HOW TO STUDY NARRATIVES

PART VII
In studying narratives, we employ the three
basic steps of the inductive method:
1. Observation
2. Interpretation
3. Application.
I. OBSERVATION
After putting the story in its proper context,
read the passage several times. Note the explicit
facts (open, clearly stated) as well as implicit
facts (hidden, implied). Some of the implicit facts
are gathered by relating explicit facts to one
another.
Seven questions will draw out the facts in a
story: who, what, where, when, how, why, and
what are the results?
Read Luke 19: 1 – 10.
1. WHO?
Jesus
• Very popular, v.3 (Read the previous
chapters to find out why)
• Granted salvation to Zacchaeus and his
household, v.9
• Called Himself the “Son of Man” who
came to seek and save the lost – v.10
Zacchaeus
• Chief tax collector, v. 2
• A short man, v.3
• Eager to see Jesus, v. 3
• Received Jesus gladly into his house, v.6
• Called a “sinner” by the people (This designation
is related to his being a tax collector. Research on why
this is so)-v. 7
• A “son of Abraham” also, v.10, implying that he is
a Jew like the rest of his critics.
2. WHAT
Jesus visits Zacchaeus’s house and bring
salvation to it.
3. WHERE
In Jericho. Jesus was going to Jerusalem from
Bethany and Jericho was along the way.
4. WHEN
When Jesus entered Jericho and made His
way through the town.
5. HOW
Jesus saw Zacchaeus up on the tree trying to
catch a sight of Him and reached by inviting
Himself into Zacchaeus’s house.
6. WHY
Jesus responded to Zacchaeus’s eagerness to
see Him. A deeper reason could be that Jesus
saw a spiritual need in this (“Sinner”) man.
7.RESULTS
• Jesus was criticized for his action (v.7)
• Zacchaeus was saved (vv. 9 – 10)
• Zacchaeus showed repentance by
promising to give to the poor and to pay back
with interest what he had stolen in his tax
collections (v.8)
Summarize your observation: Who is saying
or doing what in which circumstances and
with what results?

“Small Man, Big Heart”

“Jesus, Friend of Sinners”
“Jesus, Seeker of the Lost”
II. INTERPRETATION
When you study, your thinking cap should be on.
Questions should pop up in your mind. Don’t answer
them right away—at this point you should just list
them down. When you’re done, go through the list
and evaluate each one: Which of them cannot be
answered from the text and merely encourage
speculation? Which will help you understand the
passage?
Concentrate on the latter by prayerfully digging into the
passage, asking the Holy Spirit to help you find the answers.
You may need to refer to study aids—listed a little later in this
chapter for historical and cultural background and definitions
of words or phrases. Answering the questions leads to
interpretation.

? ? ? ?

OBSERVATION INTERPRETATION
Using Luke 19: 1 – 10, the following is a suggested
procedure for interpretation:

1. Define difficult or even overused words

according to their context.
For example, “lost” is a very common word
that we all think we understand. In v. 10, Jesus
meant someone who has gone astray, away from
God towards destruction (Luke 15: 1 – 7 can
provide the context).
2.Determine the significance
For example, the “Son of Man” in v.10. “Son of Man” is a
title Jesus used for Himself. According to the New Bible
Dictionary, it is both an assertion of His divinity and an
affirmation of His humanity.
Another example is “sinner” in v.7. What was a “sinner” to
the Jews? Zacchaeus was considered a traitor to the Jews
because he was a tax collector for imperial Rome. He was
also a corrupt Internal Revenue agent—forcing taxpayers to
cough up extra money to line his pockets. The comment
“sinner” was an implied criticism to Jesus. In effect, the
people were saying, “If this man were holy, He would not
associate with a sinner, much less enter his house”.
3. Characterize the actors according to their
feelings, attitudes, actions

v.5 – Jesus knows all. He knew Zacchaeus by

name. He knew Zacchaeus’s deep need.
4. Ascribe reason or motivation for a statement
or action
For example, to overcome his height handicap,
Zacchaeus was willing to look ridiculous by
climbing a tree. Perhaps it was not just out of
curiosity that he wanted to see Jesus. Maybe he
knew or had heard that this person passing by
could meet his need.
5. What does the story reveal about human
nature? To which characters can you liken
yourself? Why?

For example, we are like the critical crowd in

having our own image of what a sinner is like.
6. What do I learn about God the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit?
For example, Jesus, the man from Nazareth,
is also the divine Son of God who knows
individuals by name as well as their needs.
Summarize your interpretation in one
paragraph. What one main truth does the
passage teach? What does it mean? How was
the message conveyed and why?
Aids are available for helping you interpret. Using these aids is
not inconsistent with the student’s dependence on the Holy
Spirit’s illumination. In fact, the Holy Spirit guides our efforts
to understand God’s Word. Among the more important aids
are:
• Other translation of the Bible, for comparison
• A Standard English Dictionary
• A Bible Dictionary
• A Bible encyclopedia/handbook
• A Bible commentary
• A concordance
• Bible atlas/maps
III. APPLICATION
Our works does not end after we have ascertained
the facts and understood their meaning. As God
expected a response from the people He dealt with in
the past, so does He demand a response from us
today. After studying our passage, we need to reflect
and meditate on how the truths we have newly
learned should affect our lives—our relationship to
God and to fellow human beings. During this
application stage, we need to listen to the Holy Spirit
even more. Ask yourself these questions:
1. What I have learned about the Father, the Son, or
the Holy Spirit? What brief about them should I
affirm, or correct? How should this change my life?
Possible application From Luke 19: 1 – 10:
Jesus as divine Son of God knows me through and
through. No need to pretend to be what I am not.
I should be open and honest to Him about
everything I need. I thank Him because He accepts
me as I am.
2. What have I learned about human nature?
How can this help me relate better to myself
and to others?
Possible Application:
Even the “worst” of sinner know they have a
spiritual need. I must be sensitive to people like
them and be ready to introduce Jesus to
them. One thing I can do is to sign up for the
prison ministry of my church.
3. What sin in my life have I been made aware
of? What should I do about it?
Possible Application:
I despise people who are out-and-out “sinner”: the
drug addicts, prostitutes, terrorists. Forgive me,
Lord, for my attitude. As an initial step, I can start
praying for their deliverance.
4. What commands confront me? How can I
obey in practical ways?
Possible Application:
There is no direct command in this passage,
but perhaps one is implied. As the Father sent
Jesus to seek and save the lost, so Jesus sends
me. I cannot save the lost but I can tell them
about Jesus, who can.
5. What good examples can I emulate? What
bad examples are there to learn from?
Possible Application:
Zacchaeus is a picture of true repentance. He
made a costly restitution for his sins. If I am
truly sorry for sins I have committed against
others, I should be willing to make it up to
them.
6. Are there promises to claim?

Possible Application:
Jesus is aware of my deepest needs. All I
need to do is to allow Him to satisfy them.
Write your reflections in a notebook or
diary. You can also summarize your
application: What practical actions can I do
to apply the main teaching of this passage?
You can use this application to remind
yourself from time to time of the lessons
you have learned, and to check your daily
obedience to them.