In this episode, Jeremy continues the discussion on the parable of the leaven.

Scriptural reference: Matthew 13

Sources:

Amy-Jill Levine

Brad Young

Ben Witherington III

Robert Farrar Capon

In this episode, Jeremy discusses the parable of the leaven.

Scriptural reference: Matthew 13

Sources:

Amy-Jill Levine

Brad Young

Ben Witherington III

Robert Farrar Capon

In this week's episode, Jeremy discussed the parable of the pharisee and the tax collector.

Sources:

Amy-Jill Levine

Brad Young

Ben Witherington III

Robert Farrar Capon

Luke 18:9-14

The Parables | The Laborers In The Vineyard

Scriptural Reference: Matthew 20

In this episode of the podcast, Jeremy discusses the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard found in Matthew chapter 20.

The Parable of the Contemptible Friend and the Corrupt Judge, Part Three.

Sources/references:

Brad Young, Parables: Jewish Tradition and Christian Interpretation

Robert Farrar Capon, The Parables of the Kingdom

Amy-Jill Levine, The Short Stories of Jesus

Paul Tillich’s idea of ultimate concern

Luke 11:5-8

Luke 18

2:48 Summary of previous weeks

12:30 Point One: The focal point of your faith must be what God is like

[1 John 1:5-2:11

Romans 1:18ff

Psalm 90

Hebrews 1:1ff

Romans 8:28ff; Genesis 1]

28:00 Point Two: The first obstacle to prayer is the most difficult obstacle to prayer; orienting the whole of yourself on who God is instead of who we have constructed him to be

36:40 Point Three: God does not help, God does

51:10 Point Four: Pray because you are in Jesus and see God as your Father

John 14:13ff

James 4:2

The Parable of the Contemptible Friend and the Corrupt Judge, Part Two.

Sources:

Brad Young, Parables: Jewish Tradition and Christian Interpretation

Amy-Jill Levine, The Short Stories of Jesus

Luke 18:1-8

Luke 11

1:00 Review of last week; this week commentary of authentic faith and prayer

5:35 The light and the waiting

8:00 Observation One: Prayer is inevitable and universal but must not be viewed homogeneously.

11:45 Discussion question - Is all prayer equally effective?

13:10 Matthew 4:1

19:13 Observation Two: Faith and prayer must be understood as two parts of the same whole

21:50 Objections to this observation

29:05 Observation Three: Don’t reject persistence in prayer because you have adopted its caricature as the authentic article

39:38 What constitutes a successful prayer?

43:00 Observation Four: You must embrace your experience of the divine

48:55 Hebrews 11:39

The Parable of the Contemptible Friend and the Corrupt Judge, Part One.

Sources:

Joachim Jeremias

Kenneth E. Bailey

Amy-Jill Levine

Luke 18:1-8

3:00 Stylistic notes

4:15 Three layers of meaning: sociological/anthropological commentary, a commentary on authentic faith and prayer, a commentary on what God is like

7:31 Sociological/anthropological commentary

12:48 What does the widow actually want?

16:40 What will the widow do?

27:10 Light to heavy

29:30 Judges and the system they represent are not viewed favorably in the NT

31:20 What is the provocation?

33:00 Two points to bring its all together

33:15 Prioritize the individual over their affiliations

44:30 How to dismantle stereotypes

45:40 Resistance against systematic oppression requires a commitment to justice over vengeance

51:30 Luke 6:36

The Parables | The Mustard Seed

Mark 4:30-32, Matthew 13:31-32, Luke 13:18-19

In this episode of the podcast, Jeremy continues the series on the parables with a discussion of story of the mustard seed.

Resources mentioned in this podcast:

Amy-Jill Levine, Short Stories by Jesus

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/short-stories-by-jesus-amy-jill-levine/1115558916

Robert Farrar Capon, Kingdom, Grace, Judgement: Paradox, Outrage, and Vindication https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780802839497

Miroslav Volf, Exclusion and Embrace

https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781501861079

Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ https://www.academia.edu/6175260/The_Imitation_of_Christ_1427_by_Thomas_A_Kempis_Book_Summary

2:05 Content begins

10:45 The first major interpretive approach: contrast between small and large/growth

13:15 Christological [def: of the study of Jesus]

15:40 Soteriological [def: of the doctrine of salvation]

23:40 The second major interpretive approach: the symbolism of the imagery/subversion and overthrow

31:45 Tropes

33:10 A strong interpretive approach: a seed is a seed, a bird is a bird, a tree is a tree

37:30 Observation one: the invitation is universal

44:20 Observation two: we are all invited to become people who would be unrecognizable to our current selves

49:50 Observation three: we can survive this, too

57:05 Observation four: take on the burden of others and step out of the spotlight as much as possible

The Center Church podcast, like many podcasts, features issues and words you may not have familiarized your children with yet. You may want to preview before you listen together. Same goes for any media recommended in the podcast or notes.

In this episode of the podcast, Jeremy continues the series on the parables with insights on the pearl of great price.

Resources mentioned in this podcast:

Amy Jill Levine, Short Stories by Jesus https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/short-stories-by-jesus-amy-jill-levine/1115558916

Brad Young, The Parables: Jewish Interpretation and Christian Interpretation https://www.bookdepository.com/Parables-Brad-H-Young/9780801048203

4:05 De-allegorize this parable

6:06 1. Orientation, 2. Confrontation, 3. Redirection, => 4. Reimagining of identity, and 5. Revelation of ultimate concern

7:45 Groundwork [a little bit about merchants, a little bit about pearls]

17:20 The merchant and the pearl

24:45 Orientation, confrontation, and redirection

29:30 An aside on discipleship

32:50 Mt 12:34; 13:52

36:33 Reimagining of identity and revelation of ultimate concern

38:25 Descriptive/prescriptive

38:58 Descriptive reading one: our wants are ephemeral

46:40 Descriptive reading two: exploring our ultimate concern will uncover our image of the Kingdom of God

52:00 For what would you sell everything you own?

The Center Church podcast, like many podcasts, features issues and words you may not have familiarized your children with yet. You may want to preview before you listen together. Same goes for any media recommended in the podcast or notes.

In this episode of the podcast, Jeremy continues the series on the parables with insights on the story of the Good Samaritan.

Resources mentioned in this podcast:

Amy Jill Levine, Short Stories by Jesus https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/short-stories-by-jesus-amy-jill-levine/1115558916

Brad Young, The Parables: Jewish Interpretation and Christian Interpretation https://www.bookdepository.com/Parables-Brad-H-Young/9780801048203

Ben Witherington III, Sermons and Homilies for Jewish Christians

https://www.ivpress.com/letters-and-homilies-for-jewish-christians

5:38 - Observation one: We are compelled to meet the needs of others

11:00 - Common but wrong readings

22:00 - Who would help me?

24:00 - The rule of three (Ezra 10:5, Neh. 11:3)

27:35 - Observation two: We must cultivate compassion that expands and endures

30:45 - Another wrong reading

34:25 - Who were the Samaritans?

39:20 - Observation three: We make our neighbors

43:25 - Dial in to the needs of others in our midst

45:00 - Have the moral and ethical courage to dial in to our emotional register

45:45 - Compassion is an ongoing action

The Center Church podcast, like many podcasts, features issues and words you may not have familiarized your children with yet. You may want to preview before you listen together. Same goes for any media recommended in the podcast or notes.