“And he was stating the matter plainly.”
(Mark 8:32a)
When we speak the plain truth, we expect to be understood. Simple, straightforward words are meant to make it easy for others to understand us… but what happens when the plain truth isn’t good enough?
Jesus spoke the plain truth when He explained that He was going to be crucified and then rise again on the third day. It was easy to understand, but the very next thing we see is Peter rebuking Jesus for saying it. The plain truth sometimes is plainly not what we want to hear!
The Bible has some complicated parts, but the majority of it is in pretty plain language. Most of it is written at a middle school reading level and it doesn’t take a degree in theology to understand what it teaches. Subjects like heaven, hell, baptism, salvation in Jesus, sin, self-control, and many others are pretty clearly articulated – it’s just the plain truth.
So why don’t more people do what the Bible plainly says? For the same reason Peter rejected Jesus’ plain words about the crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus said, “you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
The plain truth isn’t the problem. The problem is that we are plainly not interested.
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites