Your favorite Biblical story?

[EphelDuath]

Luke 4:1-13

4:1. And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from the Jordan and was led the by the spirit into the desert,
4:2. For the space of forty days, and was tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.
4:3. And the devil said to him: If thou be the Son of God, say to this stone that it be made bread.
4:4. And Jesus answered him: is written that Man liveth not by bread alone, but by every word of God.
4:5. And the devil led him into a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
4:6. And he said to him: To thee will I give all this power and the glory of them. For to me they are delivered: and to whom I will, I give them.
4:7. If thou therefore wilt adore before me, all shall be thine.
4:8. And Jesus answering said to him. It is written: Thou shalt adore the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
4:9. And he brought him to Jerusalem and set him on a pinnacle of the temple and said to him: If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself from hence.
4:10. For it is written that He hath given his angels charge over thee that they keep thee.
4:11. And that in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone.
4:12. And Jesus answering, said to him: It is said: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
4:13. And all the temptation being ended, the devil departed from him for a time.

The Devil knows a lot of scripture, he tells 99% truth, and 1% lie in order to tempt Christ – and only in knowing the entire truth did Jesus defeat him.

Relevant to apologetics because, of course, if someone who disagrees with Catholicism cannot justify a single verse, 1% of scripture, then he does not have the whole truth.

 

[NotWorthy]

I can identify with the Leper who comes up to Jesus and says, “Master, If you will, you can make me clean” (paraphrasing). Jesus touches him and says, “I will. Be Clean”. There is so much going on in that story. It get’s deeper every time I read it.

For instance, notice in Mark’s Gospel. Jesus is traveling from city to city (ok, village to village). The leper has to stay in exile outside the villages. After the healing, the leper travels from village to village telling others of his cleansing, while Jesus has to sneak around to avoid the overwhelming crowds. He takes on our sins.

Beautiful story!!!

 

[NotWorthy]

In the OT, my favorites stories are Ruth and Tobit. I love those books!!!

For some reason I get teary eyed when I read Ruth saying, “Your people shall be my people, and your God shall be my God, too”.

And I can’t help but laugh in Tobit when he and his wife, Sarah, knelt down and prayed before consummating the marriage. After realizing that Sarah’s previous 7 husbands had all died on their wedding night, I bet he knelt down and prayed!!!

I BET HE KNELT DOWN AND PRAYED REAL HARD!!!

 

[Indyann]

The prodical son. I love how it it illustrates that God does not sit and wait for us, when we are on our way back to Him. He comes to meet and greet and welcome us back to Him. My very favorite.

I agree about Tobit and Sarah.

 

[dranzal]

I love the first apologetics class:

Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, 14 and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. 15 And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, 16 but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast.
18 One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19 And he replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. 21 But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. 22 Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning 23 and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. 24 Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer 8 these things and enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures. 30 And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. 31 With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. 32 Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning (within us) while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?"
And a few verses later:*

44 He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. ****
**I would love to have been there for that!!! **

 

[LilyM]

I love the first apologetics class:

Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, 14 and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. 15 And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, 16 but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast.
18 One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19 And he replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. 21 But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. 22 Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning 23 and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. 24 Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer 8 these things and enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures. 30 And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. 31 With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. 32 Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning (within us) while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?"
And a few verses later:*

44 He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. ****
**I would love to have been there for that!!! **

I have to say I have a special fondness for two Biblical stories.

I think my favourite is poor old Balaam and his a@s - imagine how that poor donkey felt being wrongfully beaten, and wondering what was wrong with Balaam, and why he didn’t also see the angel! Then imagine the shock to Balaam when the donkey started to speak!

And the other one is Jonah. I can so relate to him really really not wanting to go preach in Nineveh and having to basically be dragged there kicking and screaming.

 

[NotWorthy]

I think my favourite is poor old Balaam and his a@s - imagine how that poor donkey felt being wrongfully beaten, and wondering what was wrong with Balaam, and why he didn’t also see the angel! Then imagine the shock to Balaam when the donkey started to speak!

Ol’ Balaam is a funny story. Can you imagine how angry the king was when he paid Balaam all that money to curse Israel, and out come blessings.

BTW, do you think our good man, Balaam, is responsible for the wisemen’s visit to Jesus? Read his last prophecy and compare it to the words of the wisemen.

From Numbers, chapter 24:

17 I see him, though not now; I behold him, though not near: A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel, That shall smite the brows of Moab, and the skulls of all the Shuthites, 18 Till Edom is dispossessed, and no fugitive is left in Seir. Israel shall do valiantly, 19 and Jacob shall overcome his foes.

 

[EphelDuath]

Also, the story of Joseph interpreting people’s dreams made me laugh when I first read it.

Joseph: “What’s wrong?”
Cupbearer/Baker: “We don’t understand our dreams.”
Joseph: “Well let me try… cupbearer, your dream means Pharaoh will forgive you in three days and you will return to your position in glory.”
Baker: “Oh. That’s awesome news, tell me my dream! I wanna know mine!”
Joseph: “In three days, you will be impaled.”
Baker:

 

[NotWorthy]

Also, the story of Joseph interpreting people’s dreams made me laugh when I first read it.

Joseph: “What’s wrong?”
Cupbearer/Baker: “We don’t understand our dreams.”
Joseph: “Well let me try… cupbearer, your dream means Pharaoh will forgive you in three days and you will return to your position in glory.”
Baker: “Oh. That’s awesome news, tell me my dream! I wanna know mine!”
Joseph: “In three days, you will be impaled.”
Baker:

Yeah, I do enjoy that one, too. I’m amused by Joseph’s father, Jacob - which apparently is Hebrew for “what goes around comes around”.

Jacob tricks his dad into giving him the blessing of the older son. Then he gets tricked by Laban into marrying the older daughter (Leah) when he wanted to marry the younger (Rachel). BTW, Leah is Hebrew for Cow, while Rachel means Ewe. You think ol’ Jacob was a tad bit upset the night of his wedding?

Jacob used goatskin to fool Isaac into thinking he had rough, hairy arms. Then his sons used a dead goat’s blood to fool Jacob into thinking Joseph was dead.

Evidently, God does have a sense of humor, after all!!!

 

[Fidelis]

God definitely does have a sense of humor, albiet very subtle. It shines forth in Jesus in my favorite Bible story from John 8:

But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him.

Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him.

Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, (and) from now on do not sin any more.”

I also get kick out of Aaron’s buck-passing in the golden calf incident in Exodus 32:

Moses asked Aaron, “What did this people ever do to you that you should lead them into so grave a sin?”

Aaron replied, “Let not my lord be angry. You know well enough how prone the people are to evil. They said to me, ‘Make us a god to be our leader; as for the man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ So I told them, ‘Let anyone who has gold jewelry take it off.’ **They gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.” **

Just came out, Aaron? :ehh:

 

[NotWorthy]

God definitely does have a sense of humor, albiet very subtle. It shines forth in Jesus in my favorite Bible story from John 8:
I also get kick out of Aaron’s buck-passing in the golden calf incident in Exodus 32:
Just came out, Aaron? :ehh:

I love Aaron in this scene!!! “Yeah, the calf? I thought they wanted it for the coffee table. You know, as a conversation piece. Yeah, that’s it!!!”

 

[Crumpy]

Luke 4:1-13

The Devil knows a lot of scripture, he tells 99% truth, and 1% lie in order to tempt Christ – and only in knowing the entire truth did Jesus defeat him.

Relevant to apologetics because, of course, if someone who disagrees with Catholicism cannot justify a single verse, 1% of scripture, then he does not have the whole truth.

As Pope Benedict shows in his book JESUS OF NAZARETH, the temptations by the devil, at the highest level, are temptations of Jesus, the Messiah, to be the common messiah that the people were hoping for. In rejecting those images and aspirations for an earthly messiah, Jesus is announcing His true Kingship and Messiahship.

Jesus is not merely someone who provides bread to Israel, and not merely an earthly king who has dominion over kingdoms. His death will not be prevented even by angels, when His time has come.

 

[Cranch]

God definitely does have a sense of humor, albiet very subtle. It shines forth in Jesus in my favorite Bible story from John 8:

This is one of my favorites as well! It is interesting to read your take on the scene. I find Jesus’ writing on the ground very mysterious. What, I wonder, was he writing? At any rate it is a beautiful lesson. Here is the D-R version:

And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him, and sitting down he taught them.

And the scribes and the Pharisees bring unto him a woman taken in adultery: and they set her in the midst,

And said to him: Master, this woman was even now taken in adultery. Now Moses in the law commanded us to stone such a one. But what sayest thou?

And this they said tempting him, that they might accuse him. But Jesus bowing himself down, wrote with his finger on the ground.

When therefore they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said to them: He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

And again stooping down, he wrote on the ground.

But they hearing this, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest. And Jesus alone remained, and the woman standing in the midst.

Then Jesus lifting up himself, said to her: Woman, where are they that accused thee? Hath no man condemned thee?

Who said: No man, Lord. And Jesus said: Neither will I condemn thee. Go, and now sin no more.

 

[EphelDuath]

What, I wonder, was he writing?

When the story came up in Mass, during the homily, our priest said that “Jesus was probably just doodling in the sand, because he was so bored of the Pharisees continually testing him.”

 

[NotWorthy]

Some traditions say he was writing the 10 commandments. As each one was listed, someone in the audience, after a brief examination of conscience, would realize that they indeed have sinned, and walked away.

 

[EphelDuath]

That’s possible, but the context seems to suggest that he wasn’t writing anything particularly large in the sand. It’s doubtful that all the people who wanted to stone her could read it from there, else John probably would’ve specifically said what he was writing.

 

[NotWorthy]

That’s possible, but the context seems to suggest that he wasn’t writing anything particularly large in the sand. It’s doubtful that all the people who wanted to stone her could read it from there, else John probably would’ve specifically said what he was writing.

Very true, it’s just conjecture.

He could have been doodling a picture of the 10 commandments, but again, we’ll never know.

 

[LilyM]

Very true, it’s just conjecture.

He could have been doodling a picture of the 10 commandments, but again, we’ll never know.

The 10 commandments aren’t especially long, ya know … especially if He stuck to the ‘thou shalt not’ phrases without the elaboration and explanation in between some of 'em.

I think whatever He was writing had to be something about the sins of which those in the crowd were guilty.

 

[Fidelis]

According to the Ignatius Study Bible on John’s Gospel:

What Jesus inscribes in the dirt is unknown but probably symbolic.

The gesture may recall Jeremiah 17:13, a warning that those who forsake the Lord “shall be written in the earth” because they have rejected the fountain of living water."

The Pharisees fall into this category for rejecting Jesus, who has been identified as the source of “living water” (John 7:37-39, right before this scene)

 

[Cranch]

According to the Ignatius Study Bible on John’s Gospel:

                                              What Jesus inscribes in the dirt is unknown but probably symbolic.

Thank you for posting this. This is a great example of why having more than one bible is important. My favorite translation, the D-R, makes no mention of this possible link. Weird trivia: the NAB does point this out in a note to John 8:6, but does so by quoting Jeremiah from the *RSV *because the NAB does not use “written in the earth” in Jeremiah 17:13—

The rebels in the land shall be put to shame; they have forsaken the source of living waters (the LORD).

Now in an effort to make up for taking us further off track o), here is another favorite passage of mine from the mouth of Jesus: Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: better are you than many sparrows. Every one therefore that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven. [Matthew 10:29-32]