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Mary and Joseph follow God’s guidance one step at a time, not knowing what each new step will be but trusting that he will show them what to do. Can we, too, trust God to guide us one step at a time? [Luke 2:25-40; Matthew 2:1-12; 2:13-18; 2:19-23] Previous Mary List Next Session 3: When life gets complicated Mary and Joseph follow God’s guidance one step at a time, not knowing what each new step will be but trusting that he will show them what to do. Can we, too, trust God to guide us one step at a time? [Luke 2:25-40; Matthew 2:1-12; 2:13-18; 2:19-23] Anna Hyatt Huntington (1876-1973). The Holy Family Resting - The Flight into Egypt . Original Bronze Sculpture. 1963. Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC. Photo by Tom Faletti, 21 Jan. 2025. Tom Faletti July 13, 2025 Luke 2:25-40 Mary receives a surprise prophecy about herself In verse 25 and verse 26, how is Simeon described? What does Simeon do in verse 28, and what does he say in the verses that follow? How does Simeon describe Jesus in verse 32? Is this an accurate description of what Jesus ends up being? Explain. Simeon’s statement about the Gentiles in verse 32 builds on a statement in Isaiah 42:6 and Isaiah 49:6 that Israel will be a light to the nations (i.e., the Gentile nations). What is significant in Simeon’s interpretation that this claim applies to Jesus? In verse 33, how do Mary and Joseph react? Now Simeon turns his attention to Mary. What does he say to her in verses 34-35? How does the prophetess Anna add to the story? When we make ourselves available to God, as Mary and Joseph did by going to the Temple and as we do when we go to church, we open ourselves up to the possibility for interactions and blessings that we might miss if we weren’t there. How has your participation in your church’s rituals and activities opened the door to blessings for you? Now look at this incident through Mary’s eyes. What happened, from her perspective? What do you think the phrase in verse 35 meant to Mary, when Simeon said, “and you yourself a sword will pierce” (Luke 2:35, NABRE) or “a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:35, NRSV)? What do you think this experience with Simeon meant to Mary later, when Jesus was an adult? Are there times when we must accept the pain of a figurative sword that accompanies the blessing of doing God’s will? What can we learn from Mary here? How is Mary a role model for the kind of person we are called to be? How is Mary an example for how to actively live out our faith? Now we are going to read the story of the “wise men.” We usually look at this story from the perspective of the wise men or “magi,” because that is how Luke tells the story. However, we are going to look at it from Mary’s perspective. From Mary’s perspective, the story begins in this way: While she and Joseph and Jesus are staying in a house in Bethlehem (Matthew tells us in verse 10 that they were in a house when the wise men arrive), the Holy Family receives a surprise visit from some well-to-do wise men from far away in the East. Consider Mary’s perspective as you read the story: Matthew 2:1-12 The magi find Jesus We do not know where in the “East” these men came from. We do know this: Matthew does not use a Greek word to describe them. Our word “magi” is a transliteration of the Greek word that Matthew uses, and that word is a Greek transliteration of the plural Persian word magi (the singular is magus ), which referred to a caste of Persian priests of the Zoroastrian religion. Zoroastrian priests were astrologers in the sense that they carefully studied the stars. Priests of that caste were also at times associated with magic, and our word for magic comes from the same root word as magi , but it would be misleading to think of them as magicians or as astrologers. In their time, the movements of the stars were thought to affect the fortunes of people and nations, so at a time of limited knowledge of the natural world, they were trying to be wise observers of nature. We might think of them as the wise or scholarly practical philosopher-scientists of their time, in addition to being priests of their religion. Since we are focusing on Mary in this study, go back and read verse 11 carefully. What happens from Mary’s perspective? What does she observe happening? What do you think she thought when these wealthy, probably well-dressed, knowledgeable men came into the house and prostrated themselves before the baby Jesus? Mary has now seen three very different groups of people approach the baby Jesus: the local, rough, lower-class shepherds; the very old, holy man of God; and the foreign, refined, upper-class magi. How might Mary have reacted to the fact that all these very different people had important things to say about Jesus? Throughout history, Mary has been seen as a saint who is accessible to everyone. How might her experiences as a young mother have shaped her as an accessible and welcoming person? Do you see Mary as the kind of role model who is accessible to people of all social classes, all nationalities, all levels of education and economic status? Explain. What can you learn from Mary here in the story of the wise men? Matthew 2:13-18 The escape to Egypt and massacre of innocent children The wonderment of the magi’s visit doesn’t last long. Soon, an angel appears to Joseph with a dire message. What does the angel tell Joseph? How do you think Mary reacted to this? What is our term, in English, for someone who has to flee their homeland and go to a different country because they are in danger? Our term for people in this situation is “refugee,” which is a specific kind of migrant – see “What is the difference between a refugee and a migrant?” ( USA for UNHCR ). How do you think Mary felt about being a refugee? Note: There were Jewish communities in Egypt, so they might not have been totally alone (just as refugees who come to Western countries in our time often have communities they can connect with), but because of their religious and cultural differences, they would have been seen as outsiders in the broader Egyptian culture. How do you think Mary’s experiences as a refugee shaped her as a person? Looking at this part of Mary’s life, how can we be like Mary? Matthew 2:19-23 They return to Israel Throughout this set of passages, Matthew is making subtle connections between Jesus and the ancient Israelites who were brought out of Egypt by God in the experience we call the Exodus. In verse 15, he quotes Hosea 11:1, where the prophet refers to Israel as God’s son but Matthew sees a new application to God’s Son Jesus. In verse 20, Matthew makes a connection to Moses. An angel tells Joseph that he can return to Israel, “for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” This echoes the experience of Moses. In Exodus 2:15, Moses had fled Egypt because Pharaoh wanted to kill him. In Exodus 4:19, Moses is told that he can return, “for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” How might Mary have seen parallels between Jesus and Moses and between Jesus and the nation of Israel as she journeyed to Egypt and back to Israel? As Mary and her fellow Jews celebrated their faith, they constantly recalled the story of God’s action that brought salvation to the Israelites in the event known as the Exodus where they escaped from Egypt. How might that story have been an encouragement to Mary in her ordeal of escape from and return to Israel? Where do Mary and Joseph settle, and why? Matthew and Luke focus on different stories related to Jesus’s birth and infancy, with Luke presenting Mary’s story while Matthew focuses on Joseph. Luke 1:36-37 indicates that Mary’s hometown was Nazareth. Matthew does not tell us where Joseph lived before Jesus was born; he says only that Joseph’s ancestral home was Bethlehem. When they return from Egypt, they settle in Nazareth, which Luke tells us is Mary’s hometown, whereas custom would have had a bride move into her husband’s home. How do you think Mary felt as she returned to Israel? What would it have been like, raising your child, knowing that powerful people might again someday decide he is a danger and should be killed? Do you think that Mary told Jesus about the dangers, or kept them to herself, and why? When you face ongoing dangers in life, how do you find a balance between ignoring them and obsessing over them? How might Mary be a role model for how to deal with the risks we take in life? Take a step back and consider this: In these passages, Jesus is honored, Mary receives a troubling prophecy, and then Jesus is targeted for execution. What a complicated start to motherhood, for Mary! Mary and Joseph did not realize what an adventure their marriage would be, and they did not have all the answers for what to do. The angel who first visited them did not tell them about Herod, or the magi, or that they would become refugees in order to escape Herod’s murderous plan. They did not need to know those things in the beginning, nor did they need God to spell out solutions in advance. God revealed what they needed to know, when they needed to know it. Notice what this means: Following God was not, for them, just one big leap of faith. It was a series of smaller steps, where they trusted God each time for what they needed to know and do at that moment, in order to get to the next step. The same is true in our lives. We don’t need to know everything about our future. We only need to know what we need to know for the present moment – and then we need to do it, in order to get to the next step. It’s an important lesson: We don’t always need to know what is coming. God sees the whole picture, and that is enough. When in your life have you had to trust God through a series of steps where you did not know where things were going, but God ultimately led you to a good outcome? What are you facing right now, where you would like to know more about what is coming than God has revealed to you, and you just have to trust God and take one step at a time? What are the best things for you to remember as you face times of uncertainty? How might Mary be a role model for you in these times of uncertainty? Bibliography See Mary - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/mary/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 Mary List Next

If God isn't powerful, we can't count on him for much. Previous Next Table of Contents Is God More Powerful Than Any Other Force? If God isn't powerful, we can't count on him for much. Tom Faletti (to be continued) 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 Table of Contents 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

For these Christians, neither persecution nor suppression, not even an atomic bomb, has kept them from staying faithful to Christ. Previous All Special Materials Next Nagasaki - A History of Christian Faithfulness in Adversity For these Christians, neither persecution nor suppression, not even an atomic bomb, has kept them from staying faithful to Christ. Wolfgang Kilian, Augsburg (1581-1663). The Martyrs of Nagasaki (1597) . Engraving. 1628. MDZ: Münchener DigitalisierungsZentrum, Digitale Bibliothek. Wolfgang Kilian, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:M%C3%A4rtyrer_von_Nagasaki_1628.jpg . Tom Faletti August 28, 2025 While I was doing some research for a post about peacemaking and the atomic bombing of Nagasaki , I learned that the Christian community in Nagasaki has a long and remarkable history. Nagasaki’s early Christian history In Nagasaki, the history of Christianity goes back almost 500 years, to the arrival of Portuguese sailors in 1543. Nagasaki was built to serve as a port for Portuguese ships, under the supervision of Jesuit missionaries and with the support of the local Japanese lord. It became a center for Christian activity in Japan. When the power structure of Japan turned against the presence of Christians there, the government forbade the preaching of Christianity. Nagasaki was seen as a center of the Catholic faith. In the late 16 th century, 20 Japanese Christians and 6 foreign priests were arrested, imprisoned, forced to walk through the snow to Nagasaki, and crucified (hung on crosses with chains and ropes) as a warning to the large Christian community in Nagasaki. (Today, people can visit a Twenty-Six Martyrs Monument and Museum in Nagasaki.) Christianity was driven underground in a campaign of persecution and suppression that lasted for more than 200 years. Amazingly, Christians survived in secret for generations, until a series of government reforms in the 1850s allowed them to practice their faith in public again. When the Christians emerged, they got to work. By 1864, they had built the Oura Church, which served as their first cathedral. In 1895 they built Urakami Cathedral. Nagasaki Christians arise from the ashes of atomic ruin When the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, the Oura Church survived the blast. It still stands today. Urakami Cathedral was not so fortunate. It was 500 meters from the spot where the atomic bomb detonated. The blast damaged it so severely that it could not be restored. It was replaced with an entirely new building in 1959. (Remains of the original Urakami Cathedral are on display in Nagasaki Peace Park and the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum.) The bell that had hung in the right tower of the cathedral was found in the rubble and saved, but the bell that had been in the left tower was totally destroyed. More than half of the Catholics in the Urakami district of Nagasaki – approximately 8,500 of the cathedral’s 12,000 parishioners – were killed. The Christian community in Nagasaki did not allow the attack to disperse them. They remained a community, just as they had remained a community underground during the years of repression. They built a new cathedral in 1959. The surviving bell was re-installed in the right tower of the new structure, but the left tower was left without a bell. When Professor James L. Nolan, Jr., of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, was researching the Nagasaki bomb attack in the spring of 2023, the Catholics of Urakami Cathedral were there to talk with him. One of the cathedral parishioners suggested to Nolan that perhaps American Catholics could provide a new bell for the left tower of the cathedral. Nolan was intrigued by the idea and went into action. He led a successful campaign that designed, casted, transported, and installed a new bell, which filled the empty spot in the left tower. On August 9, 2025 at 11:02 AM, the exact moment that the atomic bomb detonated 80 years earlier, the new bell rang out from the left tower of Urakami Cathedral. For more on the Nagasaki Bell Project, see Sound a Bell, Take a Step, Be a Peacemaker . Nolan saw the story of the new Nagasaki bell as part of the longer history of the Christian Church in Nagasaki: a history of people enduring suffering, staying true to their faith, and now welcoming a gesture of peace from the nation that had attacked them. Nolan said that the ringing of that bell was “a calling to mind of the years of faithful suffering and the martyrdom of the many Catholics who stayed true to the faith, and a calling to mind (of) their example.” Nagasaki Christians are an example to us Would we be so faithful and persistent, through hundreds of years of persecution and suppression, and then to bring our parish back to life after an atomic attack killed two-thirds of the people in our parish? God is always with us. The question is, do we stay with him? 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 All Special Materials Next

Responding to difficult questions and dealing with politics. Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 21:23-27 Responding to difficult questions and dealing with politics. Image by Buddha Elemental 3D, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti August 5, 2025 Matthew 21:23-27 The chief priests and elders challenge Jesus’s authority The locus of opposition to Jesus has been shifting from the Pharisees and scribes to the chief priests and scribes and now to the chief priests and elders. The Pharisees were members of might be thought of as a religious society that was mostly trying to live a devoted life to God. The scribes were the lawyers (or theologians of our day) who knew the details of God’s Law and the Scriptures and might be aligned with the Pharisees or the chief priests. But the elders, which included many of the chief priests, were the power brokers of Jerusalem. The chief priests and elders, together, were a potent force: The chief priests ran the Temple, and the elders made the political decisions that affected the whole city of Jerusalem. Recall that Jesus has entered the city in a very disruptive way, kicked people out of the Temple precincts, healed people in the Temple precincts, and now was back, teaching the people right there on the Temple grounds. What do the chief priests and elders ask Jesus? Why do you think they ask him this question? Not everyone who claims to be from God actually is. Is it reasonable to ask where a person’s authority comes from when they are shaking things up? How can we judge whether someone who is shaking things up is coming from God or not? Notice that Jesus does not answer their question. Is there a lesson for us in choosing when to defend ourselves and when to let a challenge pass without an answer? If Jesus had chosen to answer the question, what would his answer have been? Jesus chooses to counter with a question, to either establish their sincerity or spotlight their spiritual bankruptcy. What question does Jesus ask them (verse 25)? Why is this a hard question for them to answer? What would be the right answer to Jesus’s question? Notice that the right answer to Jesus’s question is also the right answer to the question the leaders asked Jesus: John and Jesus were both operating based on authority given to them by God. How does their inability (or unwillingness) to answer Jesus’s question expose how badly they are out of touch with what the people can see that God is doing? What can we learn from this story for ourselves? My Bible Study group saw many things they could learn from this story. For example: Ask questions. Don’t feel the need to defend yourself or answer every question from others. Jesus often doesn’t dictate answers to people; he lets them reach their own conclusions – perhaps we should too. Instead of getting caught up in verbal battles with others, pay attention to what God is doing. Why does Jesus allow people to think things that are wrong rather than trying to prove to them what is right? Jesus is building hearts and minds, not robotic teleprompters or answering machines. He wants to develop people who can think like God thinks and act like Jesus would. If he forces us to think a certain way, we can never develop hearts and minds that follow him by our own free will. Jesus’s approach to other people, even those who oppose him, always honors the importance of free will. How can we use our free will well? God always hopes that we will use the free will he has given to us to respond to what he has revealed give our lives freely in service to him and others. Take a step back and consider this: Some people would see the chief priests and elders as master politicians: They are very aware of the ways that the people don’t agree with them, and very savvy about how to manage that problem so that they don’t get on the bad side of the people. However, in the process, they have lost a bit of themselves and their integrity. They are playing for power, rather than for working for truth, or justice, or goodness. If they were working for truth, they would make their case and try to show the people why they are wrong. That might appear difficult with so much evidence on the other side; but if they genuinely believed they were right then they would be willing to stand up for their beliefs and make their best case, whether others agreed or not. But that is if they were working for truth, not playing for power. If they were working for justice, or goodness, or any other good motive, they similarly would make the case for what they believe in. Only the coward or the person playing politics would back down when asked a question and not even try to offer an answer. Politics is not inherently bad. Some people are called to the difficult work of trying to manage disagreements in a society or community and find solutions or approaches that address a wide range of concerns and hold the community together even though many people can’t have all they want. But that is when they are doing the hard work of politics, not playing politics for their own benefit. How can a politician do the hard work of politics and still act like a Christian? In a democracy, Christians are called to get involved in politics, at least to the extent of voting and perhaps in other ways, in order to exercise their responsibilities as citizens to promote the good of all. Beyond that, almost everyone is involved in politics in other ways – the politics of the office, the give-and-take and negotiating that goes on in families, and even the managing of different groupings in a church. We are called to be like Jesus in all situations, even in those places. How can we do the work of politics well in our everyday lives? 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 List Next

Welcome a child, be as humble as a child, and don’t lead any “little ones” astray: the starting point for our relationships in the church. Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 18:1-9 Welcome a child, be as humble as a child, and don’t lead any “little ones” astray: the starting point for our relationships in the church. Carl Bloch (1834–1890). Jesus Christ with the children / Let the little Children come unto Me / Suffer the Children . Date unknown. Oil on copper. Cropped. Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle, Denmark. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Let_the_Little_Children_Come_unto_Jesus.jpg . Tom Faletti June 29, 2025 In chapter 18, Matthew again gathers together various sayings and teachings of Jesus. This time, the focus of the teachings is on how to deal with issues that might cause dissension and strife within the Christian community. Jesus tells us how to treat each other and what to do when someone doesn’t treat us right. Matthew 18:1-5 Seeking status versus becoming like a child and welcoming the child What is the disciples’ question to Jesus? What do you think they are thinking about, and how does it show that they don’t understand Jesus’s ways yet? Notice that he doesn’t answer their question. Instead, he calls a child into their midst. What do you think it is about a child that shows what it takes to enter the kingdom of heaven? What does it mean, when Jesus tells us to humble ourselves like a child (verse 4)? In what ways is a child “humble”? Why does Jesus say that those who do this are “the greatest”? Greatest in what way? Why would Jesus say (in verse 5) that when we welcome (NRSV) or receive (NABRE) a child in his name, we welcome or receive him? Fr. Daniel Harrington tells us: “in ancient society the child had no legal rights or standing and was entirely dependent on the parents. . . . Likewise, no one through rank or status has a real claim on God’s kingdom” (Harrington, p. 74). Harrington explains that the Qumran community from whom we have the Dead Sea scrolls seated people at meals according to their rank within the community because “[t]he meals were supposed to mirror what would happen when God’s kingdom comes” (p. 73). This focus on status was apparently not uncommon in the time of Jesus. How does our society give attention to status and elevate some people over others? In what ways do people seek status in our society? How are people asking today a modern-day equivalent of “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” How are we infected by that kind of thinking? What does Jesus say in response? How is a child’s dependence and lack of worldly status a model for us? In the context of the rest of the passage, Jesus is not just talking literally about children. They represent all the people at the bottom of the social ladder. The disciples want to know who is greatest – who has highest rank. Jesus says, those who appear to have the lowest rank, the least claim, the lowest status are the ones who, in the kingdom of God, have the highest status or who are the greatest. If this is the criterion for greatness, what does it say to us about ourselves? What does this tell you about God and about God’s thinking? Jesus identifies himself with the children, the people with the lowest status. This is not the only time Jesus identifies himself with someone else. In Matthew 25, in the story of the sheep and the goats, he identifies himself with the hungry, sick, etc. What does this tell you about Jesus? What does this tell us about the importance of looking out for the vulnerable: children, the poor, people with mental or physical disabilities, and others who have no claim to greatness? Jesus appears to be saying, I will measure you not by whatever status you think you have, but by how you treat the people who don’t have status, the people who are not considered the greatest. Who are the people who lack status in our community and nation, and what must we do differently to respond to this challenge from Jesus? Harrington sums up this verse by saying that Jesus is saying that “He dwells in them in a special way” (p. 74). What is this special relationship between God and the least among us? What does that relationship challenge us to do? How can we welcome those with the lowest social status? This passage starts out talking about status in the kingdom of heaven. But by the end of the chapter, we will realize that Matthew is thinking in part about the church on Earth and the struggles between people within the church. In that context, who are those with low status that your local church should be showing greater concern for? Matthew 18:6-9 Don’t lead the little ones astray In this passage, Jesus refers to “these little ones,” and most people interpret it as not just talking about children. Who are “these little ones”? Harrington suggests that this term describes “a simple and good-hearted member of the community who can be lead astray” (p. 74). The one other place where Jesus uses the term is in Matthew 10:42, where it means a disciple as Jesus praises anyone who gives one of “these little ones” a cup of cold water. The word Jesus uses to describe the offense committed by someone who leads others astray is a word we have seen before: the Greek word is skandalon . When Jesus calls Peter a “stumbling block” or “obstacle” in Matthew 16:23, it is this word. When Jesus says in Matthew 17:27 that they should pay the Temple tax so that they will not give offense (Matt. 17:27), the word for “offense” is the verb form of the same word. Here again it is the verb form of that word. To be a stumbling block, to give offense, to scandalize – these are all situations where one person might trip up another person so that their faith is shaken or they are led into sin. How can one person lead another person to sin? Jesus says that the perpetrator would be better off if some pretty bad things happened to him or her. What are those things he warns us about in verses 6, 8, and 9? What is his point in making these comparisons? In verse 7, Jesus addresses the common rationalization: it’s going to happen anyway. What is his warning? How might we be a stumbling block for others if we are not careful? Take a step back and consider this: Matthew is selecting various teachings of Jesus and arranging them in the order he thinks might have maximum benefit for the Christian community. He could have chosen any story to tell first. It is worth considering why he chose to start with these teachings about how to treat children and the “little ones,” before dealing with what to do when a member of the community sins against you and how often you should forgive people (which are coming next). By starting here, Matthew provides a bigger-picture perspective with which to consider the rest of the teachings in this chapter. If you think of yourself as a big deal, you may be more tempted to get angry when someone does something you don’t like. You may be more tempted to try to exclude them or cut them off. If you think of yourself as a humble child, you might choose a different way to deal with disagreements. In every age, there are people in prominent positions who identify themselves as Christians but aren’t living up to the “high calling” or “upward call” we have in Christ (Phil. 3:14). They may be too focused on power, or on what they can gain from their prominence. They may have a tendency to lord it over other people or act as though they think they are more important than others. We too sometimes get off track. Maybe we get too focused on ourselves and our own desires. Maybe we start treating others as underlings whom we expect to help us accomplish our desires. Maybe we start treating people as means to our ends, rather than as important in themselves. Matthew 18:1-5, can be an antidote to that. How can viewing ourselves as simply a child in the kingdom of God help us maintain the right perspective and not act like we and our agenda are more important than everyone else and their agenda? How can viewing the world through the eyes of a child help prepare you to forgive others when they hurt 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 List Next

Herod seeks to kill Jesus, which is why Jesus ends up as a refugee in Egypt, and then in Nazareth. Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 2:13-23 Herod seeks to kill Jesus, which is why Jesus ends up as a refugee in Egypt, and then in Nazareth. Image by NEOM, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti February 13, 2024 Matthew 2:13-23 Jesus becomes a refugee, avoids a massacre, and ends up in Nazareth Matthew tells this part of the story to help us understand how Jesus could be the Messiah even though he grew up in Nazareth, not in Bethlehem. Why does Joseph take Jesus and Mary to Egypt? When the angel tells Joseph to “flee,” the Greek word for flee is pheuge , which is related to our English words “refuge” and “refugee.” It was common for Jews to hide out in Egypt if they were in trouble or in danger in Judea; there were Jewish communities in a number of Egyptian cities, so they would not have felt totally alone. Still, it was a long way from home. Jesus began his life as a refugee. Fortunately, Joseph and Mary did not have to convince a skeptical government that the family was worthy of asylum status. God was willing to become not only a human, not only a poor person, but a refugee. How does that help us understand the inherent dignity of refugees and the importance of being welcoming to them? The “fulfillment prophecy” that Matthew cites in verse 15 is not actually about Jesus or the Messiah. It was a statement from Hosea 11:1 about the fact that God called his “son,” the people of Israel, out of Egypt, long ago. Matthew repurposes it, perhaps to try to convince Jews that there is a huge amount of evidence in the Hebrew Scriptures pointing to Jesus. Matthew might also be thinking that Jesus’s experience of being brought out of oppression is a foreshadowing of our own experience of being brought out of oppression by Jesus. Matthew’s frequent use of these “fulfillment prophecies” leads some scholars to conclude that Matthew is picking out Old Testament prophecies and then creating stories to fit them. There is no evidence that he is doing that. Rather, it appears that he is organizing the stories he knows about Jesus and then searching the Old Testament to see if it has “prophecies” that might fit with those events. The stories come first; not the prophecies. When the wise men do not return to him, what does Herod do? Bethlehem was not a large town, so scholars think this would have been a slaughter of perhaps 20 or 30 children. While not large in number, all the children killed by Herod would have been deeply mourned by their mothers and fathers. Some scholars think the killing of the innocents is inspired by Pharaoh’s killing of the first-born sons of the Israelites before the exodus from Egypt, but again if Matthew created the story for that purpose he could easily have made the connection explicit and he did not. The “fulfillment prophecy” in verse 18 is from Jeremiah 31:15, where the original verse is about the Israelites being forced into exile by the Babylonians. It is followed by prophecies that the people will return from exile. Ramah was 5 miles north of Jerusalem, so it was 10 miles from Bethlehem. Rachel’s tomb was thought to be in the vicinity of Bethlehem. Matthew puts that all together and sees Jesus. Where do you think God was, as this was happening? God allows humans to do a lot of evil things, without intervening. Why do you think that is? God is guiding us to be people who as fully as possible reflect God’s image. If he intervened every time something bad happened, we would not be able to learn the lessons of our actions and would not grow to spiritual maturity. Also, we might stop trying to be our best selves, figuring that God will make things better if we mess up. Allowing us to do evil is the price that must be paid for giving us the chance to grow and mature and be great: to take on the mind of Jesus, to be the Body of Christ to the world, to live in the power of the Spirit. Jesus escapes from a tyrant by going to Egypt and then returning when the tyrant is gone. How does this connect with Moses’s escape, as an infant, from a pharaoh who was a tyrant in Egypt, and the Israelites’ later escape from a tyrant pharaoh in Egypt? The words “go . . . for those seeking the child’s life are dead” (2:20, NRSV) echo the Lord’s direction to Moses to go back to Egypt because the Pharaoh who wanted to kill him is dead (Exodus 4:19), setting up a possible linkage between Jesus and Moses: Jesus is the new Moses, leading his people out of oppression and giving them a new Law. When Herod dies, why doesn’t Joseph go back to Bethlehem? Joseph is afraid of Herod’s son Archelaus, who is given the southern territory including Jerusalem and Bethlehem by his father. Joseph had good reason to be afraid of Archelaus. Archelaus was so oppressive and hated so much by the Jews that he was eventually deposed from his position by Rome. Recall that Herod’s roots were in Idumea. Archelaus had roots in Idumea and Samaria, so he was even more suspect of not being a real Jew, and he treated the Jews so horribly that this suspicion was confirmed in the people’s minds. For example, Josephus tells us that in one of Archelaus's first official acts, 3,000 Pharisees were killed in response to an uprising protesting his father’s last act of oppression in Jerusalem. Joseph goes north to Galilee, to the town of Nazareth, a place far away from Jerusalem and not under Archelaus’s jurisdiction. Matthew’s final “fulfillment prophecy” in this chapter (verse 23) cannot be found in the Old Testament. Scholars have searched and never found anything that matches. So we don’t know what Matthew had in mind here. The closest thing is a prophecy before Samson is born that Samson will be a “nazirite” (Judges 13:5), but that is not the name of a place. Perhaps Matthew was inviting a connection to the nazirites, which were Israelites, including Samson and Samuel, who consecrated themselves to God, never drank alcohol, and never cut their hair, among other strict practices (Numbers 6). But the connection is flawed, since Jesus didn’t live an ascetic life and refrained from the demonstrations of human strength that Samson excelled at. Other scholars point to a possible word-play as Isaiah 11:1 talks of a “branch” arising from the stump of Jesse, and the Hebrew word for “branch” is netser , which sounds similar to the beginning of the name Nazareth. Since Jesus fulfilled in his own person some prophecies that were addressed to “Israel,” some scholars think this word-play hinting at the branch that arises from Israel is in Matthew’s mind. All of these are nice ideas, but we don’t know what Matthew had in mind; so this suggested quote remains a puzzle. Even if we don’t expect God to communicate to us nowadays through dreams, how is Joseph a role model for seeking guidance from God? When you figure out what God is asking you to do, do it! ; make yourself open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit; trust that God has a way forward for your life; take care of those around you; be aware of what is going on around you in the world, but don’t be paralyzed by it. Joseph settles his family in Nazareth. What do you know about Nazareth as a place to live and work? Joseph might have seen that he could find good work in the area of Nazareth, especially in Sepphoris, 5 miles away. This is explained in Raymond Brown’s one-volume biblical commentary: “Joseph, involved in the building trade, probably settled in in Nazareth, because he could find abundant work in neighboring Sepphoris, which Herod Antipas was rebuilding as his capital at that time” (Benedict T. Viviano, O.P., “The Gospel According to Matthew,” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary , par. 15, p. 636). Historians say that Sepphoris, though a Jewish city, did not join the Jewish rebellion against Roman rule in 66 A.D., suggesting that it took a more cosmopolitan rather than strictly Jewish approach to life under Roman occupation. How might this choice of a hometown have affected Jesus as he grew up? Although Nazareth was a small town, it was not a backwater. Besides being just 5 miles from Herod Antipas’s capital at Sepphoris, it was nestled in the fabric of trade routes to faraway places. It was only 15 miles away from the major international north-south Roman highway that ran through Israel along the Mediterranean coast from Syria to Egypt. Nazareth was also the crossroads of two smaller highways that served as trade routes, one starting at Ptolemais on the coast (modern-day Acre, Israel) and running southeast to Samaria, and the other running northeast through Nazareth to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, a city founded by Herod Antipas (see “Palestine in the time of Jesus, 4 B.C. - 30 A.D.: (including the period of Herod, 40 - 4 B.C.),” Library of Congress , https://www.loc.gov/item/2009579463/ ). As a result, Jesus, as a growing child and as a young man, would have been exposed to other cultures and a bigger world even while living in his Jewish village. This is all we get from Matthew for the “Christmas story” – very little compared to what we have from Luke. What important points about the background, birth, and infancy of Jesus are provided to us by Matthew? Jesus is Son of David, son of Abraham, Son of God due to his virgin birth, Emmanuel (“God with us”), perhaps a new Moses, born in Bethlehem, and raised in Nazareth. His birth story shows how the hand of God protects a little one so that he can grow up and save us, and the first people to recognize that this little one is great is a small group of Gentiles, a bit of foreshadowing that continues to play out as Matthew shows that the gospel is for Gentiles as well as Jews. How do you see the hand of God working subtly but decisively to bring good out of evil in these stories? How do you see the hand of God doing the same thing in your life? Do you think Matthew succeeds in making his point that Jesus fulfills the messianic prophecies even though he grew up in Nazareth, not Bethlehem? Explain. What can you take from this story of the wise men, Herod, Joseph, and Jesus to strengthen your faith or your approach to God? Take a step back and consider this: God could have chosen anywhere in the world for his Son to be born as a human. He could have selected a “chosen people” anywhere. He could have chosen any time in history for his coming. God chose this particular people, whose particular history placed them in this particular place in the world at this particular time. At this particular time, the Roman Empire made it easy to spread a message far and wide. Growing up in Nazareth would place Jesus among people who could both nurture him in the monotheistic culture of Judaism and also expose Him to the rest of the world, and living at a minor crossroads could help him tailor his message to speak to both Jews and Gentiles and prepare the way so that his followers could use their location in the midst of the Roman Empire to take the gospel ultimately “to the ends of the earth.” You also live at a particular time, in a particular place, among a particular people, at a crossroads of particular relationships and opportunities. God desires to work through you to share some piece of his good news with some particular people by your words and actions. How is God calling you to use the embedded realities, relationships, and crossroads of your life to bring his good news to others and make the world more like the kingdom of God that it was meant to be? What is God calling you to do next, where you are? 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 List Next

Who is Jesus? Who is Peter? Where do you fit in the Church that God is building? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 16:13-20 Who is Jesus? Who is Peter? Where do you fit in the Church that God is building? “On this rock I will build my church.” St. Peter’s Church, Staunton on Arrow, England, UK. Photo by Fabian Musto, 12 May 2018. CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:On_this_rock_I_will_build_my_church_-_St._Peter%27s_Church_(Staunton_on_Arrow)_-_geograph.org.uk_-_5772113.jpg . Tom Faletti June 16, 2025 Matthew 16:13-20 Peter recognizes Jesus as the Messiah and is given the keys to the kingdom This happens in the region of Caesarea Philippi, which is 20-25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee and inhabited mainly by Gentiles. Jesus first asks the disciples who the people say the Son of Man (i.e., Jesus) is. How do they answer? Why might the people have thought that Jesus was a return of one or another of these figures that preceded him? Jesus then asks them: Who do you say I am? Simon Peter speaks, and speaks accurately. Who does Simon Peter say Jesus is (verse 16)? Some translations use the word “Christ”; some use the word “Messiah.” Peter would have used the Hebrew word Messiah , but the biblical text was written in Greek and the actual word in the biblical text is the Greek word Christos , from which we get our word “Christ.” Both mean “Anointed One.” Peter adds that Jesus is “the Son of the living God.” (That is not in Mark 8:29.) Matthew has previously identified Jesus as God’s Son in 2:15 and 3:17. Including the term here helps clarify that Jesus is not the kind of military messiah the Jews were hoping for. (For those who might be troubled that Matthew might be adding something, many scholars think Peter might have declared Jesus to be the Son of the living God when Jesus appeared to him after the resurrection, and Matthew may simply be combining the two declarations to keep things tidy.) What does the “Anointed One” mean to you personally? Why is it so important that Jesus is the Messiah? Matthew builds the case that Jesus is the Son of God slowly throughout his entire Gospel. In 2:15, Matthew applies to Jesus an Old Testament passage where God refers to his son. In 3:17, God calls Jesus his Son. In 14:34, the disciples say Jesus is the Son of God after he walks on the water. Here, Peter identifies Jesus as the Son of God. In 27:54, the centurion calls Jesus the Son of God. Why is it so important that Jesus is the Son of God? Jesus asks all of us: Who do you say I am? We can’t let someone else answer this question for us. If you didn’t feel bound to use the particular term Messiah or Christ , how would you answer the question: Who do you say I am? People experience Jesus in so many different ways: as their savior, hope, healer, teacher, model, purpose for living, strength, the one they can share anything with, and more. In verse 17, Jesus says to Peter, “flesh and blood has not revealed this to you,” but God the Father. In what ways could you say about your faith that it has not been revealed to you by humans but by God himself? “this rock” Until verse 18, Peter has been known as Simon. Here, Jesus gives him a new name in Aramaic which was the language spoken by the Jews in Jesus’s time (a distinct language but related to the Hebrew language). The new name means “rock,” and that name has been passed on to us as Peter ( Petros in Greek in the New Testament). Jesus immediately continues by saying, “upon this rock [ petra , which also means “rock”] I will build my church.” When Jesus says, upon “this rock,” what does he mean? Throughout history, the scholars have not agreed. Is he saying that Peter is the rock, or that Peter’s faith is the rock, or that the truth that Peter professed is the rock, or that Peter’s confession of faith is the rock, or that the Messiah Peter proclaimed (Jesus) is the rock? The Roman Catholic Church has leaned heavily on the first interpretation, while Protestant preachers have ranged widely while rejecting the first interpretation. What do you think Jesus means when he talks about “this rock” in verse 18? “church” There was no “church” yet in Jesus’s time. The Greek word for “church” that appears here appear only twice in the Gospels: here and in Matthew 18:17 (the NRSV in two other verses refers to a “member of the church” but the Greek in those places is “brother”). What did “the church” mean to Matthew and his community? They had to translate into Greek what Jesus said in Aramaic. The Greek word for “church” is ekklesia . The corresponding Hebrew word is qahal , and translators generally used the Greek word ekklesia for the Hebrew word qahal . This Hebrew word was used for the assembly or congregation of the people of Israel, and that sometimes meant the entire people of Israel and sometimes a local gathering. So when Jesus refers to the “church,” he could mean the universal church – the whole body of Christians. But he could also mean the local manifestation of the church – what we would call a parish or congregation – and that is clearly what Matthew has in mind in 18:15-20. The word is also used in the New Testament in chapter 2 of the Book of Revelation, which addresses the “church” of Ephesus, the “church” of Smyrna, etc., and there it probably means the group of local assemblies that met in those cities. The Catholic Church interprets this passage in light of the development of the papacy, a different view than evangelical churches, which reject the hierarchical superstructure of the Catholic Church. Mainline Christian denominations and the Orthodox church reject the papacy but have hierarchies. What do you think Jesus means when he says that upon this rock “I will build my church”? “the gates of Hades” In verse 18, Jesus uses the phrase “the gates of Hades.” He does not say “the gates of hell.” In Greek mythology, Hades was the god of the underworld where souls went when they died, and the name came to be used for the place where they resided: the abode of the dead, the netherworld. “Hades” was the word used to translate the Hebrew word Sheol , which was the place of the dead. There was no joy in Sheol, but it was not a place of torment. It was merely the place where the souls of the dead went. Jesus says that the place of death will not prevail over the Church: the people of God will not end up in the grip of (in the gates of, in the location of) death. The power of death cannot overcome the Church. We will end with God, not in the place of death. When Jesus says in verse 19 that the gates of Hades will not prevail over the Church, he is saying that death is not our final destination. What does Jesus’s promise that death will not prevail in the end mean to you? “the keys of the kingdom” and the power “to bind” and “to loose” In verse 19, Jesus two things that have been controversial through much of the Church’s existence. He is still speaking specifically and singly to Peter. He says he will give to Peter “the keys to the kingdom” and the power “to bind” and “to loose.” Scholars have debated the meaning of “the keys of the kingdom.” The phrase is often interpreted in light of Isaiah 22:22, where God says that Hilkiah will become the master or chief steward of King Hezekiah’s royal household. He will have the key to the House of David – “key” being a symbol of authority – and he will have control over whether the doors are open or closed. Scholars also have debated the meaning of the power to bind and loose. Father Daniel Harrington says, “The content of that power is not completely clear. It may involve laying down rules and giving exemptions, imposing or lifting excommunications, forgiving or not forgiving sins, or even performing exorcisms” (Harrington, p. 68). In Jesus’s time, rabbis might have interpreted these terms in reference to their teaching authority. They would have been seen as having the power of excommunication (and Jesus was once expelled from a synagogue by rabbis who thought they had that authority). The leading rabbis also made rulings on how to interpret the Scriptures. The early church saw this teaching authority as being held by the apostles. As time went on, this teaching authority passed from bishop to bishop. In Matthew 18:18, the power to bind and loose is extended to all of the disciples in cases of disciplinary action in the local church community. But only Peter is described as receiving the revelation from the Father that Jesus is the Messiah (Matt. 18:17), and only Peter is given the keys of the kingdom. The Roman Catholic Church has develop a whole theology of the papacy, and this verse is part of that theology: that the Church is built on Peter, that Jesus instituted Peter in a unique role, that Peter has primacy in the teaching authority of the Church, and that his teaching authority is passed on to his successors (the popes) as the visible head of the Church. Protestants reject this whole theology of the papacy and do not see any hint of papacy in this passage. They see Peter as the leader of the apostles in Jesus’s time, but they generally see “this rock” as Peter’s confession of faith or the truth he professed or Jesus himself, not Peter, and they see the power to bind and loose as broadly shared by all Church leaders or the Church as a whole. Note, however, that this is partly a disagreement over who has authority and how much authority, not over whether there is a teaching authority. Protestants believe that their denominations have the power to determine who is and is not a member of the denomination and the power to decide what is and is not official doctrine. That leads to a series of questions for people of any denomination: In verse 19, Jesus is still speaking specifically and singly to Peter when he gives Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven and the power to bind and loose. What do these statements about Peter mean to you? How important was Peter’s role in the early Church? In what ways does the binding and loosing authority of the Church benefit us (the authority to establish doctrine and to decide who is a member of the church or not)? How can this authority be used wisely so that it is not abused? Jesus ends this exchange in verse 20 by telling the disciples not to tell people that he is the Messiah. This restriction was obviously only meant for a time; after his resurrection, they were called to tell the world all about him. But why do you think he told them not to tell people he was the Messiah at this time? Take a step back and consider this: The arguments over the papacy have taken attention away from Jesus’s metaphor. He says that the Church – which is the entire people of God from every Christian denomination – is like a building made of rock and built out of individual stones. In Matthew 21:42, Jesus identifies himself as the cornerstone, quoting Psalm 118:22 (“the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”). Peter builds on that image when he writes, “Come to him, a living stone,” adding that “you, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house . . .” (1 Pet. 2:4-5). Jesus is a living stone, the cornerstone of God’s house, and we are living stones who help form that house of God. This is a metaphor for the Church. Each one of us is a living stone in God’s enormous spiritual building. Each of us have our own, specific place in the Church that God is building. How important is it for the stones that make up the Church God is building to fit together well? How important is it for each stone to be fitted to the stone next to it, for each row of stones to be aligned properly upon the row before it, as part of God’s overall plan? In what ways are you a living stone in the Church that God is building? Where do you fit in the construction of God’s spiritual house? 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 List Next

How do you prepare a small-group Bible Study meeting? Previous For Leaders Next Preparing to Lead a Small-Group Bible Study Meeting How do you prepare a small-group Bible Study meeting? Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti March 25, 2024 At the Previous Meeting Tell the group what verse you are starting at or what verses or chapters you will be covering, especially if there is an expectation, or a desire among some, to study during the week. During the Week Before the Meeting Don’t wait until the last day to prepare. In your preparation, it is better to be prepared to cover too much material than not enough. Pray. Ask God to guide you, help you understand the text, and help you formulate questions and comments that will lead others to understand God’s Word and how it speaks to their lives. Read the text at least twice. Then read a commentary and/or study notes to learn some of the nuances of the text and the kinds of issues that might come up. Break the text into appropriately sized passages: a paragraph, a story, a set of verses that focus on a particular topic. For each passage, formulate a series of questions, including all three of the following types of questions: What does it say? These are questions of fact . They help the group to acknowledge and agree on the basic facts of what the passage says. Examples: What happened? What is Jesus (or God or some other person) saying here? What issue does Paul (or some other author) raise here? What does the author say we should do? What guidelines for living does he offer? What does it mean? These are questions of interpretation . They help the group to wrestle with what the passage means, and with different interpretations of what it means. Examples: Why did the man do what he did? Why did Jesus react in that way? What does that word (or phrase) mean? Why did the author (or person) use that particular word (or phrase)? What does the author mean when he uses that term, or says “. . . .”? Who is this referring to, or who does this apply to? What does this passage tell us about God? Why do you think the author chose to focus on that problem? How does this passage make you feel? What are some attitudes or actions that term would apply to today? What does that key word (or phrase) mean to you? What are some ways that people demonstrate this characteristic? Give some examples of actions that fit the description in the passage. Describe a time in your life when you encountered this problem. How can we apply it to our lives? These are application questions. They help the group to share their faith and practical insights with each other, and apply the passage to their own lives. Examples: What do you find most challenging in this passage, and why? How can we learn from the example of the person in this passage? What does this person’s example tell us about what me might do in our own lives? How can we apply this passage to our lives today? What does this passage say to us about our relationship with God, or about God’s attitude toward us? What are the modern problems we face today that this passage is talking about? How does the passage say we should respond? What does this passage say to you about yourself? What do you find most encouraging in this passage, and why? What are some things we can do to live out these commands? Which of these commands do you find hardest to obey, and why? When do you find it especially difficult to do what this passage is saying? Why is that the hard time, and what can you do about it? What are some ways we try to avoid the implications of this passage? What do we need to change in our lives to become examples of what Jesus (or God or the author) is talking about? What are you facing right now where you need to hear and apply the ideas in this passage? When have you experienced what the passage describes? When are you tempted to do what the passage describes? What does this person’s example tell us about how we can deal with similar problems at work (or at home, or in our church, or in our relationships)? In what ways do we fail to do what this passage is describing? How well does our parish reflect these values? What can we do to improve our parish’s way of living this part of the Gospel? What do you need to do to live out the truths of this passage? What holds you back from living out these principles? What would the author (or God) say to you in response? What do you find hardest to accept or live out in this teaching? Why? In the next week, what is one thing you can do to live out the challenge of this passage? Determine whether there are some key issues and applications you think the group should see. Make sure your questions will lead the group to wrestle with those issues, but don’t put your answer in the questions. Allow room for the members to reach a different conclusion. (For example: If you think the key is faith, don’t ask, “Don’t you think faith is the key point here?” Instead, ask, “What do you think this passage says to us about our relationship with God?”. If the group answers in a different way than you expect, you can share your view, but don’t push them to see it only your way.) During the Meeting Extend a welcome to each person as they arrive. Greet each person warmly. Don’t delay your start. Reinforce those who are on time by starting 5 minutes after the official starting time, regardless of who you are still expecting. Begin with prayer, reminding the group that Jesus is here with us, and spend a short time in silence to become aware of His presence. Then ask the group to pray short prayers of thanks or praise : “Thank you, God, for. . . .” Or “I praise you, Lord, for. . . .” Close this prayer time by asking for God guidance and the group’s openness to Him. Unless you are covering several chapters each week, ask someone to read aloud the first passage. (If you are covering large sections, instead ask the group to read the chapters in advance and begin by summarizing what happened in the passage, perhaps reading a key part.) Ask the questions you prepared. Always start with the basic “what does it say” or fact questions. Quite often, people don’t really understand or agree about what the passage actually says, and if they don’t understand what it says they certainly won’t understand what it means or how to apply it. Your study during the week may have given you some background knowledge you can share here to help the group understand what the passage says. However, try to elicit as much as possible from the group rather than telling it all yourself. Ask your interpretation or “what does it mean” questions, but don’t let the group get stuck there. Leave plenty of time for application questions. Ask some application questions that help the group find apply the passage to their daily lives. Don’t skip this step. Your job isn’t done until the passage has been applied. Frame your questions in ways that encourage personal sharing and a faith response to the passage. Know in advance which questions you think are most important. After the group has talked about what the passage says and means, ask your most important application questions first. If the group spends a long time on your first application question, you don’t have to use every question you prepared. Try to involve everyone. Make sure that people who want to say something but are more shy about breaking into the conversation are given a chance to speak. (For example, say, “I think Chris is trying to say something here.”) If one or two people have taken the discussion into a side area that is not involving the whole group, bring the group back to the topic. “Off the track” is often in the eyes of the beholder, so if the area is somewhat related to the passage, and most of the group is interested and participating, you may want to let the discussion go for a little while. The goal is faith sharing and spiritual growth, and the Holy Spirit can sometimes accomplish that in a different way than you anticipated. But don’t let the discussion get way off the passage and don’t let a few people go on and on without involving the rest of the group. Bring the discussion back to the passage. (For example, say, “Let’s look at the passage again to see what it says about this.” Or ask another application question that brings the group back to the passage.) When you feel it is time to move on, briefly summarize what the group has discovered in that passage and suggest that the group move on to the next passage. Repeat steps 4 to 11 for the next passage. Before the end, try to summarize the key findings and applications from the week’s discussion. End with prayer, inviting short prayers asking God to help us or others : “Lord, help me or us to. . . .” or “Lord, help my brother or sister to . . . .” Encourage the group to echo each other’s prayers, so that it is truly conversational prayer: “Yes, Lord, help, me or us or Chris to. . . . Give them your. . . .” Make sure newcomers and quieter people are included in the social chit-chat after the meeting. 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

Jesus’s followers will face suffering before he returns. What do we need to know, and what do we need to be doing? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 24:15-31 Jesus’s followers will face suffering before he returns. What do we need to know, and what do we need to be doing? Image by Pavlo Osipov, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti September 6, 2025 Matthew 24:15-28 A great period of tribulation and the Second Coming of Jesus In the previous passage, Jesus warned that the Temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed and described the beginnings of a time of trial that Christians would face. In this passage, he provides more detail. The reference in verse 15 to the “desolating sacrilege” (NRSV) or “desolating abomination” (NABRE) refers to portions of the prophetic book of Daniel (9:27; 11:31; and 12:11) that describe the event in history in which Antiochus Epiphanes, the king of Syria, profaned the Temple in Jerusalem by setting up a statue of Zeus Olympios in the Temple, in 167 BC. That action, described in 1 Maccabees 1:54, sparked the Jewish rebellion that temporarily overthrew their oppressors. (The abomination was removed in 1 Maccabees 6:7.) Matthew’s readers might also recall another incident, in A.D. 40, in which the Roman Emperor Caligula sought to erect a statue of himself in the Temple but was assassinated before he could carry out the deed. Matthew appears to be suggesting that the prophecy in Daniel was fulfilled (again) when the Romans desecrated and destroyed the Temple in AD 70. Jesus is using figurative and metaphorical language to describe events that had not happened yet when he spoke, but that had taken place by the time Matthew wrote: namely, that the Temple would be desecrated, that the Jewish nation would be destroyed, and that the Jewish people would be dispersed. The next passage, Matthew 24:29-36, looks further into the future to the time of the Second Coming of Jesus, but for Matthew 24:15-22, we need to stay focused on the events of AD 70. In verses 15-21, what does Jesus tell Christians to do when the desecration of the Temple is imminent? Here is what actually happened in the years after Jesus spoke. Jewish rebellions against the Roman Empire became frequent in the AD 60s. When the Romans decided that they had had enough, the emperor sent an army led by the general and future emperor Titus to end the uprisings once and for all. Christians mostly fled away from Judea (consistent with what Jesus said they should do). Huge numbers of Jews instead sought refuge in Jerusalem, thinking that the city, with its thick walls would protect them or that God would protect them because the Temple was there. When the Romans armies sieged the city in AD 70 and then burned and destroyed the city, hundreds of thousands of Jews perished. Josephus reported that more than a million people died and nearly 100,000 were enslaved. God mostly allowed these terrible events to take place without acting to stop them, but verse 22 suggests that God stepped in at one point. What did God do? Does God do this in our lives sometimes? While he allows Christians to face the same kinds of disasters, illnesses, etc. as other people suffer, does he sometimes shorten our times of suffering or lessen our suffering as he stands with us? As you ponder times when you have endured suffering and prayed fervently for God to ease it, Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 10:13 might be relevant: “No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it” (NABRE). In verses 23-26, Jesus is shifting the focus to his Second Coming. That shift in focus become clear in verses 27-30. He already warned Christians in verse 4 not to be duped, and he warns them again. What specific danger does he warn them about this time? He warns them not to believe it when people claim that the Messiah has popped up in some obscure place here or there. In verses 27-28, he tells them why they should not try to find some obscure appearance of the Messiah. When Jesus comes at his Second Coming, will it be vague, or will it be obvious? What is the point of using a lightning bolt as a metaphor for his coming? Jesus is not saying that there will be a literal bolt of lightning announcing his return. He is using an analogy to say that his Second Coming will be obvious as a bolt of lightning. You won’t be able to miss it any more than you can miss a bolt of lightning that flashes all the way from one end of the sky to the other. Jesus uses a different metaphor in verse 28, and this metaphor often puzzles people. The Greek word that is often translated as “corpse” can also be translated as “carcass,” and the image would be clearer to us if we used that word: Where the carcass is, the vultures gather . Jesus is reinforcing the point in verse 27 about paying attention to clear signs. When vultures circle in the sky, you know there is a carcass nearby – it is a clear sign. In the same way, it will be clear when the Son of Man comes. Some translations use the word “eagle’ in place of the word “vulture,” which leads to additional layers of meaning. The Romans used the eagle as a symbol of the Roman Empire. When the Romans (eagles) gather around Jerusalem (the eventual carcass), you will know that the time of the city’s end is near ( Ignatius Catholic Study Bible , fn. to 24:28, p. 51). Jesus has been using the term “Son of Man” for himself throughout this Gospel, but in verse 27 he uses it in a way that connects it to ideas about the “end times,” when God will decisively intervene in human history. Jesus draws the term “Son of Man” from the Old Testament prophet Daniel. In Daniel 7:13, Daniel has a vision of a “son of man” who would come on the clouds of heaven and be given everlasting dominion. In verses 27-28, Jesus refers to the “coming of the Son of Man,” so now he is talking about the Second Coming. What do verses 27-28 tell us about efforts to study obscure signs and vague timelines in order to figure out when Jesus is coming? Do we need to do that, or will the signs be clear when his return is near? In verse 27, Jesus refers to the “coming” of the Son of Man. The Greek word is parousia (usually pronounced pah-roo-SEE-uh), which means “coming” or “arrival.” Matthew is the only Gospel writer who uses this word, and he uses it only in verses 1, 27, 37, and 39 of this chapter. Paul also uses this word in reference to Jesus’s Second Coming in 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians, and James and 1 John also use it in the same way. In this study, I have been using the term “Second Coming” of Jesus for the parousia of the Son of Man. Why is the “coming of the Son of Man” important? Note: Some scholars argue that the main subject of this chapter is the destruction of the Temple, and almost none of it is about the Second Coming. At the other extreme, some scholars claim that this chapter as primarily about the Second Coming, not about the destruction of Jerusalem. Furthermore, people in this second group reject the idea that the language is primarily metaphorical and argue that it should be read as a literal description of what will happen (reading it even more literally than they probably read many other verses of Scripture). The more balanced approach we are taking here, in keeping with Jesus’s other figurative language, is consistent with the broad mainstream of scholars, including both Catholic scholars such as Harrington (pp. 94-97) and scholars with deep evangelical roots such as H. L. Ellison (1146-1147). In this approach, Matthew 24:4-14 stands as warning to Christians of all time periods, Matthew 24:15-22 is about the destruction of the Temple, and then Jesus makes a shift toward the Second Coming that becomes clear in verses 27-41. Matthew 24:29-31 The Son of Man (Jesus) will come in glory Jesus has just told his disciples that when (referring to himself) the Son of Man comes, it will be obvious. Now he describes what it will look like. What does Jesus say will happen when the Son of Man appears? As with most prophetic language and Jesus’s earlier words in this chapter, we should understand that this is metaphorical language. It could happen literally as described – God is capable of anything – but will the sun literally be darkened or is this metaphorical language describing how it will feel to those who experience it? There is no way we can know, but much of Jesus’s language has been metaphorical. Recall that in verse 3, the disciples asked Jesus what will be the “sign” of his coming and the end of the age. Now, in verse 30, he identifies the “sign,” but the sign is none other than himself. What does Jesus say about the “sign”? He says that “the sign of the Son of Man will appear” (NRSV and NABRE) and they will see the Son of Man coming – in other words: the Son of Man himself will be the sign. His coming will be the sign of his coming. This is consistent with his repeated warning not to be led astray by other “signs.” In verse 30, Jesus says that the Son of Man is the sign. In other words, if someone asks you what will be the sign that the Jesus has come back, the answer is: His coming will tell you, and you’ll know it when it happens. This statement should discourage us from empty speculation about the “signs” of his coming. He is saying clearly here that you will know. What does this tell you about how much effort you should put into trying to figure out the “signs” of the Second Coming? Most of the evocative language Jesus uses in this passage is language that appears in similar forms in the Old Testament in passages often described as being about “the Day of the Lord.” Jesus uses phrases that appear in Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel, Amos, Haggai, and Zechariah. The things Jesus says here are best interpreted as more symbolic than literal, like the metaphors he has used in his parables and in his descriptions of the kingdom of heaven. It is unlikely that purely naturalistic language about the sun, moon, stars, and clouds can adequately describe the supra-natural event of eternity breaking decisively into time, and Jesus clearly doesn’t want us to waste time trying to figure out what are the signs when we should be focused on what he talks about in the rest of this chapter: whether we are will be ready . Every generation has had people who think their time is the time when Jesus is returning. For 80 generations now, they have been wrong. One might wonder if some people have wasted an inordinate amount of time looking for signs that weren’t there rather than giving their time to fulfilling Jesus’s clear commands in the Gospel of Matthew. What does Jesus say the Son of Man will do when he comes? Who do you think his “elect” are (verse 31)? Considering the things Jesus has told his people to do through this Gospel, what do you think a person must do to be counted among the “elect”? See Faith Versus Works: What Does the Gospel of Matthew Say for a discussion of what Jesus expects of those who wish to be counted among the “elect.” Given that Jesus is speaking in figurative or metaphorical language rather than giving us a script for the Second Coming, what do you think are the key points he wants us to take from this passage that can be useful in our lives? Among the key points he is making are these (and there are probably more): 1. He is coming back, so be ready for it. 2. It will be obvious when he comes back. 3. He has all power and holds the future of the world in his hands, so we can take courage when life is hard. Take a step back and consider this: It has been 2,000 years since Jesus told us that he will return, and it could be hundreds or thousands of years more before he actually does return. However, we all will face our own encounter with the Son of Man at our death, and that will be a moment as clear and decisive as Jesus says his Second Coming will be. What do you think you need to be doing to be ready for his coming, whether it is at the end of the world or at the end of your 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 List Next

Jesus cleanses the Temple, removing the sacrificial lambs he will one day take the place of. Where do we need his cleansing in the “temple” of our own life? [John 2:13-17; 2:18-25] Previous Next John List John 2:13-25 Jesus cleanses the Temple, removing the sacrificial lambs he will one day take the place of. Where do we need his cleansing in the “temple” of our own life? From Histoire Sainte , an incomplete set of hand-coloured lithographs depicting scenes from the Bible and the History of Christianity, published in Paris by Delagrave and printed by Becquet frères. Circa 1850-1880. The British Museum, London (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1981-U-56-134?selectedImageId=1097590001 ). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Histoire_Sainte_(BM_1981,U.56-134_60).jpg . Tom Faletti November 8, 2025 Read John 2:13-17 The cleansing of the Temple Why does Jesus go to Jerusalem? In John’s Gospel, Jesus spends much more time in Jerusalem than he does in the other Gospels. He goes from Bethany east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing, to Galilee (where he grew up), where he starts gathering disciples, and now to Jerusalem for Passover. Passover was the annual spring religious feast celebrating God’s liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. It was marked by the sacrificing of lambs to commemorate how they were protected when the angel of death “passed over” the houses of the Israelites that had the blood of a lamb on their doorposts. In the Gospel of John, Jesus goes to Jerusalem 3 times for Passover, suggesting that his public ministry lasted more than 2 years, and perhaps longer. Luke tells us (Luke 2:41) that Jesus’s parents brought him to Passover in Jerusalem every year as a child, and presumably he continued that practice throughout his adult life. What does Jesus do in Jerusalem? John places the cleansing of the Temple at the beginning of Jesus’s ministry, whereas the Synoptics place it at the end. The Gospels writers arranged their stories to achieve their theological purposes, not to tell the story in chronological order. In the Synoptics, this event is the precipitating factor that leads to the final murder plot against Jesus. For John, the precipitating factor is the raising of Lazarus. There are other, more minor differences that at a minimum suggest that the story was passed down orally in two slightly different forms from different eyewitnesses. Some scholars think he cleared the Temple twice, once at the beginning of his ministry and again at the end. What were the sheep, oxen, and doves used for, in the Temple? Oxen, sheep, and doves were sacrificed in the Temple. You could buy the appropriate animals for your sacrifice, so that you would not have to travel to Jerusalem with your own animals for sacrifice. Also, if you brought your own animal to the Temple, the authorities might reject it, saying it was blemished, and tell you to buy one of theirs. The Synoptic Gospels and secular historical accounts indicate that people were often fleeced by the merchants in the Temple. Why were there moneychangers in the Temple? (It’s understandable if you do not know the answer to this question.) The moneychangers were there to accept payment for the Temple tax that every adult male was obligated to pay annually. The Jewish leaders accepted only certain coins – for example, they did not accept Roman coins, which carried the image of Caesar – so you needed a moneychanger to exchange your money for the accepted coins. All of this business was conducted in the outer court of the Temple complex – the Court of the Gentiles – making it a noisy place not conducive to prayer. Jews could proceed into the courts that were closer to the Holy of Holies, but Gentiles had to stop here and could not proceed further in order to find a quiet place to pray. What reason does Jesus give in verse 16 for his action? Jesus does not want God’s house to be a marketplace. It had lost it sense of reverence as economic concerns overshadowed the primary purpose of the Temple as a place where people could interact with God. Jesus’s action reminds many scholars of the last verse of the book of Zechariah (Zech. 14:21), which prophesies that when the Lord comes there will no longer be merchants in the house of the Lord. What do you think Jesus wants God’s house to look like? How might economics, money, and market considerations affect how the Church as a whole and our local churches operate? How might those concerns interfere with our primary purposes as God’s people? John may have a deeper point in mind. Sheep and oxen were essential to the Temple’s role as a place of sacrifice. Therefore, what might be the deeper symbolism in driving them out of the Temple? What would it mean if there were no longer any sacrificial animals in the Temple? There could only be no animals if Temple sacrifice was no longer necessary. This could happen because Jesus is here and will sacrifice himself as the “Lamb of God,” as John the Baptist called him in 2:29 and 2:36. There may be even more to this, in the mind of John the evangelist. In the other Gospels, the Last Supper is on Passover night . But in John’s Gospel the Last Supper is on the night before Passover, and Jesus is dying on the Cross in his ultimate act of sacrifice just as the Passover lambs are being slaughtered in the Temple in preparation for that evening’s Passover meals. Jesus’s sacrifice will make the whole sacrificial system in the Temple unnecessary, which would obviate the need for merchants buying and selling animals for sacrifice. That would bring to fulfillment Zecharia’s prophecy that when the Lord comes there will no longer be merchants in the Temple. Verse 17 tells us that Jesus’s action reminds his disciples of Psalm 69:9 (69:10 in the NABRE), which talked about zeal for God’s house. They were struck by the zeal with which Jesus cleansed the Temple. Why do you think Jesus cleared the Temple? What is your reaction to what Jesus did? Read John 2:18-25 Jesus is challenged by the Jewish leaders In verse 18, John refers to “the Jews,” a phrase he will use repeatedly throughout his Gospel. Sometimes, he is just referring to the Jewish people generally (for example, in John 2:13: “The Passover of the Jews was near”). But other times, as in verse 18, he is referring specifically to the Jews who opposed Jesus: the leaders of the Jews in Jerusalem. John’s references to “the Jews” are never a general indictment of all Jews. John and Jesus and Jesus’s mother Mary and many people in John’s community were Jews. John was not speaking against all Jews. What was the reaction of the Jewish leaders to Jesus’s cleansing of the Temple? Why do they challenge him? What do they want? What “evidence” does he offer them? John often tells stories where someone misunderstands something Jesus says. What does Jesus mean by the “temple,” and what do the Jewish leaders think he means? Why do you think Jesus answers their challenge in this way? Note: If this confrontation seems premature, we need to remember that John is not necessarily telling us everything in chronological order. Where would you have been in this scene? (One of the disciples? One of the people challenging Jesus? A moneychanger or merchant? A Temple leader? A bystander? Or would you not even have been in the Temple?) Consider the person you just named in the previous question. How do you think they would have reacted to the clearing of the Temple and the discussion that followed? What does this story say to you? Saint Paul said that we are temples of the Holy Spirit, who resides in us (1 Cor. 6:19). Is there any part of the “temple” of your life that needs some cleansing by Jesus? What would he like to do? How do we let Jesus clear away the distractions so that we are proper temples of the Holy Spirit? Take a step back and consider this: Verse 23 tells us that Jesus did other signs while he was in Jerusalem that John does not tell us about, and many people began to believe in his name – but Jesus did not trust these apparent declarations of faith. The New Testament scholar Raymond Brown wrote that Jesus “did not trust their faith because it stopped at the miraculous aspect of the sign and did not perceive what was signified” (Brown, p. 341). In other words, they saw only the miraculous action and not the message or meaning to which the sign pointed. We are called to look for what God’s miraculous signs “signify” – the deeper messages they point to, the eternal truths that lie behind what God has done at the surface or physical level. The human tendency is to stop at the surface of what God has done and is doing. We can only reach our full calling when we go beyond the surface and embrace what the signs signify. How can we train ourselves to look for the deeper spiritual meaning behind what happens on the surface of our lives? Bibliography See John - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/john/bibliography . Copyright © 2026, 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 List Next

Who can be saved? Your wealth won’t save you, but what will? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 19:23-26 Who can be saved? Your wealth won’t save you, but what will? Image by Jussara Romão, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti February 13, 2024 Matthew 19:23-26 The danger of riches Jesus uses a vivid illustration to make his point about the dangers of wealth. His statement about the camel going through the eye of a needle has led many people to search for answers – particularly because they don’t want to take it literally (and given that fact that Jesus was raised as a Jew in a culture where exaggeration for effect was the norm, he probably was exaggerating in some sense). Some scholars suggest the existence of a small gate into a walled city, separate from the wide, main gate, where a camel could only go through if it was stripped of all it was carrying. This smaller entrance is supposed to have been called the “needle’s eye.” There is no evidence for the existence of such entryways, but the image might be apt anyway. We need to let go of any possessions that would keep us from entering the kingdom of God, and that means we need to let go of everything we cling to, like a camel being relieved of its burdens, before we can go through. However, the disciples don’t envision there being any way through the eye of a needle. The disciples are astonished by what Jesus says about rich people because they think rich people are more likely to get into to heaven than poor people. That was common thinking in their day. Would that be a correct way of thinking? Explain. What is Jesus’s answer to their question, “Then who can be saved?” (19:25, NRSV) Note that Jesus is not saying rich people can’t go to heaven. Zacchaeus was rich (Luke 19:9). Joseph of Arimathea was rich (Matt. 27:57). Nicodemus was rich (John 19:39). Rich people were not required to give up their wealth in the early church (Acts 5:4). What do you think Jesus means by saying that for humans it is impossible? What do you think Jesus means by saying that for God all things are possible? What is he saying about us and wealth? What is your reaction to this passage? What does it say to you about your own wealth or lack of it and how it might affect your salvation? Take a step back and consider this: God is at work in us, in this world. He knows that we need possessions: a frying pan to cook in, clothes to wear, a toilet; etc. And the more advanced our world gets, due to the ingenuity of the human mind – which was created by God and then invited to use its free will to create other things – the more things we come to need: cars or bicycles, cell phones, microwave ovens, etc. The problem is not that things exist; the problem is that they sometimes take over the focus of our lives. Jesus has at least two different purposes in today’s conversation: to push us to re-focus and put our priorities in the right place, and to guide us to a deeper point – that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Only God can do that. Wealthy persons can live a life focused on their many possessions and the next possession they hope to get, or they live a life focused on sharing the love of God with those around them. Poor people can live a life focused on their meager possessions and the next possession they hope to get, or they live a life focused on sharing the love of God with those around them. Whatever a person’s situation, only God can bring them to the kingdom of heaven. Neither having many possessions nor having few possessions gives you a ticket to heaven. Only God can do that. What is one, small change you could make today, to take a bit of your mind off of wealth or “things” so that your mind and heart can focus more on people and God? 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 List Next