In one of his parables found in the Bible, Jesus described the kingdom of heaven.
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and busy that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:44-46)
What do you think is the message of this parable?
Jesus told this parable of the Good Samaritan in response to the question, “What must I do to inherit everlasting life?” (Luke 10:25)
A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite1, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan2, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; hen he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii3 and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.” Which of these three, do you think proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers? He said, “The one who showed mercy on him.” And Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:30-37)
1. Levites were Jews who performed duties in the Temple.
2. Samaritans were people from Samaria; most Jews looked down on them.
3. A unit of money.
Explain the message of this parable.
According to the Gospel of Mark in the Bible, Jesus was in Capernaum when a group of men brought a paralyzed friend to see him. Most of the people around Jesus assumed that the paralyzed person was guilty of some sin, and they were afraid of sin. Jesus told the man that he was forgiven. Then he told him to get up and walk.
When someone has a difficulty that we do not share, we may assume that they did something bad to make it happen. Is this fair?
In the town of Jericho, Jesus helped a blind man named Bartimaeus regain his sight. Without touching the man’s eyes or making a big show of it, Jesus said, “Go your way, your faith has made you well.”
You know what it means to be literally blind. What does it mean to be figuratively blind?
In his teaching, Jesus used everyday language. His lessons were based on things his listeners were familiar with. He spoke of shepherds and sheep, of rocky soil and mustard seed. These were all part of daily life in Palestine at that time.
Do you think Jesus’ message would have affected people as much if he had spoken in terms of heaven and angels, not rocks and farmers?
According to the Gospel of Mark in the Bible, a man near Gerasenes was possessed by an army of demons. The man was a source of fear for the local people. He had been living in a tomb, hitting himself with rocks, and yelling wildly at night. Jesus helped the man transfer his demons onto a flock of pigs, and the pigs ran over a cliff.
Would you have been able to approach a wild man like the one in Gerasenes? What would have kept you away from him? Why do you think Jesus approached him?
According to the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible, a man named Saul was a Pharisee, or conservative Jew. He was active in the fight to stop Jesus from preaching. One day Saul was going to Damascus to arrest any followers of Jesus he might find. As he rode along, a light flashed in front of him, and he fell to the ground, blinded.
. . . and at the same time heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Who are you, sir?” he asked. The voice answered, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Get up and go into the city, where you will be told what to do.” (Acts 9:4-6)
For several days, Saul could not see. He converted to Christianity and took the name Paul. His sight returned when he was baptized. Now instead of persecuting Christians, Paul became an active preacher in Jesus’ name.
Saul had a dramatic moment of spiritual awakening. However, spiritual awakening does not need to be so dramatic. Have you ever had a moment when you felt spiritually aware? Describe your experience.
According to Christianity, to have “grace” is to experience the unconditional love and the forgiveness of God.
What does it mean to experience unconditional love? How would a person know he or she was experiencing grace?
In the New Testament of the Bible, Jesus and God are often called “the light.” Why is that? What associations do you have with the word “light”?
From what you know of Christianity, are there other words that could describe Jesus or God symbolically?
Jesus was teaching a crowd of 5,000 people on a hill beside the sea of Galilee. The people became hungry. A boy brought Jesus an offering of five barley loaves and two fish. According to the Gospel of John in the Bible, Jesus blessed the offering and distributed the bread and fish throughout the crowd until no one was hungry.
Everyone knows that it is important to eat literally, but what is the figurative meaning of this story? What does Jesus do for his listener?