Parables: The Stories Jesus Told
Week 1: Stumbling over the Parables of Jesus
The parables are those simple, confusing, humorous, cutting, encouraging, almost always unexpected and often irreverent little stories Jesus told. They are especially suited to worm their way into our hearts & minds. This week we are beginning a series on the parables of Jesus by asking that most basic question: Why? Why does Jesus speak in parables? Why does Jesus seem to think that parables, in particular, have the power to transform us from the inside out?
Week 2: The Birdwatcher, the Sower, & the Shema. Luke 8
Jesus told many stories, but there’s one story in particular that He seems to want us to hear first. In Matthew, Mark, & Luke, this story stands as a kind of entryway to the stories of Jesus. You must go through it if you hope to get inside. It's a story about a farmer sowing seeds, about Isaiah speaking to deaf people, and about how hearing has more to do with your heart than your ears.
Week 3: The Sinner Who God Loves. Luke 18
On this baptism Sunday, we look at a parable that reveals the beauty of the Good News of Jesus: God loves sinners. If you are a sinner, this is good news indeed.
Week 4: The Manager, Mammon, & the Margarita Machine. Luke 16:1-13
In Luke 16, Jesus tosses out this story about a crooked manager who is commended for his shrewdness in flushing a bunch of his master's money when it can secure him something better. It's an uncomfortable story. Talking about money usually is. It will lead us to explore the dark power that money has over us, the things we believe about God & money, and the possibility that you might want to buy a margarita machine.
Week 5: Walking with God in a World of Injustice & Suffering. Luke 13:1-9
In Luke 13, Jesus invites us to walk with Him as we wrestle with one of life's most perplexing questions: How do we make sense of senseless evil? Where do we find God in this world of injustice & suffering? But, if you're looking for a simple answer, you'll need a different Messiah. Jesus doesn't want to make this simple. He wants to tell us a story.
Week 6: Sacred Sifting. Luke 22:31-34; 54-62
OK, I get it. I’m supposed to be on this journey of personal transformation so that my life looks progressively more like Jesus. But my transformation-journey can, all-too-often, seem excruciatingly slow and, sometimes, end up in a ditch. Maybe, yours too? Our faith waivers, gets weary, and can even forget to show up. This Sunday we’ll be exploring a fascinating WORD that Jesus used with his disciples to describe how He can intervene in their and our bumpy faith-journeys in such a way as to transform our struggling and failings into strengths and eternal fruit. That word is “SIFTING.” A process that can be painful, and yet so very promising.
Week 7: Parable of the Prodigal: Why we feel so lost. Luke 15
Who are you? What is ultimate reality like? Is our universe basically governed by impersonal laws or is it ultimately relational and personal? In Luke 15, Jesus tells us a story that challenges how we see and experience... everything. It's a story that explains why we feel so lost. But, it's also a story that - if you let it - might just worm its way into your heart and mind and pull you into a deep, rich, fullness of life with God the Father. May it wreck you the way it has been wrecking people for 2,000 years.
Week 8: (Re)Learning How to Listen. Luke 10.
Listening, really listening is essential to getting in on the Kingdom of God and experiencing the life of Jesus. It is about more than mastering the meaning of words. It takes practice and patience. It likely takes unlearning what you think you know as much as it takes learning what you do not yet know. Through the parables, Jesus invites us to (re)learn how to listen. In this message, we explore the ancient Christian practice of lectio divina (sacred reading) as a way of relearning how to hear the voice of Jesus in the Word of God.
Week 9: The Parable of the Good Samaritan. Luke 10
In Luke 10, Jesus tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan. It is well known but not well understood. Today, we might culturally translate it as the Parable of the Good Abortion Doctor or the Parable of the Good Capital Rioter, depending on your political tribe. This parable is outrageous, offensive, unsafe... and, perhaps, a message our world needs to hear more than ever.