Saint Matthew

The Gospel of Luke is the only one to recount these two stories. How would Luke’s audience have understood them? For some commentators, they are understood to represent real people. Figures in parables often become more ‘real’ to readers than historical persons. We can assess the first character in terms of Jewish-Samaritan relationships, priests and Levites, brigands and innkeepers, with the role of the ‘righteous alien.’ For the second character, we will look at other biblical stories of rival sons, patterns of inheritance, and honor and shame dynamics. We will travel through several interpretive strategies, from the early church’s allegories to the Reformation moralizing to later readings of the Samaritan and Prodigal.

These are still profound stories. We will think about what the story has to say to us today in our time. Come join us for an interesting discussion.

One or more of our Saint Matthew clergy will guide our study. We also have excellent handouts to provide you. On these warm summer nights, feel free to bring a cooler with sparkling water, coke, beer or wine, or whatever your preference is as we come together in the Gathering Room.

Background Information and Summer Schedule:

We know that our people have many plans over the summer months, with travel, family visits, vacations, sports activities. Our regular Bible Study series during the academic year are designed to be sequential, where we will most benefit by participating every week.

This summer, we are offering what we term an ‘occasional’ series, which means it will not occur every week, and you need not attend all sessions to understand what is going on. You can pick and choose according to your interests or your schedule.

We plan to hold a Healing Service on the 4th Wednesday of every month [6/27, 7/25, 8/29] up to September, as our parish prays for healing for Bishop +Peter and to help us cope with the changes for us all.

All sessions will run from 7:00 – 8:15 PM. We will feature both Hebrew and New Testament characters:

6/20 Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar
6/27 Healing Service

7/11 ‘Doubting’ Thomas
7/18 Moses and Exodus
7/25 Healing Service

8/01 John the Baptist
8/08 The Jacob Saga
8/15 Stephen
8/22 James
8/29 Healing Service

9/5 Mary, Martha, and Lazarus
9/12 The Samaritan Woman
9/26 Good Samaritan and Prodigal Son

We will watch and listen to a half-hour video presentation by Professor Amy-Jill Levine, a renowned Jewish scholar from the Vanderbilt Divinity School. She is not only a Hebrew scripture scholar but also a New Testament scholar. Some of you may have seen her book, The Jewish Annotated New Testament (2011) which we highly recommend.