...The Parable of the Good Samaritan The parable of the Good Samaritan is a parable told by Jesus and is mentioned in only one of the Canonical gospels of the New Testament. According to the Gospel of Luke (10:29-37) a traveller (who may or may not be Jewish) is beaten, robbed, and left half dead along the road. First a priest and then a Levite come by, but both avoid the man. Finally, a Samaritan comes by. Samaritans and Jews generally despised each other, but the Samaritan helps the injured man. Jesus is described as telling the parable in response to a question regarding the identity of the "neighbour" which Leviticus 19:18 says should be loved.Portraying a Samaritan in positive light would have come as a shock to Jesus' audience. It is typical of his provocative speech in which conventional expectations are inverted. Some Christians, such as Augustine, have interpreted the parable allegorically, with the Samaritan representing Jesus Christ, who saves the sinful soul. Others, however, discount this allegory as unrelated to the parable's original meaning, and see the parable as exemplifying the ethics of Jesus, which have won nearly universal praise, even from those outside the Church. The parable has inspired painting, sculpture, poetry, and film. The colloquial phrase "good Samaritan," meaning someone who helps a stranger, derives from this parable, and many hospitals and charitable organizations are named after the Good Samaritan. The Parable of the Rich Man The rich farmer...
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...In Mark 4: 1-9, the parable of the sower, Jesus teaches about a farmer tossing seeds about the ground; while many of the seeds failed to grow into bountiful plants, those that fall on good soil grow and produce a bountiful harvest. This excerpt is a parable because it is a story that illustrates religious principles. The aforementioned story has two parallels appearing in Luke and Matthew. Between the three parallels not much is changed in the format, analogies, word choice, or length. Some phrases are changed depending on various things like dialects or translations, but the overall meaning of the parable remains the same. The Parable of the Sower is addressed to “Whoever has ears to hear”(Mark 4:9). The choice of ears and hearing leads...
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...Mike Hopkins Essay 3 Prof. Dowd Final Draft Doubt In the 1960’s, American society was going through drastic times of change. The civil rights movement was in full force, and the women’s rights groups were joining together for the same purpose of equality among all. Due to the societal changes, instability was present in schools, places of employment, and religious institutions and generally regarded gender, race, sexual preference and religion. In John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt,” all of these variables were used to create an open ended play that allowed the audience to decide the guilt or innocence of the character Father Flynn, the integrity of Sister Aloysius, judgment of Donald Muller, the inconceivable acceptance of Mrs. Muller, and finally the varying perceptions of Sister James. Upon reflection I firmly believe that Donald Muller was the victim of Father Flynn’s sexual deviance who was chosen because of his anticipated short stay at the school, and the color of skin. I also believe that Sister Aloysius only struggled with doubt because her suspicions were never validated or disproven. The era for which this play was set provides a means to understand why Father Flynn was never tried among a jury of his peers. John Jay College of Criminal Justice published a report stating “clergy sexual abuse of minors in the American Catholic Church is a historical problem with the vast majority of cases occurring from the mid 1960's to the mid 1980's” (Plante). The hierarchies...
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...Parables in Society What is a parable? A parable is a short story or a brief tale that is told to illustrate a religious, moral, or philosophical idea. About one third of Jesus Christ’s recorded teachings are in the form of parables. Jesus frequently used parables as a means of illustrating profound, divine truths. Stories such as these are easily remembered, the characters are bold, and the symbolism is rich in meaning. Parables were a common form of teaching in Judaism. Before a certain point in His ministry, Jesus had employed many graphic analogies using common things that would be familiar to everyone (salt, bread, sheep, etc.) and their meaning was fairly clear in the context of His teaching. Jesus told many parables during his ministry that really spoke to the people that he was ministering to and also gave them something to think about as well. I want to know something though; have you ever thought about the parables Jesus told and the fact that they could be true for us today in our society? Have you ever thought about how these parables can be examples of homelessness, inclusion, missionaries, and many other things in our society and how we can learn a lot from these parables? The parables that Jesus told were not just for those whom he personally taught. His parables are part of his gospel and are therefore for all peoples throughout all nations and throughout all time. When he said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15)...
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...In Luke’s gospel, the parable has some the same aspects of that in Matthew and Mark with some distinct differences. The parable begins with the disciples reporting to Jesus what they had done is similar to that of the gospels' of Matthew and Mark. Then Jesus took His disciples and withdrew by themselves to Bethesda. Luke added the destination in which Jesus and His disciples were heading unlike Matthew and Mark. The crowd learned of the location and followed Jesus and His disciples. Jesus welcomed them and spoke about the kingdom of God, and healed those in need (Luke 9: 11). This is seen a divine appointment by God. Because of the crowd set out to find Jesus in a desert place (Barclay 117). Jesus welcomed those who came to Him by healing...
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..."Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it," Luke 8:7. This passage from the gospel of Luke about the Parable of the Sower can truly relate to my relationship within my faith. Other gospel writers just as Matthew and Mark mention the same ideas and concepts, but in my opinion, Luke explains it in a way that is more understandable. He puts the parable in words that are concise and to the point. The way this gospel is written assists me in understanding how it correlates to my faith and how I hear the Word of God. In the Parable of the Sower, there are four descriptions of soil. The first one being a compressed, dense path. The second had a rocky composition. The third type of soil was scattered among thorns. And at last, there was good, fertile soil. The soil that was scattered among thorns related to me the most because when I try to pray and pursue my faith, it feels as if someone or something strangles me and keeps me from preserving my faith. I am like the seeds because I try to grow and follow the Word of God, but something, whether it be peer pressure or life's problems, seems to always stop me in my tracks, and it makes me feel as if I am being choked....
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...The Parables of Luke 10-16 In Luke chapters 10-16, there are many stories that share common characteristics that help to classify them as parables. Perhaps the most common trait is the headings. In most Bibles, there are usually headings that show what the next section of scripture will address. Many of the parables in these chapters have the word “parable” in their preceding heading. However, just because the heading for a passage does not contain the word “parable,” that does not necessarily mean the passage is not a parable. Another common quality found in parables is that there is a lesson contained in them. Every single one of the parables that Jesus told had a lesson that was either clearly stated or implied. The lesson was not only...
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...Mathew 13:24-30 Parable of weed, it is parable of these verses. A master in this story compares to God and Jesus, wheat compares to people who believe in Jesus, and Enemy compares to devils, sins, and Satan which trying to damn people, and weed compares to people who denied God and Jesus. One day master sowed the seeds, but few days later an enemy sowed the weeds, when wheat started show up, weeds started show up too, but master let wheat grows with weeds, and he will wait until harvest then burn the weeds and put wheat in his barn. In these days, many people are living in sins, and don’t worry about consequences of living in sins because they do not get punishment in their life on the earth. However according to this parable,...
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...There were many differences I saw between the Buddhist Parable of the Prodigal Son and the Christian Parable of the Prodigal Son in terms of how the story is told and the message. To begin, a difference I saw in the Buddhist Parable of the Prodigal Son is that there is only one son as compared to two of no younger and no older just one son. Second, another difference I saw is that the son does not ask for his inheritance. Adding on to this the father has to find ways in how to make son feel closer to him and accept the inheritance he will soon receive. Third, when the son returns to the house of his father he does not ask for forgiveness as in the Christian Parable of the Prodigal Son to he wants to be let free from the messengers to he leaves when given the way to leave....
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...------------------------------------------------- a spiritual gem With nearly two million copies sold around the world, this wonderful fable is becoming recognized for what it is—one of the truly great charmers of the late twentieth century. It's like a surprisingly cool sea breeze coming over the desert in the evening. The innocence and charm of this fable are comparable to Jonathan Livingston Seagull, but The Alchemistis more humorous, more spiritual, and wiser. This is the story of Santiago, a wanderlust shepherd boy in Spain, who decides to act upon a dream he has one night—of discovering a buried treasure at the Pyramids of Egypt. Santiago's journey is not easy, but his humility, faith, and simplicity are simply unshakable. In fact, he is so naïve (in the best way possible) that it does not seem to occur to him that he could be shaken. Reading it, I was reminded of something Søren Kierkegaard wrote regarding spiritual warfare: One thing there is which all Satan's cunning and all the snares of temptation cannot take by surprise, and that is simplicity. After Santiago has his dream, he is soon visited by Melchizedek, the mysterious King of Salem, who tells him that soon after someone embarks upon the path of their destiny, all the Universe conspires to help them, but only for a little while. Soon after embarking upon a trip to Africa, his money is gone and he must struggle, as almost all of us do, with precariously balancing his material needs against not losing sight...
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...The Parable of the Sadhu Taking advantage of Morgan Stanley’s newly adopted sabbatical program, Mr. Bowen (Buzz) McCoy (Managing Director) enjoyed a welcomed opportunity to collect his thoughts and engage in personal travel. Accompanied by his friend Stephen, Buzz embarked on a trip of a lifetime in Nepal as they hiked the Himalayas. Half-way through their trip, they would need to ascend an 18,000-foot pass over a crest in order to reach the village of Muktinath, an ancient holy place for pilgrims. Buzz, who had suffered pulmonary edema six years earlier, and Stephen, who was starting to demonstrate signs of altitude sickness, were joined by four backpackers from New Zealand. As they rested at 15,000 feet, one of the New Zealander’s that had gone ahead came staggering down with a body over his shoulder. An almost naked, barefoot body of an Indian holy man (Sadhu) that had succumb to the elements and was suffering from exposure and hypothermia. The New Zealander, not wanting to jeopardize his chances of reaching the pass in time, left the Sadhu with Buzz and the Swiss group that had caught up to them. Once they had clothed the Sadhu, and realizing that this delay could jeopardize their chances of crossing the pass, Buzz and the Swiss left the Sadhu with Stephen. Stephen waited for the Japanese team to arrive and asked them to take the holy man down to the village. Once they gave him something to eat and drink, Stephen and the Japanese also continued their ascent...
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...The Parable of the Sadhu Bowen McCoy and his friend Stephen were on a sabbatical trip where they were climbing up mountains in the Himalayas. Bowen met several people along his journey all from different nationalities. During one of the most challenging parts of the climb one of the New Zealanders that Bowen and Stephen met brought to them an Indian holy man-a-sadhu who was nearly unclothes and evidently needed help to survive. Bowen and Stephen along with other individuals all took some part in helping the Sadhu. The issue was, not one group was willing to take full responsibility in insuring the Sadhu would be okay. It said in the story Bowen was excited to complete this once in a life time opportunity climbing these mountains. So in the end everyone chose that opportunity, but wouldn’t saving a man’s life also be an opportunity you would want to make? It wasn’t until after Bowen realized he did wrong and he took this story and related it to corporate ethics. The overall dilemma was that not one person was willing to quit what they were doing to help the Sadhu. It’s as if they all convinced themselves since they helped a little bit that it was enough. Even when Stephen made an argument to Bowen about each group only slightly helping. Bowen thought he was wrong and then later realized the breakdown of an individual lead to them not helping. I believe this could easily relate to corporate ethics. You could believe in that situation each person individually knew what the right...
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...The Parable of the Sadhu Case Recount 1 New Zealander came staggering with a body Dumped the almost naked, barefooted Sadhu at McCoy’s feet and left McCoy took his pulse; Stephen and 4 Swiss gave outer clothings Japanese refused to transport the Sadhu down to the hut with their horse Stephen attempted to help the Sadhu but was suffering from altitude sickness McCoy took off, leaving the Sadhu with Stephen Sherpas carried Sadhu down to a rock at 15,000 feet; Japanese gave the Sadhu food and drink Sadhu was last seen throwing rocks at dogs Fate of Sadhu unknown What happened high on the Himalayan pass? Describe all the people who were there. Why is the incident so important and memorable for McCoy? Sadhu • Hindu monk • Renounce material attachments, food, clothing and shelter • Leaves behind all material attachments • Lives in caves, forests and temples • Never ending pilgrimage • Rugged life (eg. early morning bath in cold mountain) • Wears little or no clothing Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_4425905_become-hindu-sadhu.html Why is the incident so important and memorable for McCoy? • Doesn’t know the final outcome • Lessons about the corporate world was learnt What do you think is the “basic ethical dilemma” referred to by McCoy? Basic Ethical Dilemma Should McCoy have done more? What factors may have influenced the various hikers’ decisionmaking? The perception among some that “the Sadhu has himself to blame for the...
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...The parable of the Sadhu Facts Bowen Mc .Coy , MD of Morgan Stanley, on a sabbatical trip to the Himalayas along with his Anthropologist friend Stephen, met with several nationals- NewZealanders. Swiss and Japanese. One of the Swiss found a Sadhu almost naked and shivering, suffering from hypothermia. All of them contributed to reviving the man, but nobody was willing to take full responsibility of the well-being of the Sadhu. As per Mc.Coy ,each did their bit as long it was convenient and then passed the buck to others. He also ponders over the fact whether the action would have been different if the person found is a well-dressed Asian or a Westerner woman. Now the dilemma is whether there is a collective responsibility apart from the individual responsibilities. Questions 1. Why is Bowen McCoy haunted by the decision he made on the mountain? At first Bowen McCoy defended his stand of leaving the Sadhu to take care of himself. The Himalaya expedition, to him, was once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He was not willing to let it pass. The stress of the travel also added to the situation. He was eager to get over the stressful 18000 feet pass to Muklinath since he had suffered with altitude sickness once. But when Stephen pointed out to him later that the dilemma aroused out of the breakdown between individual ethic and the corporate ethic.Throwing money at the problem aws not going to solve the fundamentals. McCoy realized that he had walked through a moral dilemma...
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...Conjoined by Judith Minty is a poem that represents a broken relationship or a broken marriage. Minty uses similes, metaphors, and analogies to describe the miserable union of two people and the inseparability of the marriage that these two people are in. Marriage; the poem’s subtitle sets the theme of the poem and it is only when one begins to read the poem that it becomes understood as an unhappy poem rather than that of joy and happiness. Minty uses words that with connotations that steer more to the negative side to describe the life of a married couple. Although she does not come right out and say what she means to say, the poem speaks for itself. Orson Scott Card once said, “Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space,” Minty’s poem completely supports this theory. Minty uses this poem to satirize and demean marriage by means of utilizing metaphors and imagery. The first example of her demeaning marriage is presented in the first stanza of the poem when she makes reference to the two onions that become joined. “Two joined under one transparent skin: each half-round then flat and deformed where it pressed and grew against each other” (L 2-4). When one thinks of marriage the first thing that comes to mind is oneness and unity, however, in this case it is the opposite. The two joined under one transparent skin refers to two people who have tied the knot and became one but rather than just coming together as a whole with no issues, they come together...
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