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

What are the “talents” God has given to you, and are you using them fruitfully? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 25:14-30 What are the “talents” God has given to you, and are you using them fruitfully? Parable of the Talents . Courtesy of Lumo Project Films – www.lumoproject.com , distributed exclusively by Bible Media Group under a license for FreeBibleimages, https://www.freebibleimages.org/photos/lumo-parable-talents/ . Tom Faletti September 14, 2025 Matthew 25:14-30 The parable of the talents (silver pieces) This parable seems unrelated to the previous parables about being ready, but it is not unrelated. Jesus begins this story with the words: “For it is as if . . .” (NRSV) or “It will be as when . . .” (NABRE). What is the “it” to which he is comparing this story? The “it” is what he has just been talking about – the day when the Son of Man returns. A man wealthy enough to have slaves or servants is going on a journey. What does he do before he leaves? The Greek word “talent” was originally used to describe a certain amount of weight, and then it developed a meaning as an amount of money when rulers made “coins” of gold or silver weighing that much. A talent was huge – usually at least 60 pounds (or 27 kilograms) and often more, depending on where and when it was used. The value of a single silver talent was roughly equal to the value of 6,000 days’ wages for a common laborer or soldier, so it was worth what a laborer could earn in almost 20 years of work. The first man receives 5 talents. In today’s dollars, in the United States that would be worth somewhere between $1.4 million and $3 million (as of 2025, considering the minimum wage in various jurisdictions). The second man receives 2 talents, which would be worth between $550,000 and $1.2 million. The third man receives one talent, the equivalent of between $275,000 and $600,000. Them man is giving them large amounts of money. What do you think the man expects his servants to do with the money he gives them? In a parable, the different elements of the story stand for different things. In this story, the master stands for who? The servants stand for who? After a long while, the master returns. It is this delay and eventual return that links this parable to the two preceding parables about being ready. How does this parable relate to the previous parables? What does Jesus expect us to be doing while we wait and remain prepared for his return? Throughout Christian history, Christians have seen an additional point in this parable. For each of us, what does the day of accounting stand for, when the master comes and settles accounts with the servants? This parable illustrates the day when we come before God in judgment – perhaps at the end of the world as we know it but certainly at the end of our lives when we die. There will be an accounting of our lives. A “talent” is literally a huge, block of silver weighing 60 pounds or more, but Jesus is speaking metaphorically about more than just money. What do the “talents” stand for? What are the things God has given us that he expects us to put to good use? Our skills and abilities, our money, our time, our character traits, our family background, our education and knowledge, our creativity, our social skills – the list can go on and on. Anything God has given to you is something for which you should expect God to eventually ask you to give an accounting of what you did with it. Interestingly, the English word “talent,” which means an ability, came from the Greek word in this parable, as the parable was interpreted in terms of people’s abilities. Notice that the man gives the servants different amounts of talents, according to their abilities (25:15). What does this tell you about God’s work among us in our lives? When our translations of the Bible fail to translate the value of a talent into our language, we tend to think it is talking about something small: we might think that 5 talents is like 5 small coins. But Jesus is implying that the “talents” God has given to us are of great value – like a million dollars in money or a large amount for other kinds of talents. Jesus is implying that God has given different people huge or valuable abilities in different areas. You are like a millionaire in some aspects of your life. Not necessarily in money, but you are at the million level in some ability or resource, or in some character trait, or in the family background you grew up in, or in your education or knowledge, or your creativity, or your social skills or empathy, or your organizational or managerial skills, or in whatever your special gifts are. Jesus is saying that God has given you a lot of something that can be used for his purposes! How does that make you feel? What are some of the things God has endowed you with that you can use to “make more”? When he tells you to “make more” with what you have been given, what does “more” mean? What does it look like in your particular case? When you use what God has given to you, what is the more that you can make with your gifts from God? If you are exploring this passage with a small group and you know each other, you can try to answer this: What are some of the ways you see other members of your group using what God has given to them to make good things happen that might not happen without them? In verse 21, the master says, “Well done.” How do you think that makes the servant feel? How would it feel to you to have God say that to you? In verse 21, the productive servant gets three affirmations from Jesus. Find each one. How does the master describe the servant’s character ? What does the master say the servant will receive ? What does the master say the servant will enjoy ? He receives praise for being “good” and either “trustworthy” (NRSV) or “faithful” (NABRE). He will receive more opportunities to serve God. And he is invited to share in his master’s joy. How do these rewards apply to us? The good servants receive three rewards: praise from God, more opportunities to serve God, and the chance to enter into the joy of God. Is there one of these rewards that you would find particularly satisfying at the end of your life? Which one do you especially look forward to? Note that the second servant receives the same three rewards as the second servant. What does this tell us about people with only mid-level abilities? People with mid-level talents receive the same rewards. God just asks for your best with what you have been given, whatever that is. When the master returns, why does the third servant have only what he was originally given? Why does the master castigate him? The third servant may represent the person who legitimately has less talent or opportunity. What do you think the master hoped that servant would do with his smaller amount of talent? The third servant fears the master. He does not have the kind of relationship with the master that makes him comfortable taking a risk to do something with what the master has given to him. Are there times when fear might hold you back from using what you have been given? Explain. What does the master do in response to the third servant’s failure to do anything with what he has been given? How does the master describe the third servant in verses 26 and 30? The master calls him wicked, lazy, and either “worthless” (NRSV) or “useless” (NABRE). The master’s response indicates that God expects something from us. What does God expect from us? What does the fact that different servants receive different amounts of talents say to us today? What does this passage say to you about your own life? Is there something you need to give more attention to? If so, what? How would you like to respond to this parable? Take a step back and consider this: Sometimes people have talents that are hidden – maybe that people aren’t even aware of – until someone else calls them forth by speaking a word of encouragement, by naming a talent that has previously not been noticed, by recognizing what others have missed, or by providing an opportunity for leadership or service. The people who call forth others’ gifts – the “encouragers” – play a valuable role in our lives and a crucial role in the kingdom of God. They help people become more fully what they were meant to be. Who has encouraged you to use your talents? What are some of the things “encouragers” do that draw forth other people’s talents? What would you say is the key to being the kind of person about whom others say, “They are always so encouraging. I had the courage to use my gifts because of them”? How can you be an encourager in your everyday life? How can you, by your words and actions, encourage others to use their talents more fully and effectively? Who is someone you can be more encouraging for, right now in 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

How can we approach someone with a difficult a request in a way that might keep our relationship with them strong? Previous Philemon List Next Philemon 8-25 How can we approach someone with a difficult a request in a way that might keep our relationship with them strong? Philemon reads Paul’s letter. “A Letter to Philemon.” VideoBible.com . Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/vb-philemon/ . Tom Faletti October 5, 2025 Philemon 8-9 Paul urges by way of love, not command In verse 8, Paul says he hopes Philemon will “do what is proper” (NABRE) or “do your duty” (NRSV). What does “proper” mean, and how do you decide what is “proper” or your “duty” and not just something that someone else wants you to do? How does Paul characterize himself in verse 9? Look at verse 19 along with verses 8-9. Why does Paul think he could order Philemon to do what he wants? Why does Paul choose not to issue a command? What do you think of Paul’s approach to Philemon, where he tries to urge and not command? In situations you face or think you might face in your life, where might it be useful to try Paul’s approach of leaving some freedom for the other person to make a choice rather than trying to command them? As a teacher, I found that in many cases I was more likely to achieve my goal if I gave students choices, while making clear what I hoped they would do, rather than simply trying to order them to do what I wanted. Philemon 10-14 Paul makes a case for Onesimus After a long introduction, Paul finally mentions Onesimus in verse 10, though he doesn’t actually make his formal request until verse 17. Paul is making a pun in these verses. “Onesimus” means “Profitable” or “Useful.” Onesimus was supposed to be profitable for his master, but instead he has been useless and unprofitable. But now, Paul says to Philemon, Onesimus is useful both to you and to me. Read verse 10. What does Paul mean when he says that Onesimus is his child and he has become Onesimus’s father? What is the relationship between them that he is referring to? Onesimus has apparently come to faith in Jesus through his involvement with Paul, and Paul has become totally invested in Onesimus like a father and his son. Barclay quotes a Rabbinic saying: “If one teaches the son of his neighbor the law, the Scripture reckons this the same as though he had begotten him” (Barclay, pp. 280-281). In other words, you become like a father or mother to those you teach about God. Is there anyone for whom you feel somewhat like a parent in the faith? How does that affect your feelings toward them? What do you think happened in Onesimus that changed him from useless to useful when he became a Christian? Read Ephesians 2:10 . What does Paul say we are made for? How has your faith made you more “useful” in fulfilling your calling? Why is Paul sending Onesimus back to Philemon (verses 12-14)? Why did Paul want to keep Onesimus with him? What does this passage of Philemon suggest to Christians about the need to face up to the past and deal with the consequences of past actions? Philemon 15-25 Paul makes his request In verses 15-16, Paul sees the providential hand of God in the situation and suggests that maybe there was a purpose in Onesimus having been away (run away?) from Philemon. What does Paul suggest might have been the greater purpose? Note that the idea of providence here is not predestination. God did not force Onesimus to become a believer. Similarly, we can embrace or reject opportunities that might lead to good outcomes. In verse 17, Paul finally makes his explicit “ask.” What does he request? Paul does not explicitly ask Philemon to set Onesimus free (manumission). But he asks Philemon to see Onesimus “no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother” (verse 16) and asks Philemon to “accept him as you would me” (verse 17). Do you think Paul is implying that Philemon should set him free? Or is he just asking him to treat Onesimus as a brother in Christ even as he continues to have Onesimus serve him as a slave? What are some ways that Philemon could respond? He could punish Onesimus severely, punish him lightly, accept him but with resentment and not forgiveness, accept him back as a slave but with forgiveness, send him back to Paul to serve Paul, or free him to do whatever he wants. And he could publicly attack Paul, quietly resent and snub Paul, or welcome Paul’s intervention in his life. How should we respond to people who do wrong and then return? What does this passage say to you about forgiveness? How should we respond when people ask us to do something that is outside of the social norm? In verse 18, Paul tries to “sweeten the pot” by offering to pay for any costs, which implies that Onesimus might have done something wrong. What do you think Onesimus might have done before he ran away? How might verse 19 make it harder for Philemon to say no? In verse 20, Paul uses the word “profit” – which has the same root as Onesimus’s name – when he says he hopes to “profit from you in the Lord.” He also asks Philemon to “refresh” his heart – the same word he used earlier to describe how Philemon refreshed others. How important is that phrase “in the Lord” in verse 20? Explain. When have you found that you could be useful to someone else, but only if you let go of something that would have been beneficial to yourself? Paul is pulling out all the stops, making every case he can to save his friend Onesimus. How do verses 21-22 add to the ways he is pressing Philemon? In verse 23, Paul reiterates what he said in verse 9: that he is in prison. How might the fact that he is in prison affect what he says about slavery? Does anything in the final greetings in verses 24-25 surprise you? Epaphras founded the Colossian church (see Col. 1:7). Aristarchus spent a significant amount of time with Paul (see Acts 19:29; 20:4; and 27:2). We see more about Mark, Demas, and Luke in 2 Timothy 4:9-13. How important do you think Paul’s companions were to him? How important is it for you to have “co-workers” with you in the faith? Do you think Paul’s letter is reasonable, or does it go beyond the bounds of propriety? Why? Here are some of the reactions I have seen: On the one hand, the letter feels somewhat manipulative. Paul has appealed to Philemon in ways that would feel like Paul is pressuring him. On the other hand, Paul has not been coercive. He never says, “Do this or else I’ll . . . ,” nor does he say, “God says you should do this.” And his pressure is based on genuine love for both Philemon and Onesimus. Take a step back and consider this: Paul is working hard to raise a difficult topic with someone he wants to maintain a relationship with, in a way that will achieve his goal and not hurt the relationship. We all have been in such situations, where we need to choose our words carefully because we want to gain the support of someone who does not have to do what we want them to do. Paul’s effort might give us some ideas. Looking over the whole letter and the strategies Paul is using to deal with a difficult situation, when have you used similar strategies, and what happened? What can you learn from Paul’s strategies, that you might be able to apply in your own life? People sometimes think they are applying good strategies but do it in a way that is not effective. What might be an example of that, and how can you avoid mistakes like that in dealing with tricky situations? Bibliography See Philemon - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/philemon/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 Philemon List Next

Paul sends Onesimus to Philemon with a letter. Previous Philemon List Next Introduction Paul sends Onesimus to Philemon with a letter. Paul and Onesimus. “A Letter to Philemon.” VideoBible.com . Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/vb-philemon/ . Tom Faletti October 4, 2025 Introduction The apostle Paul wrote this brief letter to Philemon, asking him to treat kindly a man they both knew. The introductory notes are brief, so they are included in the study of the first part of the letter, which can be found here: Philemon 1-7 . Click Philemon 1-7 to see the Introduction and continue with the study. Bibliography See Philemon - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/philemon/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 Philemon List Next

Jesus had a clear awareness of his overall mission and when was the right moment for specific actions, and he did not let any temptations get in the way. How can you cultivate your sense of God’s timing and avoid temptations that might keep you from your mission? Previous Next John List John 7:1-13 Jesus had a clear awareness of his overall mission and when was the right moment for specific actions, and he did not let any temptations get in the way. How can you cultivate your sense of God’s timing and avoid temptations that might keep you from your mission? Ron Almog from Israel (ישראל). “Sukkot” (a booth set up for the feast of Sukkot). CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sukkot-9_(1447847411).jpg . Tom Faletti February 22, 2026 John 7-8 Chapters 7 and 8 have a series of separate incidents rather than a single theme. Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. Some of the things he says and does have direct connections to that feast, while other incidents don’t have a such a direct connection (though John might have included them here simply because they happened while Jesus was on this trip). The Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of Booths or Sukkot in Hebrew, is the most joyous of the Jewish feasts. It was a 7-day festival held in Jerusalem each fall that celebrated the ingathering of the fall harvest and commemorated how God provided for the needs of the Israelites in the desert after they escaped from Egypt. (Since the Jewish holidays follow a lunar calendar, Sukkot can begin as early as late September or as late as mid-October on our calendar.) Leviticus 23:33-43 and Deuteronomy 16:13-17 directed the Jews to construct small shelters or “booths” that were like tents or tabernacles and live in them during the festival, and to make offerings and sacrifices to God. A tabernacle is a tent. The Israelites lived in tents in the desert. Living in tabernacles or booths during the feast would help them recall how God had provided for their ancestors in the desert. Two of the ceremonies held during this feast have direct connections to things Jesus says in these chapters: First, each morning the priests would draw water from the pool of Siloam and pour it out in the Temple as an offering to God. In John 7:37-39, Jesus says that he provides “rivers of living water” for anyone who thirsts. Second, during this festival, giant candelabras were set up in the women’s court of the Temple that flamed brightly for all to see. In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” ( Ignatius Catholic Study Bible , fn. to 7:2, p. 175). The water recalled the miracles of water in the desert and the lights recalled the pillar of fire by which God led the Israelites by night as they lived in tents in the desert (Flanagan, p. 36). Jesus’s conflict with the religious leaders in Jerusalem reaches a peak at the end of chapter 8. Read John 7:1-13 The feast of Tabernacles or Booths – will Jesus go to Jerusalem for it? John begins in 7:1 by reminding us that there are Jewish leaders in Jerusalem who want to kill Jesus (we saw that in John 5:18). His “brothers” urge him to go to Jerusalem anyway. (See Mary, Session 5: Jesus’s family for a detailed exploration of what the Gospels might mean when they refer to Jesus’s “brothers.”) John tells us that his brothers do not believe in him (verse 5). Why do they say he should go to the feast? The brothers of Jesus do not become believers until later, but we find then in the Upper Room after Jesus dies, rises, and ascends to heaven (Acts 1:14). What is Jesus’s response in verses 6-7? When Jesus says, “My time has not yet come,” the word he uses for “time” is kairos , a word that has the connotation of the right time, the opportune time, the moment when God is prepared to do something special. Why is Jesus so attuned to those kairos moments? Many Christians have learned that there are special kairos moments in our lives when God wants to do something special in or through us. If we aren’t attuned to God, we can miss opportunities to do his work or receive his grace. How can we become more aware of those kairos moments so that we don’t miss them? In the Gospels, Jesus almost never immediately does what anyone tells him to do, even if he does it later. Why do you think that is? In verse 7, Jesus says, “The world . . . hates me, because I testify . . . that its works are evil.” What do you think he mean by saying that the world’s works are evil? How do you see that resistance to Jesus in the society around you? Notice that in verse 7 it is his testifying that elicits the hatred. Why is it that speaking up puts us at risk of opposition, and what should we do about it? Jesus is basically saying that he needs to stay true to the mission his Father has given him, even though it may cause some people to oppose him. How can that sense of mission guide you as a follower of Jesus in your relationships with the people around you? John tells us in verse 11 that the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem are looking for Jesus. Why do you think they are looking for him? Verse 12 tells us that the crowds are divided about Jesus. What are the different views they have of him? Why do you think the people in the crowds react in such different ways? Why do people react to Jesus in such different ways in our time? Verse 13 is one of the verses that shows us that when John uses the term “the Jews,” he means specifically the religious leaders, not the people as a whole. We can see that because the crowds of people eat the feast were Jewish, but Johns says that the people don’t speak openly because they are afraid of “the Jews.” They aren’t afraid of themselves; they are afraid of the Jewish leaders, and that is what John means by “the Jews.” Why do you think that the everyday people in the crowds might be afraid of the Jewish leaders? John may have included the point he makes in verse 13 because some people in his own time were afraid of the leaders of the Jewish synagogues, where many Jewish Christians still worshipped. Are there times when you hesitate to speak freely about what you believe because you are concerned about how people in power (religious or secular) might react? Jesus sometimes chose his words and actions carefully, to avoid triggering an arrest before the right time. It takes wisdom and discernment to know what to do when we encounter opposition. What guidance do you think Jesus would give you about what to do when people in authority don’t like what you are saying or doing? Take a step back and consider this: John’s Gospel does not have an account of Jesus being tempted by Satan. The highly respected Scripture scholar Raymond E. Brown noticed a similarity between the challenges Jesus faces in John’s Gospel from people who are not convinced that he comes from God and the temptations Jesus faces when he resists Satan in the desert in Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels (Perkins, The New Jerome Biblical Commentary , par. 105, p. 964): In John 6:14-15, after Jesus feeds the 5,000, the people want to make him king. This parallels the temptation in which Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if he will bow down to Satan (Matt. 4:8-9). In John 6:31-34, the people ask Jesus what he can offer that compares to the miracles of manna in the desert and then ask him to give them bread every day. This calls to mind the temptation in which Satan tells Jesus to turn the stones of the desert into bread (Matt. 4:3). And in John 7:4, Jesus’s brothers tell him that he should go to Jerusalem and do works publicly that would manifest him to the world. This is reminiscent of the temptation in which Satan takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem and encourages him to throw himself off and show who he is by letting the angels catch him (Matt. 4:5-6). There is no way to know whether John was intentionally making these connections, or the Holy Spirit was guiding him to unconsciously describe what happened to Jesus in ways that would allow us to make these connections, or the connections can be made simply because most temptations fall into these three categories (the temptations of power, comfort, and fame). Regardless, John has now made it clear that Jesus was encouraged in a variety of ways to do things that would not have aligned him with his Father’s will and the mission he came to Earth to achieve. We face temptations every day. Those temptations can come from (1) people who are impressed with us and want us to do great things (for them), (2) people who aren’t impressed with us and are pushing us to prove ourselves (to them), and (3) even our own family when their priorities or values are different than ours. Jesus kept his eyes on what his Father wanted him to do. Are you more likely to find yourself being asked to do things that are not in line with God will for you (1) by people who are impressed by you, (2) by people who are skeptical of you, or (3) by family or friends who just don’t have the same priorities as you? What can you do to keep your eyes on what God wants you to do? 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

Are you serving others and helping to lift their burdens, or seeking attention and honor for yourself? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 23:1-12 Are you serving others and helping to lift their burdens, or seeking attention and honor for yourself? Image by Sai Madhav, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti August 19, 2025 Matthew 23:1-12 Don’t follow the example of the scribes and the Pharisees In the previous passages, Jesus dealt with challenges from the various leadership factions in Jerusalem. Now he turns to the crowds and his disciples. In this chapter, Jesus severely criticizes the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy and their heartless indifference to the burdens of others. But these groups did not come into existence for nefarious reasons. They started from a sincere desire to follow God’s Law completely, which is a cautionary tale for us. The scribes were the experts regarding the Old Testament scriptures – what they mean and how to apply them to life. We might compare them to the scholars and theologians of our time: people who have theology degrees or other forms of lengthy training in religious matters. Most scribes had a deep reverence for the Law and believed that it was the highest of all callings to spend one’s life studying the Law. They worked very hard to identify the 613 commands they found in the Law of Moses and to apply the God’s commands to every minute detail of life, because they loved the Law so much. The Pharisees were a deeply dedicated group of Jews who sought to follow every detail of those 613 commands in the most rigorous way possible. They sought to live every part of their lives, as fully as possible, according to their strict interpretation of the Scriptures. We might compare them in our time to the most devoted members of ecclesial organizations such as Opus Dei or Third Order Franciscans. Just as not all theologians are members of Opus Dei and not all members of Opus Dei are theologians, but some people are both, so too there was an overlap but also a distinction between the scribes and the Pharisees. Jesus zeroes in on the ways that they have obstinately resisted his good news and have remained stuck in narrow and often self-serving approaches to faith. In verse 2, the reference to Moses’s “seat” may be metaphorical or it may refer to the seat of honor reserved for the people who taught in the synagogues. Synagogues did not have ordained “ministers,” so many people were invited to teach and interpret the Scriptures. In verse 3, what does Jesus instruct the crowds and his followers to do? There are two halves to what Jesus says here: Do whatever they teach you, but don’t do as they do. The first half – to do what they teach you – doesn’t seem to fit, given that Jesus has pointed out so many errors in their teaching throughout this entire Gospel. He is implying that sometimes they get it right. What do you think are some of the things they taught that he wants the crowds to follow? What do you think Jesus means in the second half of his statement, when he says: Don’t do the things they do? He might be saying that when they start focusing on their extreme and sometimes heartless interpretations of the Law, emphasizing little details that maybe even they don’t always follow, and when they make an ostentatious production of their faith, then you should not follow their example. How might we apply this in our day? What might Jesus suggest in our day that we should not do? What do you think verse 4 means when Jesus makes a metaphorical reference to “heavy burdens”? How are they imposing “heavy burdens” on the people who follow them? Their endless multiplication of detailed laws makes life very hard for everyday people. Their laws are burdensome and don’t benefit people’s faith life. Are there ways that people today pile rules and laws onto ordinary Christians unnecessarily, and perhaps miss the core of the gospel? Jesus adds that they don’t lift a finger to help the people who are struggling under the burdens they have created. Read Matthew 11:28-30 . How does their indifference compare to how Jesus deals with our burdens? Beginning in verse 5, Jesus focuses on the ways they do things for show. He has already warned the disciples about this in Matthew 6:1-18 with regard to almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. What is wrong with wanting to be seen when you do things that follow God’s Law? In verse 6, Jesus says they wear bigger phylacteries and longer tassels. Here is an explanation: Phylacteries are small leather boxes containing a little scroll with Scripture verses on it, that Jews would strap to their arm or forehead . This practice was based on Exodus 13:9. It was intended to remind them to keep God’s teachings on their lips and to remember God’s saving hand that delivered them from Egypt. The command is repeated in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, right after the famous command to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and might, implying that this practice would help them do that. It is also repeated in Deuteronomy 11:18-21, where this practice is linked with keeping God’s commands in their heart and soul. Tassels were pieces of string that were sewn onto the four corners of a person’s cloak to fulfill the command prescribed in Numbers 15:37-41. They were meant to be a reminder to follow God’s commandments. (The command is repeated in Deuteronomy 22:12 without the explanation.) When the woman with a hemorrhage touched the “hem” or “fringe” of Jesus’s garment in Luke 8:44, she was probably touching the tassel on his cloak. Do you think we would be more likely to remember to follow God’s commands if we went through our day with a reminder strapped to our foreheads or arms? Explain. What were the Pharisees doing wrong with regard to their phylacteries? What were they doing wrong with their tassels? In verses 6 and 7, Jesus denounces more of their practices. What were they doing wrong at banquets, in the synagogues, and in the marketplaces? What ungodly attitudes were being shown by these Pharisees? Where are the temptations for you to become a “scribe” or “Pharisee” in this way? Where might you have to be careful to avoid these kinds of attitudes? Verses 8-10 talk about titles to avoid. It is probably not useful to apply this too simplistically or literally. Even the apostle Paul referred to himself as the “father” of other Christians in 1 Corinthians 4:15 and Philemon 10. What is the ungodly attitude that Jesus is challenging? Jesus is challenging the pride that wants to be honored and treated as greater or more important than others. Almost every Christian denomination identifies the people who are allowed to teach the truths of their faith in colleges and seminaries as “teachers” (or “doctors,” which is just a title for a high-level teacher). The Catholic Church and some other denominations call their ministers “Father,” and many denominations make a big deal about who gets to be called “Pastor” (which means “shepherd”) or Bishop (which means “overseer”). Do we handle these titles appropriately, or do they run afoul of Jesus’s reserve the honorifics for God? If we dropped all honorifics for our church leaders, would it still be possible for them to fall into the pride that wants to be honored and treated as greater than others? And if so, what is the deeper point here? In verses 11-12, Jesus sums up what he is saying by making a bigger point. What does he say? This statement echoes what Jesus said in Matthew 20:26-27. How do verses 11-12 apply to Christian leaders, regardless of what we call them? How do verses 11-12 apply to you personally, as you live your own life? What do you need to do to honor Jesus’s teaching here? It is easy to try to put myself ahead of others without even realizing it, and to exalt myself in big or small ways. How can I keep from falling into that trap? There is also a risk that we might find ourselves trying to call attention to how humble we are. How do we sometimes do that? And how can we avoid it? Take a step back and consider this: For every scribe or Pharisee who was strutting around, flaunting his phylacteries and tossing his tassels, there were probably 2 or 4 or 9 others who were simply trying to live their faith with all the devotion they could muster. The same is true in our day. It is easy to point our finger at the TV evangelist with gold rings and a Mercedes. It is harder to recognize the subtle ways we are tempted to buy into a culture that tells us, “You need more ‘likes.’ It’s your time. You deserve the best. Everyone needs a little bling. Bigger is better. You earned it; now flaunt it.” If I listen to the ads and the social media culture, I’ll start to think that I need all kinds of things, and a lot of attention, in order to be important, or fulfilled, or happy. Jesus says, “No. Stop thinking about yourself. Stop wasting time on what does not matter. God has much bigger purposes for you than this. Focus on what God is trying to do.” What are the messages embedded in our culture that are most likely to steer you off track or knock you off your game? What are the distractions that can take your eyes off of Jesus? What can you do to stay focused, so that when people see you, they say, “There is a servant of God who makes life a little bit easier for the people around them”? And in your life as a servant, what can you do to help lift the burdens of others? 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 spends time alone, leaving the disciples to get across the lake without him. When he walks on the water and joins them, they reach their destination. How do we handle the times when we don’t feel his presence? Previous Next John List John 6:16-21 Jesus spends time alone, leaving the disciples to get across the lake without him. When he walks on the water and joins them, they reach their destination. How do we handle the times when we don’t feel his presence? Anonymous artist in the circle of Jacopo Tintoretto (probably Lambert Sustris, 1515-c. 1591). Christ at the Sea of Galilee . Circa 1570s. Cropped. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. Public domain, courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, https://www.nga.gov/artworks/41637-christ-sea-galilee . Tom Faletti February 20, 2026 Read John 6:16-21 Jesus walks on the water This is the 5 th of John’s 7 “signs.” In a sentence or two, what happens in this incident? The reason why Jesus is not with the disciples in the boat is because, as verse 15 tells us, he withdrew to the mountain on his own. Why do you think he wanted to be alone, without his disciples? Matthew 14:23 tells us that he went up the mountain to pray, but can we take that a step further? Why do you think Jesus wanted to pray alone at this time, and not with his disciples? Are there times when we need to be alone? How is spending time alone important? Jesus is alone on the mountain, but the disciples are also “alone” in the boat in the sense that they are without Jesus. They have probably gotten used to having Jesus around, everywhere they go. Now they are facing strong winds and rough waves without him. At verse 19 before Jesus appears, how do you think they are feeling? Think of the fears you have had over the years, from when you were a child to now. What did you used to fear most, and what do you fear most now? What is Jesus’s response in verse 20? As you face troubling times in your life today, what do these words of Jesus say to you: “It is I; do not be afraid”? What effect do you think Jesus’s presence has on the disciples? Can you think of a time that Jesus had a similar effect on you or someone you know, where he came to you or made his presence known in a time of struggle? How important is Jesus’s presence to you? How important is it to feel his presence? In verse 20, most English translations have Jesus saying, “It is I.” However, in the original Greek, his words are, “I am,” which calls to mind the name by which God revealed himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14. (In Hebrew, God’s name is spelled using the Hebrew letters for “YHWH,” which is often written in English as “Yahweh” and also inaccurately written as “Jehovah”). Jesus also used “I am” with the Samaritan woman in John 4:25, but why is this moment on the sea an especially appropriate time for Jesus to claim for himself the divine name of God? At Cana, Jesus showed his power to transform nature, turning water into wine. With the feeding of the 5000, he showed his ability to multiply things in the natural world: to make something exist that did not previously exist. Here he shows his transcendence over nature: his ability to overcome the limitations of human nature and the chaos in the natural world. All of these acts show his power, but the third of these miracles demonstrates that he is not just a magician manipulating things; he transcends the natural world as only God does. How can you apply this passage in your life? What does this story tell us about faith? John ends abruptly with the cryptic statement in verse 21 that they immediately arrived at the shore. In Matthew’s telling of the story (Matt. 14:22-27), there is a dialogue and Peter walks on the water. John has a different focus. Perhaps to John the great miracle here was not the walking on the water but the immediate arrival at their destination once Jesus was with them. John emphasizes that once Jesus was present, the struggle is over: they don’t even have to do any more rowing – they immediately reach their goal, arriving at Capernaum immediately. How does the presence of Jesus make a difference as we try to reach a goal? In all 3 Gospels that have this story (Matthew, Mark, and John), Jesus walks on the water immediately after the feeding of the 5,000. They are connected in the movement of Jesus and the disciples and the crowd away from and back to Capernaum, but are they also connected symbolically? In what ways are the two stories similar in what they tell us about Jesus? Take a step back and consider this: The crowd so thoroughly misunderstood Jesus’s nature and purpose that they wanted to make him a king. So he withdrew from them. He also sent the disciples without him to Capernaum. Later in this Gospel, Jesus will say that he must go away to prepare a place for us but that he will return (John 14:3, 28). We can explore whether this passage says something to us about the times when we feel alone. There are times in our lives when Jesus feels more present and times when he feels more absent. How might those times when we feel more alone have value in our spiritual life? How might they help us become who we are meant to be? What does Jesus want us to do when we don’t feel his presence? How can this story help you in those difficult times? The disciples must row hard for a long time as they struggle to get across the lake while Jesus is not with them, but he hasn’t forgot about them and when he arrives, they reach their goal. What does that say to you in your times of trial? 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

Active in the timeline. Previous Next Table of Contents Where is God? - Part 2 Active in the timeline. 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

Jesus told the paralytic man to “Arise, take up your mat, and walk.” Where is Jesus calling you to a step of faith right now? Previous Next John List John 5:1-9 Jesus told the paralytic man to “Arise, take up your mat, and walk.” Where is Jesus calling you to take a step of faith right now? Artus Wolffort (1581–1641) . Christ healing the sick at the pool in Bethesda (John 5:1-15) . First half of the 17th century. Cropped. Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Artus_Wolffort_-_Christ_at_the_Pool_of_Bethesda.jpg . Tom Faletti January 13, 2026 Read John 5:1-9a Jesus heals a paralytic [“9a” in the verse reference means the first part of verse 9. “9b” would be the second part of verse 9.] John does not identify the Jewish feast that prompts Jesus to return to Jerusalem, but many scholars think it is Shavuot (this Hebrew word is pronounced shuh-VOO-oat and means Weeks). At Shavuot, Jews celebrate both the spring harvest and the giving of the Torah (the Law of Moses) to the Israelites on Mount Sinai when they were in the desert. It is celebrated 7 weeks after Passover and corresponds with the Christian feast of Pentecost. If it is Shavuot, the reference to Moses at the end of the story in John 5:46-47 would be particularly relevant. The pool called Bethesda, with its 5 porticos, has been found by archaeologists (Biblical Archaeology Society, “ The Bethesda Pool ”), after centuries of uncertainty. Skeptics used to say that this story was fictional because there was no archaeological evidence of the pool of Bethesda, with its odd description of having 5 porticos (a portico is a colonnade or walkway covered by a roof). However, the pool of Bethesda was discovered by German archaeologist Konrad Schick in 1888. It consists of two basins separated by a wall. The structure is surrounded by a rectangular portico along all 4 sides, and there is a fifth portico on the wall between the two basins. It turns out that John knew what he was talking about, and the skeptics were guilty of a logical fallacy: absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. The pool of Bethesda was there, even though we couldn’t find it for hundreds of years. It is a short distance north of the Temple. Verse 4 is omitted in modern translations, because we have learned that the oldest manuscripts do not have that verse. It only appears in some later manuscripts, where it says that an angel of God would occasionally stir up the waters, and the first person to get in would be healed. It may have been added in an attempt to explain the man’s comment in verse 7. What happens in this story? Imagine you are this man: crippled or partially paralyzed for 38 years. Before Jesus comes along, how does it feel to be this man? What does Jesus ask him in verse 6? Jesus’s question might seem odd: of course he wants to be healed, right? Why do you think Jesus asks him this question? People sometimes have conditions that have become so much a part of them that they might hesitate to be healed. I have worn glasses since I was 7. I don’t know how I would feel if I suddenly did not need to wear glasses. A person who is deeply involved in the disability community might weigh the loss of that connection if they were no longer disabled. This is why a Christian should always ask permission before “praying over” someone to be healed. But there is more: Jesus’s greatest hope for the man is that he would come to faith, not just that he would be healed of his infirmity. How might asking the man what he wants help to stir up or clarify the man’s faith? Are there “infirmities” or other problems in your life that you would rather not be healed of? Explain. Now move away from the context of a healing and consider other ways that God wants to be deeply involved in your life. How do you react to the ways that God would like to change your life, develop a deep faith in you, form you into a person who has a deep love for others, etc.? When Jesus says, Do you want to be ____, how do you respond? Are there situations where God chooses not to act in our lives unless or until we make it clear to God (or even to ourselves) that there is something that we want or need? Where have you seen God wait for us? Why does God wait for our conscious involvement and not just heal us or resolve our problems without asking? People respond to the man’s answer in verse 7 in two different ways. Some think he is avoiding the question. Others think he is trying to explain just how hard he tries (“while I am going/coming/making my way”) in order to show how much he wants to be healed. Which perspective do you see here? Are we like this man? First, are there times when we try to avoid directly asking God to intervene in our lives? If so, what holds us back? Second, are there times when we clearly seek God’s help, but the healing or miracle or change we hope for does not happen? How do you handle that? Jesus accepts the man’s response to a certain extent, but he doesn’t immediately heal the man. What does Jesus tell him to do in verse 8? Why do you think Jesus doesn’t just say to the man, “You’re healed”? Jesus leaves it ambiguous so that the man must do something affirmative to receive the healing. The man needs to participate in the healing by standing up, picking up his mat, and walking. This will show whether he actually has faith in Jesus and believes that Jesus has the power to heal him. What does this suggest to you about how God works with us? What role does our participation play in the actions of God in our lives? In what circumstance in your life is Jesus asking you to take a step of faith right now, saying figuratively, “Arise, take up your mat, and walk”? How are you responding? How would you like to respond? Take a step back and consider this: We often think of Bible stories as being stories about “them,” and we rarely think about what happens next in “their” lives. The man was healed, and he lived happily ever after, right? He became a follower of Jesus and a pillar of the early church, right? Sadly, there’s no evidence to support that conclusion – in fact, quite the opposite. Jesus healed the man even though there were no guarantees that the man would use his new-found freedom to serve God. The same is true for us. God does good things for us even though we may or may not respond by giving him our wholehearted devotion. When God does something good in your life (a healing, a new opportunity, a renewed relationship), does it lead to a life of greater service to God, or to a time of complacency? How can you use God’ blessings as steppingstones to new levels of faith, commitment, and service to God? 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

If God doesn't care about us, we are in a pretty precarious position. Previous Next Table of Contents Does God Care? If God doesn't care about us, we are in a pretty precarious position. 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