Scripture: Ezekiel 17:1-2
The word of the Lord came to me: O mortal, propound a riddle, and speak an allegory to the house of Israel.
Thought for the Day: Today, I am going to begin a two-week study (come at noon or 6:30pm) on how to study scripture—specifically the Parables. The title of the study is: Looking at the Parables of Jesus Without Glazed Eyes. Though I hope we have some wonderful conversations about the Parables themselves, my real intention is for us to explore scripture within its original context. Many of the Parables of Jesus have become commonplace for us today, yet I would suggest many modern interpretations are horribly skewed because they have ignored their original context. Though Jesus used parables brilliantly, the idea of parable and spiritual allegory was not unique to him. Even the prophets were offering what I would call parabolic teachings (Ezekiel was one of them) centuries before Jesus. The spirit can often bring fresh insight to old words, but without understanding the original context of Jesus’ parables, an assumed ‘fresh insight’ might actually undermine what Jesus was attempting to communicate about the Kingdom of Heaven or the nature of God.
Prayer: Encourage me, Lord, to look deeply into the scriptures and the historical settings in which they were written. Allow their original intent to give me a sense of how they might apply to today. Amen.
TODAY
NOON OR 6:30PM
Brown bag lunch at noon
or
Nachos at 6:30pm
