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

God teaches us through faith and science. Previous Christian Faith Articles Next God Reveals Himself in Scripture and in the Natural World, through Faith and Science God teaches us through faith and science. Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti March 18, 2024 I saw a meme that said, “I don’t follow the Science. I follow Jesus.” This statement deserves further thought. I am a follower of Jesus. I believe He is God (John 1:1). He is the Author of life (Acts 3:15). All of the created world was created through Him (John 1:3; Col. 1:16). God reveals Himself through creation (Rom. 1:20). God reveals Himself in Scripture and in the natural world The heavens and the earth – i.e., all of the natural world – tell the glory of God and proclaim His handiwork (Psalm 19:1). In other words, God reveals Himself and His truths both through Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16) and through the natural world He created (Prov. 30:24-28). Since God is always true (John 3:33), He cannot reveal truth to us in one part of revelation and lie to us in another. All of God’s revelation is true – both that which is found in Scripture and that which is found in the natural world He gave us. Therefore, we can find truths revealed by God in Scripture, and we can find truths revealed by God in the natural world He authored. Science The word “science” refers to a well-developed set of processes people use to understand truths about the natural world. Although scientists wouldn’t say it this way because they are looking for natural evidence, since God is the author of all creation, when they find things that are true in the natural world, they are finding truths that God has revealed to us in the natural world. God teaches us through faith and science. The word “science” is also used to describe the body of truths that humans have discovered as they use the processes of science to explore the natural world. We see “science” in every part of our lives. Scientists used the processes of science to understand the nature of penicillin and its healing properties. As a result, we have a body of scientific knowledge about antibiotics. Scientists used the processes of science to understand the nature of fuels, providing us with the scientific knowledge to provide power to our tractors, our automobiles, and our power plants. Scientists used the processes of science to understand how to improve the yields of plants and animals, leading to the science of agronomy that helps us feed the world. Observing God’s orderly universe All of this is possible because God created an orderly universe with laws that govern that universe, and because He allowed people to discover the truths about the natural world that are hidden in that orderly world. (Even the seemingly disorderly parts of the natural world contain truths that humans can and do discover about the natural world.) The Scriptures speak approvingly of attitudes and actions that are Bible-era precursors of modern science. The Book of Proverbs applauds those who carefully observe the natural world in order to apply it to their own situations (Prov. 6:6-11; 30:24-28). Jesus calls attention to those who observe signs from nature to predict the weather and suggests that we should have a similar attitude in reading spiritual signs (Matthew 16:2-3; Luke 12:54-56). Jesus also tells a parable in which he speaks well of a gardener who seeks to experiment with the soil in order to increase the likelihood of a good harvest (Luke 13:6-9). These passages reflect God’s approval of our use of the processes of science – observing, experimenting, drawing conclusions, etc. Using all of God’s tools to understand truth God has given humans the ability to search out the truths of the natural world through science, just as He has enabled us to search out the truths of the spiritual world through Bible Study. To say, “I follow Jesus but I don’t follow the science,” would be like saying, “I follow Jesus but I don’t follow Bible Study.” They are both just tools – methods of learning. Science is a method used to understand what God reveals through the natural world. Bible Study is a method used to understand what God reveals through Scripture. One and the same God reveals Himself in both places – in Scripture and in the natural world, through Bible Study and through science. Thank God that He has chosen to reveal Himself in both places and has given us these tools – Bible Study and science – to make sense of His truths in both places. God teaches us through faith and science. Blessed is the person who listens to all of God’s revelation, wherever He chooses to reveal it. 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 Christian Faith Articles Next

The religious authorities want to know who John the Baptist is. John is more interested in identifying who Jesus is. That's the central question for us, too. [John 1:19-28; 1:29-34] Previous Next John List John 1:19-34 The religious authorities want to know who John the Baptist is. John is more interested in identifying who Jesus is. That's the central question for us, too. Giovanni di Paolo (1398–1482). Ecce Agnus Dei (Behold the Lamb of God) . Circa 1455-60. Detail. Art Institute of Chicago, Public domain CC0, https://www.artic.edu/artworks/16159/ecce-agnus-dei . Tom Faletti October 31, 2025 Read John 1:19-28 What John the Baptist says about himself This man who was baptizing people in the desert is often called John the Baptist. People sometimes call him John the Baptizer, to avoid any confusion between him and the denominations of Christians known as Baptists that arose many centuries later. Who challenges John the Baptizer? Priests and Levites (verse 19), and then Pharisees (verse 24). Priests offered the sacrifices in the Temple. Levites served in the Temple but not as priests. Pharisees were a religious sect within Judaism that emphasized zealous adherence to the Torah and its purity laws. Who does John say he is not? He says he is not the “Christ or “Messiah.” “Messiah” is the word that Jewish people would have used in their own language to refer to the one whose coming they were awaiting, who they expected would bring them liberation. The Hebrew word “Messiah” means “Anointed One.” The Greek word Christos , from which we get our word “Christ,” is the Greek word for “Anointed One.” He says he is not Elijah. In the Old Testament, Elijah does not die; instead, in 2 Kings 2:1-12, he is described as being taken up to heaven in a whirlwind. And in a prophecy in Malachi 3:23-24, God says he is sending Elijah the prophet before the day of the Lord comes (when the Messiah comes). The scholars in the Jewish tradition interpreted these passages literally and expected Elijah himself to return before the Messiah comes. In Matthew 11:14 and Mark 9:11-13, Jesus indicates that John has played the role that people expected of Elijah. But John knows he is not literally Elijah and says so. He says he is not the prophet. In Deuteronomy 18:15-18, Moses says that God will raise up a prophet like Moses for the people. Again, this was part of Jewish tradition and the Jews of Jesus’s time waited expectantly for this Prophet. Who does John the Baptist say he is? John is quoting Isaiah 40:3. Read Isaiah 40:1-5 . Why do you think John the Baptist sees himself in this description? How is this a fitting description of John the Baptist? In verse 26, what does John say he does? In verse 27, how does John the Baptizer distinguish himself from “the one who is to come,” which is Jesus? How is this a fitting description for Jesus? Read John 1:29-34 What does John testify about Jesus? Notice that in verse 29, John the evangelist says that this happens “on the next day.” John divides his episodes into days. Day one: If John is not the One, what is his role? Day two: Here is the One. How does John describe Jesus? Let’s look at each of the things John says. Notice that John telescopes into one paragraph here what happens over a longer period of time in the Synoptic Gospels. John is trying to get to the spiritual meaning of what was happening. What is the significance of calling Jesus the Lamb of God? This image probably evokes the Passover or “paschal” lamb whose blood saved the Israelites from the death of the firstborns in Egypt before Pharaoh finally let them go (Ex. 12). It may also evoke the Suffering Servant in Isaiah who is led like a lamb to the slaughter (Is. 53:7) and whose life is an offering for sin (Is. 53:10). What is the significance of saying that he takes away the sin of the world (note that the word “sin” is singular – John is referring to the whole state of sinfulness, not just specific sins)? What is the significance of saying that “he existed before me”? What is the significance of saying that the Spirit descended on him like a dove and remains on him? What is the significance of saying that he will baptize with the Holy Spirit? What is the significance of saying he is the Son of God? John the Baptist was a relative of Jesus (Luke 1:36ff), so scholars have puzzled over the fact that in verse 33 he says that he had not known Jesus (he uses a special form of the past tense). If they were relatives as Luke says, why does he say this? There are two main possibilities: John may merely be saying that he had not “known” in the sense that he had not realized previously that Jesus was the Messiah. John may never have spent much time with Jesus. Jesus’s early years were spent in Egypt and his family settled in the north, in Galilee, a multi-day walk from the territory where John’s family lived. They were “relatives,” but not necessarily close cousins. As an adult, at some point John went off and lived in the desert. So it is possible that they never interacted with each other before Jesus showed up to be baptized. In verses 33-34, how does John explain why he is so confident that what he is saying is true, (even though he had not known previously)? Looking over all the ways that John the Baptist describes Jesus, which description is most important to you and your life, and why? (John says: he is the Lamb of God, he takes away the sin of the world, he existed before me, the Spirit is on him, he will baptize with the Spirit, he is the Son of God.) And can you describe a time when that understanding of Jesus especially mattered for you? Take a step back and consider this: Identities are important. Sometimes, it matters a great deal who you are – or are not. The religious authorities want to know who John is (or who he thinks he is). John the Baptist wants his followers, and everyone listening to him, to know who Jesus is. Sometimes we want to know who someone is so that we can put them in the proper box in our mental assessment of who’s who in the world. That can be helpful (“this teenager is one of my students; I need to help him”) or unhelpful (“I’ve never seen this teenager here; he must be up to no good”). John the Baptist not only identifies Jesus; he testifies (verse 34) that Jesus is the Son of God. This role of testifying or bearing witness is sometimes crucial (“this is one of my most diligent students; he’s here to talk with me about his scholarship essay”). If we have experienced that Jesus takes away sins, is filled with the Spirit, or is the Son of God, we can testify to what we have seen, as John the Baptist did. How would you introduce Jesus to someone who does not know him? How would you describe him – what words would you use to identify him – so that others might be motivated to learn more about him? Bibliography See John - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/john/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 John List Next

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? Previous For Leaders 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 by Priscilla Du Preez, 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. For more leadership training materials, see Leading a Small-Group Bible Study . Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous For Leaders Next

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

Jesus gets in trouble for healing a man on the Sabbath. No one seems to care that God has done a marvelous deed. In what ways do we miss what God is doing by being too focused on rules and protocol? Previous Next John List John 5:8-18 Jesus gets in trouble for healing a man on the Sabbath. No one seems to care that God has done a marvelous deed. In what ways do we miss what God is doing by being too focused on rules and protocol? Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti January 17, 2026 We are in the middle of the story of the paralytic man Jesus healed on the Sabbath (John 5:1-18). Read John 5:8-18 Jesus is criticized for healing a man on the Sabbath This is the first passage in John’s Gospel where Jesus encounters strong opposition from what John calls “the Jews.” We need to understand what the phrase “the Jews” means. When John refers to “the Jews,” he means the Jewish religious leaders Read John 1:19 , which is the first time that John uses the phrase “the Jews.” In 1:19, John says that “the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites” to question John the Baptist. (Some translations put the words in a different order, but the Greek clearly says that these men are “Jews from Jerusalem.” The Temple was in Jerusalem. The priests performed the sacrifices in the Temple, and the Levites had other duties in the Temple. If someone has the power to send priests and Levites, what does that tell you about their position or power? The “Jews in Jerusalem” who are doing the sending must be the religious leaders, for they are the only people who would have had the authority to send priests and Levites. So John is referring to the high priest and the other religious leaders in Jerusalem. Throughout his Gospel, John uses the phrase “the Jews” as a shorthand for what he said more fully in chapter 1: that he is referring to the Jewish religious leaders based in Jerusalem (and their followers). When he uses the phrase “the Jews” in this way, he is never talking about the Jewish people as a whole. Whenever there is a conflict, “the Jews” means the Jewish religious leaders. Why is this an important thing to understand as we read and interpret the Bible? The man Jesus healed picks up his mat and walks away, as Jesus told him to do. He runs into some men who are under the leadership of the Jewish religious leaders. That is not surprising since the pool of Bethesda was near the Temple. They don’t like what they see. In verse 10, what is their objection? John assumes we know why it would be unlawful for a Jew to carry a mat (or mattress or pallet) on the Sabbath. Why was that forbidden? God rested on the 7 th day of creation and told the Israelites to honor the Sabbath by doing no work on that day. Over the centuries, the Jewish scholars developed a detailed interpretation of what counts as “work” that encompassed almost any exertion. The prophet Jeremiah, 600 years before the time of Jesus, issues a prophecy saying that no burden shall be carried into Jerusalem on the Sabbath (Jer. 17:19-27). So now it is not just work for pay that is prohibited, but any exertion. But what is a “burden”? By the time of Jesus, the Torah was interpreted so severely that carrying even small items, even your bed-mat, crossed the line and was prohibited. Sometimes, when we “Arise, take up our mat, and walk” in response to God, we run into trouble from people who don’t like what God is doing. Have you ever seen or experienced that? What do you think Jesus would say to you about how to handle it? Notice what happens in verses 11-12. The man tells the Jewish leaders two things: a man healed me, and he told me to pick up my mat and walk. The religious leaders could have asked for more information about either half of his story. They picked the wrong part to focus on. Why didn’t they ask more about the unusual fact that the man was healed? Are we ever like those men, missing something good because we are so focused on the rules? How does that happen in our day? Jesus then finds the man. In verse 14, what does Jesus say to him? Jesus is not linking all suffering to sin – in John 9:3, he rejects that idea. But it is possible that Jesus knew that this man had a particular area of sin that he needed to resist or it might lead him to a worse outcome (perhaps he had become disabled in an injury caused by anger, for example, and another incident like that could get him killed). Or Jesus could be referring to the final judgment of a life lived in rejection to God, since that would be a “worse” situation than simply being disabled. This may be what John has in mind. In every age, Jesus says to all people: “Sin no more.” For your own self-examination, consider this: With regard to sin, what is your point of vulnerability? How does Jesus guide you and help you to avoid sin? This man has not thanked or honored Jesus for healing him. What does he do in verse 15 that makes life more difficult for Jesus? Now that the man has spoken again with Jesus, he knows who healed him and he reports Jesus’s name to the Jewish religious leaders. Some scholars see in this the “sin” Jesus warns about in verse 14 when he tells the man not to sin anymore. This man may be a symbol of people who don’t believe in Jesus (Perkins, p. 959, par. 75): he never indicates any faith and acts in a way that undermines Jesus, whereas the man born blind whom Jesus heals in chapter 9 puts his faith in Jesus and defends Jesus when challenged by the authorities. For this reason, the New Oxford Annotated Bible goes so far as to call this healing “The sign that failed” (5:1-18 fn.). Both the religious authorities and the man who was healed, miss the significance of the fact that God is working in their lives. How might people in our day fail to notice the way that God is at work in their lives? In what ways are you most likely to forget to thank God or to notice what God is doing in your life? How do the Jewish religious leaders respond in verse 16 when they learn who healed the man? How does Jesus respond in verse 17? Jesus says that, as his Father is at work, so too, he is at work. This statement seems unrelated, but there is a connection. Jewish rabbis debated what kind of work God still did even while he rested on the Sabbath: for example, he still sustains the universe, gives life to newborn babies, judges those who die, etc. ( New American Bible, revised edition , John 5:17 fn.). Jesus is saying that they shouldn’t be criticizing him, because he is just doing what his Father does. His Father (God) works on the Sabbath, and he does too. When Jesus refers to God as his “Father” in verse 18, this further enrages the religious leaders. Why? For the next 8 chapters, every single chapter will include at least one instance where Jesus or one of his followers is threatened. In this story, there is not a single hint that the religious leaders care at all that a man who was paralyzed now walks free and can live an independent and productive life. Are there situations where your leaders seem to be so focused on following the letter of the law that they miss opportunities to help people live free, independent, and productive lives? Explain. How can you be more focused on healing and opportunity, and not just on protocol? Take a step back and consider this: In some ways, the fundamental question about Jesus, which becomes a central issue in this passage, is this: Is Jesus God’s Son, the Second Person of the Trinity? Is Jesus God? Throughout history, non-religious people have usually been able to tolerate the Jesus of moral philosophy (“Blessed are the poor in spirit,” etc.). Some find it much harder to tolerate his claim to be one with God, because it interferes with their own absolutes (or their rejection of absolutes). Do you believe that Jesus and God are essentially one – that Jesus is God? If so, why? If not, why not? If you aren’t sure, what would you like to explore more in order to answer your questions? What different does this question make in your faith? Bibliography See John - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/john/bibliography . Copyright © 2026, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous John List Next

Quotes worth thinking about. Previous All Special Materials Next Quotes Quotes worth thinking about. Tom Faletti September 26, 2025 This collection will grow over time. Quotes on issues of faith, life, truth, and justice, etc. FAITH There are no ordinary people “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization – these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit – immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.” – C.S. Lewis. The Weight of Glory . 1941. LIFE Measure your performance by how much better you made the people around you “The most important measure of how good a game I’d played was how much better I’d made my teammates play.” – Bill Russell. Inscription engraved on a block that stands with a statue of Mr. Russell at Boston’s City Hall Plaza See John Hareas. “City of Boston celebrates Bill Russell: Player, activist, mentor.” NBA.com , 1 Nov. 2013, https://www.nba.com/news/bill-russell-city-of-boston . Recover from your mistakes “If you stumble, make it into a dance.” – Inside a Dove candy wrapper TRUTH Read old books “Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books. . . . Not, of course, that there is any magic about the past. People were no cleverer then than they are now; they made as many mistakes as we. But not the same mistakes. They will not flatter us in the errors we are already committing; and their own errors, being now open and palpable, will not endanger us. Two heads are better than one, not because either is infallible, but because they are unlikely to go wrong in the same direction. To be sure, the books of the future would be just as good a corrective as the books of the past, but unfortunately we cannot get at them.” – C. S. Lewis. “Introduction” to On The Incarnation , a translation of Athanasius’s On the Incarnation of the Word of God . Translated by Sister Penelope Lawson, a nun in the order of the Convent of the Community of St. Mary the Virgin. Originally published in 1944. Current edition published by GLH Publishing, Louisville, KY, 2018, pp. 2-3. (Italics are in the original; boldface added. In the original publication, the translator was listed as “A Religious of C.S.M.V.” Athanasius’s treatise was written prior to A.D. 319.) JUSTICE Justice, injustice, and democracy “Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible; but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.” – Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971). In the foreword to The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness: A Vindication of Democracy and a Critique of Its Traditional Defense . 1944. University of Chicago Press, 2011, p. xi. (See Joseph E. Hartman. “Democracy and Sin: Doing Justice to Reinhold Niebuhr.” Academic Questions . Fall 2015. National Association of Scholars . https://www.nas.org/academic-questions/28/3/democracy_and_sin_doing_justice_to_reinhold_niebuhr#_ftnref27 .) (For clarity in the 21 st century, the quote is often rendered: “Humanity’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible; but humanity’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.”) PURPOSE God has created me to do Him some definite service; I have a mission [A slightly shortened version of this is often printed with the title “The Mission of My Life”] “1. God was all-complete, all-blessed in Himself; but it was His will to create a world for His glory. He is Almighty, and might have done all things Himself, but it has been His will to bring about His purposes by the beings He has created. We are all created to His glory – we are created to do His will. I am created to do something or to be something for which no one else is created; I have a place in God’s counsels, in God’s world, which no one else has; whether I be rich or poor, despised or esteemed by man, God knows me and calls me by my name. “2. God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission – I never may know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. Somehow I am necessary for His purposes, as necessary in my place as an Archangel in his – if, indeed, I fail, He can raise another, as He could make the stones children of Abraham. Yet I have a part in this great work; I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do His work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it, if I do but keep His commandments and serve Him in my calling. “3. Therefore I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. My sickness, or perplexity, or sorrow may be necessary causes of some great end, which is quite beyond us. He does nothing in vain; He may prolong my life, He may shorten it; He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends, He may throw me among strangers, He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide the future from me – still He knows what He is about.” – John Henry Newman (1801-1890). “Hope in God – Creator.” 7 Mar. 1848. In Part 3: Meditations on Christian Doctrine, in Meditations and Devotions of the late Cardinal Newman . Edited by Fr. William Neville. London: Longmans, Green, 1893. Newman Reader , https://www.newmanreader.org/works/meditations/meditations9.html . THE POOR Contact with the lowly and powerless is a fundamental way of encountering the Lord “Love for the Lord, then, is one with love for the poor. The same Jesus who tells us, ‘The poor you will always have with you’ ( Mt 26:11), also promises the disciples: ‘I am with you always’ ( Mt 28:20). We likewise think of his saying: ‘Just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me’ ( Mt 25:40). This is not a matter of mere human kindness but a revelation: contact with those who are lowly and powerless is a fundamental way of encountering the Lord of history. In the poor, he continues to speak to us.” – Pope Leo XIV. Dilexi Te (Apostolic Exhortation on Love for the Poor) . The Vatican , 4 Oct. 2025, https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20251004-dilexi-te.html , par. 5. Love for God is not possible for the Christian without love for the poor “In his new apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te , Pope Leo . . . traces the uninterrupted centrality that the poor have played in the Church’s proclamation of the Gospel in every age and culture, and the rich legacy that the saints have left us in their comprehension that love for God is not possible for the Christian without love for the poor.” – Robert McElroy (Cardinal of the Archdiocese of Washington). “Cardinal McElroy’s statement on Pope Leo XIV’s first apostolic exhortation ‘Dilexi Te.’” Archdiocese of Washigton , 9 Oct. 2025, https://adw.org/news/mcelroys-statement-dilexi-te/ . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous All Special Materials Next

In the days surrounding Jesus’s birth, uncertainty is a fact of life for his mother Mary. She responds by pondering and treasuring everything that happens. How can we embrace her trusting attitude? [Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-7; 2:8-20; 2:21; Luke 2:22-24] Previous Mary List Next Session 2: Jesus’s birth causes uncertainty as well as joy In the days surrounding Jesus’s birth, uncertainty is a fact of life for his mother Mary. She responds by pondering and treasuring everything that happens. How can we embrace her trusting attitude? [Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-7; 2:8-20; 2:21; Luke 2:22-24] Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665). The Adoration of the Shepherds . Around 1633-4. Detail. The National Gallery, London, UK. Photo by Tom Faletti, 28 May 2025. Tom Faletti July 13, 2025 As we explore the birth and infancy of Jesus, we are going to look at what happens from Mary’s perspective. We begin with a story that is partly about Mary but not told from Mary’s perspective. It is Joseph’s side of the story as Mary and Joseph grapple with the virginal conception and birth of Jesus. Matthew 1:18-25 The birth of Jesus from Joseph’s perspective What dilemma does Joseph face? How do you think Mary felt as Joseph was considering what to do about the fact that she was pregnant? How do you think Mary felt when Joseph told her about her dream and took her into his house to live their married life together? Mary bears a lot of uncertainty throughout her life. The Bible doesn’t tell us much about what she is thinking or how she deals with the anxiety of not knowing what will happen. How do you think Mary dealt with anxiety? We have no words from Mary in this story. What can learn from this “silent Mary” who endures all things quietly and stays faithful? Luke 2:1-7 Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem, where Jesus is born Why do Joesph and Mary travel to Bethlehem? Traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem would require walking around 90 miles, which would take 4-7 days, depending on how fast Joseph wanted to push his pregnant wife and perhaps a donkey. Donkeys walk at roughly the same speed as humans, so a donkey helps carry a burden and can carry a human, but it doesn’t speed up the journey. Note: In Luke 2:4, Jesus is referred to as Mary’s “firstborn son.” Some have tried to argue that this is a clear signal that Mary had more children later. That would be a misreading of the text. This passage does not provide any guidance regarding the debate between Protestants and Catholics over whether Mary had additional children or was a perpetual virgin. For Jews, the phrase “firstborn son” had a special meaning that applied regardless of whether the mother had more children later. They were commanded to redeem their firstborn son through a special offering. We will see this when we look at Luke 2:22-24. This offering was required regardless of whether they ever had additional children. So the only thing Luke is clearly stating here is that Jesus is subject to the requirements that applied to a “firstborn son.” How do you think Mary felt when she learned that she and Joseph needed to walk or travel by donkey to Bethlehem? How comfortable do you think Mary and Joseph are with each other at this point? If you have had a newborn child, think back to those early days. Now add to your mental image the extra challenges Mary faces: staying in a cave or barn, or more likely, staying in a stranger’s house on the first floor where the animals live, while the residents sleep upstairs. What do you think it would have been like for Mary in those first days in Bethlehem with a newborn baby? If you were Mary, how would you try to make sense of the contrast between the prophecies that this child would be great and the gritty reality of life with the animals? Luke 2:8-20 Shepherds suddenly pop in and tell Mary that her son is special We usually start looking at this story from the perspective of the shepherds, who see angels. Consider it from the perspective of Mary, who does not see these angels (though she has seen an angel before) but first encounters the shepherds when they barge into the cave or barn or house and tell her they have seen angels. Focus on verses 16-17 for a moment. How do you think Mary feels? According to verse 11, What did the angels tell the shepherds about Jesus? In verse 11, the angels tell the shepherds that this is good news for all people. What do you think this reference to “all people” means to them and to Mary? Verse 18 tells us that everyone who heard the shepherds’ story was amazed. Do you think this includes Mary? What do you think her initial reaction is? Verse 19 tells us that Mary hung onto these events long after they happened, keeping them and reflecting on them (NABRE) or treasuring them and pondering them (NRSV) in her heart. There are two parts to this. First, she keeps or treasures the memories. What do you think these memories mean to Mary as the years go by during Jesus’s childhood? Second, she ponders or reflects on what has happened. How does pondering and reflecting what has happened in the past help prepare us or strengthen us for what may lie ahead in our life? How does looking back on what God has done help us discern what God is trying to do in our lives now? Do you think these memories meant something different to Mary after Jesus began his public ministry? How might these memories have taken on a different or enhanced meaning after Jesus died and rose from the dead? What Mary was, we are called to be. How can the habit of treasuring and pondering what God has done in our lives help us be the kind of people God is calling us to be? What Mary did, we are called to do. How can we act on what God shows us as we treasure and ponder what he has done previously in our lives? Luke 2:21 Jesus is circumcised and named What is the significance of the fact that Jesus is circumcised? If you go back and look at the accounts of the appearance of the angel to Mary and the angel in Joseph’s dream, both angels tell them to name the child Jesus. This would be the Hebrew name Joshua, which means “God saves,” or “Yahweh saves.” What do you think the assignment of this name to Jesus meant to them? Luke 2:22-24 Mary offers sacrifice for purification and Jesus is consecrated to God Starting in verse 22, Luke describes rites that occurred 40 days after Jesus’s birth. There are two things going on here: According to the Law of Moses, a woman who gave birth was considered unclean – i.e., ritually impure – for 40 days after the birth of a son (80 days after the birth of a daughter). At the end of that period, she was supposed to make an offering to God of a year-old lamb and either a pigeon or a turtledove. If she could not afford a lamb, she could offer a second pigeon or turtledove. Read Leviticus 12:1-8 to see the purification rule in the Old Testament. What strikes you as significant in Leviticus 12:1-8? What does the fact that they offered two pigeons or turtledoves, and not a lamb, tell you about them? Also, according to the Law of Moses, every firstborn son belongs to God and must be consecrated to him. The firstborn son is ransomed by the offering of a sheep, in remembrance of the death of the firstborns in Egypt when the Israelites were rescued from bondage. Jews were not required to make this offering at the Temple, but that is where Mary and Joseph did it. Read Exodus 13: 1-2, 11-16 to see the rules regarding the firstborn in the Old Testament. What does the fact that Mary and Joseph brought these offerings to the Temple tell you about them in terms of their faith? How do you think Mary and Joseph’s dedication to following the Law affected Jesus as he was growing up? As Mary was, so we are called to be. What does this passage say to you about your approach to your faith? Sometimes, when we face unexpected developments in our lives, it is easy to fall away from the regular routines that we might otherwise stick with, including church attendance and religious observances. How is Mary’s approach toward these practices an example to us of how to live out our faith in uncertain times? Take a step back and consider this: Mary faces a great deal of uncertainty as she ponders what the angels are saying about her son. The angel she encountered directly, at the Annunciation, told her that her son would be given the throne of David and would rule over the house of Jacob forever (Luke 1:32-33), yet his birth did not look like a royal birth in an earthly sense: no palace, no royal attendants, no heralds proclaiming the birth to the people in the countryside. Angels declared to nearby shepherds that he was a savior and Messiah, but no one cared enough to provide them a proper room for the delivery. We face uncertainties too. We might ask in faith for something we know is a good thing, and not receive it. We might pray for someone for decades and not see the outcome we desire. We might seek to be freed from a habitual sin and find it still lurking years later. And yet God has assured us that he never forsakes us. We might summarize this experience of life by saying that life is not always easy, but God says things are not always as they seem. There is more going on than we can see. Mary lives with the uncertainty and keeps doing what people of faith do, while keeps pondering, and treasuring, and trusting. How can you, like Mary, keep trusting God for what lies ahead, even when what is happening now is not what you might have liked? What attitudes and practices can you embrace that Mary has shown? 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

Stand firm in what you have been taught and live an orderly life, doing your own work and not minding other people’s business. [2 Thessalonians 2:13-17; 3:1-5; 3:6-15; 3:16-18] Previous 2 Thess. List Next 2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:18 Stand firm in what you have been taught and live an orderly life, doing your own work and not minding other people’s business. Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti March 10, 2025 2 Thess. 2:13-17 How God sees the Thessalonians From God’s perspective, who are the Thessalonians? How does Paul describe them? In verse 13, Paul says that the Thessalonians are the “firstfruits.” Note: Some translations use an alternate translation that instead says, “from the beginning.” The uncertainty arises because at that time, Greek had no spaces between words and the letters in question form either two words meaning “from” and “the beginning” or the single word meaning “firstfruits.” (Similarly, if we did not use spaces, we might not know whether a report was being described as “information” or “in formation.”) “Firstfruits” is probably the better translation for several reasons: The term “firstfruits” is used repeatedly in the Old Testament. Paul had a deep knowledge of Jewish Scriptures. Paul uses the same term in other letters, for example, in Romans 8:23 and 11:16 and in 1 Corinthians 15:19-23 and 16:15. The word captures an important point that Paul makes in those other passages, which we will explore now. Read Leviticus 23:9-21 and Exodus 23:14-19a to understand the concept of the firstfruits. What are the firstfruits? Why might the Lord have wanted the people to offer the first sheaf of wheat that was harvested, the first pieces of fruit plucked from the vines and trees, the lamb born in the past year, etc.? What was the message or purpose hidden in this practice? Jeremiah 2:3 says that Israel was holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of the Lord’s harvest. How is it appropriate, then, for Paul to describe the Thessalonians as the firstfruits of salvation? Note: The idea of the “firstfruits” also appears in many other places in the Old Testament, including in Leviticus 2:14; Number 18:13; Deuteronomy 18:4; 26:1-3, 10; Nehemiah 10:36; and Proverbs 3:9-10. Now return to 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17. What is Paul’s point in saying that the Thessalonians are the “firstfruits” for salvation (verse 13)? If they are only the first fruits, that suggests that others are also “fruit.” What does that tell us about people who come after them? The firstfruits in the Old Testament were an offering to God, a choice gift set aside for God at the beginning of the harvest. In what ways are we, too, called to be an offering to God as part of his harvest? In verse 14, what does Paul say they are called for? You have the same calling. What does it mean to you, that you are called to have the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ? Given all of this, what does Paul call on them to do in verse 15? We can only “hold fast to the traditions” (verse 15) if we know what those traditions are. Are there things you could do to understand the “traditions” of your faith more fully? Early signs of the Church’s belief in the divinity of Jesus In verse 16, we see a sign that Paul believes in the divinity of Jesus – that Jesus is one with God the Father. Here, he is praying for the Thessalonians. The prayer starts by describing our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father as having given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace. He continues the sentence by saying, may he encourage your hearts and may he strengthen them. He uses the third personal singular he ; he does not say, may they encourage and strengthen your hearts. Again, as in 1 Thessalonians 3:11, Paul gives us an early indication that he sees the Lord Jesus Christ and the Father as one God. See my article When Did Christians First Recognize the Divinity of Jesus? for a more complete exposition of the early Church’s belief in the divinity of Jesus. How does Paul describe Christ/God the Father in verse 16? In what ways have you experienced God’s love and the encouragement that lasts forever? What can you do to more fully embrace God’s love and encouragement? In verse 17, what does Paul ask God to do for the Thessalonians? It is characteristic of Paul that he does not simply ask God to encourage them so that they can feel good. He asks God to strengthen them in every good thing they do and say . Paul wants to see faith in action. What is the good deed or good word that God might be calling you to, right now? What has Paul said in this letter that might encourage you that you can trust in God’s strength to enable you for every good deed and word? 2 Thess. 3:1-5 Paul asks for their prayers and continues to pray for them What does Paul ask them to pray for him? Paul also continues his prayer for them in this passage. Looking through the whole passage from verse 1 through verse 5, what does he name that you think you most need? 2 Thess. 3:6-15 Live an orderly life In verse 6, Paul criticizes those who live a “disorderly” life (NABRE) or live in “idleness” (NRSV). “Disorderly” is the better translation, as the word ( ataktos ) was used by Greek writers such as Herodotus and Thucydides to describe troops that were “not in battle-order,” with Thucydides also using it to mean “undisciplined” or “disorderly” (Liddell and Scott, p. 128). Therefore, we will talk about an “orderly” or “disorderly” life below; but if your translation talks about “idleness,” we are referring to the same word. What does an orderly life look like according to Paul? What are people who are living an orderly life doing , and what are they not doing ? Why did Paul work and earn his own keep when he was with them? In verse 10, Paul says that anyone who is not willing to work should not eat – i.e., should not eat at the community meals Christians were taking in common together. Notice that Paul does not say those who are not working should not eat. He says those who are unwilling to work should not eat. Why is that an important distinction? Why do people sometimes find themselves without work even though they are willing to work? The Catholic Church (and some other Christian bodies) have an understanding of work that includes several elements that build on each other, and all of the components are needed to have a full understanding of work from a Christian perspective: God intends for people to work. He built this feature built into humans from the very beginning. In the Garden of Eden, God gave the Garden to humans to cultivate and take care of (Gen. 2:15). Work is part of our design. We are called to contribute to the common good by working. Some people do this through volunteer work, but most people need to be paid for their work in order to meet their needs. All are called to participate in the work of God’s ongoing creation. It is part of being who we are meant to be. People have a right to productive work with decent wages and fair treatment. This follows from the first principle. Since we have a calling to work, we must have access to productive work to fulfill that calling. And since most people need to work to meet their needs, they have a right to be treated fairly in that work so that their need for work is not abused. (See USCCB’s “ The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers ” and Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church , pars. 288 and 291-293, pp. 127-128, for more on this right). God did not create people to meet the needs of the economy; rather, the economy was made for people. The economy is a necessary structure to benefit the common good . As the U.S. bishops put it, “The economy must serve people, not the other way around” (USCCB, “ The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers ”). Since people have a need and a right to work, governments have an obligation to ensure that their societies provide productive employment to all who need it and that they are treated fairly in their work. (This is also spelled out in the USCCB’s document and in the Compendium .) Since God has made it clear from the very beginning in the Garden of Eden that he wants people to work, the Catholic Church and some other Christian bodies teach that people have a right to productive work, and therefore that governments have an obligation to create the conditions where everyone who seeks employment can find productive work. How does that inform our reading of Paul’s statement? How do we balance the idea that those who are unwilling to work should not share in the church meal with the idea that governments should structure their economies so that everyone who is willing to work can find productive employment that treats them fairly? People who face health issues or other struggles that make it hard for them to find appropriate work or to keep a stable job sometimes feel that Christians are unduly harsh in trying to enforce work requirements against them while failing to follow Jesus’s Second Commandment – to love your neighbor as yourself. How can we balance the desire to promote good order with the demand of Christ to love your neighbor as yourself? What is a loving approach to those who struggle to work and need assistance? Reread verse 11. Paul’s concern goes beyond just that some people are not working. What is it that they are doing, that he is especially concerned about? We can be good workers and still fall into the trap of minding other people’s business. How might that be a danger for some in our day? They are minding other people’s business. How can you find an appropriate balance of encouraging others to do good without “minding other people’s business”? In verses 14-15, Paul sets forth an approach to people who refuse to follow the teachings of Christ and Christian leaders. What is his approach? Paul tells the Thessalonians not to associate with such people, but to treat them as a brother, not an enemy. This instruction to keep away from or not associate with people who do not follow the teachings of Christ is a theme that is common in Paul – besides 2 Thessalonians 3:6 and 3:14, we see it in Romans 16:17; 1 Corinthians 5:11; and Titus 3:10. Jesus says something similar in Matthew 18:15-17, and we also see it in 2 John 10. Why do you think Paul was so concerned about having the new Christians at Thessalonica avoid those who did not obey Paul’s teachings? Is it possible to disassociate from someone yet still avoid treating them as an enemy and instead actually treat them as a brother? What would that look like? Do you think busybodies are a problem in the church today? Paul is about to pray for the Lord’s peace for the Thessalonians in verse 16. What do you think is the best way to deal with people who are busybodies while maintaining the Lord’s peace? 2 Thess. 3:16-18 Paul adds final greetings and his unique signature What does verse 16 say to you? When you are in need of peace, do you think of God as “the God of peace”? How is that a helpful image? Why is Paul’s final greeting in verse 17 important? Looking over chapter 3, what do you think are the most important things to take with you for dealing with relations between people in the church? Take a step back and consider this: Throughout both of his letters to the Thessalonians, Paul has been praising them for how their faith is made manifest in love and endurance. How important is it for our faith to be manifested by our love and endurance? Can we have true faith if it does not show in these ways? How are they signs of faith? What is the greatest challenge for you in dealing with people in the church right now? How would Paul counsel you to deal with that challenge, and what can you do to put your faith, love, and endurance into action in that part of your life? Bibliography See 2 Thessalonians - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/2-thessalonians/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous 2 Thess. List Next

The fields are ripe for harvest. What can we learn from the Samaritan woman and Jesus about how to tell others about Jesus? Previous Next John List John 4:27-42 (Continuation of John 4:1-42) The fields are ripe for harvest. What can we learn from the Samaritan woman and Jesus about how to tell others about Jesus? Sébastien Bourdon and workshop (1616–1671). Christ and the Samaritan Woman . 1664-1669. Cropped. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:S%C3%A9bastien_Bourdon_-_Christ_and_the_Samaritan_Woman_-_68.23_-_Museum_of_Fine_Arts.jpg . Tom Faletti January 13, 2026 John 4:47-42: In this session, we are exploring John 4:27-42. Chapter 4 begins with a long discussion between Jesus and a Samaritan woman that leads her to the edge of faith. Now, we consider some of the things Jesus said about evangelization – the process of telling people about the good news of believing in Jesus – before John takes us back to what happened next in the Samaritan woman’s town. Re-read John 4:1-42 to recall what is happening in the Samaritan woman’s interaction with Jesus at the well. Verses 27-34 When the disciples return from town, what is their reaction when they see Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman? Why do you think the disciples don’t question Jesus about the fact that he is talking to a Samaritan woman? Perhaps they don’t really want to hear his answer. Perhaps he has shown his inclusiveness previously and they don’t want to appear to be questioning his values. What might be some other reasons? Jesus ignores the Jewish rules against talking with a Samaritan woman. He clearly doesn’t think that these restrictions are important. Are there any social restrictions in your culture that you think should be ignored if they get in the way of telling other people about Jesus or living out your faith? What does the woman do now, in verse 28? Why do you think she reacts to her conversation with Jesus in this way? How would you describe the status of the woman’s spiritual growth at this point? Look at what she says, and doesn’t say, in verse 29. How much does she understand about Jesus and how much does she still need to figure out? When the disciples want Jesus to eat (verses 31-34), what does Jesus say his food is? He says his food is to do the Father’s will and finish his work. This idea of finishing his work comes up again later in John’s Gospel. Just before he dies, Jesus says, “It is finished” (John 19:30). What is the importance of “finishing”? Would it be good for us to focus more on “finishing” what God has sent us to do? The disciples don’t understand what Jesus is saying, just as Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman didn’t understand him. He is thinking on a different level than all of them. Do we have similar difficulties “understanding” Jesus? How are we like them? What should we do about the fact that we never fully understand Jesus? Perhaps this might call us to a bit of humility – not thinking we have everything figured out but being more open to listening to other people. It also calls us to study the Bible and the core teachings of our faith, so that we can understand more; to pray, so that we can be more attuned to God’s teaching and guidance; and to trust God more, because there are some things we can’t understand until we trust. Jesus says his “food” is to do God’s will. How can we find sustenance (“food”) from doing God’s will? How might it change your life if you fully embraced the idea that “the food for my soul is to do the will of God and complete the work he has given to me”? How might that view of the Christian calling change your life? Verses 35-38 In verse 35, Jesus turns to a bigger issue that builds on what is happening in this Samaritan woman’s town. He uses two mini-parables: one about fields that are ripe for the harvest and one about sowers and reapers. As with all parables, our task is to interpret what the various elements of the parable stand for or represent symbolically. What does the field ready for harvest stand for? Who do the sowers and reapers represent? The field ready for harvest is any people who have heard the word of God – the good news about believing in Jesus – and are ready to take a step of faith. The sowers are the people who have shared the good news – who have told people about Jesus and encouraged them to believe in him. The reapers are the believers who are making the gospel real to those people now, when they are ready to take that step of faith. What does the phrase, “One sows and another reaps,” mean? Note: The sower is not better than the reaper, nor vice versa. The difference is only in who happens to be there when a person is ready to put their faith and trust in Jesus. In what ways are you a “sower”? In what ways are you a “reaper”? What are some ways that you might participate more in God’s harvest, where he is bringing people to faith in himself? Verses 39-42 John now returns to the story of the Samaritan woman. What happens in the end? Why do the people begin to believe in verse 39, and why do they have a stronger faith in verse 42? Notice the two stages of the people’s faith. In verse 39, the people have a certain level of faith because the woman told them about Jesus, but they don’t ultimately believe because of her word – they believe because they have a direct experience of him (verse 42). What does that suggest to us about our attempts to tell other people about Jesus? What are some ways that we can help bring people into a direct experience of Jesus, and not just tell them our knowledge about him? Sometimes, people are touched by God when they hear Christians praying, so it can be helpful to ask someone if they would like you to pray for them. If they say yes, pray from your heart out loud so that they can hear your conversation with God. Sometimes, people are ready to pray a prayer of their own and just need to be invited to do so. Sometimes, people need to be invited to a service or event at your church where they can experience God at work in the people of God. Some scholars think that later, a group of Samaritans who believed in Jesus moved out of Samaria (perhaps after being persecuted or ostracized by some of their fellow Samaritans in the same way that the early Jewish Christians were rejected by their fellow Jews) and joined John’s community in Ephesus before he wrote this Gospel. These scholars see John’s positive treatment of Samaritans and the preservation of this story as possible clues that Samaritans were part of John’s community. What this passage tells us about the process of evangelization Because Jesus focuses on the harvest at the end of this passage, this passage is clearly meant to encourage us to tell people about Jesus. So let’s explore the story further to see what it tells us about the evangelization process and our role in helping others come to know Jesus and put their faith and trust in him. In verse 11, the woman calls Jesus “Sir,” a respectful word that means “master” or “lord,” but often in a purely human sense. In verse 19, she calls him “a prophet.” By verse 25, she is suggesting that he might be the Messiah (a Hebrew word that means the “Anointed One”; in Greek, the “Christ”). And by the end of the story, the whole town is calling him “the savior of the world.” What is the significance of this gradual shift in how they talk about Jesus? How does this shift in how the people see Jesus gives us a model for understanding the shifts that people in our time go through as they move from skeptic to new believer to mature Christian? Think about people in your world who are not believers, and how they talk about Jesus. How are some people at the early stage of just seeing Jesus as an important human while others recognize him as more than that? Are there some people who see Jesus as a prophet but just one prophet among many, while others are wrestling with the truth that he is God? How can we help people at every stage find a fuller understanding of who Jesus is? This Samaritan woman is the first person in John’s Gospel who becomes a missionary: a person who shares the Gospel with a whole group of people. Individual disciples have told individual people about Jesus, but she evangelizes a whole group. Verse 39 tells us that she “testifies” about Jesus. How are we called to testify about Jesus? What does this passage say to you about your own personal role in telling others the good news about God? Go back through the story and look at how Jesus guides the woman to faith: [If you are studying this passage in a group, break into smaller groups of 3 or 4 people to discuss the following questions and then report back to the larger group.] Notice the rhythm of the conversation with the woman. When does Jesus ask questions and when does he give answers? How much of an answer does he give (a lot or a little), and why is that a good idea? How and to what extent does he give her room to share her own beliefs? What do your observations about Jesus suggest to you about how you can be effective in sharing your faith in Jesus with others? Notice how the conversation shifts over time from focusing on everyday concerns, to religious facts, to spiritual insights. How can we build relationships with people that will allow our conversations with them to move naturally to spiritual matters over time? Notice how the woman leads the people of the town from her own testimony to a personal interaction with Jesus himself. What aspects of your testimony – your story of how you came to believe in Jesus – might help others enter into a relationship with Jesus? What is the good news you have found in Jesus that others might be interested in if you told them the story of your faith? Notice how the woman is almost antagonistic at the start, responding to Jesus with challenges and putdowns. Jesus sticks with her and gives her room to open up to his message. What does that tell us? What conclusions can you draw about the evangelization process? What ideas does this passage give you for how to tell people about Jesus when they might be ready to hear it? In chapter 2, John told us about what he called Jesus’s first “sign.” In the passage we will look at next, he starts a new series of stories by telling us about the second sign. That suggests that everything we have seen in chapters 2 through 4 might go together: Jesus turning water into wine, Jesus telling us that we need to be born again of water and the Spirit, Jesus telling us that he is the living water. All these stories referred to water. What conclusions can you draw from these stories, and how can you apply those conclusions to your everyday life? Take a step back and consider this: People are often afraid to talk about Jesus because they don’t want to appear pushy. That fear leads us to say too little. Jesus’s approach was not pushy. With the Samaritan woman he mostly made brief and non-judgmental statements and then answered questions when he was asked. Perhaps we need to get past our fears and just talk about Jesus like he is an everyday part of our lives, without making a big deal about it. How does Jesus’s approach to evangelization differ from that of a pushy preacher? How does Jesus’s approach differ from that of someone who thinks that good actions are enough and we don’t need to say anything? How might we adopt the “Come and see” attitude we saw in John chapter 1 (1:39; 1:46) to help people meet Jesus face-to-face without being pushy? Bibliography See John - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/john/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 John List Next

Luke provides an orderly account of the life and teachings of Jesus, explaining the significance of Jesus for all nations. His Gospel places a special emphasis on the lowly, outcast, and marginalized, and God's concern for them. Previous Next Luke List Introduction to Luke Luke provides an orderly account of the life and teachings of Jesus, explaining the significance of Jesus for all nations. His Gospel places a special emphasis on the lowly, outcast, and marginalized, and God's concern for them. Image by James Coleman, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti This article will provide an introduction to the Gospel of Luke, including what we know about its author, when it was written, who the intended audience was, Luke's purposes/goals, etc. Bibliography See Luke - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/luke/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 Next Luke List

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