The Evangelical Universalist Forum

Parable of the leaky cup

Practices Christian Living
#1

From the Maverick Philosopher blog:
“There is no point in begging for water with a leaky cup. Water thereby gained is immediately lost again. First fix the cup, then beg for the water of life. So also with the glimpses and gleanings and intimations from Elsewhere. Moral fitness and intellectual discrimination are necessary for their proper evaluation and existential implementation. If you can’t act right or think straight, then mystical, religious, and paranormal vouchsafings may do more harm than good. They may inflate the ego or lead it into the dark regions of the occult.”

Me - There is an abundance of food for thought in that parable. Gifts of the Spirit can be wasted because of immorality or lack of wisdom.

#2

What?

#3

Hm?

#4

Not sure i can get behind this either…Jesus used another metaphor of the sick and the well…the sick need the doctor, the well don’t. if i can heal myself first, then what do i need Him for?

Also…the dark regions of the occult, well…i’ll just stop at saying “probably not”. i think someone who seeks spiritual truth, even if they do it as if they’re blindfolded and trying to pin a tail on a donkey [myself included at times, we all have our blind moments], is at least trying, and that counts for something. One day they’ll see Christ and recognise who they were seeking all that time, or they will be surprised…but pleasantly so.

#5

That parable has the property of some others as well - that it will resonate with some and not with others - we kind of read into it what we think it should mean.
It has to do imo with the possibility of dissipation - wasting of the good gifts of God through immorality and inattention. It is a reminder of the theme - prevalent in GMac - that (to use a simple picture) the container the gift is ‘poured into’ is to be strengthened by having one’s moral life in order and growing and the need for applying our minds to our faith. In other words, nothing new - just a reminder.
It is not about healing so much as taking responsibility . It is not about faith vs works.
$.02

#6

I guess it depends on whether the cup has a crack or a hole. I have a few cracked cups I can still drink out of, tho they may drip a bit. Now a cup with a hole in it, it’s just gonna make a big mess. :slight_smile:

#7

We’re all a little ‘cracked’, eh? :laughing:

#8

:laughing:

#9

Many years ago we had a lady in the church I was then a part of who though middle aged had some form of disability that rendered her a mental age of around 7-8. Would that be an example of a leaky cup? She brought all her friends to church and just lit up at the mention of the name of Jesus. Who is to decide who is fit to hear the gospel or to be blessed by the Lord. The rich young ruler was a man who seemed to have his house in order in many respects. Clearly a good candidate. He even appreciated his need. He walked away empty with his eyes down cast. If he had looked up into the face of Jesus he would have seen the love. We know about this because others saw it and so we have the comment about Jesus love for him.

#10

Chris - that’s not what I would mean by a ‘leaky cup’.
The parable is not about those who need healing - we all need healing! - but about those who are coddling their sins and laziness. It’s about moral self-improvement - as a good and obedient son/daughter, purifying themselves.

GMac:

Who sets himself not sternly to be good,
Is but a fool, who judgment of true things
Has none, however oft the claim renewed.
And he who thinks, in his great plenitude,
To right himself, and set his spirit free,
Without the might of higher communings,
Is foolish also–save he willed himself to be.

#11

Ah I see! I thank thee Lord that I am not like other men…however Paul did say that to think on noble things is good so I guess that is the message. Or do I still err? I had a secretary once long ago when such persons were more common in the work place who would remind me when I got too vigorus with my red pen ‘to err is human Mr Brown’. Sadly true Dave.

#12

Chris - Well the sad truth is - when I mentioned that ‘we’ sometimes “read into” a parable something that is not there - I OF COURSE did not mean that** I ** do that! :laughing:

Ach it was just a thought-starter, and since it had no context - unlike our Lord’s parables - it is obvious to me now that it was bound to cause confusion.
Not a problem my friend. :smiley:

#13

I think I get your avatar Dave :smiley: