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Previous Next Jubilee Year 2025: Embrace God’s Hope and Extend It to All Session 5: Where signs of hope are needed today, part 3, and broader appeals for hope The poor; the goods of the earth, debt, economic priorities; synodality. (Read paragraphs 15-17) Link to S pes Non Confundit Photo by Tom Faletti, Berlin, Germany, June 20, 2024. Tom Faletti November 16, 2024 Some of the greatest divides in the world seem to revolve around economics and religion. In the parts of Spes Non Confundit that we explore in this session, Pope Francis starts by voicing God’s special concern for the poor. He then offers proposals for responding to the divide between wealthy and poorer nations. Finally, he highlights the Church’s long history of synodality as part of a call for greater unity among God’s people in the Church. Our study guide questions will help us explore how we can live lives that show greater solidarity with the poor, how we might appeal to our leaders to place a greater priority on meeting the needs of the poor and providing justice for all, and how we can promote unity in the Church. Rather than shaking our heads in despair at the challenges around us, we are called to find ways to work for justice and unity in our world and in our Church. Our loving God stands on the side of responsive hope rather than idle despair. Read paragraphs 15-17 in preparation for this session. Paragraph 15 (the poor) 🔗 In paragraph 15, Pope Francis gives an impassioned plea on behalf of the poor. What are some of the ways he sees them being neglected and impoverished? Why does he say that it is “scandalous” that “the poor continue to be the majority of the planet’s population” (par. 15)? In what ways could it be said of the poor in our society that “their problems are brought up as an afterthought” (par. 15)? What can be done about this? Pope Francis says that when we see “the constant tide of new forms of impoverishment, we can easily grow inured and resigned” (par. 15). What does he mean? How does poverty drain people of hope? Poverty is such a complex challenge that most societies look to governments for help in addressing it. How might our governments do a better job of addressing poverty? Read 1 John 3:16-17 What does John tell us in 1 John 3:17? What is our personal role in helping those in need? According to 1 John 3:16, who is our example for how we should treat others, and what do you think it calls you to do as a follower of Christ? What are some concrete things you could do, on your own or with others, to reduce some of the poverty around you or in our world? If Christians engaged in more concerted efforts to help the poor, how might that give them (the doers) greater hope? How can you live a life that is more fully identified with the poor as an act of solidarity? Suggested Activities: Explore the work of Catholic Relief Services , which provides developmental assistance to communities in need all over the world and provides opportunities for church members to advocate for governmental action to address poverty around the world. Consider a more frugal and earth-sustaining lifestyle. Distinguish between needs, wants, and luxuries when you are considering purchases. If you save money this way, consider giving some of it to organizations that serve the poor. (Section 4) Appeals for hope In this section, Pope Francis discusses some broader areas where hope is needed. Paragraph 16 (the goods of the earth, debt, and economic priorities) 🔗 Pope Francis says that the goods of the earth are for everyone, not for a privileged few. This runs contrary to the prevailing view that whatever you own is yours – period, end of story. In paragraph 16, Pope Francis make a specific request of the rich. What does he ask them to do? In the same paragraph, Pope Francis makes a specific request of governments. What does he ask them to do with the money spent on weapons? Read Matthew 25:41-42 and 25:45 What does Jesus say about our failure to provide food and water to those who need it? There is enough food in the world to feed everyone, but the food is not distributed equitably enough to meet all people’s basic needs. What does this say about our priorities? What changes is Pope Francis asking us to make in our priorities? What are one or two things you could do – either directly or as an advocate appealing to people in power – to try to reduce poverty and increase access to food and water? Suggested Activity: Explore the work of Bread for the World , a Christian organization that is the leading anti-hunger voice in the halls of Congress. This group helps church members and other people of good will become advocates for action as it calls on our leaders to take the necessary steps to end malnutrition and hunger in our nation and our world. Read Matthew 10:42 What does Jesus say about giving someone a cup of cold water? We may not directly encounter someone who is in need of a cup of water, but we can support organizations and government programs that provide access to clean water to people who don’t have it. Would that be an appropriate response to Jesus’s statement here? If so, should it be a priority? Why or why not? How would advocating or taking action to provide food and water increase hope, not only in the recipients but also in you? Read Leviticus 25:13-24 The Law of Moses prescribed that every 50th year (the jubilee year) all land would be returned to its original owner, so that families would not be indebted forever. Pope Francis quotes from Leviticus 25:23, where the Lord tells the Israelites that they are tenants on the land, not permanent owners, because the land belongs to God. If we viewed land this way in our society, how might that lead to changes in the situation of the poor? We might not be able to implement the full vision of Leviticus 25:23, but what might we do to move closer to a society where people are not mired in debt? In the second part of paragraph 16, Pope Francis raises the issue of debt relief for countries that cannot repay their loans. He notes that economic disparities have arisen in part because wealthy countries use a disproportionate share of the earth’s natural resources. Would you be willing to support programs that try to address the injustices of the past by helping indebted countries get a fresh start? Why or why not? What might you do to learn more about the colonial practices that impoverished so many nations in Africa, South America, and South Asia and the economic imbalances that still affect them? Suggested Activity: Do some research to learn more about the history of colonization, the ways wealthy and powerful nations have extracted wealth from poorer and weaker nations, and how the power imbalances of the past continue to hold back the development of the nations of the global South today. Share what you learn with a friend or neighbor. Paragraph 17 (synodality) 🔗 In paragraph 17, Pope Francis notes that 2025 is the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, where bishops approved the bulk of the Nicene Creed that we proclaim at Mass every Sunday. The Pope does not mention this merely to remind us of Church history and doctrine, but to illustrate the value and importance of church synods in the life of the Church. In paragraph 17, Pope Francis discusses the concept of synodality, which goes back to the early days of the Church. Why does Pope Francis say that synodality is important? How might a synodal approach to Church life help build unity? In the third part of paragraph 17, Pope Francis quotes Jesus’s prayer for unity, which appears in John 17:21. How does Jesus connect the unity of believers with the unity of the Father and Son? According to Jesus’s prayer, how can unity in the Church have an effect that goes beyond the Church itself? How can we support the Church’s efforts to express unity through synodality? Suggested Activity: Reach out to someone in your parish who thinks differently than you on issues related to the Church or politics. Invite them to get together with you for coffee so that you can listen to their perspective. Let the conversation proceed without any intention to convince the other person – just listen and learn. The very act of listening is part of what synodality is about. It helps build unity, even when we don’t agree. Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com . See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Next Join Faith Explored and Join the Conversation! If you are a member of Faith Explored (click here to join) and would like to react to or ask a question about any material here, please post a question in the forum or send an email using the Contact form at the bottom of the page. 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Previous Next Justice and the Bible God wants Christians to work for justice. Image provided by Wix/Unsplash. Tom Faletti February 28, 2024 In the Bible, God repeatedly calls us to work for justice. Here is a short overview of the many Scripture passages where God’s demand that we work for justice is clear : God makes every human person in his image (Genesis 1:27) and tells us to treat all people with respect (1 Peter 2:17). Jesus tells us that he is present in every person in need (Matthew 25:34-40). Repeatedly, throughout the Old Testament, God demands that his people establish justice in their society (Amos 5:15), end the oppression of immigrants and those who are poor (Zechariah 7:8-11), provide for the poor and alien (Leviticus 23:22), and treat the immigrant like a citizen (Leviticus 19:33-34). He tells us to free the oppressed and provide for the needy (Isaiah 58:6-7). He calls us to defend the weak, the poor, and the oppressed (Psalm 82:3-4). He tells businesses to treat their customers fairly (Leviticus 19:35-36; 23:35-36) and to pay just wages to their workers (Deuteronomy 24:14-15; James 5:4). He tells governmental leaders to seek justice, defend the oppressed, and take up the cause of those who are at the bottom of society (Isaiah 1:17; Jeremiah 22:3). He directs those in political authority to act with justice and deliver the needy from those who oppress them (Psalm 72). How can we follow the Lord’s commands to establish justice in our land if we do not work to transform the social and political structures of our society? With so many Scripture passages directing us to take action for justice, how can any preacher suggest that salvation is just between you and God and we don’t need to be involved in transforming our society, our government, our businesses, and our culture? Furthermore, if we live in a democracy, we are responsible for our government’s laws. We cannot claim that God does not care if we allow laws that violate the principles of justice He has established – we are responsible to choose, guide, and influence our lawmakers, who are responsible to work for justice on our behalf. God demands that we get involved. He will hold us accountable for our response to His call to seek justice in our world. May we respond to God’s intense desire for justice and join His work to make it so. Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com . See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Next Join Faith Explored and Join the Conversation! If you are a member of Faith Explored (click here to join) and would like to react to or ask a question about any material here, please post a question in the forum or send an email using the Contact form at the bottom of the page. Use these links to become a member and join the conversation: Become a Member Forum Page Blog Page

Previous Next Important Functions of Leaders What are your goals as a small-group Bible Study leader, and what do you need to do to fulfill the role you have taken on? Image provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti March 25, 2024 Bible Study groups seek to accomplish at least three important goals: (1) increase people’s understanding of the Bible, (2) foster spiritual growth through the application of God’s Word, and (3) provide a place to experience Christian community. Although leaders have different styles, leaders of every style need to try to fulfill several important functions as they guide their groups. 1. Ask all 3 types of questions. In order to facilitate both the understanding and application of God’s Word, a leader must ask all 3 major types of questions: Questions of fact : What does the passage say? Questions of interpretation : What does it mean? Questions for application : How can we apply it to our lives? Some leaders focus on the 2nd and 3rd types of questions but leave out the “What does it say?” questions. This leads to misunderstandings, as people jump to conclusions about what the Bible says and get it wrong. Some leaders focus on the 1st and 2nd types of questions but leave out the application questions. This leads to dry studies that seldom change lives. Make sure you ask a specific, challenging application question about every passage. A general question like “Where do you see this in our world?” will not change lives the way a specific question like “Where do you experience this in your own life?” can. Personal application questions are a key to having a thriving group. 2. Manage the time. A leader must stay aware of the time and manage it carefully. Leave plenty of time for application questions. Don’t let the first two type of questions squeeze out the chance to talk about how to apply the truths we have discussed. Don’t be afraid to gently redirect the conversation. Sometimes this is as simple as asking another question or drawing the group’s attention back to a particular verse. Break the passage down into manageable chunks. If you make your chunks too large, you can easily overlook key points. Sometimes it is helpful to say, “Let’s read verses 25 through 36 but focus first on verses 25 to 30.” Then you can ask questions about the first half of the passage before you discuss the second half. 3. Always welcome other people and their ideas. A leader must help set people at ease. People will not be able to be open to what the Scripture says if the group or the leader do not demonstrate an openness to them. Your openness to them sets the stage for their openness to God. Don’t try to refute every idea you think is wrong. It’s OK to leave unchallenged things that you disagree with. Sometimes you will want to point out that church teaching or scholars view the matter differently, but do it in a gentle way that doesn’t prevent future sharing. Otherwise, people will simply keep silent about their views. By allowing room for differing views, we allow room for the Holy Spirit to slowly guide people into a clearer understanding of God’s truths. 4. Encourage faith. A leader must guide the group toward a faith-filled response to God. When people express doubts about a Scripture passage, we need to give them space to share those concerns. At the same time, we want to encourage a faith-filled response to God’s Word. Often, the best way to do this is not by challenging the doubter but simply by expressing our own faith and our confidence that God is with us even in our doubts. We can tell Him how we feel and still try to stay open to Him. Our attitude of faith will rub off on others much more than anything we say. Don’t be afraid to express your faith and encourage and praise the faith-based responses of others. Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Next Join Faith Explored and Join the Conversation! If you are a member of Faith Explored (click here to join) and would like to react to or ask a question about any material here, please post a question in the forum or send an email using the Contact form at the bottom of the page. Use these links to become a member and join the conversation: Become a Member Forum Page Blog Page

Previous Next Matthew 19:16-22 The danger of riches: What kind of grip do they have on you? Tom Faletti February 13, 2024 Matthew 19:16-22 The rich young man Why do you think Jesus starts off by asking the man why he is asking about the good? Describe the young man. Besides being rich, what kind of person was he? Some people might say that the young man was a “good person” who also happened to be rich. Do you know people like that? Others might say he was person who followed religious rules but kept his wealth to himself and didn’t care about the poor. Do you know people like that? In verse 16, the young man asks: What good deed (singular) must I do? At first, it sounds like he thinks there is one magic step that would guarantee him eternal life. How would you answer, if someone asked you what is the one thing they need to do to go to heaven? My answer, which would show that faith (and life) is more complicated than that, might be: The one thing you need to do is to give every part of your life over to Jesus to serve him. In other words, there isn’t one simple, single thing. When the young man asks which commandments he needs to keep, what is Jesus’s response? Notice that Jesus includes not only parts of the Ten Commandments but also to love your neighbor as yourself. How does that up the ante for what is expected? In verse 20, we find out what the heart of the problem is. This young man has been striving valiantly to fulfill all of the laws in the Old Testament (and there were very many! – 613 of them). He still feels a void. The very fact that he is asking this question, rather than feeling smug in his devotion to the Law, tells you the internal struggle he is going through. You can hear the pain in his voice as he asks, “What do I still lack?” (19:20, NABRE) Have you ever hit a point in your spiritual life where you felt like you were doing everything you were supposed to be doing and it still wasn’t enough? If so, what did you learn from that time of struggle? In verse 21, Jesus prefaces his directive to sell all with the phrase, “If you wish to be perfect.” The Greek word translated “perfect” here means complete or finished and responds to the man’s sense of being unfinished in his pursuit of eternal life. Jesus is inviting the young man to a new level of perfection or completion in his desire to follow God. In verse 21, Jesus tells the young man that to address what he feels is lacking in his life, he needs to sell his possessions, give the money to the poor, and come follow Jesus – i.e., follow him completely, without any earthly attachments. How might that address what the young man feels is lacking in his life? Do you think this directive to sell all you have applies to all people, or was it specifically chosen to meet the need of this young man? Consider that while many people shared from their wealth in the early church, they were not required to do so – see, for example, Acts 5:1-4. Also consider friends of Jesus such as Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, who did not sell all they had and follow him. If we don’t give up our possessions, does that mean we can’t be “perfect”? Does it mean we can’t go to heaven? Does it mean there is some stage of discipleship that we will miss out on? Why might riches be an obstacle to perfect discipleship? Members of my Bible Study group offered answers such as: They might lead people to think they don’t need God. They might be a distraction from what is important to God. They might cause us to put our focus on material things instead of the things that matter most to God. They might encourage us to focus on ourselves, our own ego and interests, and become selfish. For you, how might your possessions and wealth (however big or small) be an obstacle to following Jesus more perfectly or completely? Some people think that Jesus was asking this particular young man to take the step he needed to take to fulfill his calling, but that it does not necessarily apply to all people. Why might this not apply to everyone? What might be the particular step you need to take to fulfill your calling? Take a step back and consider: Since each of us is unique, it wouldn’t be surprising that what one person needs is different than what another person needs. One person feels called to the priesthood, another to a marriage relationship, and a third never feels a tug in either of those directions. One person feels called to government service and another to the world of high finance. One person is a prosecutor while another is a public defender. One person feels called to the interior life of prayer and meditation, while another is devoted to a wide range of social relationships and activities. God has made each of us unique. Yet whoever we are, wherever we are, we need to come to grips with our relationship with possessions. Even a hermit might have to struggle with this: Where do “things” fit into my life and how do they affect my spiritual life? There are many people who will tell you how to deal with the possessions in your house, whether by buying closet organizers, sorting things into piles, or gently giving them away. Jesus’s concern here is not where you put your possessions, but what hold they might have on your heart. What is your current relationship with your possessions? Do you give them an appropriate priority, or do they tend to overshadow things that are more important? Are things that have a “grip” on you that you need to break free from? Is there something you need to do with your possessions to address something lacking in your spiritual life? Bibliography Click here for the bibliography . Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com . See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Next Join Faith Explored and Join the Conversation! If you are a member of Faith Explored (click here to join) and would like to react to or ask a question about any material here, please post a question in the forum or send an email using the Contact form at the bottom of the page. Use these links to become a member and join the conversation: Become a Member Forum Page Blog Page

Previous Next Matthew 4:18-25 Jesus gathers disciples and followers. Tom Faletti March 22, 2024 Matthew 4:18-22 Jesus gathers disciples As we saw in the previous passage, something significant is happening. Jesus went to the wilderness where John was baptizing and then returned home. But now he has moved from his more rural village to a commercial town on the Sea of Galilee. He has taken up John’s message: to repent for the kingdom of heaven is here. But he is not preaching that message out in the desert, far from towns, as John was. Instead, he is preaching it in an important commercial town in his region, and soon he will be going from town to town. Whereas John waited for the people to come away to him, Jesus is taking the message to the people where they live and work. Why is this significant? Who does Jesus call? Fishing is not a job for everyone. It takes a person of a special character to handle the challenges faced by fishers. What do you see in the character of successful fishermen that might be useful for more than just fishing? Barclay suggests these attributes: patience, perseverance, courage, an eye for the right moment, and keeping oneself out of sight – see Barclay, Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 73-74). How might these be good attributes for people called to the task of evangelization –called to share a controversial message about God with people who might not yet be interested? What does Jesus say to these fishermen? Why do you think they followed him? John 1:35-42 tells us that their decision to follow Jesus was not as abrupt as it sounds. Andrew had been a follower of John the Baptist and had had a previous encounter with Jesus. Have you had experiences where God prepared you before asking you to do something significant? Explain. What would it have taken for you to follow Jesus? Matthew 4: 23-25 Jesus preaches, heals, and attracts large crowds After gathering a few disciples, what does Jesus do next? Verse 23 tells us that Jesus was both “teaching” and “proclaiming” (sometimes translated as “preaching”). How is teaching different from proclaiming/preaching? How are both valuable? What kind of audiences would Jesus have found in synagogues? Why might that have been a good place to start? Besides teaching and preaching, what else does Jesus do? Why do you think he heals – especially after resisting the temptation to do things for show? What does Jesus’s desire to heal people tell us about him? These activities bring him a great following. Where do the people come from? Are the crowds only from Jewish areas, or also from Gentile areas? What does this tell us about Jesus’s early effect on people? Jesus is attracting the attention of people from both Jewish and Gentile areas around Galilee. Verse 24 says Jesus’s fame spread in Syria , which was Gentile territory to the northwest of Galilee. Verse 25 says that crowds followed him from Galilee itself which was primarily Jewish but with some non-Jewish populations. The Decapolis was the group of largely Gentile Greek cities east and southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Jerusalem and Judea were Jewish territory to the south. Beyond the Jordan was Jewish territory east of the Jordan River, south of the Decapolis, east of Samaria and running south to the area across the river east of Jerusalem and Judea. Jesus will eventually visit all of these territories. If you were in Galilee at this time, would you have been attracted to Jesus? If so, what would have attracted you? What attracts you about Jesus now in your life? Take a step back and consider this: In 4:24, Matthew tells us of the vast array of diseases and illnesses that Jesus cured. Jesus is easing those kinds of suffering wherever he can. At the same time, Jesus is trying to gather a core group of disciples whom he will put through an extended process of formation to prepare them to be leaders when he is no longer with them. What do you think is going through Jesus’s mind as he heals people? What do you think is going through Jesus’s mind as he gathers disciples? What do you think is going through Jesus’s mind as he hears our prayers asking for healing and relief from various kinds of sufferings today? Other people are praying to Jesus too. What might Jesus be saying to you as you think about what other people are praying to him? Bibliography Click here for the bibliography . Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com . See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Next Join Faith Explored and Join the Conversation! If you are a member of Faith Explored (click here to join) and would like to react to or ask a question about any material here, please post a question in the forum or send an email using the Contact form at the bottom of the page. Use these links to become a member and join the conversation: Become a Member Forum Page Blog Page

Previous Next Matthew 7:24-29 Is your faith built on rock? Is the Sermon on the Mount a central part of your faith? Tom Faletti June 9, 2024 Matthew 7:24-27 The house built on rock What are the two things Jesus says a person must do to be like the wise man? What does it mean to truly “hear” God’s word? What does it mean to “act on” these words? Jesus uses the metaphor of building a house. What does the “house” stand for in our lives? There are many possible answers, including: your faith, your principles, your worldview, your habits, your character, your life choices, etc. How does a “wise” person built this kind of house? What is the “rock” on which your life stands? And how does it operate as a “rock” for you? What might be some examples of “sand” that are not solid things on which to build your life? What are the rain, floods, and winds that will test the “house” you have built? Why does Jesus contrast “hearing and doing” vs. “hearing and not doing”? What does this tell us about the role of obedience and action in our lives? What is something you might consider doing that might help ground your life more fully on the rock rather than on shifting sands? Matthew 7:28-29 The effect of Jesus’s teaching Matthew ends the Sermon on the Mount by saying of Jesus, “he taught them as one having authority and not as their scribes” (Matthew 7:29, NRSV and NABRE). What does this mean? Among other things, the scribes only explained and interpreted what the Law said; they did not add to it. Jesus is speaking as one who has the authority to create new teachings for people to follow. In what ways do you see the teachings in the Sermon on the Mount as manifesting Jesus’s authority? The fact that Jesus is acting like he has the authority not just to interpret but to re-think and expand upon the law, and to do other things that mere scribes cannot do, will soon get him in trouble with the religious leaders. Stay tuned by continuing the study of Matthew. Conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount Skim back over the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7). Which of Jesus’s teachings strikes you as being most uniquely Christian – that is, which of the teachings of Jesus seems to be most distinct from the teachings of other religions or ethical systems? What does this uniquely Christian message tell you about God or people or God’s desires for us? How important is the Sermon on the Mount in your understanding of your faith? What passage or teaching from the Sermon on the Mount do you think God is calling you to give special attention to right now in your life? What is one concrete step you can take to live out that teaching more faithfully? Take a step back and consider this: We know that Christians are not perfect. We don’t live up to the fullness of the gospel as presented by Jesus. As Peter said to Jesus, “Who then can be saved?” (Matt. 19:25, NABRE). Jesus’s answer – “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26, NABRE) – is a comfort to modern Christians, who believe that God will indeed save them. It is sad, however, that many Christians, when they study the Sermon on the Mount as we have, are surprised to learn these details of the kind of life Jesus calls us to live. Perhaps too many people have not been effectively taught the full gospel, or even the full Sermon on the Mount. (And, of course, too often, we hear but don’t act on what we hear.) A detailed study of the Sermon on the Mount prompts many Christians to embrace new habits. That’s a good thing. But there is a danger. It would be easy to turn every teaching in the Sermon on the Mount into a new law. We could add to the Ten Commandments another 10 or 20 laws to follow, just from these three chapters. The risk is that we might turn into modern-day Pharisees, focused on the laws as ends in themselves rather than living in a vital relationship with the God behind the teachings. Without that relationship, the Sermon on the Mount will seem like an impossibly difficult, ever-expanding work list. But with a relationship with God, the Sermon on the Mount is a continual invitation to keep become more like Jesus, to keep being empowered by the Holy Spirit to respond to ever-new opportunities to bring God’s love and grace to the world. How can we encourage ourselves and our fellow believers to embrace the full Sermon on the Mount, but do so in ways that avoid turning it into another soul-deadening Law? How can we find joy in our relationship with God in responding to the dos and don’ts of Jesus’s teachings? Bibliography Click here for the bibliography . Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com . See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Next Join Faith Explored and Join the Conversation! If you are a member of Faith Explored (click here to join) and would like to react to or ask a question about any material here, please post a question in the forum or send an email using the Contact form at the bottom of the page. Use these links to become a member and join the conversation: Become a Member Forum Page Blog Page

Previous Next Matthew 12:1-37 What matters the most? What do your words reveal? Tom Faletti September 9, 2024 Matthew now presents a sharpening of the opposition to Jesus, which will eventually lead to his death. Jesus is criticized for two matters that relate to the Jewish rules for honoring the Sabbath. Matthew 12:1-8 Plucking grain on the Sabbath In this first incident, how does Jesus end up at cross-purposes with the Pharisees? What do his disciples do, and what is the Pharisees’ complaint? Although Jesus does not mention this, the Old Testament prohibition of work on the Sabbath prohibited harvesting on the Sabbath (Exodus 34:21); it did not explicitly prohibit plucking grain and Deuteronomy 23:24-25 even allowed plucking your neighbors grapes or grain to fill our hunger, so it would be difficult to argue that plucking was prohibited on the Sabbath. The Pharisees extended the rule, as they did so many other rules, to the extreme. Jesus offers 4 different answers to their complaint. In verses 3-4, what does Jesus say, and what does it mean? David and his followers ate bread from the altar in 1 Sam. 21:1-6 [under the high priest Ahimelech – Mark wrongly says Abiathar; Matthew leaves out the name]. They and the disciples were both responding to the same legitimate concern: hunger. In verses 5-6, what does Jesus say, and what does it mean? The priests in the Temple do work on the Sabbath, but that is not a sin. The Sabbath rule is not the only or highest rule. In verse 7, what does Jesus say, and what does it mean? Hosea 6:6 says God wants mercy, not sacrifice. The Pharisees are focusing on the wrong concerns and failing to value what is more important: mercy. In verse 8, what does Jesus say, and what does it mean? Jesus, the Son of Man, is lord of the Sabbath. He has ultimate authority over the Sabbath. At the time Matthew is writing, Matthew’s community probably used these arguments as defenses when criticized by the Jews for being lax in following the Old Testament Law. In Mark, Jesus also says that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). Jesus is saying that the Sabbath regulation had a limited purpose and the Pharisees were trying to give it a paramount, overpowering purpose. What is the limited but valuable purpose of the Sabbath? If one has a proper sense of the valuable but limited purpose of the Sabbath, why is the disciples’ plucking food to eat not a violation of the point of the Sabbath? Jesus is declaring himself the lord of the Sabbath. What does that make him out to be? As lord of the Sabbath, Jesus is declaring that human needs take precedence over Sabbath rules. How might we balance the freedom to do good on the Sabbath with the call to honor the Sabbath? How can we decide what is appropriate to do on the Sabbath? How might we sometimes fall into the trap of placing a higher priority on following rules than on achieving God’s loving, merciful purposes? Matthew 12:9-14 Healing on the Sabbath What is the second thing Jesus is criticized for? The Pharisees were so committed to not working on the Sabbath that when they were at war with the Greeks in the times of the Maccabees and when Roman attacked Jerusalem in 63 BCE, they did not resist attack on Sabbath days, which led to some serious defeats (Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 , pp. 31-32). What is Jesus’s response to their criticism of his healing on the Sabbath? It seems so obvious when Jesus says it: You would pull your sheep out of a ditch on the Sabbath. How much more precious is a human being than a sheep. But how might we be slide into placing a higher value on things than on people? How is our society prone to place a higher value on things than on people? When or where in our society is there a tendency to place a higher value on rules and regulations, on procedure and protocol, than on helping people? How would you sum up in a phrase the “rule” Jesus is modeling that supersedes our human rules? Verse 14 is an ominous turn in Jesus’s ministry. What have the Pharisees now decided to do? Matthew 12:15-21 Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament “Servant” of the Lord When Jesus learns that the Pharisees want to kill him, what does he do in verse 15? Jesus is being careful not to precipitate an attempt to kill him before the proper time when he has completed his work on Earth. And yet it does not deter him from his work. Although he changes location, he doesn’t change what he is doing. Jesus continues to do his thing. What can we learn from Jesus as he increases his carefulness but continues his ministry? Does this offer any insight for how to deal with opposition when we are doing God’s work? Does Jesus’s situation help us understand why he orders people (unsuccessfully) not to publicize what he has done for them (verse 16)? Matthew says what is going on here fulfills an Old Testament prophecy. Re-read verses 18-20, which are a quote from Isaiah 42:1-4. What did Isaiah say about God’s chosen servant? Which elements of the prophecy correspond to what Jesus is doing with the people and how he is dealing with the Pharisees? In what ways does Jesus bring justice? In what ways does Jesus nurture, not break, the bruised reed, and strengthen, not quench, the smoldering wick? How has Jesus been like that in your life? Matthew 12:22-37 The blasphemy of the Pharisees What miracle does Jesus perform in verse 22? How do the Pharisees react, and why is this so serious? They blaspheme by saying that Jesus is working for Satan – i.e., that God is evil. What are Jesus’s 3 arguments in response to their claim (vv. 25-26, 27-28, and 29)? vv. 25-26: If Jesus is healing by the power of Satan, then Satan is destroying his own kingdom. vv. 27-28: If exorcisms performed by Jewish exorcists are judged as being done by the Spirit of God, then it is hypocritical to judge Jesus differently. vv. 29: If Jesus casts out demons, and thereby steals people back from Satan, he must have greater power than Satan – a power to bind Satan. But if that is happening then God’s Kingdom is breaking into our world. Do you see a battle going on in our day between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan, where the good that comes from God faces the bad that comes from evil forces? In verses 31-32, Jesus says there is only one unforgivable sin, which he says is blasphemy against the Spirit. How is the Pharisees’ attack a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Why would that particular sin be unforgivable? Is it that God refuses to forgive them, or is it that by refusing to recognize the Holy Spirit as good they are rejecting the source from which they would need the grace to repent of their sin and receive forgiveness? In verse 32 Jesus says that blaspheming against the Son of Man may be forgiven. Why? Perhaps because rejecting God in human form still leaves room for the movement of the Holy Spirit to lead a person to repentance. Or perhaps because it is one thing to misjudge Jesus; although he is God, he is somewhat hidden in human form. But to deny the manifest power of the Holy Spirit when it is plainly seen is to reject clear evidence. In verse 33, Jesus uses the analogy of a tree and its fruit and accuses the Pharisees of lying, because they are calling the tree (Jesus) evil even though its fruit (people being cured) is good. We sometimes evaluate people based on their actions and the effects they have (their fruit). Is this a wise strategy that we should use more regularly? Explain. In vv. 34-37, Jesus issues a more general caution about our words. It applies to the Pharisees, but it also applies to all of us, all the time. What is he saying and why? What does Jesus mean by your “heart”? What is the good treasure of storehouse of good (or evil) in our hearts? What does that mean? Is it fair to say that what comes out of a person’s mouth reveals the state of their heart? Explain. When are we most at risk of an unguarded or careless word? Some of the answers my Bible Study group offered include: when we are angry, hurt, tired, hungry, or disappointed; when we are not thinking about who the word is directed at, and when we don’t have a valid purpose for saying the word, even though it might be true. What can you do to avoid careless words? How can you bring only good out of your storehouse, so that you are not condemned by your words? Are there ways you need to deal with what is going on in your heart, so that you won’t have to work so hard to manage what comes out of your mouth? What adjustments might be needed in the state of your heart right now? We live in a world where talk is cheap and plentiful, and many people think truth is relative. How important is it to speak accurately and truthfully, to speak words that are consistent with reality as God knows it? Take a step back and consider this: In this passage, the Pharisees do what too many people in our modern world do: First, they decide what they believe. Second, they refuse to listen to the arguments and evidence offered by those who disagree with them. Third, they say whatever fits with what they believe, even if there is evidence to the contrary. Finally, they attack the people who disagree with them, sometimes viciously. We see this pattern all the time in our day. Even we ourselves may fall prey to this approach sometimes, especially on social media, where the culture encourages us to take sides and to speak without listening and with little respect. But Jesus’s rules for what comes out of our mouths apply as much when we are on social media as anywhere else. On social media, our “mouth” is our keyboard plus the “Post” or “Share” button. We may not literally speak words, but we communicate them just the same when we post. Jesus’s warning applies equally to social media: The words you communicate come out of the treasure or storehouse of your heart, for good or evil. “[B]y your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37, NRSV). What are the ideas and attitudes in your heart that you are revealing by what you say on social media and how you say it? As Christians it is our calling and privilege to reveal Jesus to others at all times. What changes might be good for you to consider, so that everything you post and share on social media comes from the good things in your heart so that it can properly represent Christ? If you would like some suggestions for how to decide what things are appropriate to share on social media, from Christ’s perspective, see Before You Hit the Share Button . The relevant questions are: Is it true? Have you checked it? Will it build others up? Bibliography Click here for the bibliography . Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com . See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Next Join Faith Explored and Join the Conversation! 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Previous Next Luke 1:1-4 Prologue to Luke's Gospel: Why is he writing and for whom? Tom Faletti Luke 1:1-4 What does Luke say that others have done before him? What does Luke say that he has done? What do you think an "orderly account" means? He refers to events that have been "fulfilled among us." Who is "us"? What do you think it means to say that these events have been "fulfilled" among us? What does Luke want Theophilus to know? Who do you think Theophilus is? "Theophilus" means "friend of God. The style of Luke's writing at this point, with his reference to the "most excellent" Theophilus, is the way one would refer to an official or other prominent member of the community. However, the meaning of the name is convenient for indicating that anyone who is a friend of God would welcome this account. It is therefore possible that "Theophilus" is not a specific person and that Luke sees himself writing for all the Theophiluses of the world -- all the friends of who want to know the truth about what they have been taught. (to be continued) Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com . See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Next Join Faith Explored and Join the Conversation! If you are a member of Faith Explored (click here to join) and would like to react to or ask a question about any material here, please post a question in the forum or send an email using the Contact form at the bottom of the page. Use these links to become a member and join the conversation: Become a Member Forum Page Blog Page

Previous Next Matthew 19:1-12 Divorce: What does it mean for two to become one? 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 Matthew’s Gospel – a step closer to the most vigorous opposition he faces, in the spiritual and secular power center of Jerusalem. So this move, 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.) 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 Click here for the bibliography . Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com . See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Next Join Faith Explored and Join the Conversation! 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Previous Next Matthew 19:23-26 Who can be saved? Your wealth won’t save you, but what will? Tom Faletti February 13, 2024 Matthew 19:23-26 The danger of riches Jesus uses a vivid illustration to make his point about the dangers of wealth. His statement about the camel going through the eye of a needle has led many people to search for answers – particularly because they don’t want to take it literally (and given that fact that Jesus was raised as a Jew in a culture where exaggeration for effect was the norm, he probably was exaggerating in some sense). Some scholars suggest the existence of a small gate into a walled city, separate from the wide, main gate, where a camel could only go through if it was stripped of all it was carrying. This smaller entrance is supposed to have been called the “needle’s eye.” There is no evidence for the existence of such entryways, but the image might be apt anyway. We need to let go of any possessions that would keep us from entering the kingdom of God, and that means we need to let go of everything we cling to, like a camel being relieved of its burdens, before we can go through. However, the disciples don’t envision there being any way through the eye of a needle. The disciples are astonished by what Jesus says about rich people because they think rich people are more likely to get into to heaven than poor people. That was common thinking in their day. Would that be a correct way of thinking? Explain. What is Jesus’s answer to their question, “Then who can be saved?” (19:25, NRSV) Note that Jesus is not saying rich people can’t go to heaven. Zacchaeus was rich (Luke 19:9). Joseph of Arimathea was rich (Matt. 27:57). Nicodemus was rich (John 19:39). Rich people were not required to give up their wealth in the early church (Acts 5:4). What do you think Jesus means by saying that for humans it is impossible? What do you think Jesus means by saying that for God all things are possible? What is he saying about us and wealth? What is your reaction to this passage? What does it say to you about your own wealth or lack of it and how it might affect your salvation? Take a step back and consider this: God is at work in us, in this world. He knows that we need possessions: a frying pan to cook in, clothes to wear, a toilet; etc. And the more advanced our world gets, due to the ingenuity of the human mind – which was created by God and then invited to use its free will to create other things – the more things we come to need: cars or bicycles, cell phones, microwave ovens, etc. The problem is not that things exist; the problem is that they sometimes take over the focus of our lives. Jesus has at least two different purposes in today’s conversation: to push us to re-focus and put our priorities in the right place, and to guide us to a deeper point – that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Only God can do that. Wealthy persons can live a life focused on their many possessions and the next possession they hope to get, or they live a life focused on sharing the love of God with those around them. Poor people can live a life focused on their meager possessions and the next possession they hope to get, or they live a life focused on sharing the love of God with those around them. Whatever a person’s situation, only God can bring them to the kingdom of heaven. Neither having many possessions nor having few possessions gives you a ticket to heaven. Only God can do that. What is one, small change you could make today, to take a bit of your mind off of wealth or “things” so that your mind and heart can focus more on people and God? Bibliography Click here for the bibliography . Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com . See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Next Join Faith Explored and Join the Conversation! If you are a member of Faith Explored (click here to join) and would like to react to or ask a question about any material here, please post a question in the forum or send an email using the Contact form at the bottom of the page. Use these links to become a member and join the conversation: Become a Member Forum Page Blog Page

Previous Next Matthew 1:18-25 Mary’s pregnancy, from Joseph’s perspective: What is God doing? Tom Faletti February 13, 2024 Matthew 1:18-25 Joseph’s dream and Jesus’s birth Jewish marriage procedures were different than ours. When a couple became “engaged” or “betrothed,” they were married but not yet living together. A man and woman would stay in this stage for up to one year before the formal marriage, not living together but so fully committed that the only way out was divorce. Mary and Joseph were in that stage of their marriage. What does verse 18 tell us? In verse 19, how are Joseph’s character and intentions described? When Matthew says Joseph is “righteous,” he means he follows the Jewish Law faithfully. Under the Law, he had a right to formally accuse Mary of unfaithfulness. She would have been subjected to a test of her virginity, and if she failed the test she would have been stoned to death. Alternatively, he could have said nothing about her pregnancy but divorced her with a public display of his displeasure, which would make her look bad. What do you think of Joseph’s plan to divorce her quietly so as not to expose her to public disgrace? What happens in verse 20? It appears that Joseph was thinking over his options carefully rather than acting quickly and rashly. Even if an angel doesn’t appear to us, how might Joseph’s decision to “sleep on it” before taking action be a good model for us? Has a decision to “sleep on it” every helped you make a good decision? Explain. There is scientific evidence that “sleeping on it” can help us make better decisions (John M. Grohol, “Why ‘Sleeping on It’ Helps,” LiveScience , 26 Oct. 2009, https://www.livescience.com/5820-sleeping-helps.html ; Steve Calechman, “Sleep to solve a problem,” Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School , May 24, 2021, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/sleep-to-solve-a-problem-202105242463 ; Jared Miller, “Does ‘Sleeping on it’ Really Work?”, WebMD , https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/does-sleeping-on-it-really-work ). Fr. David Barnes points out that the delay provided by “sleeping on it” can help us avoid acting imprudently out of fear or anxiety. We don’t have to hope for an angel to speak to us; we can pause, sleep on it, and pray on it. “Into our silence, God speaks and assures us of his closeness” (Fr. David Barnes, “Sleep on It” (Monday December 18, Monday of the Third Week of Advent), The Magnificat Advent Companion , Advent 2023, p. 56), which might guide us to make good and creative decisions about how to respond to difficult problems. The angel calls Joseph “son of David.” Why? What does that signify? There are interesting parallels between this Joseph and the Joseph in the Old Testament. Both were named Joseph; both had a father named Jacob; both received dreams from God; both were righteous; and both saved their family by going to Egypt. Do you think these parallels are just a coincidence or is Matthew trying to tell us something? How is Jesus described in verse 21? Recall that the name Jesus, or Joshua, means “God saves.” While Jews might have envisioned that name alluding to other kinds of being saved (from invading enemies, etc.), Jews in Jesus’s time also made the connection to salvation from sins. What does the meaning of Jesus’s name – “God saves” – mean for you in your life? In verses 22-23, Matthew quotes from Isaiah 7:14. What does the Old Testament quote mean as interpreted by Matthew? Note: The Isaiah passage actually says, “a young woman” in Hebrew, although when it was translated into Greek in the Septuagint it was translated as “the virgin.” In its context, it is thought to be referring to the king’s wife or Isaiah’s wife (more likely Isaiah’s wife – see 8:3), but in context that is not the important question The child will be named “Immanuel” – “God is with us” – because if King Ahaz follows God’s direction given Isaiah, God will be with them and they will avoid being attacked by the armies camped on Ahaz’s doorstep. Early Christians focused on the Greek translation “a virgin” and saw the virgin Mary in it. This is the first of at least 10 “fulfillment citations,” where Matthew says that something that happened in Jesus time “fulfilled” what was said in some portion of the Old Testament. How do you experience Jesus as “Emmanuel” – “God is with us” – in your life? Explain. The Virgin Birth is the doctrine proclaimed by most Christian denominations (and considered a dogma by the Catholic Church) that Jesus was conceived by a supernatural, miraculous act of God without Mary having had intercourse with anyone, and that therefore, while Mary was Jesus’s natural mother, he had no natural father. What is the significance of this teaching for you? How does Joseph respond to this dream and the word he received from the Lord? Joseph did what he was commanded to do. In his response, he is a role model for us. In your life, where could you be more responsive to God, like Joseph? When Joseph took Mary as his wife and named him Jesus, he was taking full responsibility to be Jesus’s foster father – step-father, really. What does this show us about how to embrace God’s plans in our lives? Matthew does not give us any of Mary’s side of the story. (Thank God for the Gospel of Luke, which gives us that perspective.) Matthew only gives us what we read here plus the story of the wise men/magi, which we will look at next time. He must have thought he was giving us all we needed for the narrative and themes he was developing in his Gospel. What do you think he wanted us to take from this story of Jesus’s birth? What do you think it is important to fill in, from Mary’s part of the story as told in Luke, to help give Jesus’s birth and infancy the full and lasting impact it has had for people’s faith? Verse 25 says that Mary and Joseph had no marital relations “until” she had borne a son. The Catholic Church teaches that they also did not have sex after Jesus was born, but instead that Mary remained a virgin all her life. Protestants disagree. What difference does your understanding of Mary’s virginal status makes in your life? How can you live a life that is more devoted to God, with Joseph as a role model? Take a step back and consider this: Joseph was well chosen to be the foster father of Jesus. He showed several character traits that we would do well to imitate. Consider Isaiah 9:2-7; see verse 7: “there shall be endless peace / for the throne of David and his kingdom.” (NRSV) He was dedicated to his faith. He wanted to do what God wants. He believed in thinking before he acted. He was not impetuous. He considered his options before taking action. He was kind. He cared that Mary not be put to shame. He was open to the guidance of God. When you put together in one person all of these characteristics of faithfulness, thoughtfulness, kindness, and sensitivity to God, you have a very impressive package. A person with those characteristics is a person God can work with. Which of these characteristics of Joseph could use more development in your life? What would God like you to do about it? If we are willing to let God keep molding us into the people he wants us to be, he will be able to give us opportunities to make a positive difference in the world around us. And it is a wonderful feeling when we can make those positive differences. The first step is to try to be the kind of person, like Joseph, who is seeking to be all that God wants us to be. It’s a great journey. What’s your next step? Bibliography Click here for the bibliography . Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com . See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Next Join Faith Explored and Join the Conversation! If you are a member of Faith Explored (click here to join) and would like to react to or ask a question about any material here, please post a question in the forum or send an email using the Contact form at the bottom of the page. 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Previous Next Matthew 7:1-6 You will be judged in the same way you judge others. Tom Faletti June 7, 2024 Matthew 7:1-6 Judge not, lest you be judged What is Jesus saying in this passage? What does v. 2 mean, in speaking about the “measure” you get? A “measure” is the method used to weigh or count the portions of something. In the supermarket, if you buy potatoes by the pound, a “pound” is the measure. If you buy mangos by the number of mangos, then the number of units (mangos) is the “measure.” Lettuce might be sold using either measure – by weight or by the number of heads. Jesus says that the measure you use for judgment is the measure that will be used to judge you. What are some of the things about which we tend to judge others, and what measure do we use to judge their guilt or innocence, or how good or bad their actions are? If we will be judged in the same way that we judge others (i.e., using the same measure we use), what does this tell us about making judgments about other people? What do you think is an appropriate measure for judging other people, or an appropriate way of approaching your judgments, if you know that you will face the same standard of judgment? Consider Galatians 6:7, which tells us that whatever we sow we will also reap. Although Paul is making a different point in that passage, how does the concept of sowing and reaping illuminate verse 2’s discussion of judging? God has built linkages into the natural world that provide useful analogies for the linkages he has built into the spiritual fabric of life. Just as we can’t sow grass seed and reap vegetables, so too we can’t sow judgmental attitudes and reap mercy. In many aspects of our lives, you get back what you give out. What is the meaning of Jesus’s image of the speck (or splinter) and the log (or beam) in verse 3? What might be some examples of the logs or beams in our own eyes that might make it hard for us to make sound judgments about what others do? What biases make it hard for people to judge other people accurately? How do you know when you have a “log” in your eye? How do you know when you have a blind spot that makes it hard to accurately judge what is going on around you? Someone else can tell you; you can try to put yourself in others’ shoes; you can immerse yourself in God’s Word and check your actions against God’s Word. One of my Bible Study members, Phyllis Hegstrom, told us that she asks her boss: What are my blind spots? How might that approach to our own behavior make us more effective followers of Jesus? Jesus tells us to take the log (or beam) out of our own eye first. How can we do that? How can we remove the things that make it hard for us to see clearly? In Matthew 5:38-42, Jesus tells us not to resist those who seek to do evil to us but to turn the other cheek, go two miles, etc. What are the traits of Christian character that Jesus is trying to foster both in that passage and here in Matthew 7:1-6? Verse 6 uses some metaphors that need to be unpacked: for example, what does a “pearl” stand for and what does a “dog” or “swine” stand for? Note: Dogs were mostly undomesticated scavengers in Jesus’s time. According to the Law, swine were unclean, so Jews were prohibited from eating or handling them. When you put it all together, what does verse 6 mean? What are the “pearls” we should be preserving? One interpretation of verse 6 is that the pearls are the deeper truths of our faith. If we follow that interpretation, what is Jesus saying about not giving the pearls to those who will trample them? Don’t try to convince others of the deeper truths of the faith if they have not accepted the more basic truths. In order to follow verse 6, we would need to make judgments about who falls into the metaphorical category of the “dogs” or “swine.” Doesn’t that require judging? Explain. Do you conclude from this passage that we should never judge, or only judge certain kinds of things (and if so, what)? Explain. How can we apply in our lives the principles Jesus is teaching us here about judging? Take a step back and consider this: Social psychologists working in the field of attribution theory explore how we decide why people do what they do. If someone does something we think is wrong (fails to show up for a meeting, says something unkind, etc.), how do we decide what the causes of their behavior might be? We might attribute their behavior to situational causes – to external factors that might explain their behavior. For example, we might say to ourselves: He must have had an unexpected crisis that kept him from coming; maybe someone in his family got sick. She must be having a bad day; maybe her boss chewed her out or her child did something wrong – that’s why she said what she said. Alternatively, we might attribute their behavior to dispositional causes – to internal factors in their personality or character. In this case, we might say to ourselves: He is unreliable; he doesn’t respect other people’s time and effort. She is a mean person and doesn’t appreciate the effect of her words on other people. We don’t usually know the whole story behind people’s actions. To be honest, we never know the whole story. But we make judgments. And arguably, judgments are sometimes necessary. If George routinely fails to show up for meetings that have been arranged with him, we need to recognize that and not assign essential tasks to him where a no-show would cause harm. The interesting thing is that we have attribution biases that distort our assessments. If we already have a positive view of a person, we are more likely to explain a false step as being caused by situational factors rather than signaling a flaw in their personality. If we think a person is similar to us, we are more likely to give them a pass rather than deciding that they have a bad character trait. The bias that is most relevant to Jesus’s words about judging others is the fundamental attribution error : the tendency to think that if we have done something wrong, it is because of something external that caused the problem; but if someone else has done something wrong, it is because of their own internal dispositions (Robert S. Feldman, Understanding Psychology , 14th edition, McGraw Hill Education, 2019, pp. 563-564). In other words, people have a tendency to think that the speck or log in the other person’s eye is caused by flaws in the other person’s character, while any speck in our own eye is only due to the external circumstances we face. This fundamental attribution error may be the biggest log of all in our eyes, because it signals an unconscious belief that we are better or less flawed than other people, and that other people are choosing to be bad while we are with good intentions just trying to make the best of a difficult world. Jesus calls us to stop thinking that we are better, or that we are doing better, than others. That is the fundamental log in our eyes. When someone does something that you perceive to be a slight or that hurts you in some way, are you more likely to attribute it to a flaw in their personality/character or to attribute it to external circumstances that made it difficult for them to do what you wanted them to do? Can you describe a time (or times) when you did that? When you do something that someone else perceives to be a slight or that hurts someone else in some way, are you more likely to make justifications for your action based on external circumstances or to do some soul-searching about whether this shows you need to work on your character? Can you describe a time (or times) when you did that? If you were talking with Jesus right now, what would he say to you about whether you treat others the way you treat yourself in terms of how you attribute motives to your behavior and others’ behavior? What steps can you take to adjust your thinking about other people, so that you are more merciful in the judgments you make about other people? Bibliography Click here for the bibliography . Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com . See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Next Join Faith Explored and Join the Conversation! If you are a member of Faith Explored (click here to join) and would like to react to or ask a question about any material here, please post a question in the forum or send an email using the Contact form at the bottom of the page. Use these links to become a member and join the conversation: Become a Member Forum Page Blog Page