sunday morning adult education
Starting on September 7 we will begin a lengthy study of the parables of Jesus. This habit Jesus has of teaching in parables is a strange one. For one thing, how can it be teaching if the people who listen to it don’t understand what you’re saying? And make no mistake about it, people are confused by these stories: even Jesus’s disciples have to ask him what they mean. And his reply is puzzling and troubling: “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’”
And yet for all this Christians have always loved Jesus’ stories. Their characters — the prodigal son, the good Samaritan — are memorable and meaningful to us, and we discern that Jesus is speaking to us in an especially powerful way when he tells these tales of the Kingdom.
Sometimes after Jesus has related a parable, he says “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Let’s listen to his stories. Let’s pray for ears to hear them.
• • •
Sept. 7: Introduction to the Parables
Sept. 14: The Sower (Mt 13:24, 36-43; Mk 4:1-20; Lk 8:4-15)
Sept. 21: The Talents (Mt 13:24-30, 36-43)
Sept. 28: The Good Samaritan I (Lk 10:25-37)
Oct. 5: The Good Samaritan II (Lk 10:25-37)
Oct. 12: The Lost Sheep (Mt 18:10-14; Lk 15:1-7) and Lost Coin (Lk 15:8-9)
Oct. 19: The Unmerciful Servant (Mt 18:23-35)
Oct. 26: The Dishonest Manager (Lk 16:1-8)
Nov. 2: The Laborers in the Vineyard (Mt 20:1-16)
Nov. 9: The Bridegroom's Guests, the Unshrunk Cloth, the New Wine (Mk 2:19-22; Mt 9:15-17; Lk 5:33-39)
Nov. 16: The Seed Growing Secretly (Mk 4:26-29), the Mustard Seed (Mk 4:30-32; Mt 13:31-32; Lk 13:18-19), the Leaven/Yeast (Mt 13:33; Lk 13:20-21)
Nov. 23: The Treasure (Mt 13:44), the Merchant and the Pearls (Mt 13:45-46), the Fishnet Thrown into the Sea (Mt 13:47-50)
Nov. 30: The Wicked Tenants (Mk 12:1-12; Mt 21:33-46; Lk 20:9-19)
Dec. 7: The Prodigal Son I (Lk 15:11-32)
Dec. 14: The Prodigal Son II (Lk 15:11-32)
