking through an actual vineyard at the time. Can you just see Jesus talking about vines and the need for us to be those who are bearing fruit, while He is holding up a bunch of grapes?

What if while He was talking about the faith of a mustard seed, He was holding up an actual mustard seed for all to see? Listen, we know at other times He used fig trees and even a boy’s lunch to make strong points, right?

Do you think Jesus was guilty of dumbing down His Message?

My point: I’m not trying to dumb down anything. I don’t think Jesus was either. I suppose not everyone enjoyed Jesus’ teaching, and there’s probably no way everyone will be pleased with mine or anyone else’s teaching styles and methods. However, trying to be like Jesus… even in His teaching style… doesn’t seem like all that bad of a goal for anybody.

Galations 1:10 - NIV
"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."