Sun 9:30a Class; 10:30a Worship; 11:35a Communion
Bible Bites
In Plain English
Why are balls thrown, whistles blown, and seeds sown (unlike garments, which are sewn), while cars may be towed or traffic may be slowed?
The short answer: we have the great pleasure of speaking a very curious tongue, with a mind-boggling set of rules, exceptions, and abnormalities. Grammatical rules aside, we also have a massive number of head-scratching words (or combinations of words). Most of us have probably read something, at one time or another, detailing a few of the more humorous bits of chaos the English language creates: Why does quicksand work slowly? Why is a boxing ring square? Why do people recite at plays and play at recitals? Why do you park on the driveway and drive on the parkway? Why are “slim chance” and “fat chance” used interchangeably, while “wise man” and “wise guy” are opposites?
Most of these ‘curiosities’ are harmless afterthoughts for longtime English speakers (though sometimes our language can be downright cruel—like the word “lisp”, for instance), which often makes me thankful that it is my native tongue. In English, a girl might have to bow her head to keep her bow from getting caught in a bough, while a man may decide to desert his dessert in the desert; can you imagine having to learn those things as an adult who already speaks a phonetically sound language?
My intention in pointing out some of the more squirrelly aspects of our vernacular is simply to point out that no matter what language you happen to use when reading the Scriptures — even one as un-wieldy, awkward, and befuddling as our own — the gospel can be understood. Put another way, the words may be difficult, but the message is simple.
Even though many of Jesus’ words, especially some of the parables and prophecies He spoke, were misinterpreted, we are impressed today with the simplicity and straightforwardness of the Master. Jesus was a plain-speaker! One could cite many passages which highlight the clarity of our Lord’s doctrine and teaching. His “Sermon on the Mount” is viewed — even by non-Christians — as a treasury of direct, practical instruction, covering man’s relationship with others, with God, and even with himself. When asked which commandment was greatest, Jesus did not hem and haw, nor did He give a disappointingly murky answer. We should not be underwhelmed or unimpressed by His ability to extract one great commandment (“love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind”) and a second like it (“love your neighbor as yourself”) out of the entire, honorable, weighty volume of God’s laws. Even the response we should have to Him, as our Savior, is characteristically simple — “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14.15).
That Jesus spoke so plainly should come as no surprise, for God has always conversed with man in language we can readily understand. God’s first compact with humankind could not have been communicated more clearly: “And the Lord God commanded the man [Adam], saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’” (Genesis 2.16-17). Abraham was told by God to simply “go out” from his homeland, and was commended when he obeyed by doing just that. The law given to Moses can be read today and easily digested by anyone who cares to read it—quite a feat, considering that law was not only a moral and religious one, but also a civil code for a nation of over a million people. Wise Solomon remembered the instructions of his godly father David, who told him, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding” (Proverbs 4.4). You’ll notice that throughout the book of Proverbs, wisdom is not attained through great difficulty and struggling—rather, it is there for the taking, calling aloud and raising its voice, inviting even the simplest of the simple to embrace it (Proverbs 1.20-23).
Whether in Adam’s time, in the time of Christ, or today, there appears to be one vital, necessary ingredient, one key to comprehending God’s message to us: willingness. It’s immaterial what your IQ might be, what language(s) you speak or how well you do so, whether you have a PhD or a GED—if it is your desire to understand the gospel, and to know what the Lord would have you do, such knowledge is well within your grasp. The hardhearted and obstinate, though they be clever and cunning, smart and schooled, are counted as foolish. It is these who “keep on hearing, but do not understand” (Isaiah 6.9); not because they can’t, but because they won’t.
So, even as you read our Lord’s wonderful word in such a curious language, read it with a true desire to understand—to get wisdom! “For whoever finds [wisdom] finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 8.35).
