3 Biblically Inspired Flash Fiction Stories

The Bible As A Source For Story Ideas

I love to write but sometimes have trouble finding inspiration for stories. I recently read a Kindle book entitled, "Words Alive - Christian Writers Skills & Prompts," which talked of using the Bible as inspiration for your writing.

All three of the stories in this book were born from ideas in the book. I hope you enjoy reading the stories as much as I enjoyed writing them.

And the LORD God commanded him, “You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”…

— Genesis 2:16

The First Argument

Moments after Adam and Eve shared the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil they had a disagreement about who was to blame. After all it is what married couples do when they try to pass the blame.

“It does sound like you’re going to try to blame me.“ Eve said.

“If I remember correctly, God’s exact words were, “ You can eat from whatever tree you want but you must never eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because when you eat from it, you will certainly die,” or something to that effect.

“First of all nobody forced you to eat the fruit. You have a mouth. You could have said no but you didn’t. You said, “Wow this is good.” Then ate the rest without giving me another bite.”

“Yeah, yeah…but still if you hadn’t listened to the serpent we wouldn’t be in this mess now. Beside I only followed your lead because you're my created partner and I was trying to be supportive.”

“Yeah, partner, you could’ve talked me out of it before I fell for the “surely you’re not gonna die and you’ll be like God speech.”

“I wasn’t there when he first enticed you. I was off tending the Garden. I came right after the first bite.”

So we're back to blaming me…”

“Well Eve...:” Adam noticed Eve glaring at him. “Okay okay, we’re in this together. Do you think God knows what we did?”

Eve shook her head and crossed her arms. “I haven’t known God as long as you have but there is one thing I know for sure...God knows everything. Now we need to get some leaves to cover up our nakedness.”

A few moments later Adam and Eve heard God calling them and they came out of where they were hiding. Of course Adam did try to blame Eve for their disobedience and Eve tried to blame the Serpent. Actually like in all family disagreements they were both to blame for their own action. The rest is history.

“Thomas, Thomas, Jesus is alive.”

I am Thomas

I am Thomas. I was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. I traveled around with Him as he taught the masses about the Kingdom of Heaven. We also saw him do great things. He would heal people, pray with people, show compassion and love to the crowds.

One day I even watched Him bring back his friend Lazarus from the dead. Everything was going good as far as the twelve of us were concerned well except for maybe Judas. We never figured out Judas’ angle and why he wanted to walk with Jesus in the first place. It was like for him Jesus wasn't doing what he expected.

It is true we all wanted Jesus to establish the kingdom he talked of as soon as possible but we were patient and waited it out in his time. Judas, as we found out later had his own agenda. As many of you know Judas betrayed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. After that, because we were fearful of the authorities, we only dared saw Jesus from afar. Then came the next day came cross.

I stood off in the distance as Jesus was nailed to a cross and hung there until he was dead. As I watched the crucifixion I felt the air slowly escape from my lungs. Life as I knew it for the better part of three years was over. A sudden fear overtook my soul. How could this have happened? Our whole lives were wrapped in Jesus and our future together in His kingdom. Now in one swift blow it was all over. Not knowing what to do in the moment I did the only thing I could think of doing. I ran. I ran as fast as I could to get away from there but where could I go?

I was well known in Jerusalem and beyond as one of Jesus’ disciples. Surely the authorities would round us all up and we would meet the same fate as Jesus. I hid here and there for the remainder of the night. Early the next morning I made my way through the darkness. I came across some of the other disciples who said they were headed back to the upper room to try and figure out what to do next.

Never once in my wandering had it crossed my mind what Jesus had taught us. He said that, “Just as Moses lifted the snake so must the Son of Man be lifted up, “ but don’t worry, “just like Jonah was in the belly of a whale for three days so will the Son of Man be in the days for three days the I will rise again”

I spent the next two days with the other 10 disciples and some women like Mary Magdelene and the other Mary in the upper room. Some of the women there wanted to go to Jesus’ tomb but they could not until the third day. I grew tired of waiting. I, like the others, feared the authorities would find us there. Late in the evening of the second day I slipped out of the room.

I wandered the backstreets of Jerusalem for how long I don’t know or remember. After a while I decided to go back to the upper room. I knocked on the door. Peter opened the door to let me in. He seemed ecstatic.

“Thomas, Thomas, Jesus is alive.”

“Peter, how can that be. We saw Jesus die on the cross. He was buried.”

Recommended

Jesus - Poetry By Dominis

“Thomas, don’t you remember? He said after three days he would rise again. He did.”

“I don’t believe it Peter. Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

After a few more words I left. I could not believe, I would not believe Jesus was alive. I needed proof.

I stayed away from the others for a week. I needed time to think. Was it true? If so what of life now? I returned to the upper room to be with my friends Because it was the not lace to find safety. While there Jesus came to be among us. He walked up to me and said, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

I looked up at him, “My Lord and My God.”

Hey gazed down at me. A look of both joy and sadness on his face. The Jesus said to me, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

At the moment I understood. Why did I doubt the others. I should have had faith. I felt I let Jesus down. Still, I am Thomas. One of His disciples. I need to carry the message to the world. I saw and heard all Jesus the miracles Jesus performed and all the words He spoke. Now I needed to do the task I was called to do.

A Donkey's Eyed View

Her name is...well she doesn’t really have a name. Her master refers to her as just a dumb creature or a few other names which let’s just say they can’t be repeated here. Who is her master? His name is Balaam. He, according to the Bible, is a prophet.

One day her master came to her and slapped a saddle on her back. They headed out on a ride. Where, she didn’t know because her master would guide her using his legs for pressure and reins in her mouth.

As she walked along, following her master’s direction, a bright light blinded her.

An angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him.

“Halt, I am the angel of the Lord. You are to go no further.”

The donkey found she could understand him.

The donkey tried. She wanted to stop. But her master urged her on. Couldn’t he see the angel who was right there before them. She wished she could speak. She would look up in his face and say, “Master, master, stop being dumb. A being called an angel wants us to stop.”

She couldn’t speak what she wanted to say so she followed Balaam’s direction and turned off the main road into a field. She felt Balaam beat her as he was in the habit of doing when he was angry at her. She didn’t like being beaten. She wanted to shout out for him to stop. She was trying to follow his directions. The angel stood in her way once again.

She headed down the first path she saw a narrow one between two vineyards with walls on both sides. There was the angel again. How she knew it was an angel she didn't know. She pressed close to the wall to try and avoid the angel. She felt her master Balam’s foot dig into her side as it was crushed between her and the wall. She heard him let out a few words she didn’t understand then she felt the blows come once again.

She tried to move once again but there was the angel again. She’s had enough. Even though she knew another beating would come, she laid down under her master. She felt him beat her with his staff. Suddenly a strange thing happened to her. She could speak.

“What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”

Balaam, she noticed, took a moment to speak. “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”

She looked back at him, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”

Balaam replied, “No.”

The Lord opened Balaam’s eyes. He saw the Angel. He turned back towards her but didn’t say anything to her. His apology to her was written in his eyes.

Some Final Thoughts

There you have flash fiction stories based on people and places in the Bible. Each story is based in a different character view point other than the original character.

I hope you enjoyed reading them.

© 2020 Timothy Whitt