Stairs of wisdom

Transformational knowledge of the Gospel

By José Bernardo

What is and how does the cognitive process connect Gospel knowledge to personal attitude? If we talk about knowledge in the way the world does, possibly we will miss the connection with attitude. However, when we think the way faith is built, as conviction based on discernment, experience and assimilation, there is no way that somebody can know the Gospel and not be transformed in the process. Let’s see what Jesus taught about this cognitive process.

James J. Tissot (French painter and illustrator, 1836-1902)
Jesus preaches in a ship

The disciples wanted to know why Jesus had begun to speak in parables. That should call our attention, since parables are parallels, meaning illustrations given to simplify the understanding of something. However, Jesus refers to the essence of his parables as ‘secrets of the kingdom of heaven’, using the Greek word ‘mustérion’ or mystery, which are truths that can only be accessed when given. Jesus adds that having not been given, even what they did have would be taken from them. Moreover, the disciples did not have to wait for a clear reason for the revelation of mysteries. Jesus said: “For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them” Mathew 13:15.

Jesus quoted Isaiah 6:9,10, and presented a scaled process of knowledge, first from the innermost to the outermost (heart, ears and eyes), and then reversed it from outside in (see, hear and understand). The Hebrew words used to describe the process are self-explanatory, they literally mean that the heart ‘is fat’ (rich), the ears are ‘honored’ (weighed down) and the eyes are ‘delighted’ (closed). These words describe somebody so full of food that they cannot see, hear or feel anything. The same idea is found in the parable that contains this explanation. The habituation, superficiality and diversity fields talk together about eyes, ears and hearts that are not able to absorb the essential message of the Gospel. They are not prepared to understand who Jesus is.

What is clear, therefore, is that healing comes after turning, and turning depends on a process that begins with seeing with the eyes, which means to stare at something, discerning it from everything else. The second step is hearing with the ears, listening and experiencing in a deeper way of perception, fully capturing the meaning. The final step needed to trigger the turning is understanding with the heart, literally ‘putting things together’, which is the complete assimilation of what was seen and heard before. If somebody has the good soil of the Field of Perseverance, they will go through these three stages to change in such a way that will result in holistic healing. Here is something that we should understand when communicating the Gospel: we need to offer something that people can discern, perceive, and assimilate. “Whoever has will be given more!”

.........................

Jose Bernardo is the OneHope vice-president for lusophone countries. OneHope is a global agency of the Bible that has worked in 145 countries giving the Word of God to every child.