Simply Jesus

Chapter 8 -

Stories That Explain and a Message That Transforms

This chapter relies heavily on the use of biblical passages, which make up the bulk of our reading.  We will therefore simply lift up the central themes around which these passages offer validation and guidance.  Be prepared to stretch out your discussions around these few key points.

1.  Jesus told stories…lots of great stories with multiple applications.  They were “full of echoes”…resonating with the ancient scriptural promises.  Wright notes that “The message, then, remains very much about what ought to be happening here and now, on ‘earth,’ not just in ‘heaven.’” 

From your perspective, both as a child and now as an adult, what is the purpose and value of Jesus’ parables?

2.  “The parables, in fact, are told as kingdom explanations for Jesus’ kingdom actions.”  “It was the new world in which God was in charge at last, on earth as in heaven.”  As Wright adds, “Frequently, indeed, the main thrust of a parable must be left unsaid.” 

How is the parable of the prodigal son an example of this?  What purpose does the lack of resolution serve?

3.  Jesus’ parables are aimed in all directions.  The thrust of many were, “Don’t miss it!” (referring to the coming of the kingdom.)  He also contended with such completing influences as Herod Antipas, the Pharisees and the Sadducees…seeking to preserved their own kingdoms. 

What are the competing kingdoms of our time and how do Jesus’ parables expose their weaknesses?

4.  The goal of Jesus’ parables and teaching was also the transformation of hearts.  Ritual purity versus ritual uncleanness was a very sticky topic. 

What are the contemporary debates of “acceptability” facing Christians and non-Christians alike today?  In other words, how do Jesus’ parables continue to influence and shape our current moral/ethical discourse?

5.  Let’s look at Wright’s concluding questions:

“But what then must we say about Jesus’ vision of the kingdom itself?  Did he think it was already here, or was it still in the future?  Or was it in some sense both, and if so how?”