Tell It Slant

A CONVERSATION ON THE LANGUAGE OF JESUS IN HIS STORIES AND PRAYERS

Eugene H. Peterson

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Grand Rapids, Michigan / Cambridge, U.K.

© 2008 Eugene H. Peterson

All rights reserved

Published 2008 by

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

2140 Oak Industrial Drive N.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49505 /

P.O. Box 163, Cambridge CB3 9PU U.K.

www.eerdmans.com

Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc.,

7680 Goddard #200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Peterson, Eugene H., 1932-

Tell it slant: a conversation on the language of Jesus in his stories and prayers /

Eugene H. Peterson.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8028-2954-2 (cloth: alk. paper)

1. Jesus Christ — Parables. 2. Jesus Christ — Prayers.

3. Bible. N. T. Gospels — Language, style. I. Title.

BT375.3.P47 2008

226′.06 — dc22

2008019791

Unless otherwise noted, Bible quotations in this publication are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

For my grandchildren

Andrew Eugene

Lindsay Hope

Sadie Lynn

Hans Hoiland

Anna Grace

Mary Crates

One after one, every couple of years,

succeeding one another in turn as babes and infants,

you reintroduced me

to the mysteries of language,

the miracles of speaking, the miracles of listening,

and the holy conversations

that develop among us in the company of

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Contents

Acknowledgments

introduction

I. Jesus in His Stories

1. Jesus in Samaria: Luke 9:51–19:27

2. The Neighbor: Luke 10:25–37

3. The Friend: Luke 11:1–13

4. The Barn Builder: Luke 12:13–21

5. Manure: Luke 13:6–9

6. Table Talk: Luke 14:1–14

7. The Lost Brothers: Luke 15

8. The Rascal: Luke 16:1–9

9. The Invisible Man: Luke 16:19–31

10. The Widow: Luke 18:1–8

11. The Sinners: Luke 18:9–14

12. The Minimalist: Luke 19:11–27

II. Jesus in His Prayers

13. Keeping Company with Jesus as He Prays: Six Prayers

14. Jesus Prays with Us: Matthew 6:9–13

15. Jesus Prays in Thanksgiving: Matthew 11:25–26

16. Jesus Prays in Anticipation of the End: John 12:27–28

17. Jesus Prays for Us: John 17

18. Jesus Prays the Agony of Gethsemane: Matthew 26:39, 42

19. Jesus Prays from the Cross: The Seven Last Words

20. Praying in Jesus’ Name: Acorns into Oak Trees

appendix: Some Writers Who Honor the Sacred Inherent in Language

Index of Names and Subjects

Index of Scripture References

Acknowledgments

I was fortunate: I learned the language of faith at the same time I learned the English language. My language school was my family, my parents and my sister Karen and brother Kenneth, the best of teachers and the most congenial of classmates in the school.

This book had its inception in the J. Henderson Lectures, 1992, at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. It developed further in courses on language, ...