Parables

What is a parable? A parable is a story with a meaning told by Jesus

The Parable of the Good Samaritan As we listen to this story you have to try to guess the meaning Before we start you should know A)Being Jewish means you belong to a particular religion and try to live your life in a special way B)Jesus was Jewish C)At the time of Jesus (which was over 2000 years ago) the Samaritans were a different group of people. Jews and Samaritans hated each other. They were enemies

The parable of the Good Samaitan A Jewish man set out on a journey from Jerusalem to Jericho This journey was dangerous because there were robbers around

Along the way the man got attacked by the robbers. They stole his things and beat him up

It was very hot and the man lay there unable to move feeling really ill Then he saw a Jewish priest coming along. The man thought he is bound to help me But the Priest thought he was already dead and rushed past without stopping

Then he saw a Levite – that is a Jewish man who served in the Temple Surely the man thought he will help me? But the Levite was afraid the robbers might still be there so he hurried past

Just as the man was thinking he might die he saw a Samaritan coming. “Oh no” he thought, “my enemy is coming he won’t help me” But he did. He stopped to help and gave the man water

He put the man on his donkey and took him to the nearest inn. He paid the innkeeper lots of money to look after the man until he was better.

After he told the story Jesus turned to the people listening and said: “Now who do you think did the right thing” What do you think? What do you think the story means?

Jesus told lots of parables because he thought people would listen to stories. One day a group of Pharisees (they were a particular Jewish group who believed that God only loved you if you kept all the rules and also behaved well) complained to Jesus that he was always with people who broke the rules. They wanted him to stop seeing these people so Jesus told them this story:

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

There was once a Shepherd who had a 100 sheep

Then one sheep went and got lost The Shepherd left all the other sheep to go and find the lost one

He was happy that he had found the one who was lost. Jesus said to the Pharisees now wouldn’t the shepherd celebrate because the one who was lost is found

Have you ever been lost? What did it feel like? Who found you? What did it feel like to be found? In this story who do think the Shepherd might be? The story means that no matter what you do or where you go God will always love you. Sometimes we get lost- we do wrong things but God will always celebrate when we come back to him.

Forgiveness Jesus wanted to say that God always forgives us Is it easy to be like Jesus and forgive others?