04. Chapter 4: His Points of Contact
Chapter 4 His Points of Contact
It is essential in all effective teaching that points of contact be established between teacher and taught. By a “point of contact” in teaching we mean how minds come to meet, the common meeting places of mind with mind. Just as we “rub elbows” in the physical world, so minds have points of contact in the mental world. Usually these points of contact are matters of common or joint interest. The one who establishes the point of contact knows the other so well or so sympathetically that he catches him where he lives. To do this involves adaptability and tact on the part of the teacher. He must be thinking about his pupils or his auditors or the other fellow, as well as about what he himself has to say or do. It is very difficult for a self-conscious or an awkward person to make contacts. He is like a defective electric light bulb—there may be physical contacts, but no flashes of light. Can you recall some one who is happy in establishing points of contact? How does he do it? That such mental meeting places are requisite at the opening of any exchange of ideas is obvious. Without them the auditor may or may not be a party to the transaction, what is said may go “over his head,” or make no real appeal to him at all. But once two people feel they have common interests, there is a basis for further transactions. Without the sense of contact established, two minds may pass as ships in the night without speaking. One of the commonest ways of getting together mentally is by a story, incident, or bit of humor. One of the best ways is to play together. What other ways can you think of?
Now, did the Master Teacher also establish points of contact? Read the following passage carefully and note the answer.
Next day again John was standing with two of his disciples; he gazed at Jesus as he walked about, and said “Look, there is the lamb of God!” The two disciples heard what he said and went after Jesus. Now Jesus turned, and when he observed them coming after him, he asked them, “What do you want?” They replied, “Rabbi” (which may be translated, ‘teacher’), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he stayed, and stayed with him the rest of that day—it was then about four in the afternoon. One of the two men who heard what John said and went after Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Peter. In the morning he met his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the messiah” (which may be translated, ‘Christ’). He took him to Jesus; Jesus gazed at him and said, “You are Simon, the son of John? Your name is to be Cephas” (meaning ‘Peter’ or ‘rock’).
Next day Jesus determined to leave for Galilee; there he met Philip and told him, “Follow me.” Now Philip belonged to Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter; he met Nathanael and told him, “We have found him whom Moses wrote about in the Law, and also the prophets—it is Jesus, the son of Joseph, who comes from Nazaret.” “Nazaret!” said Nathanael, “can anything good come out of Nazaret?” “Come and see,” said Philip. Jesus saw Nathanael approaching and said of him, ‘‘Here is a genuine Israelite! There is no guile in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered, “When you were under that fig tree, before ever Philip called you, I saw you.” “Rabbi,” said Nathanael, “you are the Son of God, you are the king of Israel!” Jesus answered, “You believe because I told you I had seen you under that fig tree? You shall see more than that.” He said to him, “Truly, truly I tell you all, you shall see heaven open wide and God’s angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”—John 1:35-51 (Moffatt ’s translation). As a matter of fact, did Jesus establish contact with the two disciples of the Baptist (Andrew and John), and Peter, and Philip, and Nathanael?
How then did he do it? Read the passage again carefully and make a list of your answers.
Now compare your list with the one following:
1. Jesus walked where his presence could be noted by the Baptist.
2. He used his eyes. He “observed” Andrew and John coming after him, he “gazed” at Simon, he “saw” Nathanael approaching, and had previously “seen” him under that fig tree in meditation, like Buddha under the Bo tree.
3. He opened up conversation, with the two, with Simon, with Philip, with Nathanael.
4. He asked questions. “What do you want?” “You are Simon, the son of John?” “You believe because I told you I had seen you under that fig tree?”
5. He invited companionship. “Come and see.” They stayed with him the rest of that day. “Follow me.”
6. He utilized the power of the name. We all like to be recognized, and called by name. Further, in handling the name, he took a personal liberty in an acceptable way with a sense of humor. “You are Simon, the son of John? Your name is to be Cephas.”
7. He understood character, and showed that he did. “Here is a genuine Israelite! There is no guile in him.” That astonished the doubting Nathanael. The open compliment was not lost on him. His pride was perhaps tickled as he recognized himself under the fine tribute. He began to capitulate. Somewhat bluntly, without address, he asked: “How do you know me?” The answer, showing that Jesus had noted him under that fig tree in pious meditation, appreciating Nathanael at his strongest points, led to immediate and unconditional surrender: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the king of Israel.”
It is small wonder that a teacher who could establish such contacts, had loyal followers. Even so, it is possible Peter, Andrew, and John were called again, or even a third time. (See Mark 1:16-20, and Luke 5:1-11.) Study these passages. Compare the points of contact. How many different calls to discipleship did Peter, say, receive?
How did Jesus establish a point of contact with the woman of Samaria? See John 4:1-42, especially John 4:8. It was a natural request for a favor. It was so simple. Yet it surmounted two high walls of separation, that he was Jew and that she was scarlet.
Nicodemus seems to have felt under the necessity of establishing a point of contact with Jesus. How does he do it? See John 3:2. Did Jesus require such a mode of approach? Do you think Jesus interrupted his speech? Evidently at some previous time the mind of Nicodemus bad opened to Jesus. How do you imagine it may have come about?
How did the Pharisees and Herodians seek a point of contact with Jesus? (Matthew 22:10.) The rejection of Jesus in his home town, “where he had been brought up,” must have been a sorrowful disappointment to him. Was his point of contact successfully established? What was it? Read very carefully Luke 4:16-30. What caused them to reject him after speaking well of him and marveling at the gracious words that came from his lips? The trouble here seems not to have been with the point of contact, which was the prophecy of Isaiah and its fulfillment.
How did Jesus establish contact with the thirty-eight-year invalid at the pool of Bethesda? See John 5. “Wouldest thou be made whole?” is the question approach on the matter of keenest concern to the man. Find the question Jesus addressed to the blind men at Jericho.
It is clear that when multitudes followed him it was because effective points of contact had already been established. Such was the case with the crowds to whom the Sermon on the Mount, or the Teaching on the Hill, as it might be called, was given. The two main general methods by which he himself had established such contacts are suggested in Luke 6:17. What are these? But in the gathering of a crowd there is another influence at work. What is it? Find it in Matthew 4:24. Putting these three things together, we see the crowds assembled because of what Jesus had said and done and because of social suggestion—the spreading of fame.
Both Matthew and Luke agree that Jesus began the teaching on the hill with the beatitudes, or characteristics of the blessed life. How did he connect up in this way with something astir in his hearers’ own minds? On another occasion, when teaching a multitude as it stood on the beach and he sat in a boat on the lake, he utilized the parable as the opening point of contact, beginning with that of the Sower. How would the parable appeal to something already in the minds of his hearers? Would they be more interested in the blessed life or in a story? See Matthew 13. Which appeals to the higher intelligence? Why did Jesus begin his teaching of multitudes with simple statements and then pass later to figurative language? This last question may have to wait till we make a special study of the parables. How did multitudes of people affect Jesus? See Matthew 9:36; Matthew 15:32.
Jesus would eat and drink with publicans and sinners. His disciples did the same. This scandalized the Pharisees and their scribes. Why diet Jesus do it? See Matthew 9:10-13. What effect did such social freedom have on the Levis and the Magdalens? Would it be going too far to say Jesus was, as we say, “a good mixer”? Does being a good mixer necessitate doing wrong things? Jesus remarked that it was said of him, “Behold, a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber.” Why is eating and drinking with a person such an intimate form of contact?
How did Jesus establish contact with Zaccheus? Read Luke 19:1-10 with this question in mind. How did Jesus meet Zaccheus more than half way? Would you say that the habitual attitude of Jesus toward people was exclusive or democratic? Back of every contact established seems to have been the helpful disposition of Jesus, coupled with the desire to complete the fragmentary lives of people. How does the incident of Zaccheus show the use Jesus made of the occasion as it arose? This is so important a matter that we must give especial attention to it later. In the triumphal entry, by riding upon a colt, the foal of an ass, with what possible content in the minds of the people was Jesus seeking connection? Read Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:18-19. Did he succeed? Here an act is used to make an appeal.
After the denial by Peter, how did Jesus reestablish contact with him? See Luke 22:61. You notice the repeated references to the use of his eyes by Jesus. What others can you recall? The resurrection angel sent a special message to Peter. Mark 16:7. How did Jesus himself reopen contact with Peter? See John 21:15.
It would be worth while to follow this study with a careful account of the spirit contacts Jesus made after the resurrection with Mary Magdalene in the garden, with Cleopas and John on the way to Emmaus, with the other disciples, and with Thomas.
Sum up now the main modes of contact made by Jesus. How many have you? After all, just which ones are not open to us? All we require is the will and the skill. When we reach “Apperception” we shall find it a way of keeping up the mental contact already made. See Patterson Du Bois, “The Point of Contact in Teaching.”