Musings Along Lifes Way: What Jesus Taught

As we approach the Bible, it might be hard for any of us to know what precisely it is that Jesus taught. The different gospel writers each had their own slant on Jesus. They differ in many ways ranging from particular theologies as to who Jesus was to the ways in which they shaped their voices for their particular audiences. For instance, the writer of Matthew is clearly a Jewish author placing Jesus within the Jewish thought world and perspective, where John, written much later has a clear anti-Jewish bias in his telling of the story and teachings of Jesus. If we study the gospels closely we are left with the question, “What exactly did Jesus teach?”

Over the next nine weeks of summer we will be examining the teachings of Jesus. The parables give us insight into the teachings of Jesus: how he re-imagined the world and how these re-imaginings subverted contemporary renderings of the world, or reality itself. In his teachings on the Kingdom of God, Jesus imagines a kingdom where the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. His imaginings of the Kingdom are such that the realm of God is more like a mustard plant, small and pervasive weed than it is like a strong cedar of Lebanon – is more pervasive than it is dominant and domineering.

In the next weeks we will discover how radical a teacher Jesus really was. We will explore his creative, parabolic imagination, and discuss the implications for his vision for our contemporary world. We will find, I think, that Jesus is as radical today as he was 2000 years ago. Here are the places that you can encounter Jesus’ parables and teachings over the next weeks:

~8:30 and 10:30 Worship on Sunday mornings. Check your brochures for each weeks scripture and theme. This week: SCANDAL ROCKS THE REALM!!
~9:30 am Adult Study on Sunday mornings. We will be studying the book, “Re-imagine the World: An Introduction to the Parable of Jesus by Bernard Brandon Scott
~10 am on Wednesdays during our Bible Study: we will be studying different parables each week.
~7 pm Beyond Belief: Meditation and Spiritual Enrichment: we will read the parables of Jesus during our Meditation times.

I am looking forward to studying the teachings of Jesus. I invite you all to share in this time of intellectual and spiritual exploration.

Blessings, David

P.S.: I just received a notice from the IRS that I will be receiving my Economic Stimulus Check this week. I’m excited because in the “Rhythm of Abundance” I will have an opportunity to “give back” 10% of my check to the church to help with our deficit.