The Man in the Boat

Do you remember your favorite teacher?

What was it about him or her that inspired you to learn?

Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables. - Mark 4:1-2

When we read about Jesus teaching the crowd from the boat by the sea, we imagine a great number of people sitting or standing on shore, their attention fixed on the man in the boat.

We may think the crowd was quiet, focused on every word, and that may be the way Hollywood would portray it, but I wonder.

I envision a noisy crowd, not much different from any gathering today.  Some up close would hear what he said and pass it along to the ones around them.  They would be discussing and questioning him and each other.

Jesus invited discussion.  It was his style of teaching.  That's why he gave them something to talk about.  He gave them parables.  It would have been a challenge to come up with a meaning others might not have thought of.

I like to think the disciples were out among the crowd, listening to the conversations, relaying them back to the man in the boat, shouting out ideas and thoughts.

Having heard these parables before, they would have some idea of the many meanings and interpretations they could inspire.

The teacher encouraged debate and they would have helped him stir one up.

It is a method of teaching we could use today, perfect for Bible Study, where we gather in a group and seek answers to the questions the readings stir up.

It is how we bring these stories to life and make them a part of ours.

This is the idea behind these daily reflections.  It is a search for questions more than for answers.  What can we ask ourselves about the meaning of this our lives today?

So join me at the shore, listening to the man in the boat, and let's start the day with a question or two.  We can share our thoughts over coffee and then go on our way.

In doing so, we spread the Word.

More to come...