I find strength in your conclusions regarding how Jesus taught in a way
that allowed His listeners to draw their own conclusions is a major theme
of the Bible. What is so great about the work of the Bible is the way it is
written. Over 2000 years later we still find new conclusions, new sermons
to preach, and new lessons to be learned. the Bible, like Jesus, allows the
audience to draw different conclusions based on objectivity, and in many
ways, subjectivity. In fact, because scripture, like all language, is open to
interpretation, sometimes the Word is critiqued and debated which allows
naysayers to argue its validity. The role of the Holy Spirit is integral for us
in interpreting God's true messages with some of the more ambiguous
scriptures. However, there are many verses that seem black and white.
With your question, I have some criticism in that there are areas of fallout.
Indeed, I have seen this to be one of the biggest flaws in education. Many
teachers do allow students to draw their own conclusions when it comes
to different lessons. One of my first philosophy classes in undergraduate
college was a prime example for me to iterate this, as we were instructed
to read certain philosophical writings and discuss our conclusions and
interpretation of the text. Although it is argued that since the authors are
no longer alive we cannot confirm or deny our arguments for what was
really intended, it is a dangerous practice in education to solely expect
students to draw their own conclusions. Many stakeholders in education
have seen the need for student engagement to allow in-depth learning,
however there needs to be more guidance as to how this can be done, for
simply framing class time to be spent in majority of students discussing is
not enough. To clarify, many teachers ask students to draw conclusions
but do not later tell students what the right conclusions are (as is possible
in many areas). As Christians, we believe life and truth isn't subjective, as
the secular population believes (i.e., "Speak your truth."). The truth is
found in God's Word. For a very brief example, teachers may have
students conduct a science experiment and ask kids to discuss why they
think our shadows change form at different times of the day. Students
may share all sorts of theories, some accurate, and some not. It is
important for teachers to later clarify that this phenomena is due to the
location of the sun in the sky and how shadows are responsive to light. As
the Bible says, "He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that
we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created" (ESV, 2001).
7
References
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online.
https://esv.literalword.com/
