This book suggests that spiritual blindness is insidious and deep and prevents us from knowing the kingdom of God. Readers come to understand Jesus’ parables, to see them anew with fresh eyes, and so to experience their shock value. Readers of The Scandal of the Parables are reminded of the cultural circumstances in which the parables were told, the function of their curious little plots, and the obstacles to traditional thinking they so often pose.
The Scandal of the Parables consists of six sessions; each session is designed to fit a one-and-a-half to two-hour time frame. A suggested time schedule appears in the front of the book. Session titles are as follows: Understanding Religious Language; Jesus as Storyteller; The Future in Parables; The Unexpected in Parables; Parables of Judgment; and The Scandal of the Cross.
Prayer begins and concludes each of the six sessions. The sessions also include periods of reflective input, conversation time to respond to questions that shed light on the adult faith journey, silent reflection and journaling, and an invitation to action which encourages the conversion that true growth in faith requires. Time for socialization is also built in to the sessions.
