World Religions

In Jesus’ time, people who had disputes with others often asked a rabbi or Jewish spiritual leader, to solve the dispute. Because Jesus was seen as a wise teacher, people sometimes asked him to settle their disagreements. One day, a man asked Jesus to settle a dispute about money. Jesus refused, saying, “Who made me a judge or divider over you?” (Luke 12:14) Then he told them this parable, which is found in the Bible.

The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, “What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?” And he said “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.” But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. (Luke 12:16-21)

What do you think is the meaning of this parable?

1. Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
2. Parable of the Talents
3. The Sheep and the Goats
4. Parable of the Mustard Seed
5. Parable of the Good Samaritan
6. The Rich Fool
7. the barren fig tree
8. Parable of the Prodigal Son
9. The Rich Man and the Beggar Lazarus
10. the Pharisee and the tax collector

Two options for exploring these parables follow:
Option 1:
Read each parable and answer the following three questions about each parable:

1. What has been taught by the parable?
2. Can you think of a situation to which the parable applies today?
3. What kind of person most needs to take this parable to heart?

Option 2:
Form a small group and select one parable from the list to produce as a short film. Try one of the following approaches

• make up a script that closely follows the words of the gospel passage with a narrator telling what is happening.
• make up a script that is a contemporary version of the parable or that shows the parable applied to a contemporary situation.