I recently read Matthew 15, and (somehow) saw it through new
eyes. I remembered that the disciples still
did not “get” Jesus. They saw him as a
spiritual authority, so it surprised them for Jesus to criticize the
Pharisees. After Jesus pointed out the
Pharisees’ hypocrisy, the disciples were almost shocked. “Uh, Jesus, did you know that you just
offended those religious leaders?” They
were trying to help him avoid trouble, not knowing that Jesus would never lose
an argument, never back away from controversy, and never be defeated by death.
After the disciples’ admonition, Jesus takes the
confrontation to a new level. He calls
the crowd to himself and explains how heart-matters are more important than
appearances. Suddenly this story had
greater depth for me. Somehow I could read
the story as though it had not been spoiled.
So, how can you read the Bible like an unspoiled story? Here are some suggestions.
Pray. The Holy Spirit is the author of the Bible,
so I can ask him to help me understand his word.
Take time. Having a chunk of time without interruption
and without distraction makes a huge difference for me. Too often I provide my own distractions,
unfortunately.
Read slowly. I really struggle with reading the Bible too
quickly. I know the stories, so I can
get by with skimming them. When I stop
rushing on to whatever is next, I can “listen” better to the story.
Try to forget what you already know. That’s not easy to do. It’s really the whole point of pretending
that the story is not spoiled. I keep
reminding myself that I need a fresh perspective.
Read a different
translation. Unfamiliar wording often
gets my attention.
Imagine the setting.
What time of day is it? Where is this—on a mountain, on a lake, in a
house? What has just happened
previously? How would that affect the people
in the story? Is the weather
mentioned? What would that look like,
feel like, as best you can imagine?
Consider who is in
the story. Is Jesus talking to the
crowd, the Pharisees, the disciples? Who
is watching this happen?
Look at the details
and descriptions. Are emotions
mentioned? How are people described? What details seem unimportant, and why were
they included?
Imagine you are one
of the “extra” characters. What were
David’s brothers thinking before he killed Goliath? What were the other disciples thinking when Jesus
rebuked Peter? How did the Christians in
Philippi feel when they heard the letter from Paul?
Ask questions. Who is Jesus talking to? How would they feel about Jesus? What are they thinking? Why would someone respond like that? Why did God let that happen?
