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Worry – how to deal with it. Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 6:25-34 Worry – how to deal with it. The "lilies of the fields" Jesus talked about may have been these multi-colored flowers called anemones, which are found in Israel today as they were in Bible times. Zachi Evenor, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anemone-coronaria-in-Dalia-Israel-Zachi-Evenor-176.jpg . Tom Faletti May 24, 2024 Matthew 6:25-34 Do not worry; seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness Jesus has just been teaching us not to focus on money, telling us that we can’t serve both God and wealth. The natural reaction might be: But we need money! He responds to that natural concern in this passage. In verse 25, Jesus tells us several things not to worry about. What are the things he tells us not to worry about? Concerns about our life such as what we are to eat or drink, and concerns about our body such as what we are to wear. What does it mean to “worry”? Is worry different than simply thinking about things? What is “worry”? Worry dominates the mind in a way that causes stress or distress. It takes over or preoccupies our thoughts so that we find it difficult to set aside the thing we are worried about and think about other things. In this way, worry absorbs our attention to the extent that it makes us less free. How would you interpret the question in verse 25: “Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” What is the point of Jesus asking this question? In verse 26, what is the meaning of the illustration Jesus gives of the birds? Why should we not worry, according to verse 26? Here, the point is a spiritual one: God provides for the birds, and you are more valuable than the birds. What is the illustration Jesus uses in verse 27? Why should we not worry, according to verse 27? Here, the point is a practical one: Your worrying can’t make any difference, so it is wasted effort. Note: Translations of verse 27 vary because the Greek word can mean “life-span” or “stature” (i.e., height). So he may be saying we can’t add a single unit to our life-span or to our height. Both interpretations make the same point – worrying can have no effect on the stated problem. What is the illustration Jesus uses in verses 28-29? Why should we not worry, according to verses 28-30? Here, the point is a different spiritual one: You are an eternal being. God is generous in lavishing beauty even on things that are finite and die quickly; he will clothe you, his immortal ones, with what you need. In verse 28, Jesus says of the lilies that they “neither toil nor spin.” These words describe what humans do to create cloth for clothing. People toil: they work the crop – for example, flax in Jesus’s time. Then they spin: they turn the fibers of flax into yarn from which linen cloth is made for clothing and other purposes. Jesus is certainly not telling people not to work, so we have to look beyond the literal to find his meaning. One possibility is to consider it a caution about focusing too much attention (worry) on how impressively beautiful our clothes are. In your culture, do people worry about whether their clothes are beautiful enough or impressive enough, or made by the right designers? What might Jesus say? This passage might be interpreted metaphorically as referring to our calling to be clothed in righteousness in the kingdom of God, particularly in the context of verse 33. How might you worry less if you clung to the assurance that God desires to, and is able to, provide you with the “clothing” you need? At the end of verse 30, Jesus identifies the spiritual issue at work when we worry. What is the spiritual issue here? The spiritual issue is trust in God. What does worry do to people? In what ways is it harmful? When we are worrying, what is our focus on? What does Jesus want us to be focused on? It is hard to “not” do something, unless we replace it with “doing” something else. How do we “not” worry? Saint Paul offers advice on what to do instead: Read Philippians 4:6 . What does Paul tell us to do instead of being anxious? What does that verse mean? Let your requests be made known to God; i.e., tell God what you need. What it the difference between asking God for what we need and worrying? Why is praying, or talking to God about our needs, an antidote to worry? Worrying is talking to ourselves while focusing on what we lack. Praying about what we need is talking to God while focusing on the Person who can do something about what we lack. Paul is telling us that it is OK to ask God for what we need. Is there any need that is too small to talk to God about it? Explain. In verse 32, Jesus gives us some perspective. What does he tell us about God? What difference does it make that God knows what we need? The phrase “your heavenly Father knows” might be a good refrain or mantra for all the things we face in life. How would absorbing that assurance change your life? In verse 33, what does Jesus tell us to strive for? What does it mean to strive for the kingdom of God? In what ways might striving for the kingdom call us to action? What might it call us to do? What does it mean to strive for righteousness? This could be referring to the righteousness God wants to work into our character, or the righteousness God wants to bring into the world through the coming of his kingdom. In what ways might striving for righteousness call us to action? What might it call us to do? Jesus says that when we strive for these things, the other things will be given to us as well. We know that, in a literal interpretation of this statement, it isn’t always true. Non-believers are not the only people to starve to death in famines; Christians have starved to death too. This is the sort of thing that might make a skeptic take this sentence in isolation and use it to reject the gospel of Jesus. Yet Jesus has warned us earlier that Christians will face trials and persecutions. So, how should we understand this statement? How would you explain it to the skeptic? In verse 34, Jesus broadens his point by adding “tomorrow” to the list of things to not worry about. That takes us far beyond just food or drink or clothing. Almost any concern or possible trouble can lead us to worry about tomorrow. What is he telling us about all the other things we tend to worry about? What are the worries about “tomorrow” that are most likely to take over or absorb your thinking? If you could have a conversation with Jesus where he mentioned the worry or worries you have, what would he say to you about it? At the last sentence of verse 34, Jesus throws ends with a little twist at. What does he say? Today has enough trouble for today. In the final sentence in verse 34, the majority of Bible translations use the word “trouble,” but some say “evil.” There is a reason why the translators don’t agree. According to lexicographers, the word here, which is kakia , means badness (Liddell and Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon , entry for κᾰκία at http://folio2.furman.edu/lsj/ ; Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary , https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ved/e/evil-evil-doer.html ). The word is often used in a narrow sense with regard to human character flaws or evil, but here it more likely encompasses the broader troubles we experience because of the “badness” in the world. This verse might be saying: Don’t worry about tomorrow; today has enough bad stuff for today. There are times when, in the economy of God’s plan for this world, we may be called to help fill the needs of others, and thereby be God's means of answering other people’s prayers. In what ways might we be God’s means of answering other people’s prayers for their basic needs? Take a step back and consider this: Jesus is not telling us to be lazy, and he is not telling us to not think about the things we need. We need jobs in order to pay our bills and in order to contribute in our unique ways to the good of the world. Parents need the means to feed and clothe their children. When we are sick, we need good health care. Our communities need good schools, safe streets, and assistance for those who struggle. Our businesses need customers and affordable inputs and good workers. Our governments needs leaders who seek justice and work for the common good, and don’t settle for assisting the powerful or wealthy or the noisiest voices. We need to apply our minds to think through what we face in order to address these needs. But there is a difference between thinking about things and worrying about things. Can Jesus be our model here? Jesus clearly thought about a lot of things, including the terrible death he was going to endure on our behalf. Yet we don’t see signs that he spent much time worrying. How do you think Jesus handled his thoughts about the difficult things he was going to endure without falling prey to worrying? What is one area of your life where worry often intrudes? What would Jesus encourage you to do about it? How would your life be better if you replaced worrying with trustful conversation with God about the thing you are worrying about, even if the problem didn’t magically go away? How can cultivating a life where you are constantly talking to God, and routinely letting your needs be made known to him, improve your life and help you become more like Christ? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

Living parables: Incidents in Jesus’s ministry that tell a bigger story, including the feeding of the 5,000. [Matthew 13:54-58; 14:1-12; 14:13-21] Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 13:54-14:21 Living parables: Incidents in Jesus’s ministry that tell a bigger story, including the feeding of the 5,000. The feeding of the multitude. Hagia Sophia, Trabzon, Türkiye. Late 13th century fresco. Photo by Dosseman (Dick Osseman), 6 Sept. 2018, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trabzon_Hagia_Sophia_Feeding_of_the_thousands_93_080.jpg . Tom Faletti June 6, 2025 In chapter 13, Matthew gathered together a broad group of Jesus’s parables. Now, from Matthew 13:54 through chapter 14, Matthew gathers together some of Jesus’s actions that might be thought of as living parables : stories that reveal something bigger than just what happens in the story. Matthew 13:54-58 Rejection in his hometown of Nazareth What does verse 54 tell us that Jesus does? How do the people react? At root, what is the reason Jesus is not accepted in Nazareth? What is beneath their doubt? Is it jealousy? Insistence on upholding the accepted social hierarchy? Something else? Do you think the proverb quoted in verse 57 is true most of the time, or only occasionally? Explain. Verse 58 says Jesus did not do many miracles there. Why? Read Mark 6:5-6 , which provides a bit more detail. Why do you think that some people who were sick were able to be healed by Jesus? Matthew 13:58 says that Jesus did not do many miracles there, but Mark 6:5 says that Jesus was not able to do many miracles. Most scholars believe Mark’s Gospel was written first, and that Matthew drew from Mark. There are a variety of places where it appears that Matthew made edits to Mark’s words as he incorporated them into his Gospel. In this case, perhaps he did not want to imply that Jesus could be limited. Do you think the reason so few miracles were done was because Jesus did not want to heal people who didn’t believe in him, or because their lack of faith did not provide the right conditions for him to act? Explain. How might we be preventing God from acting mightily in our lives due to our lack of faith? How is this reaction of the people of Nazareth a living example of the parable of the sower and the soils? If we take this story as a living parable illustrating a bigger point for the early church and for us, what might that point be? Matthew 14:1-12 The death of John the Baptist Herod the tetrarch was a son of Herod the Great (the one who tried to have Jesus killed as a baby) and inherited one fourth of Herod’s territory – including Galilee. What happened to John the Baptist? Why had John criticized Herod? Why was John the Baptist killed? According to Jewish historian Josephus, Herod had John killed because he was afraid that John had become so popular that he could start a rebellion (Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 , pp. 103-104). Is that plausible? From Herod’s perspective, why was John killed? From Herodias’s perspective, why was John killed? From Salome’s perspective, why was John killed? From the perspective of the early Christians, why was John killed? From Herod’s perspective, the matter is political and personal, and eventually touches on his ego and his social standing. From Herodias’s perspective, the matter is personal and also touches on her legitimacy as Herod’s wife, so it is vindication. From Salome’s perspective, it is something she can do for her mother, and also possibly for power. For the early church, John’s death is a passing of the torch and is also a foreshadowing. John was committed to speaking the truth and died honorably for it. Herod was committed to upholding a foolish vow even though it meant an innocent man would die. Staying true to your word doesn’t make you honorable if it means doing something wrong. How do you know when you should stick with a commitment? Should you ever let a commitment go unfulfilled? If we follow Jesus’s command to not swear by anything (Matt. 5:34-37), we will never be in a position where we have to choose between going back on an oath or doing something evil. Some people think Herod was experiencing guilt for what he had done, and that is why he imagined that Jesus might be John, raised back to life. John the Baptist was Jesus’s cousin. They probably had times together when they were growing up. How might Jesus have reacted to John’s execution? According to John 1:35-42, some of the disciples started out as followers of John. How might they have reacted to John’s death? If this story is a living parable illustrating a bigger point for the early church and for us, what might that point be? Matthew 14:13-21 Jesus feeds 5,000 We use the shorthand phrase that Jesus fed 5,000 people, but verse 21 tells us that it was 5,000 men, plus the woman and children who accompanied them; so it was actually far more than 5,000 people. Why do you think Jesus withdrew to a deserted place? How do you think he felt when the people found him so quickly? When Jesus saw the crowd, he had “compassion” for them. What does this say to you? What happens in this story? What does this story tell us about Jesus? What does this story tell us about the crowds of people? They were focused on wanting to be with Jesus, so focused that they chased after him and didn’t pack their bags first. They may not have always been thinking clearly, but they were orderly and open to God. What does it tell us about the disciples? They were caring and practical, even though they didn’t have a miracle in mind. They didn’t know Jesus would care so much. They were instruments of God’s miraculous work. Put yourself in this story. Where would you have been, and what would you have been thinking about what happened? What do you think God wants us to learn from the fact that there were so many leftovers? What do you think God wants us to learn from the fact that so many people were fed? What does this overall story say to you? Why do you think God doesn’t multiply food all the time? Hundreds of millions of people go hungry every day. Nine million people die from hunger every year, including 3 million children. Why do you think God doesn’t feed them all, as Jesus fed everyone here? Note that although God doesn’t fix everything for us, he always welcomes what we bring to him and seeks to transform it to do more – when they said they had 5 loaves and 2 fish, Jesus said, “Bring them here to me” (Matt. 14:18). This story is so central to story of Jesus that it is the only miracle (other than the Resurrection) that is told in all 4 gospels. Christians of all stripes see this story as far more than just a story about a good thing happening to 5,000+ people. It illustrates much bigger points about God and our relationship with God. If this story is a living parable illustrating a bigger point for the early church and for us, what might that point be? From this story, people often draw lessons about the power of God, God’s provision for us, God’s love for us, how much can be done when we take what little have and hand it over to God to what he wants with it, etc. There are some bigger points here as well: First, this story is an anticipation of the Eucharist (Communion), through which God feeds us spiritually today. The language in Matthew 14:19, where Jesus “looked up to heaven” (perhaps in prayer), “blessed and broke the loaves,” and “gave them to the disciples,” is very similar to the actions he took at the Last Supper when he instituted the Eucharist/Holy Communion (Matthew 26:26). What connections would you make between this miracle and the Eucharist/Holy Communion? Second, it can be interpreted as a foreshadowing of the eternal banquet which we will enjoy with God forever in heaven (see Matt. 8:11; Rev. 19:9). What connections would you make between this miracle and the heavenly banquet God is preparing for us? Take a step back and consider this: The Bible shows that God loves situations where lots of people are fed: We see this in the scenes where Jesus feeds thousands of people (Matt. 15:29-39 as well as Matt. 14:13-21). We see it in Jesus’s imagery of heaven as a place where feasting is the norm (Matt. 8:11; Matt. 26:29; Luke 22:29-30; Matt. 22:1-14). We see it in John’s vision of heaven (Rev. 19:9). We see it in the Old Testament, in God’s provision for the Israelites in the dessert (Ex. 16), in the celebration of the Passover feast (Ex. 12:1-28; Num. 9:1-14; Deut. 16:1-8), and in prophecies of the future (Isaiah 25:6). Clearly, God loves feasts and wants us to associate good eating with him. How can you make every meal a reminder of God’s love and a celebration of God’s provision for us? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

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Are you acting like you are ready for the Lord? What would it look like in your life to be the faithful servant, the well-prepared attendant? [Matthew 22:45-51; 24:1-13] Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 24:45-25:13 Are you acting like you are ready for the Lord? What would it look like in your life to be the faithful servant, the well-prepared attendant? Peter von Cornelius (1783–1867). The Parable of Wise and Foolish Virgins (unfinished) . 1813-1816. Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, Germany. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_von_Cornelius_-_The_Parable_of_Wise_and_Foolish_Virgins_(unfinished)_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg . Tom Faletti September 7, 2025 Matthew 24:45-51 two servants – one ready and one not ready for the master’s return This is the first of 2 parables about Jesus’s return and the need to be ready. Some translations use the word “servant” and some translations use the word “slave.” In New Testament times, perhaps 20% or more of all the people in the Roman Empire were slaves ( Welch and Hall ; The British Museum ). Slaves performed professional as well as menial jobs, often side by side with freed people. They moved freely around their cities and beyond, were allowed to earn money, and could buy their freedom if their master was willing. Although masters were allowed to abuse their slaves, and some or many did, Roman slavery was not the same as the chattel slavery of the American South. To help us understand the relatively independent, decision-making roles they played in their society, I will use the translation “servant” in this study. That will also help us understand that Jesus wants us to be able to see ourselves in these servants. What happens in this parable? Who do the two servants stand for? Jesus is talking to the disciples now, not the Pharisees or chief priests. Matthew is probably expecting his audience to apply the parable to themselves, in which case it applies equally to us and to all Christians in every age. One member of my Bible Study, when asked who the faithful and unfaithful servants stand for, thoughtfully replied, “It [i.e.,both] could be us at different times.” What is the job of the two servants? What would it look like when these servants were doing their jobs properly? Jesus wants us to see ourselves in these images, so translate this to your life. What would it look like in your life if you are the faithful servant living your life until the master comes? What would you, the faithful servant, be doing in your life? What are the things we might become distracted by, that would leave us caught by surprise when the master comes? Note that this servant is not just distracted, he is wicked: he abuses the other servants. In verse 51, what happens to that wicked servant? Jesus is talking to his followers in this parable, and Matthew is telling the story as a caution to his fellow Christians. Jesus says the wicked servant will be assigned a place with the hypocrites. Why is that a devastating outcome for a Christian? Who has Jesus accused of being a hypocrite, and why would Jesus use that term for “followers” of his who do not live the life of a faithful servant? It was the job of these servants to take care of the household and make sure the other slaves/servants were fed at the proper times. Each of us has a different “job” as we serve God, based on the unique circumstances of our lives. What are the “jobs” God wants to see you doing faithfully right now? Matthew 25:1-13 being ready – a parable of 10 virgins In the second parable, 10 virgins (i.e., unmarried women) are supposed to be ready so that when the bridegroom arrives (probably with the bride he has gone to get from another city) they can welcome him and accompany him to their new home for a week-long celebration ( Ignatius Catholic Study Bible , fn. to 25:1-13, p. 53). In Jesus’s time, travel was unpredictable and the timing of events was often more uncertain than in our day. It might not be clear when the bridegroom would have completed all the necessary steps to bring the bride home. When he was approaching, it was expected that the word would go out ahead of him so that they could be greeted, day or night. In this case, the bridegroom represents Jesus, so the focus in on him. The Greek word can mean “virgin” or “unmarried woman” (what in the past was called a “maiden”). Some translations use the term “bridesmaid.” Most translations use the term “virgin,” so this study uses that word. What happens in the parable? Who do the wise and foolish virgins represent? What is Jesus’s point in this parable? Notice that Jesus calls the virgins who weren’t sufficiently prepared “foolish,” whereas he called the unfaithful servant “wicked.” Are there ways that we might not be “wicked” but could still be foolish (unwise) and therefore not be what Jesus is expecting us to be? How might we be guilty of being, or in danger of being, unwise in our spiritual lives, even though we are not trying to be wicked? What does this tell us about faithfulness in living the Christian life? What happens to those who are not ready when the time comes? Matthew wants us to hear this parable as applying to all of us. What does it say to us? There are aspects of our lives where we can’t wait until the last minute to be ready for Jesus’s coming. What might be some of those things we need to be doing in advance? What might be some things we can’t “borrow” – that we need to already have when Jesus comes? In verse 12, when the foolish women finally show up late to the wedding banquet, the bridegroom says, “I do not know you.” In the context of the story , this makes sense: the groom, perhaps coming from far away, might not know the friends of the woman he is marrying. But what does this say to us about our lives? We would not want Jesus, when we come before him at the end of our lives, to say, “I do not know you.” What do we need to do about that? What does it mean to be known by Jesus? What would you do differently if you lived your life, like the five wise virgins, with a real readiness for the day you will meet God face to face? As with earlier statements by Jesus, this parable can be applied to being ready for the Second Coming of Christ, but it applies equally well to our deaths, for we shall see him then. What does this parable say to you about being ready for your inevitable death? Jesus’s ends by saying, “Stay awake, for you do not know the day or the hour.” What does it look like to, in a spiritual sense, “Stay awake”? Take a step back and consider this: We are always making choices. Sometimes our choices make us more ready for Jesus, and some do not. Some choices help us as we seek to know and be known by Jesus, and some do not. Sometimes we act like we can put off spending time with God or wait until later to do what God wants us to do, and yet still be ready for Jesus when he comes. That approach might make us unready for the Lord when we die. But it also has an impact long before we die. There might be things that God wants to do through us, but if we are not “ready,” he might not be able to open the path for us to serve him or others in that way. Our choices affect not only the endgame of our lives, but also the plays we make every day. To what extent is your life focused on being ready for each next thing that Jesus is showing up for in your life? How can you be more ready for every little thing that he might want to do in you or through you? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

Jesus wanted the Temple to be a house of prayer and a place of healing. Can our churches and our lives be that, too? [Matthew 21:12-13; 21:14-17] Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 21:12-17 Jesus wanted the Temple to be a house of prayer and a place of healing. Can our churches and our lives be that, too? August Jernberg (1826–1896). Kristus utdriver växlarna ur templet [Christ Driving the Moneychangers out of the Temple]. 1857. Cropped. Göteborgs konstmuseum (Gothenburg Museum of Art), Gothenburg, Sweden. Public domain. Photo by Hossein Sehatlou, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_Driving_the_Moneychangers_out_of_the_Temple_(August_Jernberg)_-_Gothenburg_Museum_of_Art_-_GKM_0008.tif . Tom Faletti August 4, 2025 Introduction to Matthew 21:12-17, Jesus’s first day in Jerusalem What do you think is the first thing Jesus does after he arrives in Jerusalem and gets off the donkey? Make a courtesy call to the political leaders? Visit the religious leaders and ask for their blessing? Get a permit for a rally where he can preach to the people in the city? Set up a healing tent? As we will see, the first thing he wants to do is heal people, but he needs a quiet place to do it. So the first thing he does is one of the most disruptive and confrontational things he could have done: clear the Temple of the people providing currency exchange services and selling sheep and doves for sacrifice. Matthew 21:12-13 The cleansing of the Temple: Jesus clears the Temple area of commercial business We saw in our study of the previous passage that, in the time of the Maccabees, palm branches were waved as part of the ritual in which the Temple was restored and purified after its defilement by the Greeks. Here, Jesus is addressing what he sees as a new defilement of the Temple. Some scholars see in this passage a reference to Mal. 3:1-3, where the prophet says that the Lord will come suddenly to his temple and “he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD” (Mal. 3:3, NRSV). What does Jesus do in the Temple? Who is the target of his disruption? Why does he do this? Jesus quotes from two places in the Old Testament. Let’s take them in reverse order. A den of robbers When Jesus refers to a “den of robbers,” he is drawing from Jeremiah 7:4-11. In that passage, God tells the people not to boast about the Temple because they are oppressing others and acting unjustly and have turned the Temple into a den of robbers (v. 11) In what ways might the Temple have become a “den of robbers”? The selling and buying took place in the outermost court of the Temple complex – not in the Temple building itself but in the Court of Gentiles. This was the first of several courts Jews had to walk through to reach the Temple itself, which could only be entered by the priests. The Temple tax, which every male Israelite was required to pay yearly, was a half-shekel, which was equivalent to about two days’ wages. However, the Temple authorities would not accept Roman or Greek coins because the emperor’s image was stamped on the coins. They would accept only Tyrian coins (because of their higher silver content) and Jewish coins. The currency exchange fee was about 10% (one gera or ma’a, which was around one-twentieth of a shekel, according to my research). In addition to paying that fee, if you brought a larger coin and needed to have change given back to you, the charge was doubled. So the fee was 10%-20% of two-days’ wages, which was a significant charge for poor people, who didn’t always find enough work to earn a days’ wages every day and who were sacrificing several days of wages to come to the Temple. There was a thriving trade in cattle, sheep, and doves (see John 2:14) for the sacrifices people needed to make at the Temple. For pilgrims, it was hard to bring an animal from far away, so people in Jerusalem sold sheep to them. This could have been seen as a helpful service, unless the prices were set high to take advantage of the pilgrims. Furthermore, you could only sacrifice an animal that was without blemish, and the power to decide if an animal was without blemish was in the hands of the Temple priests. It was easy for the Temple authorities to reject a supposedly “imperfect” animal, so the potential for abuse was high. Doves With regard to doves: Poor people who could not afford a sheep were allowed under the Law to bring turtledoves and pigeons (Lev. 5:7). Also, whereas Israelite men were commanded to offer a lamb, women were directed to offer a dove. Barclay says that price for a dove inside the Temple precincts could be as much as 20 times as high as the price outside the Temple (Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 , p. 270). Matthew and Mark both specifically mention that Jesus overturned the seats of the people selling doves. In John, he specifically chastises the people selling doves, telling them to stop making his Father’s house a marketplace (John 2:16). Why might Jesus be especially concerned about the selling practices regarding doves? Since doves were the offerings made by poor people, Jesus might have been particularly concerned about how the sellers were taking advantage of poor people. Poor people are easier targets for financial abuse since they have little power to respond, so perhaps the markup was especially large for doves, or perhaps he was concerned more generally about the impact of these practices on the poor. There is one other significant point of background: The high priest Annas had major control over this business and therefore probably took it personally when Jesus drove out the sellers. Are there ways that we can be at risk of turning God’s holy places into places of commercial exploitation? There is a lot of money-making associated with the Christian faith (consider Christian music, Christian books, Bible sales, Christian movies, Christian art, statues, candles, devotional materials, Sunday school materials, etc.). How can we evaluate when it is appropriate, or not, to make money from religious activities? A house of prayer In verse 13, Jesus says that his house should be a “house of prayer.” This phrase comes from Isaiah 56:6-7, where God says that foreigners will come to the Temple and worship there, and it will be a house of prayer for all people. Even if there was no exploitation going on, how might the money-changing and selling and buying have made it hard for this to be a house of prayer? How might this have been particularly problematic for the Gentiles, and why would Jesus care? Jews could go beyond the Court of the Gentiles, to the courts where things were quieter. But Gentiles could not go further and were stuck in the court where the marketing was going on. Do you think that all of the people involved in changing money and buying and selling were evil? Or is it possible that many were devoutly trying to honor God in their lives? Is it possible for Christians today to be faithful believers but not realize that they are caught up in accepted practices that undermine God’s work? What might be some examples? How might we take this message into the business world? What should the Temple have looked like and sounded like and felt like, as a house of prayer? If our churches are to be effective houses of prayer, what do we need to help them look like and sound like and feel like? Matthew 21:14-17 Jesus heals people and responds to the criticisms of the leaders After Jesus has cleared the Temple courts of the sellers, it is presumably a quieter, more prayerful place. What is the first thing Jesus does (verse 14)? Notice that he does this in the Temple – i.e., in the courtyards of the Temple – a place that is crowded with thousands upon thousands of pilgrims. What does this tell you about Jesus? Given that the Jewish leaders have not been friendly to Jesus, what does it tell you about Jesus that he is doing this right in the Temple courtyards? Why do you think the chief priests and scribes are unhappy that children are crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David”? How does Jesus respond (verse 16)? Jesus quotes from Psalm 8:2. This is the psalm that begins, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.” The verse Jesus quotes is the very next verse, which says, roughly: out of the mouths of babes and infants, you have [done something – scholars aren’t sure what the words mean here] to silence your enemies. Jesus chooses not to quote the words calling them “enemies” – he is an eternal optimist, hoping people will respond to his teaching. What is Jesus implying, by using this quote? What kind of link is he implying between himself and God? Notice that Jesus defends himself by quoting God’s Word to the religious leaders. How important is it to know the Bible? It is telling that the chief priests had no problem with the hubbub of the animals and the buying and selling and money changing in the Temple precincts, but now they are indignant about the noise of the children’s praise of Jesus. They see (verse 15) the miracles of healing that Jesus is performing. Yet they are indignant about the children, rather than moved by the healings. The chief priests may be unhappy that Jesus is healing people in the Temple precincts. Leviticus 21:16-23 said that people with a “blemish” – i.e., a physical deformity or deficiency – were not supposed to approach the altar. But Jesus is welcoming them right there in the Temple precincts, not far from the altar. The chief priests and scribes are more focused on their ideas about what the Temple should look like than on the good that Jesus is doing. Are we sometimes like that too, focused on our rules and preconceptions and missing the good that God is doing? Do any examples come to mind? If so, how might you do things differently? Jesus spends the night in Bethany, presumably with his friends Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. Martha and Mary are mentioned in the Gospel of Luke, and all three of them are mentioned in the Gospel of John. Take a step back and consider this: Jesus had had a special fondness for the Temple at least since he was 12 years old, when he first called it “my Father’s house” (Luke 2:49). He clearly believed that this was a special place – a place where heaven and earth meet and people have a special opportunity to commune with God. He is now making it not only a place where prayer can happen, but also a place where healings happen. Are there places that you think of as specially graced for prayer, healing, and communion with God? If so, how do you nurture the prayerfulness of those spaces? We are not bound to a Temple as the unique place where God resides, but rather have come to understand that every Christian is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who resides in us. What are some things we might consider doing to make our hearts, our souls, our very selves more fitting places of prayer, and healing, and communion with God? What can you do to nurture a spirit of prayer and healing in your own life? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

Adultery, lust, and divorce start in the heart. Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 5:27-32 Adultery, lust, and divorce start in the heart. Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti May 2, 2024 Matthew 5:27-30 Adultery and lust What does the Old Testament say in Exodus 20:14 and Deut. 5:18? What is lust? Why would Jesus say a person who lusts has already committed adultery in their heart? Is there a difference between committing adultery “in your heart” and committing physical adultery? What is Jesus prohibiting here? Jesus prohibits not only the action but the intense thoughts that underlie or can lead to the action. While Jesus is telling us to reject the thoughts that can lead to the action, we need to make a distinction between uninvited thoughts and the thoughts we nurture. Thoughts pop into our minds all the time. When uninvited, instinctual desires pop into our mind unbidden, that is not, in itself, a sin. When we intentionally nurture those thoughts and enjoy the fact that they are arousing our sexual passions, that is when we are embracing the lust that Jesus is telling his followers to reject. We cannot help looking at people, and our bodies sometimes react to what we see. But when we allow our eyes to linger so that our desires can be fed, then we have crossed the line. Why does he prohibit even entertaining the thought of adultery? What difference does a thought make? Actions begin with thoughts. Choosing to entertain the thought of lust means imagining that you are relating sexually with someone who is not your spouse. To choose to desire something which would violate the marriage commitment, Jesus says, is already a violation of that commitment to have only your spouse. When we look at another person as someone to have sex with, we are looking at them primarily as a body rather than as a whole person. We are called to treat all people as being made in the image of God, to treat them as people carrying infinite human dignity. In what ways does looking at someone with lust violate this principle of human dignity? In verses 29-30, do you think Jesus is actually recommending that people pluck out an eye or cut off a hand to avoid lust? (Would that actually solve the problem of lust, or could a one-handed person still lust?) What is Jesus’s point? Jesus is not speaking literally here. He is using the traditional Jewish technique of exaggeration or hyperbole to emphasize the importance of what he is saying. He is telling us to take our thought life seriously and not to allow our thoughts to linger in places they do not belong. Jesus clearly takes our inner thought life very seriously. Daniel J. Harrington tries to explain the thinking behind what Jesus is saying in this way: “The salvation of the whole person is of more value than the preservation of any one part that may lead to sin” ( The Gospel According to Matthew , p. 29). Myron S. Augsburger says, “We should understand these statements attitudinally, just as the previous injunction is addressed to our thoughts and attitudes. This means taking literally the basic intent of the passage, rather than physically removing the eye. The loss of one eye or one hand cannot in itself prevent a lustful look or thought. The word-picture is to emphasize deliberate, decisive action in dealing with our propensity to sin” ( Matthew , p. 74). Does our culture take our thought life as seriously as Jesus does? What is the prevailing attitude regarding thinking about things that would be sinful if acted upon? Do you take your thought life as seriously as Jesus does? The word translated “hell” in this passage is literally the Greek word Gehenna , which Jesus also uses in verse 22. Gehenna was the valley of Hinnom, a valley running along the south and southwest side of Jerusalem that had an ugly history. More than 700 years before Christ (in the 700s B.C.), it was a place where children were burned in sacrifice to the god Moloch (see 2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 33:6; Jeremiah 7:31-33; and Jeremiah 32:35). That location later came to be known as a garbage dump where refuse was burned, leading to its being used as a metaphor for hell. How can we avoid or fight lust and sins that involve our thoughts? It is a well-known principle that you can’t banish a thought by saying you won't think about it The more you try to “not think" it, the more you tend to focus on it. The only ways to get one thought out of your mind is by replacing it with another thought. So in this case, we need to replace the lustful thoughts with thoughts about good things. Barclay also suggests that a life of action helps. He says of the person struggling with sinful thoughts, “[H]e will certainly never defeat the evil things by withdrawing from life and saying, I will not think of these things. He can only do so by plunging into Christian action and Christian thought. He will never do it by trying to save his own life; he can only do it by flinging his life away for others” (Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 147). A life filled with good actions and good thoughts has less room for lust. Matthew 5:31-32 Divorce Read Deuteronomy 24:1-4. According to Deuteronomy 24:1, for what reasons might a man give his wife a certificate of divorce? There were two great Jewish scholars in the years before Jesus’s time – Hillel and Shammai – who launched two primary “houses” or schools of thought. The school of Hillel believed in marriage but interpreted Deut. 24:1 so loosely that a man could divorce his wife for any reason, while a woman could never divorce her husband without his consent. The school of Shammai was far less lenient about divorce. In contrast, the Greeks and Romans of Jesus’s time had an extremely low regard for marriage and little disapproval of sexual relationships outside of marriage. Having concubines and lovers other than your spouse was a normal part of society. In all of these cultures, obtaining a divorce was simple. In Israel and Rome, a man could have a divorce by simply writing a statement of divorce witnessed by two people. The Greeks didn’t even require a written statement; a man could simply dismiss his wife in the presence of two witnesses, although the woman at least got her dowry back (Barclay, Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 148-155). How might Deut. 24:1 have been interpreted more permissively or less permissively? What impact would the permissive practices of these cultures have had on the security of women? How does Jesus redefine the law of divorce? How does this transform the thinking about divorce? Note: Matthew allows an exception in 5:32, which is translated in the NRSV as: “except on the ground of unchastity.” Older translations of the New American Bible said, “lewd conduct is a separate case,” but the current NABRE retranslates it in a way that more clearly upholds Catholic Church teaching on divorce: “unless the marriage is unlawful.” The Greek word that is here is porneia , which was used to describe a range of illicit/unlawful sexual activity and might refer to adultery or might refer to other unlawful situations such as incest. Most Protestant denominations interpret it to refer to adultery and allow divorce in cases of adultery. Catholic scholars argue that if Jesus had meant “adultery” rather than other kinds of “unlawful” situations, he would have used the more common word for adultery, which he uses later in the same sentence. In practice, the Catholic Church offers an annulment process for marriages, allowing annulments in situations where the marriage was founded on a misunderstanding of true marriage, and that misunderstanding of true marriage in some cases might be demonstrated in part by an unwillingness of a spouse to be committed to the sexual exclusivity of Christian marriage. We will hear more about marriage in Matthew 19:3-9. The New Testament also includes Ephesians 5:21-33, which sees the marriage covenant between husband and wife as an image of Christ’s covenant with his people, the church. How does Jesus’s new law on divorce change the status of marriage? How does Jesus’s new law on divorce affect the status of women? Where does our society today fit on the scale of possible views of marriage and divorce? How does it compare to the teaching of Jesus on marriage and divorce? What difference does it make how our society views divorce? What can we do to encourage strong marriages? Take a step back and consider this: Although Jesus’s teachings about adultery, lust, and divorce here could be seen as simply a series of “don’ts,” in the broader context of the Sermon on the Mount these teachings might be better seen as calling for a transformation in a married couple’s thoughts and attitudes toward each other. In marriage as Jesus sees it, husbands and wives are committed to each other. They aren’t thinking about having sex with anyone else. They aren’t looking for a way to get out of their marriage commitments. They are committed to finding their fulfillment in each other. What might we say or do to help reclaim the vision of marriage as a union of committed love where the desire to stray is never nurtured because the commitment to mutual fulfillment is paramount? How can we help married couples to keep their eyes on their mutual commitment to love each other, when the marriage is tested and the temptation to “look at another with lust” arises? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

How do you manage what goes on in a Bible Study meeting that you are leading? Previous For Leaders Next Leadership Techniques for Good Bible Study Discussions How do you manage what goes on in a Bible Study meeting that you are leading? Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti March 25, 2024 In General : Remember that You Set the Tone for the Group Be excited about your group and about God’s Word. Be welcoming, affirming, and supportive. Set a climate of openness and caring. Be honest in what you share. Cultivate a sense of humor, as Jesus did. Jesus calls us to a joyful life. Help people respond to the challenge of God’s Word on a personal and spiritual level as well as intellectually. Set an example by what you say and do. Contact people who have been absent to let them know they are missed and to see how they are doing. Those who get a concerned message after an absence of one or several weeks are much more likely to return. Also, pray for your group members. Trust in the Lord. You are qualified to lead by your faith, your willingness to say yes to God’s call, and your willingness to improve. Your group members will respond to you and overlook your mistakes if you are truly trying to serve them. At the Beginning of the Meeting: Set the Stage Always start with conversational prayer. Direct the group through the steps of silence and prayers of thanks or praise. In the early weeks of a new group, start the meeting with a low-risk getting-to-know-you question (or “ice-breaker”) that allows people to share something about themselves. Encourage everyone to share a response. Set the example of honesty, both here and throughout the meeting. Summarize the main points of the previous week’s passages and discussion. During the Meeting : Facilitate Good Discussion and Sharing In general. Remember that your role is not primarily to give information, but to stimulate and encourage good discussion and sharing. Your primary goal is to encourage the kind of faith commitment that allows God to transform lives. When necessary, explain to the group that, because of the different Bible translations, what one person reads from the Bible may not be the same as the words in another person’s Bible, but the meaning is usually similar. Take advantage of the different translations to help clarify verses that are unclear in one version. Ask a variety of good questions. Make sure you ask all three types of questions: fact, interpretation, and application (see “Preparing to Lead a Small-Group Bible Study Meeting”). Leave plenty of time for discussion of the application/sharing questions, and encourage a variety of people to respond to those questions. Ask only one question at a time, and be appreciative of every answer. Don’t be afraid of silence after you have asked a question. After a pause, ask the question again in the same or different words. Periods of silence usually seem much longer to the leader than to others in the group. Silence gives members time to absorb previous comments and formulate a thoughtful response to the question. Try not to be the first or only person to answer your own question. If you give an answer later, don’t give the impression that yours is the only right answer. Keep the discussion from dragging. Take an active role in keeping the discussion moving. It is better to ask the group another question too soon than to wait too long and let the discussion drag on or go around in circles. Help the group stay focused on the Scripture passage. Keep bringing the group back to the passage so that people keep confronting what God’s Word says and means. Don’t feel the need to ask every question you have prepared. When the group has explored the passage in depth, gained the main insights, and applied it to their lives, you may want to move on. Ask, “Does anyone have anything else they would like to add before we move on? . . . . If not, let’s look at the next passage.” Help the group go deeper and share more. Don’t be satisfied with the first answer given. Ask, “Does anyone have anything to add?” or, “Is there more to what the author is saying?” or, “Are there other ways of looking at this?” After one or two people have answered an interpretation or application question, repeat the question to see if others have additional or alternative thoughts to share. Bring out the faith dimension. Use Scripture to interpret Scripture, i.e., to clarify and expand on a passage. Have the group look up a cross-reference or a related Scripture passage to help understand the passage currently being discussed. Don’t be overly troubled if people express concerns about accepting the demands of a passage. Trust that God is at work. Encourage others to share their perspectives. The discussion may help those with questions to deal with their doubts so that they can embrace the message of God’s Word. Don’t claim to speak for God, but encourage them to be open to what God is saying through His Word. Give a balanced picture of faith in Jesus. Don’t ignore or soft-pedal the demands and struggles of faith, but help people see also the joys and positive results of faith. Encourage trust in God as the basis for dealing with all aspects of life. Dealing with Common Problems Discussions that get off the subject or wander. Don’t be afraid to cut off a discussion that has wandered off the track or is going around in circles. Say, “This is very interesting, but I think we have gotten off the track. Let’s go back to the question of. . . .”, or, “What does verse 17 say about this?”, or, “There are clearly different ways of looking at that, and we’re not going to resolve it here. So let’s leave it for now and move on.” or, “Let’s discuss this after the meeting.” or, “We need to move on. Will someone read verses 19 to 26.” Or ask a new question that brings the group back to the passage or a personal application of the passage. Unclear answers. Follow up an unclear answer with another question. Ask, “What do you mean by that?” or, “I’m not sure I understand. Can you rephrase that?” or, “Can you give us a concrete example?” Or ask, “What makes you say that?” or, “Why do you think so?” or, “Let me see if I understand you right. Are you saying . . . (and rephrase their statement).” Or take whatever piece of the answer you understand, relate it to the topic, and move on to the next person or question. If the group is giving vague answers and doesn’t seem to be getting the message of a passage, rephrase your question, or ask someone to re-read a verse and then ask, “What does this specific passage (or verse x) say about this issue?” “Off-the-wall” answers. Don’t feel you need to correct every wild answer. Ask, “What do the rest of you think?” or, “What does verse 12 say about that?” As the discussion continues, the person will often realize they did not understand the question or the passage. People who talk too much or dominate. If someone is talking too much or dominating, ask the group another question when the person takes a breath, or say, “Excuse me, John, but I think Helen has something to say.” or, “Thank you. I wonder if someone else has something to add or has a different perspective?” Or ask everyone to share a short answer and go around the group. Or have the group pair off into groups of 2 (or divide the group into groups of 3 or 4 persons) and have those pairs or small groups discuss a sharing or application question. If the problem is that someone is rude or overly critical of what others have shared, say to the rude person, “Your experience may not be the same as Mary’s, but Mary has apparently had that experience and it is valid whether you have experienced it or not.” or, “If we want people to share their thoughts, we need to be respectful of their comments even when we disagree. We can disagree without being unkind.” Or, if appropriate, share your own experience in a way that supports or validates the experiences that were criticized. If possible, make a positive comment or a comment that connects with the rude person before correcting them. If you need to talk to someone privately because they regularly dominate the discussions or are disruptive, enlist their help in helping others to participate. Point out to them that briefer or kinder comments will make it easier for others to share, and that how they communicate is as important as what they say. Describe the behavior you have observed in them and how it affects the group. Describe the different behavior you would like to see and what it would look like. Shy or quiet people. Call on the shy or quiet person when you see the spark in their eyes that tells you they have something to offer. Or ask them to read the passage, or ask them the easy fact questions. Or break into pairs or small groups to discuss a question that involves sharing. Or ask everyone to answer an application question. Be appreciative when they do share. When you don’t know the answer to someone else’s question. Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know; I’ll try to find out.” or, “Let’s all look at that during the week and talk about it again next week.” It is better to say you don’t know something than to say what you “think” is true and risk misleading people. You are not expected to be an expert. Don’t put that burden on yourself. At the End of the Meeting Summarize briefly at the end of the meeting. (It is also good to do this before going on to a new passage.) Make sure your summary points people toward faith in God and a commitment to following Jesus and living according to His ways. Always close with a time of conversational prayer. Guide the group by giving them sample phrases (“Lord, help me or us to. . . .” or “Lord, help my brother or sister to . . . .”) Encourage and model following up on each other’s prayers with additional prayers on the same subject (“Yes, Lord, help, me or us or Chris to. . . . Give them your. . . .”) Pray specifically for God’s help to apply the week’s insights, and offer the wrap-up prayer that ends the prayer time. When You Are Not Leading On weeks when you are not leading, answer the leader’s questions when it helps get things going or others are stumped, but don’t dominate. Pay attention to how things are going. Help the leader notice when someone wants to share (leaders can be so busy leading that they don’t see certain things). Make clarifying comments when the group seems confused. Re-phrase correctly when the leader misstates something. Set a good example of personal sharing on application questions and by keeping your answers short. Monitor the time for the leader if desired. For more leadership training materials, see Leading a Small-Group Bible Study . Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous For Leaders Next

Bibliography of major sources and additional sources used in this study of the Gospel of John. Previous Next John Index John - Bibliography Bibliography of major sources and additional sources used in this study of the Gospel of John. Some of the resources on the author's bookshelf. Tom Faletti November 23, 2025 Major Sources Barclay, William. The Gospel of John, Volume 1. 2 nd edition. The Daily Study Bible. The Saint Andrew Press, 1956. Note: All of the volumes in Barclay’s Daily Study Bible series can be viewed online at “William Barclay's Daily Study Bible,” Bible Portal , https://bibleportal.com/commentary/william-barclay . Barclay, William. The Gospel of John, Volume 2. 2 nd edition. The Daily Study Bible. The Saint Andrew Press, 1956. Note: All of the volumes in Barclay’s Daily Study Bible series can be viewed online at “William Barclay's Daily Study Bible,” Bible Portal , https://bibleportal.com/commentary/william-barclay . Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the New Testament . Yale University Press, 1997. Bruce, F.F. The Gospel of John . Eerdmans, 1983. Ellis, David J. “John.” The International Bible Commentary: With the New International Version . F.F. Bruce, General Editor. Marshall Pickering/Zondervan, 1986. Flanagan, Neal M., O.S.M. The Gospel According to John and the Johannine Epistles . Collegeville Bible Commentary. The Liturgical Press, 1983. Fredrikson, Roger L. John . The Communicator’s Commentary (Mastering the New Testament) , Lloyd J. Ogilvie, general editor. Word Books, 1985. Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The New Testament, Revised Standard Edition, Second Catholic Edition . Ignatius Press, 2010. Interlinear Bible. Bible Hub , https://biblehub.com/interlinear/ . The International Bible Commentary: With the New International Version . F.F. Bruce, General Editor. Marshall Pickering/Zondervan, 1986. Liddell, Henry George and Robert Scott . A Greek-English Lexicon . Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1940. Internet Archive , Volume I: https://archive.org/details/b31364949_0001/mode/2up , Volume II: https://archive.org/details/b31364949_0002/mode/2up . Also at Furman Classics Editions, http://folio2.furman.edu/lsj/ . New American Bible, revised edition (NABRE) . Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010. Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary . Edited by Raymond E. Brown, et al. Prentice Hall, 1990. The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version: With the Apocrypha: An Ecumenical Study Bible . Eds. Michael D. Coogan, Marc Z. Brettler, Carol A. Newsom, and Pheme Perkins. 4th ed. Oxford University Press, 2010. New Revised Standard Version Bible , copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Perkins, Pheme. “The Gospel According to John.” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary . Edited by Raymond E. Brown, et al. Prentice Hall, 1990. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance . Bible Hub , https://biblehub.com/greek/21.htm . Vine, William E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary , 1940, StudyLight.org , https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/ved.html . Additional Sources Augustine. The Confessions . Circa AD 397-400. Translated by J.G. Pilkington. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series , Vol. 1. Edited by Philip Schaff. Christian Literature Publishing Co., Buffalo, NY, 1887. Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. New Advent , https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1101.htm . Biblical Archaeology Society. “The Bethesda Pool, Site of One of Jesus’ Miracles.” Bible History Daily. Biblical Archaeology Society, 29 July, 2025, https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/jerusalem/the-bethesda-pool-site-of-one-of-jesus-miracles/ . Brown, Raymond E. The Community of the Beloved Disciple . Paulist Press, 1979. Catechism of the Catholic Church. Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2003. The Vatican , https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM . Encyclopaedia Britannica (the editors of). “logos.” Britannica , https://www.britannica.com/topic/logos . Eusebius. Ecclesiastical History , Book III. New Advent , https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/250103.htm . Eusebius. Ecclesiastical History . Book VI. New Advent , https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/250106.htm . Irenaeus. Adversus Haereses ( Against Heresies ). Book III, Chapter 1. New Advent , https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103301.htm . Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities of the Jews . AD 93 or 94. Christian Classics Ethereal Library , https://www.ccel.org/ccel/josephus/complete.toc.html . Justin, the Martyr. First Apology . Circa AD 155-157. Translated by Cyril C. Richardson, Early Christian Fathers, Vol. 1 . The Westminster Press, 1953. Christian Classics Ethereal Library , https://www.ccel.org/ccel/richardson/fathers.x.ii.iii.html . Sloyan, Gerard S. What Are They Saying About John?, Revised Edition . Paulist Press, 2006. Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous John Index Next

A note about our terminology: What do we mean when we refer to a “part of a paragraph”? Previous Next Jubilee Year 2025: Embrace God’s Hope and Extend It to All A Note About Our Terminology What do we mean when we refer to a “part of a paragraph”? Link to S pes Non Confundit Photo by Tom Faletti, bridge near Neuschwanstein Castle, Hohenschwangau, Germany, June 27, 2024. Tom Faletti November 16, 2024 Church documents are often broken up into numbered paragraphs to aid in finding particular passages. This document follows that norm in having numbered paragraphs. However, in many places in Spes Non Confundit , one numbered “paragraph” extends over several paragraphs as we normally understand the meaning of that term. When this study guide says, “paragraph X,” it is referring to the paragraph that has the number X in front of it – for example , “paragraph 3” refers to the paragraph that has the number 3 in front of it . When a “paragraph” (as church documents count them) has more than one standard paragraph (as we normally understand a paragraph to be), this guide refers to those additional paragraphs as additional “parts” of that numbered “paragraph.” For example, the “second part of paragraph 3” refers to the second paragraph in the portion of the document that follows the number 3 and comes before the paragraph numbered paragraph 4 . Similarly, the “fourth part of paragraph 6” is the fourth regular paragraph that comes after the number 6 (and before the number 7). Bibliography See Jubilee Year 2025 - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/jubilee-2025/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Jubilee 2025 Next

The baptism of Jesus, and how it relates to you. Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 3:13-17 The baptism of Jesus, and how it relates to you. Image by Kaleb Tapp, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti March 15, 2024 Matthew 3:13-17 Jesus is baptized by John What happens in this passage? What do you think is the most significant word or statement or detail in this account, and why? William Barclay notes that the Jews had never seen baptism as being for Jews, but only for non-Jewish proselytes joining the Jewish faith. In their mind, baptism was for sinners, not the for the Chosen People. When John came baptizing and Jews submitted to his baptism, they were recognizing in a new way their own sin and their need for God to do something about it (Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , pp. 52-53.) Matthew is the only Gospel to include John protesting that Jesus should not be baptized. What is Jesus’s response? What is “righteousness,” and what does it mean to fulfill all righteousness? To live a “righteous” life is to live a life totally in accordance with the will of God. To “fulfill all righteousness” suggests that God wanted Jesus to do this. Why do you think Jesus chose to be baptized (or that the Father wanted Jesus to be baptized) when Jesus was not in need of repentance? One of the reasons Jesus might have done this was to demonstrate his identification with humanity. By accepting baptism, Jesus was identifying himself with sinful humans, counting himself as being one of us, which he will do in an extraordinary way on the Cross. In what ways does a willingness to be baptized show an attitude of humility? As the Son of God, Jesus was greater than John; but here he was placing himself in a position of submission to John (see Matthew 1:11). This act of placing himself in the inferior position is one of the early examples of what I call Jesus’s downside-up approach to life – he cares about the people in what society considers to be inferior positions. Here, he even takes the lesser position for himself, as he will do at other times in his ministry. He was constantly serving those who should be serving him, and making that the norm for Christian living. Matthew is establishing from the beginning that Jesus is the Messiah, but a particular kind of Messiah. How does Jesus’s decision to be baptized reflect the kind of Messiah he is? There is a really important point here about John. It says he “consented” (3:15, NRSV). What is the importance of our consent in doing the work of God and fulfilling all righteousness? Why do you think God speaks from the heavens at this moment? God rarely manifests himself with an audible voice. Why here? In Mark 1:11, the voice says, “ You are ” my beloved son. In Matthew 3:17, the voice says, “ This is ” my beloved son.” One version of the statement is directed toward Jesus and the other is directed toward the onlookers. Does that difference bring out different nuances about what is going on here? What do God’s words tell us about Jesus? The proclamation from heaven about Jesus harkens back to two Old Testament passages. Psalm 2 is about the anointing of the king but points to the Messiah. Verse 2 refers to the Lord and his “anointed.” The word “Christ” is the Greek word for “anointed one,” and “Messiah” is the Hebrew word for “anointed one,” so we look at Psalm 2 as speaking about the Messiah. In verse 7, God says, “You are my son; / today I have begotten you” (Psalm 2:7, NRSV), words that echo in God’s words when Jesus is baptized. Similarly, Isaiah 42:1 begins the description of the Suffering Servant that culminates in the great prophecies of Isaiah 53 that point to Jesus’s crucifixion. In 42:1, God says, “Here is my servant whom I uphold, / my chosen one with whom I am pleased” (Isaiah 42:1, NABRE), again using words that echo in Jesus’s baptism. God seeded the Old Testament with prophecies that pointed to Jesus and then confirmed them as Jesus began his ministry. Baptism is accepted by most Christian denominations as a sacrament instituted by Christ. How does what happens to Christians in baptism parallel what happens in this story about Jesus’s baptism? Notice the similarities in these brief summaries from two different Christian traditions: The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible says: “The water, Spirit, and divine voice signify the effects of baptism whereby the soul is cleansed (Acts 22:16), the grace of the Holy Spirit is imparted (3:11; 1 Cor. 12:13), and the recipient is adopted as a beloved child of God (3:17; Gal. 3:26-27; Catechism of the Catholic Church 537)” ( Ignatius Catholic Study Bible , Matthew 3:15 fn., p. 12). Evangelical Presbyterian theologian Vern Poythress writes: “So the features depicted in Jesus’s baptism by John come to apply through Jesus to us. We are cleansed from sin by the washing with Jesus’s blood, signified by the water of baptism. Heaven is opened to us through Jesus, giving us communion with God the Father (Heb 10:19–20). We receive the Holy Spirit, who descends on us when we have faith in Christ (Rom 8:9–10). We hear the voice of God the Father, who calls us sons in union with Christ the Son (Rom 8:14–17; Gal 4:4–7), and who is pleased with us on account of his being pleased with his eternal Son (Eph 1:4–10)” (Vern Poythress, “The Baptism of Jesus,” The Gospel Coalition , https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/the-baptism-of-jesus/ ). What does the baptism of Jesus say to you about your own life? How does the Trinity show up here, and why is that significant? It took Christians hundreds of years to work out exactly how to speak accurately about the Trinity, but they did not make up the concept – it shows up here at the very beginning of Jesus’s ministry as the Father speaks about the Son while the Holy Spirit hovers over it all in the form of a dove. Not are not the same as Jesus, but you too are a beloved son or daughter of God. If God proclaimed something about you, what would he want you or others to know about you? Take a step back and consider this: When Christians are baptized, they are making a public profession that they belong to God the Father (or their parents make that profession on their behalf, in the case of infant baptism). They are embracing what Jesus has already done for them, and looking forward to what God will continue to do in them by the power of the Holy Spirit. If you have been baptized, how are you embracing and living up to what you professed (or what was professed for you on your behalf) when you were baptized? If you have been baptized, how are you embracing the indwelling of the Holy Spirit received in your baptism? Is there more you might consider doing to respond to the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life? If you have not been baptized, is this something you should consider? If so, who could you talk to about it? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

What is the small gesture or action you could take? Previous Christian Faith Next Reconciliation Can Start with a Gesture What is the small gesture or action you could take? Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti February 24, 2024 It is sometimes hard to reconcile with someone who has hurt you, or whom you have hurt. We may think the gulf lying between us is too great. We know that the Bible tells us to forgive each other (Eph. 4:32; Matt. 5:23-24; Matt. 6:14-15; Col. 3:13). In Philippians 4:2, Paul asks the believers in Philippi to help two women leaders in the local church to be reconciled to each other. But how do we do it? It can be hard to know how to even take the first step. Sometimes, it all begins with a gesture of good will. The Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church have been separated since the 16 th century. Many people of good will on both sides desired at least a thaw in relations, if not a formal reconciliation, but the rift seemed unbridgeable. After the Roman Catholic Church’s Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, the Catholic Church embraced a new openness to dialogue. On March 24, 1966, Pope Paul VI and the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey, met in Rome in the basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. At that meeting, they signed a declaration in which they agreed to pursue a serious dialogue with each other. Perhaps more significant than the declaration was a gesture that Pope Paul VI made during their meeting. Here is how Gerald O’Connell of America magazine describes it: Paul VI took the ring off his finger and placed it on Archbishop Ramsey’s finger. The archbishop burst into tears because he understood that the bishop of Rome was, in a symbolic rather than doctrinal way, recognizing his role as archbishop and inviting a deep relationship toward full visible unity. Ever since, the archbishops of Canterbury have worn that ring when they visit the pope. ( A short history of Catholic-Anglican relations—and the last roadblocks to unity ) Pope Paul VI offered Archbishop Ramsey a ring. And he made it personal by placing the ring on the Archbishop’s finger. This simple gesture did nothing to break through the doctrinal disagreements between the churches. But it did everything to start the dialogue. The lesson is clear for us. We don’t have to achieve a full reconciliation in one step. The question is, can we take a first step? In our normal lives, I can’t imagine a situation where offering a ring would be a helpful gesture. But each ruptured relationship is unique. For one, it might be a token or gesture, for another it might be a note or small act of kindness. But our God is the God of reconciliation, so we can trust him that something can break through the cold silence and start the thawing process. What is the small gesture or action you could take with someone you are estranged from, to start the process toward a possible reconciliation? Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Christian Faith Next

Your attitude determines what is a “win.” Previous Christian Faith Next Look for the Perspective that Allows You to See Joy Your attitude determines what is a “win.” Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti February 21, 2024 A mother called in to the Internet radio station K-Love at 9:55 a.m. EST on January 25, 2023. The DJs were asking listeners to fill in the blank in this sentence: “I am wealthy because . . . (not necessarily wealthy monetarily, but wealthy in some way).” In response, the mother told a story about making dinner. She made a casserole with chicken, broccoli, and rice. When she went to serve it to her 12-year-old son, he said, “I don’t want any broccoli.” So she gave it to him without the broccoli. He went to a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out a sauce packet from Chick-fil-A. He poured the sauce on his dinner and ate it. When he was done eating, he said, “That was the best dinner I’ve ever had!” As she told this story on the air, this mother summed it up this way: “Mom for the win! Any time you can make a dinner and your middle-schooler loves it, it’s a win.” Your attitude determines what is a “win” As I listened, I thought about all the ways this mother could have had a different attitude. She could have objected to her son not eating the broccoli. She could have grumbled about his adding the Chick-fil-A sauce to her casserole. Instead, she accepted the situation for what it was and found joy in her son’s joy. Your perspective influences your attitude If she had approached the situation from the perspective that her son’s daily intake of vegetables was deficient, she wouldn’t have been able to call it a “win.” If her perspective had been that she makes good meals and doesn’t need “improvements,” she wouldn’t have been able to call it a “win.” In either of those cases, she wouldn’t have been able to share in her son’s joy. Mom for the win? It all depends on what you focus on, and what you choose to see. St. Paul wrote, “[W]hatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil. 4:8, NRSV). He also wrote: “Rejoice with those who rejoice” (Rom. 12:15,NRSV). Sharing in the joy of others is one of the secrets of a joyful Christian life. We are encouraged to find a perspective that allows us to look see joy. Your perspective influences the joy of others American film producer Samuel Goldwyn, founder of MGM, has been quoted as saying, “When someone does something good, applaud! You will make two people happy.” This mother’s son left the table happy about a good meal but also happy in his mother’s appreciation of his joy. If she had scolded him, there would have been no joy in that house for either of them that night. Our decision to look for joy can make ourselves and everyone around us happier. Whenever you can, share in the joy of others! Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Christian Faith Next