Short Stories by Jesus Small Group
Author: Amy Jill Levine
When: Thursdays 7-8pm, 6 weeks beginning August 20, 2020
Resources: Book, Participant Guide, and Amplify videos
Description:
The renowned biblical scholar, author of The Misunderstood Jew, and general editor for The Jewish Annotated New Testament interweaves history and spiritual analysis to explore Jesus’ most popular teaching parables, exposing their misinterpretations and making them lively and relevant for modern readers.
Jesus was a skilled storyteller and perceptive teacher who used parables from everyday life to effectively convey his message and meaning. Life in first-century Palestine was very different from our world today, and many traditional interpretations of Jesus’ stories ignore this disparity and have often allowed anti-Semitism and misogyny to color their perspectives.
In this wise, entertaining, and educational book, Amy-Jill Levine offers a fresh, timely reinterpretation of Jesus’ narratives. In Short Stories by Jesus, she analyzes these “problems with parables,” taking readers back in time to understand how their original Jewish audience understood them. Levine reveals the parables’ connections to first-century economic and agricultural life, social customs and morality, Jewish scriptures and Roman culture. With this revitalized understanding, she interprets these moving stories for the contemporary reader, showing how the parables are not just about Jesus, but are also about us—and when read rightly, still challenge and provoke us two thousand years later.
How to purchase the book:
Paperback to order: Short Stories by Jesus | Cokesbury
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Short-Stories-Jesus-Enigmatic-Controversial-ebook/dp/B00DB32QQY
How to purchase participant guide:
https://www.cokesbury.com/Short-Stories-by-Jesus-Participant-Guide
Contact Sharon Smith to receive the zoom link. If you are unfamiliar with Zoom (an online resource for connecting with others virtually), click here for more information. . Click here for information on setting up an Amplify Media account and getting started.
Discussion Schedule:
August 20 Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, Lost Son
Read chapter 1 from book and watch 1st video on Amplify prior to discussion
August 27 The Good Samaritan
September 3 The Pearl of Great Price
September 10 The Mustard Seed
September 17 The Laborers in the Vineyard
September 24 The Widow and the Judge
