The Moral of the Story

Lessons from The Odyssey

The Greek Textbook and Bible• For the Greeks, The Iliad and The

Odyssey were the foundation of their education.

• For Greek schoolboys, these books were their:– Textbooks– “Bibles”– Entertainment

Training Young People• Teachers and parents would use

these stories to raise the new generation.

• What lessons do you think they could teach from The Odyssey?– Think.– Pair.– Share.

Lessons for Each Stop• Each adventure Odysseus can be used to

teach a lesson.• We will look at some of them.– Lotus Eaters– Cyclops / Aeolia– Circe– Hades– Sirens– Scylla and Charybdis– Helios’s cattle

Lotus Eaters• Narcotics are dangerous and

addictive.• Distractions can cause us to never

want to complete our goals.

Cyclops and Aeolia• Curiosity can be dangerous.• Often you need to think your way out

of a situation, rather than fight your way out. Brain and brawn.

• Follow through on your objectives.– Don’t almost finish. Finish.

Circe• Lust can turn people into animals.• You can get too comfortable.• Stay loyal amid the worst

temptations.

Hades• You sometimes need to experience

the worst to get the best.• We can always learn from the past.– Heb. 12:1

Sirens• Some things sound good but aren’t.• Find a way to avoid temptation.– Don’t simply trust your strength to

withstand it.• Keep going. Do not rest on past

accomplishments.

Scylla and Charybdis• This is where we get the expression

“between a rock and a hard place.”• Sometimes you have to decide

between two tough options.• Avoiding one problem may lead you

to another.– Trust God to get you out.

Helios• Obey the rules.• Remember your responsibilities.– Don’t allow other people to ruin things

for you.• Seemingly small actions can have

huge consequences.

Main Lesson• Life is about having a goal and

overcoming obstacles to reach that goal.

• Obstacles come in different ways.– Some are self-inflicted.– Some are from other people.– Some are from “the gods.”

Overcoming Obstacles• Some obstacles are self-inflicted.• What are examples from The

Odyssey of self-inflicted obstacles?– Odysseus’s pride.– Others?

• What are examples from our lives of self-inflicted obstacles?– Procrastination

Overcoming Obstacles• Some obstacles come from others.• What are examples from The Odyssey

of other people being obstacles?– Cicones. Aeolus’s winds.– Others?

• What are examples from our lives of obstacles that others present?– Betrayal, drama…

Overcoming Obstacles• Some obstacles come from the “gods.”• What are examples from The Odyssey

from the gods?– Storms, Helios’s cattle?– Others?

• What are examples from our lives of obstacles that we cannot help?– Our birth, our circumstances…

Overcoming Obstacles• How does Odysseus overcome the

obstacles in his path?– The gods help? His own efforts?

• How can we overcome the obstacles in our lives?