Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Palestinian Topography
Matt. 7:
27. "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall."
Luke 6:
49b. and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great."
William Barclay gives us some insight into the terrain that these two builders would have available as they would select a choice home site to build upon. But before we look into his geography we must understand that the word flood that Matthew uses and the word torrent that Luke uses to describe the flowing waters has the meaning of river or stream. Barclay writes: “To get the real picture behind this parable we have to read Matthew's version of it as well. (Matt.7:24-27.) In Luke's version the river does not seem to make sense; that is because Luke was not a native of Palestine and had not a clear picture of the circumstances in his own mind; whereas Matthew did belong to Palestine and knew just what the picture was. In summer many of the rivers dried up altogether and left a sandy bed empty of water. But in winter, after the September rains had come, the empty river bed became a raging torrent. Many a man, looking for a site for a house, found an inviting stretch of sand and butt there, only to discover when the winter came, that he had built his house in the middle of a raging river which swept it away. The wise man searched for rock, where it was much more difficult to build and where it was hard labour to cut out the foundations. When the wild winter weather came, his toil was amply repaid, for his house stood strong and firm and secure.
In either form the parable teaches the importance of laying the right foundation for life; the only true foundation is obedience to the teaching of Jesus.”
27. "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall."
Luke 6:
49b. and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great."
William Barclay gives us some insight into the terrain that these two builders would have available as they would select a choice home site to build upon. But before we look into his geography we must understand that the word flood that Matthew uses and the word torrent that Luke uses to describe the flowing waters has the meaning of river or stream. Barclay writes: “To get the real picture behind this parable we have to read Matthew's version of it as well. (Matt.7:24-27.) In Luke's version the river does not seem to make sense; that is because Luke was not a native of Palestine and had not a clear picture of the circumstances in his own mind; whereas Matthew did belong to Palestine and knew just what the picture was. In summer many of the rivers dried up altogether and left a sandy bed empty of water. But in winter, after the September rains had come, the empty river bed became a raging torrent. Many a man, looking for a site for a house, found an inviting stretch of sand and butt there, only to discover when the winter came, that he had built his house in the middle of a raging river which swept it away. The wise man searched for rock, where it was much more difficult to build and where it was hard labour to cut out the foundations. When the wild winter weather came, his toil was amply repaid, for his house stood strong and firm and secure.
In either form the parable teaches the importance of laying the right foundation for life; the only true foundation is obedience to the teaching of Jesus.”
# posted by Castusfumus : 2:53 PM
