Analogies, Parables, and Teaching Stories- Part 2

I've always had a thing for analogies, parables, and the like. As teaching tools, they use every-day situations and ideas to explain complex principles, making those complex ideas a whole lot easier to understand. Often, they can explain ideas that would otherwise be nigh impossible to explain accurately.

Jesus Himself used parables all the time in His teaching. Sometimes this was to make the teaching of a certain principle easier. But often He didn't give an explanation. He simply allowed people to take from the "nice story" what they would- an act of mercy, given that we are each held accountable for following the doctrines we understand.

The first in this series was about ducks. This one is about medicine.. and salvation.

There have been (thankfully rare) times that I've been really sick. If i don't get over it in a day or two, I head up to the doctor's office. The doctor checks my vitals, and sometimes he takes a culture to see what kind of bug is making me sick.

Then he writes a prescription. Yay! I'm going to get well!!.. or am I?

That handy-dandy little paper isn't going to make me well.. paper doesn't cure disease. So I take the paper to the pharmacy.. Yay, I'm going to be feeling better in no time!.. or am I?

A bottle of pills sitting on the counter won't make me better. I have to take the medicine, follow the directions.. I have to DO something.

So it is with sin- Sin causes spiritual illness, and we need help to become well again. In the scriptures, we find the cure- John 16:33- ".. Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

His sacrifice is a cure- but we must apply it and follow the Doctor's orders- faith, baptism, continual repentance, and obedience- to gain our spiritual health back.