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Mary watches Jesus grow up and begin his ministry. After she brings a concern to him, she tells others, “Do whatever he tells you.” Those are wise words for us. What would he tell you about your concerns? [Luke 2:40-52; Matthew 3:13; 4:1; 4:12-13; 4:18-22; John 2:1-12] Previous Mary Index Next Session 4: "Do whatever he tells you." Mary watches Jesus grow up and begin his ministry. After she brings a concern to him, she tells others, “Do whatever he tells you.” Those are wise words for us. What would he tell you about your concerns do? [Luke 2:40-52; Matthew 3:13; 4:1; 4:12-13; 4:18-22; John 2:1-12] Cornelis Engebrechtsz (ca. 1462 - 1527). Jesus Says Farewell to Mary . Circa 1515 - circa 1520. Cropped. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jezus_neemt_afscheid_van_Maria_Rijksmuseum_SK-A-1719.jpeg . Tom Faletti July 14, 2025 Luke 2:40-52 Jesus at the age of 12 in the Temple Read Luke 2:40. Luke is describing the child Jesus as he grows up. What do you think Mary is doing during this time? She is feeding him, changing his diaper, teaching him words, nurturing him with tender caresses and kisses, teaching him chores, teaching him the moral law of right and wrong, singing psalms and hymns, praying with him, including him in the many rituals and ceremonies and prayers that made up a Jewish life of faith, cooking, cleaning, talking with him about the people around him and all the things a mother talks to her son about – both consequential and mundane, and the list goes on. She is also watching, pondering and treasuring, praying for him, etc. Look at how verse 52 describes Jesus’s development. What was Mary’s role in his growth in wisdom and grace (or favor) in the eyes of God and people? How can we help the young people around us to grow in wisdom and grace as we watch them grow? Considering the early threats to Jesus’s life, Mary and Joseph might have decided to keep him secluded in Galilee. Yet verse 41 tells us that they went to the capital city Jerusalem every year, presumably taking Jesus with them. Would you have brought Jesus to Jerusalem regularly or tried to keep him far away? What do Mary’s annual trips to Jerusalem tell you about her? What happens to Jesus on the Passover trip when he is 12? As they were journeying back to Galilee, why do you think it took Mary and Joseph a full day to realize that Jesus was missing and not caravan of people heading home? Were they neglectful? Does it tell us something about his maturity and their trust in him? How do you think this could have happened? How do you think Mary feels when she realizes he is not in the caravan with them as they head home? When they return to Jerusalem, they search for him for THREE days – presumably with Mary growing increasingly anxious as they look and look and look without finding him. How do you think she handled her anxiety? Do you ever feel like you are losing track of Jesus in your life? If so, how might Mary’s way of dealing with the missing Jesus be instructive? She retraces her steps, going back to where she last saw him. How might that be useful in your own spiritual life? Sometimes, the best thing to do is, like Mary, to go back to the habits, patterns, and practices that nurtured your relationship with him previously. When they find Jesus, Mary’s question to Jesus is, “Why have you done this to us?” (Luke 2:48), which implies that she thinks he knew he was making them anxious. Do you think he knew he was making them feel so anxious? If so, why do you think Jesus did what he did even though it would cause his parents so much anxiety? Jesus doesn’t answer with an “I’m sorry.” His answer in verse 49 is not comforting at all. What does he say, and what does it suggest about his growing sense of his relationship with Mary and Joseph? How do you think Mary felt about his answer in verse 49? Verse 51 tells us that when they returned to Nazareth, Jesus “was obedient to them.” He didn’t become a bratty or disobedient teenager. Why do you think Jesus, who was God, was obedient to them, who were just humans? How do you think Mary felt about the teenage Jesus? Verse 51 also tells us that Mary “treasured” or “kept” all these things in her heart, echoing verse 19 after the visit of the shepherds to see the baby Jesus. What do you think that meant, as she lived a real life? How do you treasure or keep the things that God has done in your life? Do you also “treasure” the puzzles that you don’t fully understand yet? Would it be good to do that? Explain. Verse 52 has sometimes been interpreted to mean that Jesus grew mentally (in wisdom), physically (in age), spiritually (in the favor of God), and socially (in the favor of other people) – that is, in all the ways that we hope young people will grow over time. How does the idea that Jesus grew in all these human dimensions encourage you? Looking back at Mary’s overall handling of this traumatic incident, what can you learn from her? A footnote: People sometimes wonder if Jesus had bar mitzvah. “Bar mitzvah” means “son of commandment,” i.e., subject to the law. In modern times, it is performed at the age of 13. There is no reference to bar mitzvah in the Bible. People try to make connections to things that happened in the Bible, like Abraham sacrificing Isaac at age 12, but none of them look like the Jewish ceremony of bar mitzvah. No scholarly sources have provided evidence that bar mitzvah existed as a practice in Jesus’s time. The general consensus is that it did not originate as a ceremony until the Middle Ages, at least several hundred years after the time of Jesus. The next time Mary appears in the Bible, Jesus is an adult. Before we look at that passage, let’s read a few verses that tell us what Jesus does when he first starts moving into his public ministry. That will give us the background for the first story in his adult life where Mary is mentioned in the story. For each of the following passages, consider this question: How do you think Mary reacts to these things that Jesus does? What do you think her perspective is? (By way of background: On the one hand, he is around 30 years old (Luke 3:23). On the other hand, he is still her son and has been living with her up to this time.) Matthew 3:13 Jesus goes to his cousin John to be baptized Jesus is going away to see what his cousin John is doing at the Jordan River, so in a sense he is going to see family. However, it is a journey of more than 80 miles – further than the trip to Jerusalem. How do you think Mary feels about what Jesus is doing? Matthew 4:1 Jesus goes out into the desert and is tempted How do you think Mary feels about what Jesus is doing? Matthew 4:12-13 Jesus moves out of Nazareth to Capernaum Capernaum was by the Sea (or Lake) of Galilee, roughly 40 miles away from Nazareth. That means it was a walk of several days. Walking there involved a drop in elevation of more than 1,800 feet (which means a walk back to Nazareth would require a climb of more than 1,800 feet). How do you think Mary feels about Jesus moving to this bigger city, relatively far away? Matthew 4:18-22 Jesus starts calling disciples How do you think Mary feels as she watches Jesus begin to call strangers to himself, teach them, and build a following? What is our role as we watch someone who was previously ‘under” us (or in our charge) begin to spread their wings and move out in more independent directions? (This might be a child who is growing up, a work colleague or mentee, a fellow church member who takes on a new responsibility – for example, as a new Bible Study leader, or other situations.) How should we handle that change, and what should we do if we find the transition hard? Before we look at our next passage, let’s consider two background questions: In John 1:35-51, John tells us that Jesus went to see John the Baptist, who was baptizing people a long way away from Galilee at the Jordan River, and then Jesus returned to Galilee and gathered some disciples. He had not performed any overt miracles yet; it appears that he was just teaching. Why do you think he started with teaching and not with miracles? At this point in his life, Jesus is 30. He is fully God, and he is also fully human. How do you think he feels about his mother Mary? John 2:1-12 The wedding feast at Cana In verse 3, Mary does not make a specific request of Jesus: she just identifies the existence of a problem. Why do you think she approaches it that way? Are there times when a little vagueness or ambiguity, like Mary practices here, is a good idea? Explain. Jesus’s response in verse 4 is literally, “What, to me and to you, woman?” This is a Hebrew expression that was used to suggest indifference to the concern of the other person while leaving the outcome ambiguous. When someone said this, sometimes the request was fulfilled and sometimes it was rejected. Why do you think Jesus initially chooses this ambiguous response? Jesus calls Mary “woman.” The scholars generally think that this was not necessarily rude but that it did show that he was not responding based on his familial connection with her. Some think he is indicating in advance that if he does a “sign” or miracle here, it will be by his own decision in accordance with his Father’s will, not because of some human weakness in giving in to his mother. On the other hand, Jesus often did things only if people asked – healings, for example. So perhaps it was a decision that depended on two factors: first, that it would be done only if he decided it fit with God’s will, but second, only if people cared enough to press him and trusted him enough to obey him. Jesus has not yet done any miracles. Yet Mary sends the servers to him. Why do you think she puts her son on the spot in that way? In verse 5, what does Mary tell the servers? “Do whatever he tells you.” How is Mary’s direction in verse 5 appropriate for us? How can we apply it in our lives? How can you know what Jesus is telling you to do? In verses 7-8, the servers don’t know why they are doing what they have been told to do, but they do it. How might that be a guide for everything we do in our lives? What gets in the way of our doing what Jesus tells us to do? How might we work to overcome our reluctance to obey Jesus? Think about Mary’s approach in bringing her concern to Jesus. How might it be a good model for us in bringing our concerns to Jesus? She did not hesitate to bring the problem to Jesus. She did not try to tell Jesus how to solve the problem but trusted him to handle it in the best way. She encouraged others to trust Jesus for how to deal with the problem they faced. How can you grow in the kind of confidence Mary has, that Jesus can be trusted to deal with your problems? Take a step back and consider this: Mary does not know what is coming next, but she believes in Jesus. Jesus has not shown his power yet. She has not seen his miracles or his resurrection. What she has is faith and the stories she has stored up and treasured for 30 years ago about God’s work in her life. We (or at least most of us) have not been visited by an angel. But we have stories of what God has done in the past in our lives. And we know Jesus’s power and that he has risen from the dead and is still alive today. What we share with Mary is that Jesus is alive and involved in our lives right now. Is there a concern you think it would be good to bring to Jesus, or some matter where you feel called to trust in him that if you bring it to him, he can do something about it? Bring the matter to him now, without feeling like you need to tell him how to solve the problem. What would Jesus tell you about your concern? Hear Mary’s words – “Do whatever he tells you” – whispering in your ears. What do you think Jesus is asking you to do right now? Is it consistent with what the rest of Scripture has already taught you? (That’s a check to make sure you are on a solid path.) If so, can you do what he is telling you to do now? How? 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 Index Next

Divorce: What does it mean for two to become one? Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 19:1-12 Divorce: What does it mean for two to become one? Image by Engin Akyurt, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti February 13, 2024 Matthew 19 Introduction before reading the passage Matthew 19:1 tells us that Jesus now moves into Judea, for the first time in his public ministry in Matthew’s Gospel – a step closer to the most vigorous opposition he faces, in the spiritual and secular power center of Jerusalem. This step sets him on the path to Jerusalem and the Cross. The particular route he is taking involves going out of the way, crossing over to the east side of the Jordan River. Jews often did this to avoid going through Samaria. (Jews detested the Samaritans because the Samaritans were in their mind only semi-Jews, since they did not engage in the Temple worship in Jerusalem.) This route allows him to avoid any distractions caused by the disagreements between Jews and Samaritans, and it puts him back in the territory where John the Baptist preached. Read 19:1-12 Marriage and divorce Notice the contrast in verses 2 and 3. There are 3 kinds of people identified here. What are 3 different reasons people come to Jesus here? Some people follow him. They think he is teaching something valuable. Some people want him to cure them. They think he is doing something valuable. But some people want to catch him in error . They think he is misleading people. What is the Pharisees’ question? The Pharisees are thinking about Deut. 24:1-4, where the Law of Moses appears to allow men to divorce their wives for any reason. Different schools of thought in Jesus’s time interpreted this differently – the Hillel school took the words at face value to produce a policy that made it easy for men to divorce their wives for any reason, while the school of Shammai took a strict approach that only allowed a man to divorce his wife if she committed adultery. What is Jesus’s answer? What is Jesus’s scriptural justification for his answer? Gen. 1:27 and 2:24. Marriage is a human institution in every culture, even where it is not considered a divine institution. Jesus interprets the Old Testament to emphasize that God had an original plan for marriage, from the beginning of human history. What do these passages he quotes from Genesis tell us about the meaning of marriage? What is the point of his referring to what was “from the beginning”? Why is that important? Jesus says that “what God has joined together” (19:6, NRSV and NABRE) must not be separated by humans. How can the statement “what God has joined together” guide our thinking about marriage? Members of my Bible Study group offered answers such as: Marriage involves commitment, cohesiveness, a spiritual bond, being a complete unit, sticking to or clinging to each other, following the original template from before the Fall. The Pharisees move right past his explanation and ask why Moses allowed divorce if God doesn’t actually permit it. What is Jesus’s explanation for why Moses had a more lax standard? Their hard-heartedness. What does hard-heartedness mean? What does it look like? Whose perspective is foremost in mind for the Pharisees: the man (husband), the woman (wife), or the couple together? Whose experience do you think God is concerned about? In ancient times, and not only among the Jews, adultery was considered to be an offense against the husband – an offense against men. (See New Oxford Annotated Bible , footnote to Mark 10:1-16, p. 1810.) In reaching back beyond Moses to the “beginning,” Jesus points to a part of the Old Testament that is not so male-centric. In human terms, the Book of Deuteronomy has the flavor of having been codified by men who were writing to men, for men. What difference does Jesus’s teaching make for women? Notice that all the language is egalitarian – the words are identical for the man and the woman. Marriage, in God’s view, is a union of equality and oneness. Does this surprise you? What do you think of this? Now focus on the statement, “the two shall become one flesh” (19:5, NRSV and NABRE). In the context of Genesis, this is often taken almost as though it is primarily about biology: here’s a man, there’s a woman, the man leaves his family, the woman leaves her family, they get married, they have sex, and that’s how the species propagates. In sex, the oneness is physical and temporary. But Jesus says something more profound when he adds, “So they are no longer two” (Matthew 19:6, NRSV and NABRE). He’s not just talking about sex. In Jesus’s profound “before Moses” vision of what marriage is supposed to be, in marriage a husband and wife are “no longer two.” What does it mean for the two to become one? In what ways are they meant to be one? Members of my Bible Study group offered answers such as: They are of one mind. They exercise joint decision making. They give and take, with a commitment to reconciliation when they get it wrong. They act like what happens to you is as important as what happens to me. They are like conjoined twins in the sense that what I do affects you. William Barclay offers several beautiful thoughts here: being one means not just doing one thing (sex) together, but doing all things together; being completed by your partner; sharing all the circumstances of life; knowing each other well; with consideration thinking more of the other than of oneself (Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew Volume 2 , pp. 223-226). People often want to marry for love. In Jesus’s time, most marriages were probably arranged and not decided based on love, yet God wanted the two to become one. Love is an act of the will, not a feeling. Now let’s look at the rule for divorce that he lays down in verse 9. What is the standard he establishes? Note that the Catholic Church has chosen to follow Mark’s version, which does not have the exception for unchastity (Mark 10:1-12). Mark’s Gospel was written earlier, so Matthew’s exception clause is often assumed to have been added later. Also, Luke follows Mark’s absolute standard. Why do you think Jesus lands there as the answer to when divorce is allowed? How does this view honor the idea that marriage is a covenant that is supposed to be a true union? It should be like God’s covenant with us. This is the first of several teachings of Jesus that even his own disciples aren’t sure they can live up to – they think it is a hard teaching. How do you interpret Jesus’s answer in verse 11? One way to think about this is that marriage is not for everyone. Some are called to be married and some are called to be celibate. Does that make sense to you? Another way to think about this is that Jesus may be saying that not everyone will be capable of living up to this teaching. It is a teaching given to Christians. Why would Christians be especially enabled, and especially expected, to live up to this teaching? Believers in God have received the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to live out the teachings of Jesus. We are not going to dwell on v. 12, which has challenged scholars throughout the Church’s history. The point of verse 12 may be that, when the disciples say maybe it is better not to get married, Jesus says that some people do choose not to be married – for a variety of reasons. Some men (whether from birth or injury) do not have the sexual equipment to have intercourse and cannot fulfill the Jewish expectation that they get married and have children. Some men were castrated, a practice at that time for some jobs in royal palaces and Greek temples but thankfully not practiced now. And some have chosen to be “eunuchs” – probably meant figuratively for those who have chosen a life of celibacy and not meant to be taken literally. Unfortunately, the early church historian Eusebius tells us that Origen, the early Christian scholar who lived from c. 185 AD to 253 or 254 AD, castrated himself, thinking he was making himself a eunuch for the kingdom of God in accordance with Matthew 19:12. This is not what Jesus was saying. What do you think is most insightful in Jesus’s teaching about divorce? What do you find problematic here, if anything, and how do you think Jesus would respond to your concern? What should we do to promote a healthy view of marriage in our society? Take a step back and consider this: Paul had the great insight that the marriage of a man and a woman was an image of the relationship between God and the church (Eph. 5:25-32). Spouses should love each other and lay down their lives for each other as Jesus loved and laid down his life for the church. The husband and wife are not just two separate beings; they are a unity. That is why I should care as much about what happens to my wife as I care about what happens to me, and vice versa. When we live out that calling, we are acting as people made to reflect the image of God to the world around us. When we live out that calling, we are truly being all that God wants us to be. If you are married, how can you lay down your life for your spouse? How can you make sure that your spouse doesn’t feel like she/he is doing all the laying down of their life while you’re not? How can you show that this is a mutual thing where you are a team, together in all things? The relationship between a husband and wife is far more important than just its effect on each other. It also affects their children. Children are the subject of the next passage. Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

Can you embrace a king who comes in peace? Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 21:1-11 Can you embrace a king who comes in peace? Aelbert Cuyp (1620–1691) (school of). Christ Riding into Jerusalem. Circa 1640–1700. Glasgow Museums Resource Centre (GMRC), Glasgow Life Museums, Glasgow, Scotland. Image provided by Art UK, CC BY-NC-ND, https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/christ-riding-into-jerusalem-83691 . Tom Faletti August 3, 2025 Matthew 21:1-11 The crowds rejoice as Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey Jerusalem was the capital of Judea. Bethphage (pronounced Beth'-fuh-dzhee) was a village on the Mount of Olives, just outside the city of Jerusalem, around one mile from the Temple. The “village opposite you” was probably the nearby village of Bethany, where Jesus will go that evening (see Matt. 21:17) – Mark names Bethphage and Bethany in Mark 11:1. Jesus is arriving just as Passover is beginning. Barclay says that 30 years later, a Roman governor said that around a quarter of a million lambs were sacrificed in Jerusalem at the Passover, and the Jews had a regulation that there should be at least 10 people for every lamb. That would suggest that there could have been 2.5 million people crammed into Jerusalem – a huge crowd far beyond its usual population (Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 , p. 262). Jesus has chosen to come to Jerusalem at the moment when his arrival may have maximum impact. How does Jesus get a donkey? There is no way to know whether Jesus arranged this in advance or used supernatural power to make it possible; but either way, what does it tell you about how much Jesus has been thinking about how to approach the final week of his life? Jews who were expecting a messiah to come soon had interpreted Zechariah 14:4 in a way that suggested that the messiah would approach Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives on the “day of the Lord.” That is what Jesus does. How does Jesus enter into Jerusalem (verse 7)? Riding on a donkey Matthew 21:5 quotes from Zechariah 9:9-10. Read Zechariah 9:9-10 The daughter Zion or daughter of Zion mentioned here and also in Isaiah 62:11 is Jerusalem and its inhabitants. There is only one donkey in Zechariah, it is referred to twice in the typical Hebrew way for poetic effect. Why would Matthew say that there was a donkey and her colt, and that Jesus sat on “them”? Scholars have a variety of ideas: Perhaps he was interpreting the Zechariah passage overly literally; perhaps the “them” refers to the cloaks he sat on; or perhaps he rode on one and then the other. Why would the disciples have brought two donkeys to Jesus? Perhaps a young donkey – one that hasn’t been ridden on yet – would not be eager to be led away from its mother but follow her if she was led to Jesus. These details don’t really matter. What matters is this: What is the significance of riding into a capital city on a donkey? A conquering king would ride in on a horse. Jesus comes in peace, not as a conquering king. How does the rest of these two verses from Zechariah suggest to us about Jesus? He has not come as a worldly, conquering king. What is the nature of his coming? Now return to Matthew 21:1-11 What do the people do? Spreading cloaks Spreading cloaks on the road was a way to acknowledge the reign of a new king. This had been done for Jehu in 2 Kings 9:13 when he became king of Israel. Matthew says just refers generically to branches from the trees, but John specifically identifies them as palm branches. In around 142 BC, when the Maccabees overthrew the Seleucid (Greek) empire and gained independence, 1 Maccabees 13:51 tells us that in celebration of that great victory, the people waved palm branches as the miliary leader Simon and his troops entered the citadel at Jerusalem. This was the end of the fight for liberation from the Greeks that put an end to the defilement of the Temple, which Antiochus Epiphanous had ordered. 2 Maccabees 10:1-8 describes the steps that were taken to purify the Temple, which included the waving of palm branches. So when the people spread palm branches before Jesus, they are invoking a history of liberation. What do the people say? Hosanna In Matthew 21:9, the people cry out, “Hosanna,” which is literally a cry in Hebrew to “save, I pray/beseech.” We see this word in Psalm 118:25, where the psalmist calls on God to “save us,” followed in the next verse (118:26) by the statement, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” They appear to be clearly invoking Psalm 118:25-26. What is the significance of the people identifying Jesus as one who can save them? The Son of David What is the significance of the people calling Jesus the “son of David”? An interesting footnote is that when David declared that the king who would follow him would be his son Solomon – the first person who was the “son of David” – Solomon rode into Jerusalem on David’s mule (1 Kings 1: 32-40) – again, not the horse of a warrior. People might also have recalled this as they proclaimed Jesus to be the “Son of David.” What is the significance of the people proclaiming that Jesus comes in the name of the Lord? In what ways can we embrace the words of the crowd when they identify Jesus as the Son of David, proclaim him to be the one who comes in the name of the Lord, and ask him to save them? What do you think they people are thinking about Jesus? The Jews at that time had a strong expectation that their Roman oppressors would be thrown off by a descendant of David and that the kingdom of David would be re-established as an earthly kingdom. Calling Jesus the Son of David and spreading cloaks and palm branches were ways of signaling that they thought he was the one who would come and establish a new earthly kingdom. When God does something in our lives, how do we express our joy at what God has done? Can we learn something from the people of Jerusalem? Notice that Jesus does not correct their thinking about what kind of messiah he is. The time will come for people to understand better who Jesus is, but for now he responds to their faith, not their understanding of doctrinal facts. We see this in our day as well. Christians don’t agree about major points of doctrine, which means somebody is wrong. Jesus makes it clear in other parts of the Gospels that it is important to know the truth, but God still works in the lives of believing Christians who have conflicting views, some of which must be wrong. Why do you think God still works in the life of people who don’t have all their doctrinal facts sorted out perfectly, and what does that tell you about God’s relationship with us? Verses 10-11 have an interesting juxtaposition. The “whole city” is in turmoil and asking who is the person people are making such a fuss big deal about, and the “crowd” explains. The “whole city” would be the people who were already there and mostly knew little about Jesus, and the “crowd” would mainly be the people who had come with Jesus all the way from Galilee or had joined him on the way to Jerusalem as he traveled through Judea (see Matt. 19:2 and 20:29). The people in Jerusalem want to know why people are so excited about this person they don’t know about. Where do you see yourself in this story? Would you have been with Jesus from the beginning, accompanying him from all the way back in Galilee? Would you have been so moved by him when he came through your little town in Judea that you left town to follow him? Would you have already been a devout person intending to go to Jerusalem for the feast, and you decided to go with Jesus when you learned that he would be walking to Jerusalem for the Passover too? Would you have been part of that crowd waiving branches and spreading your cloak on the road? Would you have been among the people asking, “Who is this?” Would you have been one of the people answering the question, explaining who Jesus is? Would you have been watching skeptically? Would you have missed it entirely? Where do you see yourself in this story? What does this story of Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem say to you today? Take a step back and consider this: We have seen a number of instances in Matthew’s Gospel where Matthew shows us a Jesus who cares especially about the people at the bottom of the social spectrum – what we have called God’s downside-up view of the world. Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem shows the contrast again, where Jesus’s approach is the opposite of what the world expects. They expect a king who will establish dominion under the mantle of power; they get a servant who will establish his kingship under a mantle of peace. John Fischer, a Christian friend of mine who was a popular musician in the Christian contemporary music scene in the 1970s and now runs an online ministry to try to extend the grace of God to people who feel left out of traditional churches, wrote an online post in which he says that the “strong, biblically-based evangelical church” he grew up in always seemed to skip over the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes (Matt. 5-7). That is where we first see clearly Jesus’s downside-up view: Blessed are the poor; turn the other cheek; love your enemy; etc. John wrote: [W]e should stick out like a sore thumb in our culture right now. The acceptable cultural milieu is currently one of separation, isolation, fear, bullying, show no mercy, take no prisoners, no sympathy, no empathy, foster hate, and a rejection of that which is different. It is the culture of the strong man more in keeping with John Wayne than Jesus. In fact, our culture right now is dominated by everything that is the exact opposite of the Beatitudes. So if you want to be different, now is the time to follow Jesus, and steer clear of any movement of Christianity that borrows from the strong man tactics that are prevalent today. That’s not Jesus; it’s John Wayne. (“ John Wayne and the Sermon on the Mount ”) Jesus challenges us to turn the world’s view upside-down – to see differently, to think differently, to act differently. He did not come with horse and chariot to force our submission to him. He came on a donkey of peace. We are called to follow his example. What does Jesus’s refusal to accept the trapping of power say to leaders in our day? How might Christians in our time be overly eager to embrace the exercise of military power? In what ways does Jesus’s refusal to exercise worldly power challenge us? What might we need to do differently to point the leaders of our time to the Jesus who enters Jerusalem on a donkey? How can we join the One on the donkey who comes in the name of the Lord, and follow his way? How can we also point the powerless of our time to the Jesus who rides on a donkey? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

Two reactions to Jesus: disingenuous skepticism and genuine commitment. Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 12:38-50 Two reactions to Jesus: disingenuous skepticism and genuine commitment. Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti September 11, 2024 Matthew 12:38-42 The scribes and Pharisees ask for a sign The scribes and Pharisees request a “sign” from Jesus. What do they mean by a “sign”? They are looking for something dramatic. What do you think of their request for a sign. Was that a reasonable request? After he had done so much, it is hard to understand how they possibly could have needed something that they didn’t already have. Compare Matthew 11:2-6 to this passage. What kinds of “signs” has Jesus already done? What does the desire of these scribes and Pharisees to see a “sign” tell you about them? Jesus describes the people of his time as an “evil and adulterous generation.” He is using “adulterous” as a spiritual metaphor. The Old Testament uses that metaphor – see, for example, Jer. 3:6-11 and Hosea 3:1-5. When Jesus uses the metaphor of adultery, what is he saying about the scribes and Pharisees and those who share their skepticism about him? When Jesus says he will be in the earth for 3 days and 3 nights, what is he hinting at as the sign he will give? What is the story of Jonah? To whom was Jonah supposed to be speaking the word of the Lord when he ended up instead in the belly of the whale? What is the “sign of Jonah”? How does Jonah’s story prefigure Jesus? Jonah’s survival after three days in the whale prefigures Jesus’s resurrection. Also, Jonah’s calling to preach to the Gentiles (Ninevah) prefigures Jesus’s ministry to Gentiles, which we already saw in Matthew 8:5-13 and will see again in Matthew 15:21-38. In what way was Jonah’s ministry a sign of love for the Ninevites, and how is that also a prefiguring of Jesus? God loves those who are spiritually distant from him. He cared enough about the Ninevites to send Jonah to them and Jesus cares enough about the scribes and Pharisees to continue to engage them and call them to repentance. That the message conveys both God’s love and his call to repentance is a sign that the message is true. Why will the people of Nineveh condemn Jesus’s generation? The story of Solomon and the queen of Sheba appears in 1 Kings 10:1-13. She comes to Solomon with questions. She wants to find out if he is as wise as he is reputed to be. When she sees him in action, she recognizes his great wisdom and is deeply impressed by him. Why will the queen of Sheba condemn Jesus’s generation? Nineveh and Sheba were Gentile lands, not Jewish territory. Jesus says these non-Jews will judge the Jews of Jesus’s time. How does that add additional nuance and effect to Jesus’s denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees? Sometimes, skeptics in our time seem to have “signs” they want from God before they might be ready to believe. What might be some of those kinds of “signs” skeptics want in our society today? Sometimes even people in the church seem to be skeptical about God’s role in their lives, always wanting more proof that God is really present and at work. What kinds of “signs” do Christians sometimes want from Jesus in our time, before they commit more fully to him? How can you try to gauge whether skepticism is genuine or disingenuous? In what ways does our generation have advantages that might make us particularly worthy of judgment when we do not respond appropriately to Jesus? Luke tells the story slightly differently (Luke 11:29-30). He leaves out the 3 days and 3 nights part and says that Jonah (himself) was a sign to the people of Nineveh and Jesus (himself) is a sign to this generation. If Jesus is the sign, what is he a sign of? How is our generation missing that Jesus is the sign we seek? Matthew 12:43-45 An empty house This passage should not be analyzed primarily as a literal description of literal evil spirits. It is a metaphor. Recall that Matthew brings together related things Jesus said that he might not have said all at the same time. Matthew is telling us about discussing involving evil spirits, so he places these words here. Jesus referred to the scribes and Pharisees as an “evil generation” in verse 39 and he repeats that phrase here. The focus is on the scribes and Pharisees, not on some unidentified evil spirits; the evil spirits are a metaphor. In Luke, shortly after the discussion of Jonah (Luke 11:29-32), Jesus tells a Pharisee, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness” (Luke 11:39 NRSV). That is another metaphor to get to the same point, which is about the things the scribes and Pharisees are focused on. In what ways is the “house” of the Pharisees “empty, swept, and put in order” (Matthew 12:44)? In what ways is the life of the Pharisees “clean” and yet still evil? In what ways are we at risk of “cleaning” our “house” yet leaving it empty and exposed to bad influences instead of filling it with Jesus? Does modern Christianity focus more on sweeping out sins than on what should take the place of those sins? Explain. Matthew 12:46-50 “Who are my mother and brothers?” Matthew has been leading us through a long segment of his Gospel that has focused on opposition to Jesus and the fundamental choice that each person must make. Now he brings it home. Where are Jesus’s family – his mother and brothers – as he has been contending with the Pharisees? Protestants take the word “brothers” literally. The Catholic Church has always maintained that Jesus’s mother Mary was a virgin throughout her life and that “brothers” here is to be interpreted as “relatives”. There is one theory that would make them step-brothers – sons of Joseph from a prior marriage; but there are also arguments for considering them to be his cousins. No one other than Jesus is ever referred to in the Gospels as a child of Mary. Two of the men referred to as “brothers” of Jesus in the Gospels have the same names as the sons of another “Mary” named in Matthew 27:56, whom John 19:25 suggests might be the sister of Jesus’s mother. Catholics also argue that when Jesus was hanging on the cross, he would not have entrusted Mary to John if she had other sons. And in both the Old and New Testaments, “brother” is used for a variety of relationships, figurative and literal, especially because the Hebrew did not have a word for “cousin” ( Ignatius Catholic Study Bible , Matthew 12:46 fn., pp. 29-30). This is not a question that can be resolved in a small-group Bible Study. If different members of the group disagree, it is best to note that the Body of Christ is divided on this question and that we should not let it divide us from learning together from the Word of God. We don’t need to resolve that issue to gain important lessons from what Jesus says here. What question does Jesus ask, and how does he answer the question? According to Jesus, who are his mother and brothers? What do they do that makes them his mother and brother (or sister)? Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven – i.e., whoever does the will of God – is a brother or sister of Jesus. What opportunity does this present to us? What does this tell us about the family of God? What does genuine commitment to Jesus look like in our day? What challenge does this passage present to you? What might God be asking you to do that you are currently not doing? Let’s look back over this entire chapter. There is a progression in the Pharisees’ opposition to Jesus. They move from: watching him with suspicion (12:1-8, where they object to the disciples plucking grain on the Sabbath), to trying to entrap him (12:9-14, where they ask him if a cure at that moment would be permissible), to plotting to kill him (12:14), to impugning his character so that there would be a pretext for eliminating him (12:22-32, when they accuse him of acting by the power of Satan), to demanding a sign to discredit him (12:38), as though he hasn’t already provided a multitude of signs. Looking over the whole chapter, how does Jesus respond to the growing opposition to him? My Bible Study group saw all of the following: confidence, determination, preparedness, explanation, refutation, defiance, warning, and invitation. You may see other things. Take a step back and consider this: St. Francis of Assisi had an interesting perspective on Jesus’s statement on his mother and brothers, and he connected it to Matthew 5:16, where Jesus tells us to let our light shine. Francis said that “we are brothers, when we do the will of His Father, who is in heaven (cf. Mt 12:50); mothers when we bear Him in our heart and body (1 Cor 6:20) by love and by a pure and sincere conscience; we give birth to Him through holy work, which should shine upon others as an example (cf. Mt 5:16)” (Francis of Assisi, “Letter to the Faithful II,” . The Writings of St. Francis of Assisi, Parts I & II , translated from the Latin Critical Edition by Fr. K. Esser, O.F.M., http://www.liturgies.net/saints/francis/writings.htm ). The first part of this quote is a restatement of what Jesus said in Matthew 12:50: we are brothers of Jesus when we do the Father’s will. But in what sense might we also be Jesus’s mother? Francis offers a beautiful, poetic insight: First, like a mother , we bear (i.e., carry) Jesus in our heart and body, like a pregnant woman carries her child, with love and a pure heart. Second, we figuratively give birth to Jesus when we do the “holy work” that shines the light of Christ to others. When we give a tangible embodiment of Christ to others when we let Christ show forth in our actions. Jesus is very clear that it is our doing the will of God that makes us his mother and brothers, and Francis sees us doing that not just as an act of obedience but as an expression of love that gives of ourselves to bring the work of God to life – to give birth to God’s work in our world. How might your perspective and attitude change if you saw your willingness to do the will of God, your willingness to do the work God calls you to, as being an opportunity to give life to God’s work, to give birth to something new by your work? Is there somewhere right now where you need to make a decision to do the will or work of God in some way? In what way might God be calling you to give birth to some new action on that will allow God’s light to shine through you? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

You provide the salt and light of Jesus to the world. Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 5:13-16 You provide the salt and light of Jesus to the world. Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti April 21, 2024 Matthew 5:13-16 You are the salt and light of the world Salt has many useful properties. What is salt good for? In this passage, what good property of salt is Jesus focusing on (verse 13)? The Greek word for “earth” in verse 13 is the same as the word for “earth” in verse 5. It can mean soil, or a particular territory on the Earth, or the physical realm of existence (as in references to “heaven and earth”). In this case, it can’t mean “soil” since salt is not generally a good thing for soil. When Jesus says we are the salt of the “earth,” what do you think he means by “earth”? Metaphorically speaking, in what ways can Christians be the kind of good “salt” that flavors the world around us or improves the taste of life? Jesus says that salt that has lost its flavor is thrown out because it is not good for anything. Since he is talking metaphorically about Christians, what is he saying about such Christians? What do you need to do to keep being good salt in the world around you? What adjustments in your Christian life might help you be the kind of person who is the kind of “salt” the world needs? In verse 14, Jesus shifts to a different metaphor: light. What does he say that we are? In what ways are we meant to be like the light of a city that is built on a hill? In this metaphor about light, what kind of light are we supposed to be shining? According to Jesus in verse 16, what will people see in us when our light is shining properly? What do you think he means when he says that when our light is shining, people will see our “good works”? What do you think he means by “good works”? What are some ways that Christians might put their light under a bushel? What are some ways that we might put our light on a lampstand? According to verse 16, why will people give glory to God when our light is shining properly? Jesus says that when our light is shining properly, they will see our good works. In our world today, many people who do not believe in Jesus do not think Christians are a light and don't see a reason to give glory to God. It would be easy to blame this entirely on them. Turn your focus toward ourselves for a minute. How might Christians be interacting with the world in ways that do not shine a light – that are not seen as good works? What can we do to be better lights in the world? Take a step back and consider this: Sometimes we assume that if non-Christians fail to see the light of Christ, it is because of their own obstinacy. But we know that we are not perfect, so surely there are also times when the fault lies with how we are living out our faith or how we are representing Jesus to the world. There is no light where there is no truth. But sometimes we obscure the truth by pretending that things are simpler than they are. When Christians claim that following Jesus is simple – “all you have to do is have faith” – people think we are saying that if they just believe, all their problems will go away. They know that is not true, since Christians also have problems, so that message obscures the light. Many young people find it hard to see the light of Christ in us because of the inadequate attention many of our churches give to the injustices that weigh heavily on the hearts of young people (and people of every age who hear the cry of oppressed peoples for justice). When Christians uncritically support one political approach even though every political organization focuses on only some of God’s concerns for justice, or fail to address flaws in the churches themselves, people whose hearts cry for justice find it hard to see us as salt or light. Our light can also be obscured by our lack of holiness. If we only honor some of God’s commands, if we look like we mainly care about ourselves and people like us, if we fail to be engaged consistently in good works as our Lord told us to, then we should not be surprised that the world does not see us as salt and light. Think about a time when you were not the kind of salt or light that effectively represented Jesus to the world. What went wrong? Think about a time when you were particularly effective at being the kind of salt or light that Jesus calls us to be. What happened that allowed you to be salt or light? How can you build habits that will allow the salt and light of Jesus to be communicated to the world around you more consistently? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

If we try to make sense of God based on our human limitations, we will misunderstand the Scriptures and the power of God. How can the Scriptures guide us to a bigger picture? Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 22:23-33 If we try to make sense of God based on our human limitations, we will misunderstand the Scriptures and the power of God. How can the Scriptures guide us to a bigger picture? Image by Frank McKenna, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti August 18, 2025 Matthew 22:23-33 The Sadducees and whether there is a resurrection This is the second in a series of 3 challenges Jesus faces when he arrives in Jerusalem – this time from the Sadducees. The Sadducees believed only in the Torah – the first 5 books of the Old Testament, which Christians sometimes refer to as the Pentateuch, which is Greek for “five books.” The Sadducees did not consider the books of the prophets authoritative, nor did they accept the wide body of oral tradition that the Pharisees adhered to. Since the Torah does not suggest that there is a resurrection or an afterlife, the Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection. The Sadducees tended to be wealthy. They made up a major portion of the political leadership among the Jews and tended to be collaborators with the Roman occupation. But those characteristics do not seem to be relevant here, where the question revolves around their religious beliefs. The Pharisees believed in a resurrection and an afterlife. They not only believed in an afterlife of the soul (as, for example, the Greeks believed); they also believed that our bodies are raised. They pointed to passages later in the Old Testament that provided varying degrees of support for such a position. Here are some of those passages: Isaiah 26:19 says, “Your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise.” Ezekiel 37:1-14 describes a vision of a valley of dry bones. The bones come back together and regain flesh and skin, breath enters them, and they come to life. Although in the passage itself the image is of a new Israel being restored after the exile to Babylon, Jews (and later, Christian commentators) saw it as a sign or foreshadowing of individual resurrection. Daniel 12:2 says that after a time of terrible persecution, “many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Psalm 73:24-25 says, “You guide me with your counsel, and afterward [or, in the end] receive me with honor [or, into glory].” This could merely mean that the psalmist will be restored, in this life, after when the difficulties he faces are over, but some saw it as a description of entering into God’s realm like Enoch (Gen. 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11-12), both of whom are described as being taken up to God without dying first. The Sadducees, who don’t believe in an afterlife, approach Jesus with a puzzle that they think shows the foolishness of believing in a resurrection. What is the problem the Sadducees pose? There is a commandment in the Old Testament, in Deuteronomy 25:5-10, that directs a man to marry his brother’s wife if his brother dies childless, so that through the first child of that union the brother will have a legal heir. Genesis 38:7-11 gives an example of a refusal to follow this command. Both of these books are part of the Torah, the limited part of the Hebrew Scriptures that the Sadducees acknowledged. The Sadducees imagine a series of brothers marrying the same woman, each dying before any offspring is produced, and they ask: Whose wife is she in heaven? In verse 29, Jesus tells them they are wrong (misled, led astray) for two reasons they don’t know the Scriptures and they don’t know the power of God. How is knowing both of those critical to the spiritual life? In verse 30, what does Jesus say about how they are thinking incorrectly? Jesus says there is no marriage in heaven, because in heaven people are like angels. It is important not to misinterpret the statement that humans are “like angels.” Humans in heaven are “like angels” in the sense that, like angels, they live forever and don’t need to engage in sexual reproduction in order to produce offspring and keep the family line alive (see New Oxford Annotated Bible, NRSV , Matthew 22:30 fn., p. 1780). This does not mean we are like angels in other ways; for example, unlike angels, we will have a body in heaven. Angels are a different kind of creature than humans. They only have a spiritual nature and don’t have a body or a material nature. Although Jesus frames his answer in terms of the Sadducees’ underlying assumption, common at the time, that the point of marriage is to carry forward the family line. This should not be misinterpreted to mean that that is the only purpose of marriage. St. Paul, and theologians and everyday believers throughout the centuries, have seen much more in marriage, in addition to its function of continuing an individual’s family line and ultimately propagating the species as a whole. In verses 31-32, Jesus turns specifically to the Scriptures. We might expect Jesus to focus on how they are wrong in not accepting the parts of the Old Testament that the Pharisees accept. Instead, in verse 32, Jesus quotes from Exodus 3:6, which is in the Torah, the part of the Old Testament that the Sadducees do accept. What does God say in Exodus 3:6, and why does Jesus argue that this indicates people do live on after death? In Exodus 3:6, God says, “I am” the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They must be alive, because otherwise God would have said, “I was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob before they died. The fact that he is still their God indicates that they are still alive. God is the God of the living, not the dead. The Sadducees are wrong about the Scriptures partly because of their crimped reading of the Torah. They think marriage works the same way in heaven as on earth, which shows that they think that heaven isn’t all that different from earth. Why is thinking that heaven is like earth such a big error, not just with regard to the question they asked but in our understanding of heaven more generally? Jesus also says the Sadducees are wrong about the Scriptures because they have not noticed a key statement by God in their Scriptures that presupposes that people do live on after death. What does this tell you about Scripture study? Now let’s come back to the fact that Jesus says in verse 29 that the Sadducees are also wrong because they do not know the power of God. What is it that they are missing about God’s power? They think that God is limited by what we understand from our human perspective. They think he is only powerful enough to create physical lives, which come and go. They don’t think that God has power over death and can extend life beyond death. At a fundamental level, they don’t understand how powerful God is. They underestimate God. In what ways do we tend to act like God is bound by human limitations or underestimate God’s ability to transcend problems that stump us? There are a lot of different threads in this exchange between Jesus and the Sadducees. What insights does this passage give you about God, or heaven, or the resurrection, or the Scriptures, or yourself? Take a step back and consider this: It is possible that the Sadducees didn’t really want to think of God as having a power and perspective that transcended theirs and could cut through their conundrums. They were very invested in their own power and comfortable with their own ways of seeing things. Accepting a God who transcends their power might have forced them to rethink some of the ways they were using their own power. How does our own desire for power affect our responsiveness to the power of God? How does our belief that we have power, at least in some areas of our lives, sometimes make it harder to appreciate the Scriptures and the power of God? Where, in your own life, do you need to let go of your preconceived notions about God and his ways? And replace them with what? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

The world and the Church will face difficult times, marked by lawlessness and apostasy, but in the end the Lord will be victorious. Previous 2 Thess. Index Next 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 The world and the Church will face difficult times, marked by lawlessness and apostasy, but in the end the Lord will be victorious. Image by Zac Durant provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti March 10, 2025 2 Thess. 2:1-12 What to expect before the end, including the appearance of the lawless one In verses 1-2, what has upset the Thessalonians? They think they have received information, either through a prophetic word from the Spirit or by a letter supposedly from Paul, saying that the Second Coming is already here or has already begun (see the Introduction ). In verse 1, Paul describes the Second Coming as our “assembling with” the Lord (NABRE) or being “gathered together to him” (NRSV) – it is when we will rejoin him and live with him forever. In verses 3-4, what two things does Paul say must happen before the Second Coming of Christ? There will be an apostasy – a time in which many people renounce the faith – and the lawless one will be revealed. In verses 3-4, how does Paul describe the lawless one (or man of lawlessness, or man of sin)? In verse 4, Paul describes this anti-Christ as seated in the temple of God. This image has been interpreted in a variety of ways ( Ignatius Catholic Study Bible , fn. to 2 Thess. 2:4, p. 382): Some church fathers saw this as referring to a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. I don’t think Paul would have seen it that way. The Temple was still standing in Jerusalem when he wrote this. The Jews had suffered the ignominy of having Antiochus IV sack Jerusalem and set up a statue of the Greek god Zeus in the Temple, but to Paul, the Temple in Jerusalem was no longer a focal point of God’s activity. God now resided in his people, not in a building (see next bullet). So Paul is not likely to have had the physical Temple in Jerusalem in mind. Some church fathers believed Paul was talking about the Church. This fits well with Paul’s other letters. To Paul, Christians individually (1 Cor. 3:16-17) and collectively (2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21) were and are the temple of God. Some scholars read the passage more metaphorically, seeing the Antichrist as placing himself symbolically in the place of God, in our hearts, in our nations, in our world. In verses 9-10, how does Paul describe the lawless one? Based on verses 10 and 11, what is the lawless one’s primary tool for doing his evil work? Deceit. In verse 7, Paul says that lawlessness is already at work in the world. What are some ways that you see lawlessness at work in your world? Lawlessness shows up in big ways (murder) and small ways (excessive speeding). It shows up in family abuse and neglect, in the sale of unsafe products by corporations and the failure to give workers their rights to overtime pay, in the “anything goes” attitude that infects many corners of the Internet, in athletes who break the rules in order to win, and the list goes on. If you look behind the surface manifestations of lawlessness, what would you say is the root cause behind the many different kinds of lawlessness in our world? There are many possible answers to this question. It could be the attitude that the law does not apply to me, that I decide what is right and wrong, that I’m more important than anyone else and my welfare and goals matter most. That could be described as selfishness. Another possible answer is that in our world there is an underlying disregard for human life or a dehumanization of others that desensitizes us to the ways we are out of control. The fact that a society allows these things to happen can lead to a resignation to the idea that there is no other way to live. Paul suggests that the lawlessness is not yet at flood level – it is restrained right now. Specifically, in verse 6 he tells the Thessalonians that they know what is restraining lawlessness right now, because he told them. We do not know what he told them and cannot be sure what he has in mind. Scholars disagree among themselves about what the restraining power is (verse 6) and who the one who restrains is (verse 7). Here are some of the explanations they offer (the following points are drawn from NABRE, fn. to 2 Thess. 2:6-7; and Ignatius Catholic Study Bible , “Word Study: Restraining (2 Thess.2:6),” p. 382): Some say the Roman Empire or the Roman emperor is the restraining force because they establish order. They point to Paul’s view of government in Romans 13:1-7 as support for this position. (Others argue against this view, pointing to the rampant abuses perpetrated by the Romans in their dealings with every nation they sought to conquer, control, and exploit, which Paul would have known well.) Some draw on Revelations 12:7-9 and 20:1-3 to suggest that angelic powers such as Michael the Archangel hold Satan back (2 Thess. 2:9). (Verse 7’s statement that the one who restrains the evil will be removed poses a problem for this interpretation.) Some say that God himself is the restrainer: that the Holy Spirit is the restraining power in verse 6 and God the Father is the one who restrains in verse 7. Some say that the preaching of the gospel holds lawlessness back, or that the need to allow time for the spread of the gospel to all nations holds off the end (Mark 13:10). Some argue that “restraining” is the wrong translation of the Greek word and that “seizing” is a more accurate translation. In this view, Paul is saying that an evil prophetic spirit like those seen in the worship of the Greek god Dionysius is seizing people in the Thessalonian Christian community and shaking them out of their wits (verse 2). Paul has warned them about it so that they can avoid it, but they have given in to deceit. But this is just a foretaste of the threat posed by the lawless one in the full power of his deceit. Given the wide range of guesses as to who or what Paul thinks is restraining lawlessness, it is not fruitful to spend too much time speculating about it. But 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that the Lord is patient and delays his coming so that all may come to repentance, and Revelation 20:2-3 tells us that we are living in the figurative “one-thousand-year” period between Jesus’s victory over sin and his final return, during which Satan is being restrained. In one way or another, God is restraining evil or allowing it to be restrained. In what ways do you see God restraining evil in our day and giving people time to repent and turn to him? In verse 8, Paul says that the Lord kills the lawless one by the breath of his mouth. This is a reference to Isaiah 11:4. In Isaiah 11:1-9, Isaiah issued a prophecy describing an ideal king from the line of David, the one who would come and set all things right. In verse 4 of that passage, he says that this shoot from the stump of Jesse, on whom the spirit of the Lord rests, would judge the poor with justice and slay the wicked with his breath. When Paul invokes the prophecy about Jesus in Isaiah 11:4 to say that the Lord slays the lawless one with the breath of his mouth, that prophecy says that the future Son of David will defend the poor and slay the wicked. How is the mistreatment of the poor a manifestation of the lawlessness in the world? How can we stand up for the poor against the lawless powers that mistreat them? In verses 10-12, Paul says that the lawless one, who is aligned with the power of Satan, deceives those who do not believe the truth. How can you know when you are being spiritually deceived? In verse 11, where Paul says God sends upon them a deceiving power or delusion (NABRE/NRSV), this is typical Jewish language of Paul’s time, where everything was attributed to God because nothing can happen unless God allows it. Since God does not tempt anyone to do evil (James 1:13), it is wisest to interpret this passage as talking about God’s permissive will, not his direct action – i.e., that God allows it, not that he causes it. God does not tempt us to do evil, but he does not shield us from being deceived when we have refused to accept the truth. The hinge or linchpin around which this whole passage revolves is verse 8. What does it say the Lord will do? If the Lord will destroy this evil one when he comes in his Second Coming, with what attitude can we approach the future? In verse 8, the Lord gains victory over the lawless one by a simple word – the breath of his mouth. God speaks a word in Genesis 1 and Creation comes into being. Jesus speaks a word in Mark 4:39 and the roaring storm is stilled. There is no battle between God and the lawless one; God merely issue a word and the opposition is gone. What does this ability of God to issue a word say to you in your life? Notice that this passage began by saying that these things must happen before the Second Coming of the Lord. Therefore, he is telling them that “the day of the Lord” is not at hand; it is not almost about to happen. A lot of other things must happen first. What they should worry about is not the timing of the Lord’s return but the risk of being deceived and losing their faith. What are the things in your life today that might pose a risk that you might lose your faith? What can you do about it? What message in this passage is important to you? Take a step back and consider this: Paul is trying to walk a fine line: telling the Thessalonians about the future and the Second Coming of Christ but not having them become overly preoccupied by it. That is probably a wise approach for us as well. Why is a basic understanding of the Second Coming of Christ an important element of our faith? Why is it more important to focus on what is going on in the here-and-now and not get too worked up (as the Thessalonians had) about possible signs of the future “end times”? How can you strike this balance? In particular, what is one thing (or more) that you should hang onto about Christ’s Second Coming and one thing (or more) that you should focus on as more important right now than the timing of the end times? Bibliography See 2 Thessalonians - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/2-thessalonians/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 2 Thess. Index Next

Jesus offers the same salvation to all – high or low, early or late – and asks us to adopt his attitude, which is that many who are last will be first. Can we embrace his approach? Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus offers the same salvation to all – high or low, early or late – and asks us to adopt his attitude, which is that many who are last will be first. Can we embrace his approach? Lawrence W. Ladd (fl. 1865–1895). Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard . Circa 1880. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC. Public domain, via SAAM , https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/parable-laborers-vineyard-14162 . Tom Faletti July 4, 2025 Matthew 20:1-16 The parable of the vineyard owner and the laborers; the last shall be first This parable can be interpreted on many different levels, which we will explore; but first, we need to understand what actually happens in the story. Jesus tells a story about a landowner and laborers, but according to the first few words of verse 1, what is this parable really about? The kingdom of heaven. What does the landowner do early in the morning and what does he do at various times later in the day? How much does he agree to pay the first group of workers? A denarius was the standard daily wage. It was enough for a man to feed his family the next day. If he didn’t get a daily wage, his children very possibly might go hungry. Do the laborers agree to receive that wage? The landowner’s actions and the laborers’ actions were perfectly normal for that time. Workers who did not have a steady job would go to the marketplace and hope to be hired for a day’s work. When the harvest was ready, landowners needed a large number of people to bring in the crop quickly. Rain or other weather problems could ruin the crop, and it could go bad if it is left in the field too long. So the landowner needed everyone he could get. At the same time, the economic lives of common laborers were very precarious: they never knew from day to day whether they would be able to eat the next day – it all depended on whether they found work that day. We see this day-labor economy in many places. Where I live in the nation’s capital, I have often seen groups of day laborers in the Home Depot parking lot hoping they can get some work for the day. When the landowner goes back to the marketplace later in the day, he finds more workers. What wage do they agree to? They agree to his offer to be paid whatever is right, or righteous, or just. The Greek word here is díkaios , which is often used to distinguish a “righteous” person from a sinner. He’s saying to them, I’ll do the right thing; I’ll treat you right. Why do you think the laborers accept that vague statement? By the time he is hiring more workers at the end of the day, he doesn’t even talk about money. He just tells them to go work and they do. Why do you think they go work without any agreement about money? They are just grateful to no longer be standing around. A little pay would be better than no pay at all. When it is time to pay the workers, the landowner starts with the workers he hired last. Jesus tells the story this way to make a point. He is not saying this is how a boss would act or should act. It is a device he is using to make his point. How did the workers hired first react when everyone had been paid? Did the landowner cheat the workers who were hired first? Now let’s dig deeper. Level #1 Remember that this is a story about what (verse 1): the kingdom of heaven. So who in the parable stands for what in the kingdom of heaven? The landowner represents who? The workers hired first represent who? The workers hired last represent who? The landowner is God. The first group of workers is probably the devout Jews who keep challenging Jesus, people who have been devoting their lives to God from their childhood. The workers who come later are perhaps the “tax collectors and sinners” that Jesus has been welcoming into his kingdom, or perhaps Gentiles. What is the point Jesus is making about the kingdom of heaven? As we connect the story to the kingdom of heaven, what is the “pay” the workers receive? We are saved by grace, not be our works, so what is the “pay”? If the answer is “salvation,” what does that mean? Now, Matthew might have included this story to make a point about devout Jews and “sinners,” or about Jews and Gentiles. What would the point be? Different people say this in different ways, for example: All people receive the same salvation; all people receive eternal life; all people receive access to God. In verse 13, when the first group complains, what does the landowner call the one he responds to? Jesus calls him “Friend.” What does Jesus’s use of the word “friend” in verse 13 tell us about his attitude toward those who challenge him because they don’t like his egalitarianism? The workers who started in the morning could be interpreted as those who developed a commitment to Jesus from their childhood, in contrast to those who came to faith in adulthood or even at the very end of their lives. For that interpretation, what would the point be? Do people receive a greater reward from God if they come to faith earlier in life? They get to live more of their life in communion with God while they are still alive, but do they receive a greater salvation? Can the point of the parable be applied to other comparisons people might make? For example, is the reward of salvation greater for the speaker at a church event, compared to the person who provides the refreshments, the person who puts away the chairs afterwards, or the person who just comes in, listens, and goes home? In what ways do those things matter and in what ways do they not? Conclusion #1 : All who work for God will receive the same salvation: forgiveness of their sins and life forever with God – regardless of whether they came to God early in life or later. God saves all who work in his kingdom and loves all of them. Level #2 The reaction of the laborers who started first, when they see what the other workers are paid, is why Jesus told the story in the order he did. If he had said that the landowner paid the early workers first, those workers would never have found out that the workers who came last were paid the same amount, and we would not have been able to see their attitude toward the other workers. What is their attitude toward the workers who came later? The landowner implies that they do not have the right attitude. Why is it that attitude a problem? A BIG NOTE OF CAUTION: Some people are bothered by this story because they think that paying the workers who come late the same wage as the workers who start early will encourage laziness . They are bringing their own biases to the story. The story does not say that the workers who were hired later were lazy people who slept late and only came to the marketplace at the end of the day. The story says they were “idle,” but it does not use that word pejoratively. It doesn’t say it was their fault that they hadn’t found a job. It doesn’t even say they showed up late. They could have been waiting all day for someone to hire them. The story doesn’t say the landowner hired all of the people who were looking for work early in the morning. Perhaps the landowner originally thought 20 workers would be enough to bring in the harvest, but as the day progressed, it became clear that he needed more, so he went back to the marketplace. They might have been there from the beginning. Or perhaps some workers were taking care of a sick member of the family in the morning, or were themselves sick, or were testifying in court that morning, or were burying a loved one. If we choose to see them as lazy, we are injecting our own biases into the story. Jesus does not say they were lazy or at fault in any way. This leads us to consider the attitudes of the various groups of workers. At the beginning of the day for the first group of laborers, when they first encounter the landowner and their relationship begins, what do you think is the attitude of the first group of workers toward the landowner and the work they are getting from him? It's a contract – you pay me the normal wage, and I will work for you. Notice that when they challenge the landowner, they inject a sour note into their relationship with the landowner. When the second group of workers first encounter the landowner and their relationship begins, what is their attitude toward the landowner and the pay he is offering? They choose to trust him that he will be fair. When the later groups first encounter the landowner and their relationship begins, what do you think their attitude is toward the landowner and the pay they are likely to get? They also trust him. They don’t know what they will get, but they trust that the landowner will pay them something reasonable. Which attitude better reflects what God hopes to see in his followers? Why? What does this tell us about how we should feel about having the privilege of working in God’s vineyard, of being a member of God’s kingdom? It calls us to humility. If you’ve decided to work for God, trust him and don’t second-guess what he is doing with other workers in his kingdom. Conclusion #2 : Our attitude towards other people and their access to salvation can sour our relationship with God and with each other, and can even taint our thinking about the privilege of being in a relationship with God. There are two more levels of application to look at: This landowner recognizes that all people should have what they need for their daily bread. The last shall be first. God actually seems to care more about those who the world cares less about, because the world cares less about them. Level #3 The Catholic Church has a long history of concern for economic relationships in society and has developed an extensive body of teaching, often called “Catholic social teaching,” regarding how to apply Christian principles to social issues, especially issues related to God’s desire for justice. (And many other denominations have similar teachings.) One of the core principles in Catholic social teaching involves the dignity of work and the rights of workers. Two of the ways that Catholic social teaching develops that principle are relevant to this passage: (1) That everyone has a right to work, and (2) that everyone has a right to a living wage for their work. How do you see those principles affirmed in this passage? How might these principles be put into practice in our society? Ever since Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum in 1891, the Catholic Church has called for a minimum wage that is high enough to allow a worker to cover the basic needs of the worker and his or her family. Some people call that a “living wage” to distinguish it from a bare minimum wage that is not high enough to support a family. Ensuring a right to work – that everyone who desires to work can find a job – is a more difficult policy challenge, but some governments do more than others to try to ensure that everyone seeking work can find a job. Do you see ways that we are falling short of these goals for work, and what can we do about it? Conclusion #3 : We pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” but God also asks us to try construct our societies so that people can work for their daily bread and other basic needs. Workers have a right to work and a right to be paid enough to cover the basic needs of themselves and their families. Level #4 Now let’s look at a final point here that is often given little attention. Jesus says almost the same thing right before and right after he tells this story. In Matthew 19:30, he says, “But many of the first will be last, and the last, first,” and Matthew 20:16 is similar, without the “many”. This is a different point than the point about salvation being given also to those who come late. What is added by making this declaration about the last and the first? What does “first” mean? First in what? The only way to make sense of this is to interpret the “first” to mean those who are first in the eyes of the world – highest in status, wealth, sex appeal, fame, applause, followers on social media, etc. What does “last” mean? Last in what? In what ways are we – you and I – last? In what ways are we first? Notice that in Matthew 19:30, Jesus says, “ Many of the first will be last, and the last, first.” Why do think he qualifies it with “many,” as though it will not be true of everyone? What kind of person who is “first” in the eyes of the world might not be “last” in the kingdom of heaven? And what kind of person who is “last” in the eyes of the world might not be “first” in the kingdom of heaven? If everyone receives the same salvation by grace as a gift from God, does it make sense to talk about first and last? What is Jesus trying to tell us when he says, “The last shall be first”? What does it tell us about how God thinks? Notice that Jesus doesn’t say, “The first will end up even with those who were last, and the last will finally catch up.” What does this tell us about God’s perspective? God sees things differently than we do, in his downside-up view (see God’s Downside-Up View of the World , with additional Scripture passages in God Takes a Downside-Up View of the World ). As God sees it, those who are seen as less important or further behind in this life are all the more of concern to him. If you ever find yourself thinking that you have more of a right to God’s favor than someone else, he might tell you that you’re missing something and someone else has moved ahead. Conclusion #4 : If you want to know what God is thinking about, what perspective God is looking from, look from the bottom up, because God is noticing what things look like from the bottom, from the people who are “last” in the world’s eyes. He wants all of us to see the world from his upside-down view – to understand that many of the last will be first. Looking over the whole parable and Jesus’s closing comment, what does this passage tell us about God? What does it tell us about God’s attitude toward us? What does it tell us about how we should live? Are you a Christian because of the reward you will get – the “pay” that comes when you die or at some other point in your life? Or are you a Christian because of the relationship and the privilege and the joy of participating in God’s work? Explain. Take a step back and consider this: It can be very hard for us to think as God thinks. We get too focused on ourselves. This parable reminds me of a poem by Shel Silverstein: God’s Wheel by Shel Silverstein God says to me with kind of a smile, “Hey how would you like to be God awhile And steer the world?” “Okay,” says I, “I’ll give it a try. Where do I set? How much do I get? What time is lunch? When can I quit?” “Gimme back that wheel,” says God, “I don’t think you’re quite ready yet.” (Source: Shel Silverstein, A Light in the Attic , HarperCollins, 1981, p. 152.) What are some ways that we tend to think we know better than God what he should do in our world? It is hard to see our own blind spots. Do you have any idea where you tend to think you know better than God? What can you do to more fully take on God’s perspective on our world? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

We explore how to apply the Bible to our everyday lives today, with Bible Study resources for individual and small group study, including background and questions. Bible Study New Testament Matthew Mark Luke John 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians Philemon Other Studies Jubilee Year 2025 Mary, Jesus' Mother Leading a Study Old Testament (I hope to get to the Old Testament, but the New Testament is my first priority.) Why use Faith Explored Bible Studies? Faith Explored Bible Studies provide study materials that equip individuals and small groups so that they can study the Bible confidently and apply it to their lives in practical ways. Each study includes: Thought-provoking questions that challenge us to apply the Word of God to our lives today. Just enough background and commentary to guide us through the passages that might be confusing. Thoughtful reflections that encourage us to take Jesus seriously and live our lives fully for Him. Our studies are not scholarly tomes filled with dry academic analysis (although we provide analysis), and our studies are not simply devotional (although we provide reflections that encourage faith). What makes Faith Explored different and potentially life-changing is that we offer a wide variety of questions on every passage that lead people to grapple with the text: What does it really say? What does it mean? And how can we apply it in our lives today? Our goal is useful knowledge and spiritual transformation . Why study the Bible? The Word of God is "living and active" (Hebrew 4:12) When we read the Bible, the word of God comes alive in our hearts. It is not a dead letter from the past, but God’s timeless message for us today. When we study the Bible, God does amazing things in us. He comforts, encourages, teaches, challenges, and empowers us. The Word of God fills us with the love of our Father and Creator, transforms us to live like Jesus, and opens our hearts to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is “a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105) God’s Word shows us the way to live in this world. We face so many challenges in our desire to live lives that honor God. The Word of God shines a light that illuminates the way. It shows us how to deal with the challenges in our lives, how to think like Jesus, and how to be a follower of Jesus in every aspect of our lives. If you want to learn more about what God is saying to us and how to apply God’s Word to our lives today, pick a book of the Bible and dive in! Leading a Small-Group Bible Study We have leadership training materials with a variety of tips and techniques for leaders. These materials can help leaders guide a small-group Bible Study in a way that helps the group explore the Bible deeply and function well together. See our small group leadership training materials here: Leading a Small-Group Bible Study . Image at top and Bible Study group image both provided by Wix.

Members of Faith Explored can post comments and questions on the Faith Explored blog. Subscribing (free) gives you an email notification when new posts are added. Thank You for Being a Member! We appreciate you! Members can comment on posts and asks questions, which can help you and others grow in their faith. If you have not already subscribed to receive email notifications when we post new articles, please do so. Receiving notice of new material will help you get the most out of our website . Subscribe to receive email notifications of new posts What Would You Like to Do Now? Explore a Bible study to grow in your faith: Matthew Philemon John Hope 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians Mary Read an article on how to apply the Bible to everyday life: God Loves You More God loves you more than the birds, more than the moon and stars, more than you can imagine. Listen to Matthew West as he expresses these truths in his powerful song “More.” Then accept and embrace God's love, and shine brightly. Have a Yes Mindset: Let Your Default Setting Be to Say Yes to the Good I was blessed with wonderful parents whose default position was to say Yes if they could. Jesus modeled the Yes mindset. Those who refuse to provide SNAP benefits for the hungry show a No mindset. We all have to decide whether we approach life with a Yes mindset or a No mindset, and for whose benefit we are most likely to say Yes. I Wince When I Hear People Say That Bad Things are God’s Will I was watching a movie last night, and a character explained something bad that happened by saying, "It was God's will." Christians sometimes say this. But, while God allows evil, he does not cause evil, and evil is never his will. We need to be more precise in our language and ask the right questions. Empty Yourself to be Filled God doesn’t force us to let him be part of our lives. Read this wonderful poem by Thomas Edward Brown, touted by Madeleine L’Engle, that calls us to make room for him so that he can fill us with himself. Are we too full of ourselves to make a space for him? “If thou could'st empty all thyself of self....” A Lesson from the Creators of Les Misérables Les Misérables director John Caird says, "As a bunch of liberal humanists, we had tried to avoid every mention of religion, [but] sewing God into the show was what animated the characters." We have the same opportunity: to let God sew himself into the fabric of our lives so that he animates our character and gives life to everything we do. We Are Called to Cultivate and Care for the Earth and Its People Evangelical and Catholic Christians all over the world, except for some in the United States, know that climate change is real and are working to reverse the damage to our planet and address the ways it disrupts and devastates so many lives. At a conference, Pope Leo said: God will ask us if we cultivated and cared for the world and took care of our brothers and sisters. In the Bible, God commands us to do both. Do we? Image at top  Mateus Campos Felipe, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Oher images provided by Wix.

Subscribing to Faith Explored is free and lets you receive an email notification when new posts are added that can help you apply the Bible to your everyday life. Thank You for Subscribing! We appreciate you! As a subscriber you will receive email notifications when we post new articles, which can help you grow in your faith! If you haven't already become a member, join here to post comments: Become a member Check Out Our Blog Posts What Would You Like to Do Now? Explore a Bible study to grow in your faith: Matthew Philemon John Hope 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians Mary Read an article on how to apply the Bible to everyday life: God Loves You More God loves you more than the birds, more than the moon and stars, more than you can imagine. Listen to Matthew West as he expresses these truths in his powerful song “More.” Then accept and embrace God's love, and shine brightly. Have a Yes Mindset: Let Your Default Setting Be to Say Yes to the Good I was blessed with wonderful parents whose default position was to say Yes if they could. Jesus modeled the Yes mindset. Those who refuse to provide SNAP benefits for the hungry show a No mindset. We all have to decide whether we approach life with a Yes mindset or a No mindset, and for whose benefit we are most likely to say Yes. I Wince When I Hear People Say That Bad Things are God’s Will I was watching a movie last night, and a character explained something bad that happened by saying, "It was God's will." Christians sometimes say this. But, while God allows evil, he does not cause evil, and evil is never his will. We need to be more precise in our language and ask the right questions. Empty Yourself to be Filled God doesn’t force us to let him be part of our lives. Read this wonderful poem by Thomas Edward Brown, touted by Madeleine L’Engle, that calls us to make room for him so that he can fill us with himself. Are we too full of ourselves to make a space for him? “If thou could'st empty all thyself of self....” A Lesson from the Creators of Les Misérables Les Misérables director John Caird says, "As a bunch of liberal humanists, we had tried to avoid every mention of religion, [but] sewing God into the show was what animated the characters." We have the same opportunity: to let God sew himself into the fabric of our lives so that he animates our character and gives life to everything we do. We Are Called to Cultivate and Care for the Earth and Its People Evangelical and Catholic Christians all over the world, except for some in the United States, know that climate change is real and are working to reverse the damage to our planet and address the ways it disrupts and devastates so many lives. At a conference, Pope Leo said: God will ask us if we cultivated and cared for the world and took care of our brothers and sisters. In the Bible, God commands us to do both. Do we? Image at top  Mateus Campos Felipe, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Oher images provided by Wix.