Irony and Jesus: Parables, Miracles & Stories

Did Jesus really expect people to sell all their possessions, or to hate their fathers and mothers?

Or...is it possible that both Jesus and the gospel writers used literary devices to layer a variety of meanings into the fabric of Jesus’ life and the stories he told? On the surface, the stories appear to mean one thing, but beneath the surface surprises lurk! In this book, Rob Gieselmann, presents parables, stories, and actions of Jesus to re-view them in the light of irony.

In Irony and Jesus, you will find eleven instances of stories found in the gospels, plus one found in the Good Friday tradition, explored through interpretations often ignored or hidden by mainstream interpreters. For example, when Jesus scolded Peter for lacking faith while walking on water, Peter sank. What if Jesus scolded Peter not for his immature faith’s inability to hold him afloat, but instead because Peter lacked the faith necessary to stay in the boat?

We often treat scripture as a judgmental school teacher rather than as a gentle mentor leading us into a more mature experience of faith. Yet, so much of Jesus and his words, are, in the end, about the fact that God really does love everybody—everybody, scandalously, which must mean, in the end, that God loves you, just as you are. What if you read scripture through that lens, rather than the more typical judgmental lens?

A lens like that can change a life. As Rob likes to say, “I am not literal about scripture; I am not literal about hierarchical authority; I am literal about grace.” In these pages, you will discover a literal grace to renew your faith. A priest in the Episcopal Church, Rob has taught Scripture for over twenty years, encouraging students to look behind scripture’s veil of words to discover creative and unexpected wisdom. His previous books include, The Episcopal Call to Love, and A Walk Through the Churchyard.