In the old example, the frog jumps clear from the container when it discovers the water is too hot for it to survive. So, it either boils to death or jumps to live. On the other hand, a frog will sit, stay and die in the same container of water if the temperature is slowly increased to the same boiling point as before.
Why am I saying this? What’s the parallel with the frog? Let me explain, and please stay with me because I might ruffle a few feathers and upset some friends, but neither of these is my aim or purpose. Let’s make the analogy to our church, its beliefs, and the individual members. Let’s say one of the members goes to church year after year, checks out the beliefs and fully accepts the theology. The water in the tank is just right, and that’s ok. Then someone in leadership adds, removes, or alters, one of the basic beliefs you had accepted. This doesn’t feel right, and the water slowly gets warmer still. Then another person you respect and trust accepts and adopts yet another change fully and the water continues to boiling point. What to do now?
If this ‘old’ member stays against their better judgement, they will spiritually die in the slow change of temperature as it rises. However, if that same old member senses the sudden temperature change and acts quickly to leap from the tank, he or she is saved and can find another tank where the spiritual atmosphere and temperature is just right, and that ‘frog’ will survive.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27
In this parable Jesus says that the storm came in increasing intensity. The rain, then the floods, and finally the winds. At each point the house owner had the chance to react, but the foolish man built on a soft foundation and chose not to move. He had the same circumstances as the wise man. The difference was in the sure, unchangeing foundation of his belief. Which storms would you or I survive? Based on the ‘frog and the boiling water’ example, who do you see as the wise frog? It comes down to this, would you jump or die?
Why am I saying this? What’s the parallel with the frog? Let me explain, and please stay with me because I might ruffle a few feathers and upset some friends, but neither of these is my aim or purpose. Let’s make the analogy to our church, its beliefs, and the individual members. Let’s say one of the members goes to church year after year, checks out the beliefs and fully accepts the theology. The water in the tank is just right, and that’s ok. Then someone in leadership adds, removes, or alters, one of the basic beliefs you had accepted. This doesn’t feel right, and the water slowly gets warmer still. Then another person you respect and trust accepts and adopts yet another change fully and the water continues to boiling point. What to do now?
If this ‘old’ member stays against their better judgement, they will spiritually die in the slow change of temperature as it rises. However, if that same old member senses the sudden temperature change and acts quickly to leap from the tank, he or she is saved and can find another tank where the spiritual atmosphere and temperature is just right, and that ‘frog’ will survive.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27
In this parable Jesus says that the storm came in increasing intensity. The rain, then the floods, and finally the winds. At each point the house owner had the chance to react, but the foolish man built on a soft foundation and chose not to move. He had the same circumstances as the wise man. The difference was in the sure, unchangeing foundation of his belief. Which storms would you or I survive? Based on the ‘frog and the boiling water’ example, who do you see as the wise frog? It comes down to this, would you jump or die?
