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The various denominations within Christianity don’t agree on whether Mary had other children besides Jesus, but they do agree with his statement that those who do his will are his brothers and sisters. How can we respond? [Matthew 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-6; Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21] Previous Mary List Next Session 5: Jesus’s family The various denominations within Christianity don’t agree on whether Mary had other children besides Jesus, but they do agree with his statement that those who do his will are his brothers and sisters. How can we respond? [Matthew 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-6; Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21] Everyone can be a brother or sister of Jesus, if they are willing to do the will of God. Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti July 16, 2025 In the next two sets of passages that we are going to explore, the Gospels refer to Jesus’s “brothers.” The question of how to interpret the word “brothers” divides the body of Christ, with Protestants on one side and Catholics and Orthodox on the other. At its root, the question is whether Mary had other children after she gave birth to Jesus or remained a virgin all her life. Protestants say she gave birth to many children and Catholics and Orthodox say she was “ever-virgin.” There is also a question as to whether Jesus had stepbrothers who were children of Joseph from a prior marriage. This study is designed to be useful to people from all Christian denominations, so we will not insist that everyone reach the same conclusion. What this study will do, however, is call attention to the many pieces of evidence that scholars consider as they study the question, because the evidence is not as simple as some would like to think it is. Matthew 13:54-58 / Mark 6:1-6 Isn’t Jesus the son of Mary and the brother of James et al? Matthew and Mark tell about the same incident in these passages, which is why they are paired together here. Before we explore the main point of the passage (which is not whether Mary was a perpetual virgin), let’s deal with the issue of Jesus’s “brothers.” Without trying to argue one side or the other, can you state in one sentence why the word “brothers” is controversial? Why does it matter whether Jesus had “brothers” or not? There are a variety of issues to consider in exploring the disagreement about what “brothers” means in this passage. Here is the background: Three common interpretations of the references to Jesus’s “brothers” Protestants take the word “brothers” literally and argue that Mary had sex with her husband Joseph after Jesus was born and gave birth to children who were the blood brothers and sisters of Jesus. The Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church have always maintained that Mary was a virgin throughout her life and that “brothers” is properly interpreted as “relatives” – most likely cousins. A third view, which is acceptable to the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, is that “brothers” refers to sons of Joseph from a prior marriage, who would therefore be stepbrothers of Jesus (because Jesus was, in effect, adopted by Joseph). What is the evidence that might help us determine whether “brothers” means blood brothers, cousins, or stepbrothers, when it is used with regard to Jesus? To evaluate whether when the Bible refers to Jesus’s “brothers” it is referring to blood brothers, cousins, or stepbrothers, we must consider a variety of evidence, background information, and Scripture passages. Here are some of the factors to consider: In both the Old and New Testaments, the word “brother” is used for a variety of relationships, figurative and literal, partly because the Hebrew language did not have a word for “cousin” ( Ignatius Catholic Study Bible , Matthew 12:46 fn., pp. 29-30). In Greek, which is the language of the New Testament, the word for “brothers” is adelphoi , which is used for many kinds of relationships: (1) blood brothers (including stepbrothers), (2) people from the same nation, (3) one’s fellow men, and (4) fellow believers. It does not always mean a literal blood brother, so its meaning in any particular passage must be considered carefully, taking into account everything we know. The Gospels never refer to any person as a child of Mary except Jesus. We see references to Jesus’s brothers, but no one other than Jesus is ever called a child of Mary. This does not prove that Mary was ever-virgin any more than the references to Jesus’s “brothers” proves they were blood brothers. It is just evidence to be considered. Matthew 12:55 and Mark 6:3 tell us the names of four “brothers” of Jesus: James, Joseph (or its Greek variant Joses, in Mark’s Gospel), Judas, and Simon. Later, Matthew 27:56 tells us that one of the women looking on at Jesus’s crucifixion was “Mary, the mother of James and Joseph.” Similarly, Mark 15:40 refers to “Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses.” Joses is a variant of Joseph. If both of these references to a James and Joseph are referring to the same pair of brothers, (which is likely but can’t be proved), it would mean that James and Joseph are not blood brothers of Jesus because their mother was with Jesus’s mother Mary at the crucifixion. They could be relatives, however, if, for example, this Mary and Mary the mother of Jesus are sisters or sisters-in-law. John 19:25 says that standing at the cross of Jesus were his mother and “his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas.” This might indicate that the Mary who was with Jesus’s mother at the cross was Jesus’s mother’s sister. Some people find that doubtful because it would mean that the two sisters were both named Mary. Alternatively, since “brother” and “sister” could refer to a wider circle of family relationships and not just blood brothers, it is possible that this Mary is the wife of a brother of Joseph. If that is the case, then she is the sister-in-law of Jesus’s mother, not her immediate sister. In either case, this might indicate that the James and Joseph who are identified as Jesus’s “brothers” are these relatives, sons of the Mary who was with Jesus’s mother at the cross. While Jesus is hanging on the cross, in John 19:26-27 Jesus entrusts his mother Mary to the beloved disciple (who is traditionally believed to be John). If Mary had other children, it would have been the norm for Mary to automatically come under the care of her other children. Jesus would not have needed to entrust her to a non-relative, and to do so would have been considered a serious breach of tradition. One explanation sometimes offered for why Jesus might have entrusted his mother to someone outside the family is that Jesus’s “brothers” did not believe in him. John 7:5 tells us that this was true for at least a period of time earlier in Jesus’s ministry. However, if the word “brother” is to be taken literally every time it shows up with reference to Jesus, then Jesus did have a “brother” who soon after that was a recognized leader of the church. Either he was already a believer when Jesus was executed, or he became a believer soon after. This “brother” is mentioned by Paul in Galatians 1:19, where Paul says that when he first went to Jerusalem after he started preaching the gospel of Christ (probably around AD 37, which is only a few years after Jesus’s death), he met with Peter but did not see “any other” apostles except “James, the brother of the Lord.” His use of the word “other” indicates that this James was considered an apostle. Two Jameses are named as apostles in the Gospels: the James who, along with John, was a son of Zebedee (Matthew 4:21), and the James who was the son of Alphaeus (Matthew 10:3). Matthew tells us the names of their fathers. Since neither of their fathers is Joseph, they cannot be sons of Mary. Therefore, if “brother” always means blood brother when applied to Jesus, then Paul is not referring to either of them. Acts 12:17 and Acts 15:13-21 tell us of a James who is a leader of the church in Jerusalem. According to tradition, the first bishop/leader of the church in Jerusalem was “James the brother of the Lord,” so that is probably who Paul is referring to. That means there was a James who believed in Jesus and was a “brother of the Lord,” and he was so prominent that he was a recognized leader of the church just a few years later. Jesus could have entrusted his mother to that “brother,” if indeed it was a blood brother; there would have been no need to turn Mary over to a non-family member. Therefore, the claim that Jesus turned his mother over to John because his family didn’t believe in him does not easily fit the facts. A better case can be made that this James the brother of the Lord is the son of the other Mary who was with Jesus’s mother at the cross, and therefore that in at least this instance, “brother” may mean cousin or relative. Some early church fathers taught that Joseph was an older man when he married Mary and that he had children by a previous marriage. That claim first appears in the Protoevangelium of James , a document written around AD 150. That document was not accepted as part of Scripture and was specifically rejected by some early Church leaders because some of its content was considered fiction or legend, but it offers some insight regarding ideas that were circulating in the early days of the Church. That document explains that Mary was dedicated to God as a virgin when she was born, that she was raised in the Temple from the age of 3 until she was 12, and that Joseph was then selected by lot, with a full understanding that she was a dedicated virgin, to take care of her by taking her as his wife. The references to the brothers and sisters of the Lord would then be references to the children of Joseph from an earlier marriage. They would therefore a stepbrothers and stepsisters of Jesus by adoption – not sons and daughters of Mary but still “brothers and sisters” of the Lord. A variety of church fathers before AD 400 taught that Mary was a perpetual virgin, but many of the early church fathers did not discuss the question, perhaps because it did not become an issue until a group of people in the 4th century began to teach explicitly that Mary was not a perpetual virgin. The details of who taught what over the years are beyond the scope of this study, but citations and quotes from various church fathers on the subject can be found in many places, including in “ Which church father first taught the perpetual virginity of Mary? ” A thousand years later, Martin Luther rejected the Catholic practices of venerating Mary and praying to her, but he taught the perpetual virginity of Mary. To summarize, there is a lot of evidence indicating that this is not a simple question. “Brothers” can mean many things in the Bible. Catholic and Orthodox readers find a lot of support for the position that Mary was a lifelong virgin and the word “brothers” refers to relatives of Jesus, but Protestant readers of the Scriptures prefer the plain-language interpretation of the literal words of the Bible. No Bible Study is going to resolve the ongoing disagreement among Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants about whether Mary remained a virgin throughout her life (or about the other issues about Mary that divide us). For the purpose of how you live your life, to what extent does this disagreement matter? _____ Matthew 13:54-58 / Mark 6:1-6 continued Now let’s return to these passages and look at what actually happens in this incident. Jesus has been traveling around Galilee preaching, and he returns to his hometown of Nazareth. What happens? Why do they not believe in him? How do you think Mary feels about the resistance of her fellow townspeople to believing in Jesus? What does Jesus’s statement about “a prophet” in Matthew 13:57 and Mark 6:4 mean? What do you think Mary’s view of Jesus is at this point? Who do you think she believes him to be? Are there ways that we are like the people of Nazareth? Do we ever find ourselves unwilling to accept the value of people who are doing the work of God, because they are too familiar to us? If so, what do we need to do to avoid missing what God is doing? It may require humility, letting go of our ego that wants to ask why he’s so great if I’m not, seeing with new eyes, and having some faith that God is at work in people and that they can grow to be more than what we may have seen in them. Are there ways that we are like the people of Nazareth in not embracing the teachings of Jesus because he or his teachings have become too familiar to us? If so, what do we need to do to continue to embrace his teachings and have them remain fresh and potent for us? Matthew 12:46-50 / Mark 3:31-35 / Luke 8:19-21 Jesus’s mother and brothers come to him Jesus has been traveling all over the region of Galilee. His mother and brothers have not been traveling with him. From Mary’s perspective, what happens at the beginning of this story? Why do you think she and the brothers have come and are standing outside the place where Jesus is preaching? What do you think Mary wants? When Jesus receives word that his family is outside, how does he react? Jesus says that whoever “hears the word of God” (Luke 8:21) and “does the will of God” (Mark 3:35) or “does the will of my heavenly Father” (Matthew 12:50) is his brother and sister and mother. What do you think he means by that? How can determine whether we are hearing the word of God and doing the will of God? How do we know if our actions are consistent with that description of the brothers and sisters of Jesus? How might God be calling you to respond right now to the call to hear the word of God and do God’s will? Even before Jesus was conceived, Mary was someone who heard the word of God and did God’s will. So is Jesus drawing a distinction that separates her from those who follow him? Or is he expanding the concept of his family, as he expanded on many Old Testament teachings when he said, “You have heard . . . , but I say . . .” (for example, in Matthew 5:21-48), to include others along with his mother? Explain. How do you think Mary interprets what Jesus says here? Note that Jesus presumably loves his mother dearly, but he wants to make a bigger spiritual point. We will see Jesus push us to see a bigger picture again soon. Take a step back and consider this: Jesus’s relationship with his mother was different when he was an adult than when he was a child. In what ways did Mary have to accept a change in her relationship with Jesus, and how do you think she dealt with it? We also have a changed relationship with parents and other family members as we grow older. Are there times when we are called to step outside the comfort zone of our previous relationship with a parent or other family member, as Jesus did? If so, how do we continue to honor our parents or other family members even as we live our lives in ways that might be different from their expectations? Sometimes it is the other person (perhaps a grown-up child) rather than us who is responding to an inner call that changes their relationship with us. What can we learn from this story that might help us deal with those changes? Bibliography See Mary - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/mary/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Mary List Next

We find hope because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through Jesus. (Paragraphs 1-4 of Spes Non Confundit) Previous Next Jubilee Year 2025: Embrace God’s Hope and Extend It to All Session 1: Why we can have hope We find hope because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through Jesus. (Read paragraphs 1-4) Link to S pes Non Confundit Photo by Tom Faletti, Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, March 29, 2024. Tom Faletti November 16, 2024 The title of Pope Francis’s document means “Hope Does Not Disappoint.” It’s easy to have hope when things are going well. But what about in the hard times? In this session, Pope Francis explores what hope is, where it comes from, and why we can have it. The Christian life flourishes when it is grounded in hope. Pope Francis draws on the words of the Apostle Paul to remind us why hope is possible even in the hard times, how even suffering can lead us to hope. Our study guide questions will help us explore how God’s love supports our hope and how Jesus Christ stands at the epicenter of God’s active love for the world. Jesus Christ is the foremost reason why we can have hope and bring hope to our world. Read paragraphs 1-4 in preparation for this session. You can use the links next to each heading to jump to that part of Pope Francis’s document. Paragraph 1 (the Jubilee is an opportunity for hope) 🔗 What does “hope” mean to you? How would you describe it? In the second part [1] of paragraph 1 , Pope Francis says that “God’s word helps us find reasons” for hope. Is there a particular passage from the Bible that has especially inspired or helped you find hope? If so, how does that passage speak to you? Suggested Activity: Take a few minutes to contemplate what life feels like to someone who is unemployed, dealing with a chronic illness, facing the fear of violence due to their background or heritage, discouraged about the future, etc. Try to feel their pain. Then consider whether there is something you could do for someone such as this – perhaps directly for someone you know, or by getting involved in a ministry in your parish or community (perhaps through Catholic Charities in your diocese or through another organization). (Section 1) A word of hope In this section, Pope Francis explores the biblical basis for the hope we have in God. Paragraph 2 (why we can have hope) 🔗 Read Romans 5:1-2,5 (we will look at verses 3 and 4 in Paragraph 4 later in this session) What does Paul tell us in Romans 5:1-2 that allows him to say that we have hope? In verse 5, Paul says that hope does not disappoint us. Why? How would you explain verse 5 in your own words? How have you experienced the love of God poured into your heart? How does knowing that God loves you so much allow you to show greater love to others? Paragraph 3 (hope is born of love) 🔗 In paragraph 3, why does Pope Francis say, “Hope is born of love”? How does Romans 5:5 help to explain this statement? Note: In paragraph 3, the Scripture cited as coming from Romans 5:19 is actually Romans 5:10. Read Romans 5:10 What is Jesus’s role in our being reconciled to God? How might being reconciled to God affect how we relate to God and to others? How does Romans 5:10 support Pope Francis’s statement that hope is born of love? How have you experienced God’s love giving you hope? In the second part of paragraph 3, Pope Francis describes the action of the Holy Spirit in giving us hope. What does he say the Holy Spirit does? How does Romans 5:5 support this understanding of the Holy Spirit? How have you experienced the Holy Spirit in your life? Read Romans 8:35 and 8:37-39 How does the fact that nothing can separate us from the love of God help us understand why we can live a life of hope? Paragraph 4 (hope requires patience) 🔗 Knowing that we all face times of suffering, Pope Francis calls our attention to Romans 5:3-4. Read Romans 5:3-4 Paul tells us that even suffering can lead to hope. He describes it as a multi-step process. What are the steps he sees that lead from suffering to hope? Think about the sequence of steps Paul suggests: suffering -> endurance -> character -> hope. Everyone is unique and not everyone experiences things in exactly the same way, but Paul’s analysis can be useful. How might suffering infuse God’s character into us? How might the experience of suffering lead to hope? In the rest of paragraph 4 (including part 2 of paragraph 4) Pope Francis explains that patience is closely linked to hope. Why is patience so important in the cultivation of hope? Pope Francis cites St. Francis of Assisi in reminding us of the value of contemplation. How might making time for contemplation help us deal with our impatience and better manage the cultural demand to treat everything as “urgent” and in need of immediate response? How might you make contemplation a more central part of your life? Suggested Activities: Spend a few minutes in quiet contemplation each day. You might find it helpful to find a good guide to contemplation from a respected Catholic or Christian author. Read and contemplate a portion of the New Testament each day. One way to approach the meditation of Scripture is through the practice of lectio divina . Pope Francis says patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, which is stated in Galatians 5:22-23. Read Galatians 5:22-23 Paul is telling us that God the Holy Spirit is the one who gives us the patience we need to endure the sufferings we face. How does it make you feel when you hear that God wants to give you what you need to go from suffering to hope? How have you experienced suffering leading to hope in your life? In the second part of paragraph 4, Pope Francis quotes from a translation of Romans 15:5 that describes God as “the God of all patience and encouragement.” Where do you see God’s patience in your life or in the lives of others? How does that give you hope? Closing question: Based on what we have considered in this session, if someone said to you, "How can you have hope with all that is going on in the world," how would you respond? [1] See A Note About Our Terminology for an explanation of what we mean by a “part” of a paragraph. Bibliography See Jubilee Year 2025 - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/jubilee-2025/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Jubilee 2025 Contents Next

That's one of our goals. Previous Next Table of Contents To Have the Mind of Christ That's one of our goals. Tom Faletti March 6, 2024 Some people think of religion as being like the relationship between a master and a slave: God orders and I obey. This attracts some people and repels others. They are both missing something central to our faith. People from both perspectives are missing something because they think that the Christian faith asks us to turn off our minds and just “believe.” That’s not the faith of the gospel. St. Paul says, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5-11, NRSV). How can I think of my mind as something to turn off, if I am urged to have the same mind as Christ. I have to think carefully in order to think like Christ. Paul also says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2, NRSV). What does God want to transform? Our minds. Why? So that we can discern well. If our minds are not valued by God, if He just wants us to turn off our minds and “have faith,” why would Paul say this? Ephesians says that we are to use our gifts to build up the body of Christ “until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (Eph. 4:13, NRSV). Our goal is to reach the full stature of Christ. Did Jesus turn off his brain? No! He used it very carefully and wisely, throughout His ministry. Jesus said to his disciples, “I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father” (John 15:15, NRSV). How could we possibly make use of all the wisdom and knowledge that Jesus has received from the Father if we do not spend time thinking, but instead assume that we can “believe” and be done? So the point is that we are called to think. We are called to use these magnificent brains that we have received from God. We are called to put on the MIND – not just the heart or soul or will – of Jesus. So let’s get to work! TO BE CONTINUED Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Table of Contents Next

Suggestions for individuals, small group members, and small group leaders. Previous Next Jubilee Year 2025: Embrace God’s Hope and Extend It to All Overview: How to Use This Study Guide Suggestions for individuals, small group members, and small group leaders. Link to S pes Non Confundit Photo by Tom Faletti, descending toward Berlin, Germany, June 20, 2024. Tom Faletti November 16, 2024 This page has separate suggestions for how to use this study guide for individuals studying on their own, small group members, and small group leaders. Click the appropriate link below: Individuals studying on their own Small group members Small group leaders Individuals studying on their own This study guide walks through Pope Francis's document Spes Non Confundit paragraph by paragraph so that you can engage with it personally and apply it to your life. The guide presents questions that will help you explore Pope Francis’s insights, the Scripture passages he cites, and additional Bible passages that support his points where his document does not explicitly cite Scripture. The guide also suggests activities that might help you put your discoveries into action. You can also be creative in coming up with your own activities. This study guide assumes that you will read the specified portions of Spes Non Confundit before trying to answer the corresponding questions. The document can be accessed online (and printed out, if desired) here: Spes Non Confundit . In this online study guide, there is a link to that document at the top right corner of every page. You can read the Bible passages as you go. It is not expected that you will engage every question with equal intensity. The goal is not to answer every question like a checklist. The goal is to hear what Pope Francis and the Scriptures are saying and then to dig in where God is calling you to new insights and action. When a question asks you to restate what Pope Francis or the Bible says, it helps to check yourself against the actual passage, to make sure you are interpreting accurately. Please give yourself plenty of time for the application questions that speak to your heart at this particular time in your life. Listen for what God is saying to you, and respond. If at the end of a session you have a clear sense of what new insight or action God is calling you to, you are on the right track. Small group members This study guide walks through Pope Francis's document Spes Non Confundit paragraph by paragraph so that we can engage with it personally and communally and apply it to our lives. The guide presents questions that will help your group explore Pope Francis’s insights, the Scripture passages he cites, and additional Bible passages that support his points where his document does not explicitly cite Scripture. The guide also suggests activities that might help you put your discoveries into action. You can also be creative in coming up with your own activities. Although anyone can explore these questions on their own, God can work powerfully when people come together with an open heart and a willingness to share their experiences, learn from others, and explore how God is calling them to action in their everyday lives. This study guide assumes that the group has agreed to read in advance the specified portions of Spes Non Confundit for each session. The document can be accessed here: Spes Non Confundit . In this online study guide, there is a link to that document at the top right corner of every page. Group members may read the Bible passages in advance but are not expected to do so. The study guide indicates when to read the Bible passages. You may access the Bible online or use your own Bible (use your Bible’s Table of Contents to find passages quickly). Groups will not have time to discuss all the provided questions. Group leaders will need to make choices about where to focus based on the direction of the conversation. Help your leaders cover the main points and allow plenty of time for the application questions, without feeling an obligation to cover everything. Let your leaders know in advance if there are particular questions or paragraphs of the document that you are especially interested in discussing. Help the group find the new insights or actions God is calling you to. Small group leaders This study guide walks through Pope Francis's document Spes Non Confundit paragraph by paragraph so that we can engage with it personally and communally and apply it to our lives. The guide presents questions that will help your group explore Pope Francis’s insights, the Scripture passages he cites, and additional Bible passages that support his points where his document does not explicitly cite Scripture. The guide also suggests activities that might help you put your discoveries into action. You can also be creative in coming up with your own activities. Although anyone can explore these questions on their own, God can work powerfully when people come together with an open heart and a willingness to share their experiences, learn from others, and explore how God is calling them to action in their everyday lives. This study guide assumes that the group has agreed to read in advance the specified portions of Spes Non Confundit for each session. Spes Non Confundit can be accessed online (and printed out, if desired) here: Spes Non Confundit . In this online study guide, there is a link to that document at the top right corner of every page. Group members may read the Bible passages in advance but are not expected to do so. The study guide indicates when to read the Bible passages. Group members may access the Bible online or use their own Bible (encourage them to use their Bible’s Table of Contents to find passages quickly). Who can lead: Because a full set of discussion questions is provided here, almost anyone can facilitate a small group on Spes Non Confundit . If you believe in Jesus, are willing to do a small amount of preparation in advance, have an open heart, and have an awareness of social dynamics, you can be a small group leader. For additional support, you can find leadership training materials at Leading a Small-Group Bible Study . Questions in bold are questions a leader can pose directly to the group. Other useful background information is presented in regular font. What to focus on: Groups will not have time to discuss all the provided questions. Group leaders should make choices about where to focus based on the direction of the conversation. Try to cover the main points and allow plenty of time for the application questions, without feeling an obligation to cover everything. Encourage members to let you know in advance if there are particular questions or paragraphs of the document that they are especially interested in discussing. Help the group find the new insights or actions God is calling you to. Bibliography See Jubilee Year 2025 - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/jubilee-2025/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Jubilee 2025 Contents Next

Blessed are the poor, the grieving, the meek. Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 5:1-5 Blessed are the poor, the grieving, the meek. Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti April 20, 2024 Matthew 5:1-2 The setting for the “Sermon on the Mount” Matthew introduces his first compilation of Jesus’s teachings. He ultimately has 5 of these “discourses.” Why does Matthew set this scene on a mountain? We can compare this to Moses presenting the Law on Mount Sinai. Jesus was seated because that is how Jewish teachers taught. Although this says it is addressed to the disciples, Matt. 7:28 tells us that it is being heard by crowds of people. Matthew has compiled teachings that Jesus would not have presented all at once. Therefore, there is not a specific, single crowd envisioned by Matthew. We will see that Matthew frequently gathers together different things that Jesus said or did that might not all have happened in one time or place. He carefully organizes his material to help us understand what Jesus said and did. Matthew 5:3-12 The Sermon on the Mount – who is blessed in the kingdom of heaven? These statements of Jesus are known as the “Beatitudes,” from the Latin word for “blessed.” There are generally considered to be eight beatitudes in Matthew, whereas Luke only has four. Verse 3 What does “blessed” mean? What does “poor in spirit” mean? “Poor in spirit” does not mean spiritually poor. A person who is “poor in spirit” is actually spiritually rich. So what is the opposite of poor in spirit? What does a life look like that is not “poor in spirit”? How can a person become, or try to be, poor in spirit? Is “poor in spirit” different from “poor,” which is how Jesus says it in Luke’s account in Luke 6:20? It is possible that Jesus said it in different ways at different times, since he probably preached the same message many times in different places. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary argues that “the addition of ‘in spirit’ changes the emphasis from social-economic to personal-moral: humility, detachment from wealth, voluntary poverty” (Benedict T. Viviano, O.P., “The Gospel According to Matthew,” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary , par. 24, p. 640), but some commentators find no significant difference. Barclay tells us that the Greek word here is the word for “absolute and abject poverty” (William Barclay, Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 85). He then walks through the development of the phrase “the poor” in the Old Testament, where it shifted from being simply a word for economic poverty to a word for lack of power and influence, to a word for being oppressed and downtrodden, to a word for putting one’s whole trust in God because one has no other resources. The Psalms repeatedly talk about “the poor” as people who trust in and rely on God (William Barclay, Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 86). The Bible does not give any sign that God finds value in the life-destroying effects of abject poverty, so perhaps Matthew included the words “in spirit” to make it clear that Jesus was not praising abject poverty in itself but rather the attitude of trust in God that some poor people have because of their lack of anything else to put their trust in. Can a person be wealthy yet poor in spirit? If so, what would it look like? Can a person be educated yet poor in spirit? If so, what would it look like? Can a person be popular or famous and still be poor in spirit? What would it look like? Considering all that we have talked about, what is the attitude or approach to life of a person who is poor in spirit? One might say: People who are poor in spirit exhibit a fundamental dependency on God rather than on anything else, and treat people as all having an equal claim on the resources of the earth rather than focusing on their own right to own their own resources. In Luke, Jesus says, “ yours is the kingdom of God,” but in Matthew the poor in spirit are referred to in the third person (“ theirs is the kingdom of heaven”) (Matthew 5:3, NRSV). What might be the significance of the fact that in Luke the audience is included in the category of the poor? According to this verse, what do people get or have, if they are poor in spirit? What does it mean to have the kingdom of heaven? If you have the kingdom, that means you are where God is and have all that God wishes to give to you. Jesus said that, with his arrival, the kingdom of heaven is now at hand – i.e., right near you. The poor dwell (or will dwell, to the extent that this is a promise going forward rather than an immediate reality) in that place. And we understand from the Lord’s Prayer that where God’s kingdom has come, God’s will is done. So if the poor have that kingdom, they have citizenship in that place where God’s will is done – and is done for them as much as for everyone else, unlike in earthly kingdoms. Verse 4 What do you think this beatitude is envisioning that people are mourning about? People have seen many forms of mourning in this passage: They might be grieving due to their own losses or difficult lives: the death of a loved one, the effects of illness, mistreatment by others, the suffering that accompanies doing what is right. They might be deeply sorrowful for their sins, mourning their own failure to live up to what God has called them to be. They might be mourning the sufferings of others: grieving the injustices and evils that the world tolerates and the poor treatment of the lowly and needy. Is this beatitude only offering comfort when bad things inevitably happen or when we recognize our sinfulness? Or is it also calling us to take proactive action to choose to mourn situations that go beyond our own little world; and, if so, what should we be mourning? Why would the fact that you will be comforted (in the future) make you blessed that you are mourning now? Wouldn’t it be better to not have to be mourning in the first place? What do you think the nature of the “comfort” is? Verse 5 What does it mean, to be “meek”? What does it look like? Barclay says that the Greek word for meek, praus , had several meanings. Aristotle used one of its meanings to talk about the virtue of meekness. According to Barclay, Aristotle defined meekness as the happy medium between excessive anger and excessive angerlessness (William Barclay, Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 91). When, if ever, might a meek person be angry and still be meek? Barclay highlights a second meaning in the Greek for the word “meek”: it is used to describe an animal that is domesticated and trained to obey the commands of its master (William Barclay, Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 91-92). How is meekness related to being responsive to the leading of God? Barclay also notes a third meaning: the humility that is the opposite of pride and lofty-heartedness (William Barclay, Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 92). Humility is sometimes described as living in recognition of one’s true place, with neither too high a view of oneself (puffed up) nor too low a view of oneself (groveling). This does not mean self-abasement, despite the extremes to which some people may take it. As people sometimes say, “God doesn’t make junk”; so we don’t need to debase or dishonor ourselves in order to be meek. Humility means having a right view of ourselves and our place, as God sees us, and acting accordingly. What is true humility? Can I do something to become meek? The Greek word for “earth” is used in the Bible in a variety of ways: for ground, earth, soil, etc.; and also for territory, as in “the land of Israel”; and also for the Earth or the physical realm of our existence, as in “heaven and earth” and “a new heaven and a new earth.” The promise that comes for the meek is that they will inherit the earth. What does it mean, that the meek shall inherit “the earth”? Psalm 37:11 says the meek shall inherit the land. That would have been understood as meaning the land of Israel. As Christians, perhaps we understand this as meaning that, for us, the meek shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. That is our true land. Take a step back and consider this: The poor, the meek, and those who are mourning are not the people at the top of the social ladder, and poverty, mourning, and meekness are not likely to move people to the top of the heap in society. But Jesus is beginning to develop a thread of teaching here that will continue throughout Matthew’s Gospel, telling us that God views things very differently than the typical society does. In Jesus’s downside-up view of the world, those who are seen as at the bottom from the world’s perspective are prominent in God’s perspective. Matthew will show us that a lot of Jesus’s teachings build on Old Testament themes. But here, Jesus has broken totally new ground. Nowhere in the Old Testament are we told that the poor are blessed. The people who help the poor are blessed, and God hears the cries of the poor, but never does the Old Testament suggest that there is any blessedness associated with being poor. Jesus is asking us to think differently. When you see a poor person, does your mind say, “The kingdom of heaven is theirs”? Do you think of those who are humble rather than grasping as being the ones who will inherit the earth? How might you treat the poor and the meek differently if you keep firmly in mind that Jesus declares them blessed and says that the earth and the kingdom of heaven belong to them? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

Two reactions to Jesus: disingenuous skepticism and genuine commitment. Previous Matthew List 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 List Next

Jesus cares about our afflictions. Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 8:1-17 Jesus cares about our afflictions. Alexandre Bida (1813-1895). The Leper . 1875. Detail. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jesus_heals_the_leper.png . See also https://archive.org/details/christinartstory00egglrich/page/60/mode/2up . Tom Faletti July 30, 2024 Re-read Matthew 7:28-29 Jesus acts with authority Matthew ends the Sermon on the Mount by saying that Jesus “taught them as one having authority and not as their scribes.” What does it look like when someone teaches with authority? Who has been someone who taught with authority in your life? Matthew has shown Jesus teaching with authority. Now he is going to show Jesus acting with authority. In chapters 8 and 9, we will see 10 miracles in 9 separate incidents, presented in groups of 3, interspersed with brief but pointed dialogues. Matthew 8:1-17 Jesus cures all who come to him Who are the kinds of people Jesus helps here? Who is Jesus for ? The ones Jesus helped here include an outcast leper, a lowly servant, an enemy commander in need, a mother-in-law who probably spent most of her life being overlooked, and then many others who suffered various afflictions. What does this tell you about Jesus and about Matthew’s sense of who Jesus cares about – who God cares about? Who do we care about? Do we care about the same people Jesus cares about? Explain. How are Jesus’s priorities a challenge to our society? Now let’s focus on each of these three stories separately. Matthew 8:1-4 the leper What happens in this passage? Recent translations of the Bible mostly replace “a leper” with “a man with a skin disease,” because the word was used for a variety of skin diseases, not just leprosy. Any persistent skin disease rendered a person unclean, under Old Testament law (Lev. 13-14), both in a hygienic sense (such diseases can be transmitted through touch) and in a religious sense (ritual impurity). Therefore, people with skin diseases were supposed to live in isolation, away from others. What attitudes or character traits does the man with leprosy show? In verse 2, the man said, “You can make me clean.” What is the significance of being made clean? How were lepers treated and what would being made “clean” do for him? What does Jesus do? Why is touching so significant beyond just being an action used in the healing? Jesus’s willingness to touch the man violated Old Testament norms both with regard to health and with regard to religious purity, so it was probably shocking to onlookers. In what way does Jesus’s touching the man communicate not only a willingness to violate social conventions but also a special type of caring? What effect does touching someone have? Why does Jesus tell him to tell no one? Why does Jesus tell him to go to the priests? Note that the purpose of going to the priests is to satisfy the priests; Jesus does not make it his own concern – i.e., he does not say, for example, that going to the priests was necessary in order to receive the healing. Jesus stands above the Law, even as he tells the man to fulfill the Law. What do you discern about Jesus’s/God’s character from this incident? Who are we called to “touch” or care for today in or lives, in order for them to receive God’s healing? How might our choice to “touch” people whom society shuns shock people around us, and should that affect us? What should we do about the fact that if we follow Jesus we will sometimes show care for people that others think we should stay away from? Matthew 8:5-13 the centurion’s slave A centurion was a commander of 100 men in the Roman army. He was a Gentile. The Greek word for the centurion’s “servant” is ambiguous and could mean “son.” John 4:46-54 has a similar but not identical story about a royal official’s son. But if we follow the common understanding that it is the centurion’s servant who is sick, how do you think he felt about this servant cared as a person? The centurion was an officer in a hated army that occupied the land, oppressed the people, and treated with harsh brutality anyone who dared to cross it. Why would Jesus want to help him? Jesus says, “I will come and cure him.” What Jewish cultural expectation would that have been violating? Observant Jews did not enter the homes of Gentiles, because they would becoming ritually unclean from any interaction with any unclean items in the home. Why do you think Jesus makes the offer to “come”? How does the centurion see himself relative to Jesus (verse 8) and relative to other people (verse 9)? What does he ask Jesus to do? Why does the centurion think that a word from Jesus will be enough? Matthew 7 ended with a reference to Jesus’s authority. How does this passage help us understand the authority of Jesus? For what does Jesus praise the centurion? What does he think of the centurion’s faith? How does Jesus turn this event into an indictment of the failure of the people of Israel to believe in Jesus? How can we be more like the centurion? Note: We can’t conjure up faith by our own willpower. Faith is a gift. But we can choose to be open, we can take the time to approach God, and we can welcome God’s presence and lordship in our lives. If we create the conditions for faith by nurturing whatever seed of faith we have, that openness can allow faith to grow. Matthew 8:14-17 Peter’s mother-in-law, and many other people What does Peter’s mother-in-law do when she is healed? How can she be a model for us? What happens that evening? In verse 17, what Old Testament passage does Matthew quote, and what does it mean? What is Matthew trying to suggest to us about Jesus? The quote is from one of the Suffering Servant passages of Isaiah, and the Suffering Servant ultimately makes reparation for the sins of the people, so Matthew sees it as a prophecy about Jesus as the Messiah. Take a step back and consider this: In Matthew 8:2, the leper is confident that Jesus can cure him; he is only unsure if Jesus is willing to cure him (he says, “if you wish”). In Matthew 8:8, the centurion is confident that Jesus can cure his servant, and he has a solution to the question of Jesus’s willingness (“only say the word”). With both of those issues laid to rest, the crowds that follow Jesus come with great expectation. When it comes to asking God for healing for yourself or others, do you get stuck on the question of whether God wishes to heal? Do you get stuck on the question of whether God is able to heal? Or are you able to get past both of those questions? In our time, we know that some people for whom we pray are healed and some are not. How do you approach God when healing is needed? There is power in the passage from Isaiah that Matthew applies to Jesus in verse 17. In what ways do you find it to be true of Jesus that he bears our weaknesses and diseases, and how does that help you to approach him in prayer? The next time you pray, how can you approach the Lord with greater confidence that he bears your afflictions? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

Can you embrace a king who comes in peace? Previous Matthew List 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 List Next

What do the final hours in the life of Jesus say to us about racism in America today? Previous Justice Articles Next Stations of the Cross on Overcoming Racism What do the final hours in the life of Jesus say to us about racism in America today? The first station in the Stations of the Cross in the Church of Saint Stephen in Salmbach, Bas-Rhin, France, cropped. Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salmbach-St_Stephan-Kreuzweg-01-Jesus_wird_zum_Tode_verurteilt-gje.jpg . Tom Faletti March 1, 2024 Do the final hours in the life of Jesus say anything to us about racism in America today? The connections are numerous and compelling. I invite you to pray the “ Stations of the Cross: Overcoming Racism ,” which I wrote to explore those connections: Stations of the Cross: Overcoming Racism (PDF) The link to the PDF can be found in the Prayer Resources section of this page: Combatting Racism - Parish Resources Background The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross, are an ancient prayer form that Christians developed to remember the events surrounding the Passion and death of Jesus Christ. This particular version of the Stations challenges us to explore the ongoing problem of racism through the lens of the suffering of Jesus. While the Stations are often prayed in churches during the season of Lent, these Stations can be prayed anywhere, anytime. You don’t need to be in a church to reflect on the links between Jesus’s suffering and the struggles of those who endure racism in our nation today. You can download a PDF document containing the Stations here: Stations of the Cross: Overcoming Racism . You can also find a link to it and other resources under the “Prayer Resources” heading here: Combatting Racism - Parish Resources . The US bishops wrote a lengthy letter addressing the issue of racism. A PDF of that pastoral letter can be found here: Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love Pastoral Letter Against Racism . Links to that letter and other statements can be found here: Combatting Racism - Statements and Letters . The unjust and racist treatment of our Black brothers and sisters as well as people of many other races and ethnicities continues to tarnish our nation. Their pain must become our pain, their cause must become our cause, until the discrimination ends and all people are truly treated equally. USCCB Links PDF of the Stations: Stations of the Cross: Overcoming Racism : https://www.usccb.org/resources/stations-of-the-cross-overcoming-racism.pdf A variety of resources on racism, including a link to the Stations: Combatting Racism - Parish Resources : https://www.usccb.org/committees/ad-hoc-committee-against-racism/combatting-racism-parish-resources (see the Prayer Resources section) U.S. Catholic Bishops' Pastoral Letter: Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love – Pastoral Letter Against Racism : https://usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/racism/upload/open-wide-our-hearts.pdf Other resources: Combatting Racism - Statements and Letters : https://www.usccb.org/committees/ad-hoc-committee-against-racism/combatting-racism-statements-and-letters 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 Justice Articles Next

We are not alone. We can work with groups that speak out for justice. Previous Justice Articles Next Groups That Work for Justice We are not alone. We can work with groups that speak out for justice. Image provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti August 1, 2024 Proverbs 31:8-9 calls us to be a voice for the voiceless and to defend the rights of the poor and needy. You do not have to be a silver-tongued expert in order to be an advocate. You can join with organizations that know the issues, the facts, and how to present the concerns of the needy to people in power. Here is a list of organizations that provide advocacy for people whose voices are often not heard in the halls of power. These links may take you to their home page or advocacy page. In general, you can look for words like “Advocacy” or “Campaigns” or “Take Action” (or similar words) in an organization’s menubar, to find out how you might get involved in advocacy efforts on behalf of others. Find a group whose agenda makes sense to you, and join in their efforts to be a voice for the voiceless: Franciscan Action Network . Bread for the World . Catholic Charities USA . Catholic Relief Services . Catholic Climate Covenant . Catholics Mobilizing Network . Justice for Immigrants . NETWORK . U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops . When you act as a voice for those who are not heard, you are showing your solidarity with Jesus, who told us we serve Him when we help the hungry, the stranger, the sick, and others in need. 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 Justice Articles Next

What will those who give up earthly goods for Jesus receive? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 19:27-30 What will those who give up earthly goods for Jesus receive? Image by Emma Shappley, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti February 13, 2024 Matthew 19:27-30 The rewards of giving up everything for God Peter observes that the disciples have left everything behind to follow him. What does Jesus say they will have “at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne” (19:28, NRSV)? What does Jesus say that other believers who have left things behind will have in his kingdom? In verse 29, “a hundredfold” is a metaphor rather than a literal accounting term. What is “a hundredfold” describing, metaphorically? A hundredfold might mean an abundance, a richness of life. If they have left behind houses, brothers and sisters, parents and children, property, what do you think it means to say they will have “a hundredfold” in God’s kingdom? Perhaps “brothers and sisters” is metaphorically referring to the fellow believers we will have as spiritual brothers and sisters. It might have a similar meaning for parents and children, but wouldn’t it be awesome to think that I might have some great-great-great-grandparents who might, in heaven, be like parents to me? The property might stand for the abundance and richness of life that we will experience in heaven. Jesus concludes in verse 30: “But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first” (NRSV and NABRE). In what ways does this passage support the conclusion that “the last will be first”? Take a step back and consider this: This incident is part of a series of events in this part of Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus explains what I call Jesus's downside-up/upside-down view of life : the greatest must become like a child (18:1-5), God cares as much about the one stray as the 99 who are safe (18:10-14), the prayers of just two or three people can move heaven (18:19-20), forgiveness is not something we can choose to dole out in limited amounts — we are called to forgive to the utmost (18:21-35), men are to be committed to marriage and not find reasons to divorce their wives (19:1-9), the kingdom of heaven belongs to the children, who are the lowest people on the social ladder (19:13-15), wealth is a potential impediment to receiving God's salvation rather than being a sign of God’s favor (19:16-30), the rewards of the kingdom are available to those who come late to Jesus as well as those who (think they) have followed God’s law from the beginning (20:1-16), those who wish to be first must be the servant of all (20:20-28). Jesus’s perspective is often diametrically opposed to prevailing societal perspectives regarding what is important, or valued, or expected, or right. If you want to see as God sees, you generally need to train yourself to look at things from the bottom, not the top. This can be hard for us. We have to work to see as God sees. Sometimes we have to force ourselves to see differently than the world has trained us to see. What is one aspect of your life where you can challenge yourself to see what it looks like from the bottom up, from Jesus’s downside-up perspective? Why does God choose to take that vantage point? Can you do the same? What difference would it make? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next