BEMA Episode Link: 112: Explanations That Don’t Explain
Episode Length: 35:50
Published Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2019 01:00:00 -0700
Session 3
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings try to learn from Jesus’s puzzling explanation for the parable of the weeds.

Discussion Video for BEMA 112

Transcript for BEMA 112

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

  • Jesus seems to answer the disciples’ question to explain the parables NOT with answers but by retelling the parables in a new way.
    • There is no reference to any of the elements of PaRDeS that we’ve learned about.
    • This likely means there are more pashat, remez and drash teachings.
    • All of the parablesin question, except the mustard seed, seem to be tied to the soils that Jesus initially teaches about beginning in Matt 13:1.
      • Is he preparing his disciples for an upcoming challenge?
      • What kind of soil are each of you?
        • The Path?
        • The Thorns?
        • The Rocks?
        • The Good Soil?
  • People As Soil
    • People who are like the Soil of the Path:
      • “Whatever, whatever. Who cares?”
    • People who are like the Soil Among the Thorns:
      • They do it. They understand the message. They do the work. They understand the invitation of the Kingdom of God. They even know what God’s calling them to do. The worries of the world and all the things that they’ve got to do and the degrees that they’ve got to have and the job that they got to get and all the to-do lists and wealth and security—does it choke it out and make it unfruitful?
    • People who are like the Soil of the Rocks:
      • “Oh, man. I love learning these things. I love listening to your guys’ podcast. It’s so great”—but they don’t actually ever do the work of building deep roots for themselves?
    • People who are like the Good Soil:
      • They’re doing the work, they’re learning how to dive into the Text.
  • What is the Kingdom Like? What is our role in the Kingdom?
    • DO NOT GO WEEDING!
      • What are examples of what it looks like to us to “weed the Kingdom?” Are we guilty of that?
      • What is the risk if we spend our time weeding before the Harvest?
      • Jesus says that is HIS responsibility.
      • The weeding will take place at the Harvest by his Angels.
      • Be about the task of engaging the work of the Kingdom.

Discussion Questions

  • Head Questions
    • What are the answers to each of the elements of the Jewish Hermeneutics of PaRDeS? What are answers for Pashat? What are all of the Remezes? What are all of the Drashes?
    • What keywords in the passages could you search for in the rest of the Text?
    • How can you utilize the Septuigint to identify other parts of the Text that could be discussing the same ideas?
    • What translations can you use that hint at unique words you may not find in other translations?
  • Heart and Hands Questions

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