21/02/2013

Lesson Three

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Why does the Bible have stories about Heroes?

As a human race, we demand images of greatness. Heroes satisfy that demand. But heroes do not simply reflect our values and beliefs; they also reconcile us to human failings and limitations.

What is an epic story? What are two epic stories in the Bible?

While an epic is built around a hero who performs a great feat — a Moses or David — it is really the panoramic story of a nation. In the Bible’s epics, the hero’s journey is intertwined with the destiny of the nation as a whole, its conflicts, wars, and dominion. Events occur on a cosmic stage that is alive with supernatural events. Unlike a typical hero story, the scope is enormous.
There are two unmistakable epics in the Bible — the Exodus from Egypt and the story of David. The following readings encapsulate the cores of both epics (page numbers given for The Harper Collins Study Bible

What are parables?

The parables are folk literature, simple enough on the surface to be understood even by young children. They are brief, they tend to focus on a single event, and they feature a small cast of characters, usually archetypal figures such as the rich man, the master and his servants, the prodigal son.

Why are they used by Jesus?

At once simple and profound, the parables are examples of masterful storytelling at its most stripped down. Clearly oral in tradition, they are the stories that Jesus spoke to teach his followers as recorded in the Gospels.