Example of Plot in Biblical Narrative

Yesterday I explained the important points to a story in the Bible. Understanding Biblical Narrative and the parts of each story is critical for correct interpretation. Today I wanted to take a specific story from the Bible and illustrate how the process of diagramming a plot helps in understanding and applying it to our lives. So here is the process (I use) for diagramming plot, identifying the points, discovering the big idea, and finding the application. 

The story we are diagramming is the story from Luke 5:1-11. This is the story where Jesus calls His disciples. 

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, ² and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. ³ Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. ⁴ And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” ⁵ And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” ⁶ And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. ⁷ They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. ⁸ But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” ⁹ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, ¹⁰ and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” ¹¹ And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

 First, let’s diagram the plot in its basic parts. Here is the diagram...

The Story of Jesus calling His first disciples(5:1-11)

Setting/background (5:1-3)

Conflict/Inciting incident (5:4-5)

Growing Tension (5:6-7)

Growing Tension (5:8)

Growing tension (5:9)

Climactic Reversal (5:10)

Resolution (5:11)

Now, lets add the words of the verses to the parts of the plot, so we can get a picture of the actual flow of the story…

Jesus calls his first disciples (5:1-11)

A. Setting/background: Jesus preaches to the crowd from a boat (5:1-3)

            1. Jesus sees crowd at the lake (5:1)

            2. Jesus sees boat in the lake (5:2)

            3. Jesus gets into boats to preach (5:3)

B. Conflict/Inciting incident: Jesus challenges Peter (5:4-5)

            1. Jesus gives command to Peter (5:4)

            2. Peter responds to Jesus (5:5)

C. Growing Tension: Large amount of fish caught (5:6-7)

            1. Fish breaking the nets (5:6)

            2. James and John help (5:7)

D. Growing Tension: Peter’s response to miracle (5:8)

E. Growing tension: Others, including James and John respond to miracle (5:9)

F. Climactic Reversal: Jesus calls the disciples (5:10)

G. Resolution: The men leave everything and follow (5:11)

Now we know the structure or the plot of Jesus calling His first disciples. Understanding the flow of the plot, helps me come to a succinct picture of the story. As I get a clear picture of what the story is showing, I write out a big idea thought on what the story is showing. Here is my “big idea” for this story…

Jesus calls his disciples after a miraculous catch of fish and they respond in faith to the power of the Master by leaving everything and following Him.

Taking this big picture, I then turn it into a modern thought or truth that the modern reader is to see. The modern thought or truth the reader is to see, I call the intention of the passage. This is what I am to know and learn from this passage. The intention of the passage can also be called the passage “implication”. Out of the implication, multiple applications can be discovered and taught. Here is the intention of Luke 5:1-11…

Jesus calls his disciples to respond in faith and follow Him after they have seen His power at work in their lives.

Now, after doing the hard work of discovering the plot of a passage, I know the big idea, the intention for the reader, and the best order for teaching this passage. Now I can turn this plot diagram and truth statement, into a teaching time/sermon for the modern church.

This is one example and illustration of why knowing the plot points in Biblical narrative is key to correct interpretation.