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

What do the final hours in the life of Jesus say to us about racism in America today? Previous Justice Articles Next Stations of the Cross on Overcoming Racism What do the final hours in the life of Jesus say to us about racism in America today? The first station in the Stations of the Cross in the Church of Saint Stephen in Salmbach, Bas-Rhin, France, cropped. Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salmbach-St_Stephan-Kreuzweg-01-Jesus_wird_zum_Tode_verurteilt-gje.jpg . Tom Faletti March 1, 2024 Do the final hours in the life of Jesus say anything to us about racism in America today? The connections are numerous and compelling. I invite you to pray the “ Stations of the Cross: Overcoming Racism ,” which I wrote to explore those connections: Stations of the Cross: Overcoming Racism (PDF) The link to the PDF can be found in the Prayer Resources section of this page: Combatting Racism - Parish Resources Background The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross, are an ancient prayer form that Christians developed to remember the events surrounding the Passion and death of Jesus Christ. This particular version of the Stations challenges us to explore the ongoing problem of racism through the lens of the suffering of Jesus. While the Stations are often prayed in churches during the season of Lent, these Stations can be prayed anywhere, anytime. You don’t need to be in a church to reflect on the links between Jesus’s suffering and the struggles of those who endure racism in our nation today. You can download a PDF document containing the Stations here: Stations of the Cross: Overcoming Racism . You can also find a link to it and other resources under the “Prayer Resources” heading here: Combatting Racism - Parish Resources . The US bishops wrote a lengthy letter addressing the issue of racism. A PDF of that pastoral letter can be found here: Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love Pastoral Letter Against Racism . Links to that letter and other statements can be found here: Combatting Racism - Statements and Letters . The unjust and racist treatment of our Black brothers and sisters as well as people of many other races and ethnicities continues to tarnish our nation. Their pain must become our pain, their cause must become our cause, until the discrimination ends and all people are truly treated equally. USCCB Links PDF of the Stations: Stations of the Cross: Overcoming Racism : https://www.usccb.org/resources/stations-of-the-cross-overcoming-racism.pdf A variety of resources on racism, including a link to the Stations: Combatting Racism - Parish Resources : https://www.usccb.org/committees/ad-hoc-committee-against-racism/combatting-racism-parish-resources (see the Prayer Resources section) U.S. Catholic Bishops' Pastoral Letter: Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love – Pastoral Letter Against Racism : https://usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/racism/upload/open-wide-our-hearts.pdf Other resources: Combatting Racism - Statements and Letters : https://www.usccb.org/committees/ad-hoc-committee-against-racism/combatting-racism-statements-and-letters Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Justice Articles Next

Who is Jesus? – Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus. Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 1:1-17 Who is Jesus? – Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus. Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti February 13, 2024 NOTE: Whenever the chapter and verse for a passage are underlined, please read the passage before proceeding. Matthew 1:1 Who is this Gospel about? How does Matthew identify or describe the chief character of his story? Let’s look at each of these terms: Jesus, Messiah, son of David, and son of Abraham. What does each term mean and why is it important to Matthew or significant to the Jews or early Christians? Jesus : Greek for the Hebrew name Joshua (Yeshua), which in Hebrew means “God saves,” or “Jehovah (Yahweh) is salvation,” or “Yahweh, save [us]!”. Why is this identification important for Matthew’s Gospel and for us? Messiah : Hebrew for “Anointed One”; Christ, from the Greek Christos , has the same meaning). Special people were anointed, usually kings and priests; but the “Messiah” took on a greater connotation of a savior of some kind. Why is this identification of Jesus important for Matthew’s Gospel and for us? Sneak peak: You are probably familiar with the story of the key turning point when Peter first recognizes that Jesus is the Messiah, which is told in Matt. 16:16. Son of David : The Jews expected that they would find relief from foreign occupation and domination when David’s throne was restored. God had told David that a descendant of his would be on the throne forever. Why is this identification of Jesus important for Matthew’s Gospel and for us? Consider Isaiah 9:2-7; see verse 7: “there shall be endless peace / for the throne of David and his kingdom.” (NRSV) Consider Isaiah 11:1-9; see verse 1: “a shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse” (NRSV) – Jesse was David’s father. Consider Jeremiah 33:14-17; see verse 15: “I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land” (NRSV), and verse 17: “David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel” (NRSV). Sneak peak: The term “Son of David” will be used by people who were healed by Jesus and by people in Jerusalem when he entered the city on the first day of his last week on Earth, so it takes on important significance as his crucifixion nears. Son of Abraham : God made the Jewish people’s original covenant with Abraham, and all Jews trace their lineage from him (whereas not all are from the house of David). Why is this identification of Jesus important for Matthew’s Gospel and for us? David was only one part of one of the 12 tribes of Israel. Abraham was the father of the entire Jewish people. Muslims also see their lineage going back to Abraham, but it goes further than that. Through Abraham, all people were to be blessed, not just Abraham’s children: Gen. 12:2-3: “I will make of you a great nation, and . . . in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (NRSV). After Abraham shows his willingness to sacrifice Isaac: Gen. 22:17-18: “I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And . . . by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves” (NRSV). Pick one of these identifications of Jesus and explain why it is important to you or has special meaning for you. Matt. 1:2-17 Jesus’s genealogy What names or other features of this genealogy stand out for you? It was unusual to include women in a Jewish genealogy, but Matthew’s genealogy names four: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. . What makes these four women stand out as worthy of mention? All four of the women were from other nations; they were not Israelites: Tamar, Canaanite: Genesis 38. Rahab, from Jericho, so Canaanite: Joshua 2:1-21; 6:22-25. Ruth, Moabite: Ruth 2-4. Bathsheba, Hittite: 2 Samuel 11-12. Why would Matthew want to call attention to these foreign women in Jesus’s genealogy? What message would that send? Matthew might have included these women in part to deflect any criticism about Jesus’s birth circumstances. If the irregularities in David and Solomon’s lineage did not disqualify them from the throne of an eternal dynasty, then Jesus’s lineage does not disqualify him either. Joseph essentially adopted Jesus into the family line by taking him into his home, so he had a legitimate claim to being a son of David on the human level. Matthew’s genealogy ends with “Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born” (1:17 NRSV), which does not follow the standard male-line genealogy of “So-and-so, the father of So-and-such,” which might have been expected to end with “Joseph, the father of Jesus.” That would not have been accurate, as Matthew will explain shortly. When we look at God choice to make room in Jesus’s lineage for people of different backgrounds, how might that guide us in our attitudes toward people who have different backgrounds from ours? How does the presence of Gentiles in Jesus’s ancestry connect to the last two verses of Matthew’s Gospel (Mat. 28:19-20)? The good news about Jesus is meant for people of all nations. Sneak peak: Matthew spends a significant portion of his Gospel reporting Jesus’s preaching, healing, and miracles in Gentile areas. Matthew says in verse 14 that his genealogy has 3 sets of 14 generations. The number 14 might have been considered important as the numerical value of the sum of the three letters that make up David’s name in Hebrew. Matthew’s genealogy walks through the story of the Jews from the beginning with Abraham, to a high point when David was king, to the depths of despair when the Israelites were sent into exile to Babylon, and on to Jesus. How do you see Jesus serving as the climax to this story? Note: The Gospel writers were not aiming for genealogical perfection. Matthew is focused on his 3 times 14 arrangement. Luke has many more names in his list and is telling the genealogical history to make a different point. (Note: It is possible that Luke’s list is a genealogy of Mary, but there is no evidence to support the claim.) Matthew is not trying to nail down every genealogical detail. For example, considering the many decades between Rahab’s role in the Jericho story and Boaz’s role in the story of Ruth (David’s great-grandmother), Rahab could not have been the mother of Boaz. (Matthew is the only one who makes that claim; the book of Ruth, where Boaz’s story is told, does not make that claim.) Matthew’s list also doesn’t quite match up with the list in 1 Chronicles (see 1 Chron. 3:11-12). The Gospel writers were not trying to nail down every genealogical detail. They were trying to make much bigger and broader points. What do you think Matthew’s goals were in including this genealogy at the beginning of his story of Jesus? What points does he want us to take from it? It connects Jesus to the great past figures and also prepares us for the unique birth of Jesus by showing that irregularities show up in many places in the story of God’s people. Scholarly footnote: The third genealogical group, from the Exile to Jesus, is only 13 generations. Some scholars wonder if the 14th generation is Christ begetting the church. Take a step back and consider this: During Advent of 2023, my home parish posted online a musical reflection for each of the weeks of Advent. On the page Music for the Second Week of Advent ( St. Peter’s Church on Capitol Hill , https://saintpetersdc.org/pray/advent23/35171-music-for-the-second-week-of-advent ), we could listen to some lovely music including a remarkable interpretation of the genealogy of Jesus. The third musical selection on that page offered a video titled “…which was the Son of — Arvo Pärt (b.1935).” It can be found on YouTube here: Which Was the Son of... (Arvo Pärt) - Sofia Vokalensemble (“Which Was the Son of... (Arvo Pärt) - Sofia Vokalensemble.” Sofia Vokalensemble , 23 Oct. 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyPmFBpiF7E ). In this piece, a choir sings a beautiful musical selection telling the genealogy of Jesus as presented in the Gospel of Luke. The commentary on the page posted by St. Peter’s Parish acknowledged that “it can be dull to hear about Jesus’s genealogy,” but went on to say: “Estonian composer Arvo Pärt has set Luke’s version of this genealogy in such a way that it is no burden to hear Jesus’s family tree. Rather, Pärt’s music seems something like an overture to the whole biblical narrative, an epic tale on par with Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia. We are not bored by Jesus’s family tree; we are overwhelmed with wonder at its sweep across time.” This is beautiful! Jesus takes his place within an entire history of the working of God in our world, so that he can save all of the people in that genealogy, all of the people who descended from them, and indeed all human beings, wherever they fall in human history. God loved this world and the people he created so much that he chose to embed Himself in the world he created, in the history of that world, in the person of Jesus. That is what we celebrate at Christmas — not a pleasant story about a sweet little baby, but rather an audacious story about a God who loved his creation so much that he was not afraid to get his hands dirty and assume our genealogy, to become one of us so that we could become like him. Glory in the story — the story of God coming among us at Christmas! We can embrace Joseph as a role model of one who was willing, as Mary did, to say “Yes” to God, so that God could do his great work of salvation among us. What is one way you can say “Yes” to God, that will allow God to do something new in your life or the lives of those around you? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

Jesus endured the torture and the mocking for us. How can we embrace his sacrificial attitude? [Matthew 27:27-31; 27:32-44] Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 27:27-44 Jesus endured the torture and the mocking for us. How can we embrace his sacrificial attitude? Édouard Manet, Jesus Mocked by the Soldiers , 1865, oil on canvas, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Photo taken by Tom Faletti, 21 July 2018. Tom Faletti September 20, 2025 Matthew 27:27-31 The crown of thorns A Roman cohort had six “centuries” of up to 80 soldiers each, so there were 480 soldiers in a full cohort. Each century was headed by a centurion. We don’t know whether Pilate had brought an entire cohort to Jerusalem when he came to make sure things stayed under control during the Passover feast, but he certainly would have had a large force in order to be ready to deal with the crowds that swelled the city during the feast. What did the soldiers in Pilate’s cohort do? What do you think they thought of Jesus? How might they have viewed him? What was the point of the crown of thorns? Why do you think they mocked Jesus as “King of the Jews”? Matthew 27:32-44 Jesus’s crucifixion and the people who interact with him during it In this section, we will look at the crucifixion of Jesus through the perspective of the people who interacted with him during his final hours. We will see in verse 55 that there were other people present, standing at a distance, but right now we will focus on the people who directly interacted with Jesus. Simon from Cyrene: Verse 32 How does Simon end up in Jesus’s story? Cyrene was the capital city of a Roman province called Cyrenaica on the north coast of Africa. He had probably come to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. He was pressed into service. Roman soldiers had the right to demand that people in occupied territories perform services for them: for example, to carry a burden for up to a mile. He was asked to carry Jesus’s cross. What do you think Simon thought of Jesus? How might he have viewed him? Do you think his view of Jesus might have been affected by helping Jesus carry his cross? Mark 15:21 says that Simon was “the father of Alexander and Rufus.” This implies that Mark knew them, so they were probably Christians when Mark wrote his Gospel. This leads to at least two possibilities: (1) Simon may have already been a follower of Jesus, who was following Jesus on his path to his execution and was grabbed by the Roman soldiers and forced to help Jesus. In this case, Simon’s sons must have been known to Mark’s community when Mark was writing. (2) Simon may not have had anything to do with Jesus before he was pressed into service by the Romans. Luke 23:26 says that Simon was coming in from the country, so he was not following what was happening to Jesus. In this case, although Simon may not have been a follower of Jesus when he was pressed into service, by the time Mark wrote, Simon’s sons must have become known among the believers. In this case, Simon may have experienced a conversion after or as a result of helping Jesus carry his cross. When you are given the opportunity to do something that “helps” Jesus – that helps make Jesus or the kingdom of God a little more real for someone – how does it make you feel? In what ways are you being called to help carry Jesus’s cross in your life today? Is there someone you know who is carrying a heavy cross right now, and you might be able to help lighten their load by helping them bear the burden? What could you do to help them carry their cross? The soldiers in the unit that crucified Jesus: Verses 33-37 The soldiers took Jesus to the site of his execution. John tells us there were 4 soldiers directly involved in the crucifixion (John 19:23). The Jews did not allow executions within the walls of God’s holy city of Jerusalem, and the Romans appear to have been honoring this practice. Jesus is taken to Golgotha, a small hill that was, at that time, outside the city walls. “Golgotha” was an Aramaic word for “skull.” (“Calvary” is Latin for “skull,” which is why we know it as Calvary.) The most common explanation for why it had this name is that it was shaped like a skull, but some scholars think the name arose because it was used for executions. What did these soldiers do? (They did a lot. Look at verses 32, 34, 35a, 35b, 36, and 37.) In verse 34, Jesus was offered wine mixed with gall, a painkilling drug intended to deaden the pain as they drove the nails through his hands and feet. Matthew doesn’t mention it, but this is often seen as fulfilling Psalm 69:2, which reads: “They gave me poison for food, / and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (Psalm 69:21, NRSV). Jesus refused the painkiller, choosing to fully experience the worst of it. The Roman soldiers had a right to take a condemned man’s garments. The dividing of the garments recalls Psalm 22:18 (NRSV; 22:19 in the NABRE). What do you think these soldiers thought of Jesus? How might they have viewed him? How would the sign over Jesus’s head – “King of the Jews” (verse 37) – have been interpreted differently by the Romans and the Jews? Crucifixion was an excruciating torture. The victim had to lift his body to take every breath. If he became too exhausted to lift himself, he would not be able to breathe and would begin to suffocate. Meanwhile, flies and birds would be attacking his bleeding wounds, and he would be helpless to stop them. Jesus submitted willingly to this torture – for us. What does his crucifixion mean to you? The two criminals crucified with Jesus: Verses 38, 44 The two criminals who were crucified with Jesus are variously called bandits, revolutionaries, criminals, thieves, robbers, rebels, or outlaws, depending on the translation. The word’s root originally carried a meaning that involved plunder, but it is unclear what kind of criminals these men were. What do the criminals who were crucified with Jesus do? What do you think they thought of Jesus? How might they have viewed him? Note: Luke tells us that one of the two criminals crucified with Jesus (now often called the “Good Thief”) had a change of heart and Jesus said told him he would be with Jesus in Paradise (Luke 23:39-43), but Matthew does not have that story. The passersby: Verses 39-40 What do the passersby do? What do they specifically mock Jesus for? What do you think they thought of Jesus? How might they have viewed him? The chief priests, scribes, and elders: Verses 41-43 What do the chief priests and elders do? What do you think they thought of Jesus? How might they have viewed him? What do they specifically mock him for, in verse 42? in verse 43? Why are they focused on the claim that he is “the King of Israel”? Note: “King of the Jews” is how a foreigner such as Pilate would say it. The chief priests wouldn’t say “King of the Jews” any more than an American would refer to the “President of the Americans.” Jews would use the proper name for their nation: “King of Israel,” just as Americans would say “President of the United States.” “King of the Jews” is a foreigner’s way of referring to him. Why are they also focused on his claim to be the “Son of God”? What evidence would they offer in support of their claim that he was not the Son of God? How does Jesus’s refusal to “come down from the cross” show that Jesus’s claims are true? William Booth, the English Methodist preacher who with his wife Catherine founded the Salvation Army, is quoted as saying, “It is precisely because he would not come down that we believe in him” (quoted in many places, including William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 , p. 405). Why is the cross part of God’s plan and evidence that Jesus is God’s Son?? Almost every group of people present at the crucifixion mocked Jesus: the chief priests and elders, the passersby, and the two men crucified with him. How do you think Jesus felt as he faced all this mocking? The mocking seems to fulfill the statement in Psalm 22: “All who see me mock me…” (Psalm 22:7-8; 22:8-9 in the NABRE). Jesus will quote from the beginning of that psalm before he dies. It is interesting to note that the soldiers who were directly responsible for carrying out the crucifixion are not listed among those who mocked Jesus. Why do you think that is? Here are some of the possibilities: (1) Perhaps they did mock him, but Matthew has already told us that the whole cohort mocked him early and didn’t feel the need to reiterate it. (2) Perhaps in their mind they were just doing their jobs and weren’t personally invested in it. (3) Perhaps since Jesus didn’t resist or make their job difficult, they did not want to rile up a compliant captive. Or: (4) Perhaps they were impressed by him in some way. What might have impressed the soldiers about Jesus? If you had been there watching all of these people who interacted with Jesus, whose reactions to Jesus would have most intrigued or troubled you, or impressed or appalled you, and why? Why do you think Jesus put up with all this abuse and humiliation without responding? Have you ever been mocked or humiliated? How does Jesus’s example offer guidance to you if you should suffer such abuse in the future? What difference does it make to your faith, that Jesus endured all of this? Take a step back and consider this: Jesus is showing us in his Passion what he taught us in the Sermon on the Mount. In those teachings, way back at the beginning of his ministry, he said: Don’t be angry (Matt. 5:22). Turn the other cheek (5:39). Love your enemies (5:44). Pray to the Father, “Thy will be done” (6:9-10). Seek first the kingdom (6:33). Enter through the narrow gate (7:13). We are not all called to give up our lives literally as Jesus did, but we are all called to let go of ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him (Matt. 16:24), embracing his way of life. He teaches how to live as children of our Father in heaven, and he models that life for us. The life he taught and lived is “the road that leads to life” (7:14). Even when it doesn’t look like it, it is the way to life now and forever with Jesus. How can we embrace the sacrificial attitude Jesus modeled on the cross and taught in the Sermon on the Mount? When it seems hard to embrace Jesus’s way, you might consider talking with a mature believer and gaining their perspective. And talk it over honestly with God. You don’t need to hide anything from him (actually, you can’t). He wants you to share your struggles, not just your successes. He wants to be there with you when you doubt, not just when you are confident in your faith. Talk to Him. What would you like to ask his help with, right now? And if God’s grace has helped you to embrace the life that comes with giving up your life for Christ, are there people you could come alongside and be an encouragement to them when God seems distant? How can you shine the light you have been given, to be a blessing to others who feel like they are surrounded by the dark? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

The Jubilee Year invites us to encounter Jesus, who is our hope. (Paragraphs 1, 5, and 6 of Spes Non Confundit) Previous Next Jubilee Year 2025: Embrace God’s Hope and Extend It to All Session 2: The Jubilee leads us on a journey of hope The Jubilee Year invites us to encounter Jesus, who is our hope. (Read paragraphs 1, 5, and 6) Link to S pes Non Confundit Photo by Tom Faletti, Rothenburg, Germany, June 26, 2024. Tom Faletti November 16, 2024 In this session, we will see Pope Francis reveal one of his deepest desires: that this Jubilee may help us have a personal encounter with Jesus and an intense experience of God’s love, which will awaken hope in our hearts. We will further explore Pope Francis’s discussion of why Jesus is our hope and then move into the second section of Spes Non Confundit , where he explains the concept of a Jubilee Year, how the Jubilee Year has been celebrated in the past and will be celebrated this year. He will also explore the meaning and value of a pilgrimage. Our study guide questions will help us explore how we have experienced a personal encounter with Jesus and how we can experience the love of God more fully. We will explore our own possible participation in the Jubilee Year, how our faith can be thought of as a pilgrimage or journey of hope, and how the light we shine might communicate the love of God to others. Read paragraphs 1, 5, and 6 in preparation for this session. Paragraph 1 (one more insight: a personal encounter with Jesus) 🔗 Let’s look at one more part of paragraph 1 before we move forward. At the end of paragraph 1, Pope Francis quotes from Paul’s first letter to Timothy and from the Gospel of John – passages of Scripture that refer to Jesus as our hope and as the door to eternal life. Read 1 Timothy 1:1 Why is Christ Jesus our hope? Read John 10:7-10 Some translations say Jesus is the “door” and some say He is the “gate” (they are different possible translations of the same Greek word). How is Jesus a door (or gate) for us? How does Jesus’s role as the door to salvation and abundant life give you hope? Pope Francis connects the role of Jesus as the door of our salvation to the Holy Year of Jubilee, where special doors of grace are opened in Rome. He says: “For everyone, may the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus” (par. 1). What does he mean by a personal encounter with Jesus? How have you experienced a personal encounter with Jesus, and how does it give you hope? Suggested Activity: How well do you know the life and teachings of Jesus? Have you ever read His whole story? If you like to read novels, read one of the Gospels. If you prefer podcasts, listen to an audio reading of a Gospel. (If you think you don’t have time, consider how long it takes to read a novel. You can read or listen to an entire Gospel in 3 hours.) Some suggestions for where to start: the Gospel of Mark (the shortest), the Gospel of Matthew (the most practical), the Gospel of John (the most “spiritual”). (Section 2) A journey of hope In this section, Pope Francis discusses the practice of the Jubilee Year. Paragraph 5 (the Christian life as a journey, and the role of Jubilee Years) 🔗 In paragraph 5, what are some of the examples Pope Francis offers for how God was at work in the Church prior to the first Jubilee in the year 1300? In the second part [1] of paragraph 5, what are some of the benefits of going on a pilgrimage? Have you ever experienced the benefits of a pilgrimage (near or far away)? Explain. The title of this section is “A journey of hope.” How is your faith life like a journey, with many stops and encounters along the way? How do you find hope on your journey of faith? Suggested Activity: If you are unable to take a pilgrimage to Rome, contact your diocesan office and ask how you might take a Jubilee Year pilgrimage to the Jubilee Year site designated by your bishop (which may be your local cathedral). As you avail yourself of this opportunity, allow the love of God to permeate you and purify you from all that is not of Christ. In the third part of paragraph 5, Pope Francis refers to the Eastern (Catholic) Churches, which are a group of churches that are autonomous and have distinct practices from those in the Roman Catholic Church but operate within the worldwide Catholic Church and are in full communion with the Pope. Pope Francis’s mention of “their Orthodox brothers and sisters” refers to the Eastern Orthodox Church, an independent communion of churches that, like the Catholic Church, traces its roots to the apostles but has been separated from the Roman Catholic Church since 1054. He says they have endured violence and instability because many of these churches are located in areas of Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa that are currently torn by war. In the third part of paragraph 5, why does Pope Francis invite members of the Eastern Churches to participate in this Jubilee, and why does he especially extend an “embrace” to all those who currently “endure their own Way of the Cross”? How might the Church’s concern for them give them “hope”? Why is it important to extend a hand of friendship to others in Christ’s divided Body? Paragraph 6 (this Jubilee Year) 🔗 In paragraph 6, Pope Francis places this Holy Year in the context of a series of Holy Years that are being celebrated from 2000 to 2033. What are the events that took place in Jesus’s life that make 2000 and 2033 especially important to be celebrated? Pope Francis says that the purpose of the Jubilee Year of 2025 is to “invite everyone to an intense experience of the love of God that awakens in hearts the sure hope of salvation in Christ” (par. 6). Unpack this sentence: What does “an intense experience” mean? What is Pope Francis hoping will happen in 2025? What does he mean by people experiencing “the love of God”? What specifically is he hoping they will experience? What is “the sure hope of salvation in Christ”? In what ways can our hope of salvation be “sure”? What does it mean when he says that our hope is to be “awakened”? In what ways might it need to be awakened in a fresh way? Why is it important that we are “inviting” people? Why is it important that we are inviting “everyone”? Re-read the full sentence: “Now the time has come for a new Jubilee, when once more the Holy Door will be flung open to invite everyone to an intense experience of the love of God that awakens in hearts the sure hope of salvation in Christ” (par. 6). When have you had this experience of the love of God in the past? What can you do to help extend this invitation to others? In what areas of your life do you need a renewal of this experience? What can you do to enter more fully into the experience of the love of God in your heart? The second part of paragraph 6 describes how the Jubilee Year begins in Rome. What happens there? Note: The third part of paragraph 6 describes what is to happen in every diocese. A Mass is celebrated in each diocese’s cathedral to open the Jubilee Year, and local bishops are designating special pilgrimage sites within their dioceses. Do you think you will participate, or have you participated, in some way in the Jubilee Year in your diocese? Why or why not? What do you hope to experience, or have you experienced, by your participation? At the end of the last part of paragraph 6, Pope Francis expresses his hope for what will happen during this Jubilee Year. How might you participate in shining “the light of Christian hope” as “a message of God’s love addressed to all” (par. 6, part 4), and how might you overcome anything that might hold you back from doing so? Suggested Activities: Invite someone to come to church with you. Share with a friend or neighbor, in a low-key way, how God has made a difference in your life and see where the conversation goes. Closing question: How might you more effectively “bear faithful witness” (par. 6, part 4) to the message of God’s love, to those around you? [1] See A Note About Our Terminology for an explanation of what we mean by a “part” of a paragraph. Bibliography See Jubilee Year 2025 - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/jubilee-2025/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Jubilee 2025 Contents Next

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

Suffering is coming for Jesus, and he calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 16:21-28 Suffering is coming for Jesus, and he calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. James Tissot. Rétire-toi, Satan [Get Thee Behind Me, Satan] . Between 1886 and 1894. Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brooklyn_Museum_-_Get_Thee_Behind_Me_Satan_(R%C3%A9tire-toi_Satan)_-_James_Tissot.jpg . Tom Faletti June 17, 2025 Matthew 16:21-23 Jesus predicts his passion for the first time, and Peter objects This the first of 3 predictions of Jesus’s passion (see also 17:22-23 and 20:17-19). What does Jesus say will happen to him, and at whose hands? The elders, the chief priests, and the scribes will cause him great suffering, and he will be killed. What will the ultimate outcome be? On the third day he will be raised. The elders, the chief priests, and the scribes made up the Sanhedrin, the council with political authority over the Jewish people, under the Romans. He says that they will cause him suffering, but he doesn’t say that they will kill him. As we know, the Romans killed him, not the Jews. When Jesus says that the elders, chief priests, and scribes will cause him to suffer, he is describing the Sanhedrin, the political body made up of political, economic, and religious leaders of the Jewish society. Jesus’s passion begins with a political body and ends with the Roman government – political leaders, not the crowds of ordinary people. How does that affect or shape your image of Jesus’s death? Notice that Jesus doesn’t include the Pharisees in the list of those who will cause him suffering. The Pharisees were like a religious or social group within the overall society. Most Pharisees were ordinary people, not members of the political or religious leadership. The political leadership, in particular, tended to be Sadducees, not Pharisees. Why do you think Peter “took him aside” to object rather than saying something in front of the other disciples? What is Peter’s objection? How is what Peter says wrong? There are several different elements in Jesus’s response. First, he says, “Get behind me,” implying that Peter is no longer following him. In what sense is Peter no longer following Jesus when he says this? Peter is trying to lead Jesus instead of following him. “Satan” is a Hebrew word meaning “adversary” or “accuser.” Over time, it came to be used as a name for the devil: for example, when Jesus is tempted in the desert, he calls the devil “Satan” in Matthew 4:10. When Jesus calls Peter “Satan,” he is using a Hebrew word that means “adversary.” In what way has Peter become Jesus’s adversary, like Satan who tempted him in the desert? Jesus’s command to Peter is, “Get behind me, Satan,” not “Get out of my sight!” What is the significance of the fact that Jesus put it this way? He is not telling Peter to leave him, only to stop trying to lead Jesus in the wrong direction. Jesus also calls Peter a stumbling block or obstacle (the Greek word is skandalon ). What does it mean when someone is a stumbling block? This is Peer’s first attempt to “bind” – to say what should or should not happen – and Jesus says, No. You need to let me lead you, not have you lead me. Have you ever unintentionally been a stumbling block to someone else? When you realized it, what did you do about it? Jesus says that Peter is not thinking as God does but as humans do (literally you are not thinking of the things of God but of the things of man). What does this mean? We face real problems and challenges, and we need to think in order to deal with them. How can we think about those things in a way that reflects the thoughts of God and not just human thinking? How can you recognize when your mind is stuck on human things rather thinking about the things of God? Matthew 16:24-28 Everyone is called to carry their cross In verse 24, Jesus says there are 3 things we must do if we want to be followers of Jesus. What are they? What does it mean to “deny” yourself? A useful footnote in the New American Bible, revised edition says that “to deny someone is to disown him (see Mt 10:33; 26:34–35) and to deny oneself is to disown oneself as the center of one’s existence” ( NABRE , Matt. 16:24 fn. ). To deny yourself is to live your life according to the principle articulated by Rick Warren in the first words of his book The Purpose-Driven Life : “It’s not about you” (Warren, p. 1). This doesn’t mean you are not important. It just means that everything about you must be seen in the light of the cross of Christ if you want to reach your full purpose. To deny yourself means to always be asking: What is God trying to do here? Based on the answer to that question, I might need to not do something, because it might get in the way of what God is trying to do here. That doesn’t mean that what I might have wanted to do is inherently wrong or evil, only that it doesn’t fit the circumstances if the goal is to have God’s will be done. What does it mean to “take up your cross”? What is that a metaphor for? Luke adds the word “daily” (Luke 9:23). It’s not a one-time decision; it’s a way of life. What does it mean to “follow” Jesus? We’re not following him from town to town as the disciples were. What does it look like in practical terms to “follow” Jesus in our time? It is easy to say that we are taking up our cross while we keep living mostly for ourselves, so Jesus goes on. What does he say about “saving” and “losing” our lives in verse 25, and what does it mean? Most people don’t face the threat of death for following Jesus. What do you think he means by “losing” our lives? This could mean many things, such as not putting yourself first, not focusing on yourself and what you might get out of a situation, but focusing instead on what God is trying to do or would like to see happen. In what ways might we be trying to “save” our lives rather than “losing” them for Jesus’s sake? Jesus says something very similar in Matthew 10:38-39. Is there something you might be trying to hold on to, that might be keeping you from following Jesus more fully? In verse 27, Jesus tells us that when he returns he will give back to each person according to what they have done. This teaching that that there will be an accounting of people’s lives at the end of time – how is that good news from a good and loving God? Note that Jesus describes his return and the Last Judgment in similar terms, with much more detail, in Matthew 25:31-46. How do you feel about the fact that, when Jesus returns, he will give back to people according to what they have done? How, if at all, does this passage make you want to adjust anything about how you live your life? For many people, denying yourself and taking up your cross is hard. It sometimes gets easier with practice. How can you develop in your ability to do this, so that it becomes more of an instinct and less of a struggle? Some people find themselves in situations where they just keep deny themselves, giving, giving, giving, and people around them continually take advantage of them. Are there times when following Jesus does not mean denying yourself to satisfy people who constantly take advantage of you? How would you discern when that might be the case, and still be true to the point of this teaching? In verse 28, Jesus says that some people will not die until “they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” This cannot be a reference to the coming of Christ at the end of the world. One interpretation is that it refers to the time when Jesus comes back after his resurrection. In what ways is Jesus present in his kingdom now? Anywhere that God’s rule is acknowledged and followed, the kingdom of God is present. The kingdom of God is growing and spreading, and we help to spread it and help it grow by our actions and words. There are other interpretations of verse 28. Some scholars see it as a reference to Jesus’s transfiguration, which happens in the next passage, but there are no angels in the transfiguration story. (There are angels present in the resurrection story). Some scholars argue that there is a difference between the coming of the Son of Man and the coming of the Son of God (Brown, p. 190), and that we are in the era of the kingdom of the Son of Man now, whereas we will see the coming of the kingdom of God when Jesus returns in glory at the end of time. Another interpretation focuses on the fact that Mark phrases this sentence differently. In Mark 9:1, Jesus says that some people will not die until “they see the kingdom of God coming with power,” which could be referring to when the Holy Spirit comes, at Pentecost and in the later life of the Church. Take a step back and consider this: Up until this point, it must have been wonderful being a disciple of Jesus: there had been some modest opposition but Jesus had handled it easily, and Jesus had been doing exciting and powerful things that they got to witness and sometimes participate in. But now, things have suddenly turned darker. Jesus has started saying that he will suffer and be killed. How could the one who had the power to command even the wind and the waves, who could walk on water, who could heal any disease brought before him – how could he possibly encounter any opposition that he couldn’t stop with a simple command? And when Peter challenged what he said, Jesus had responded with the sharpest rebuke they had ever heard from him, followed by a stern teaching they didn’t entirely understand but that didn’t sound fun: that they needed to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him. Follow him? They understood that part. But deny themselves and take up their cross? What did that mean? Those of us who were raised in the faith might have had a similar journey. When we are children, most parents and teachers don’t dwell on the “deny yourself and take up your cross” part of the faith. And it might be downplayed to adults who are exploring the faith for the first time, for fear that they will be put off by it. Yet it is central to the Christian faith. How do we deal with the truth that Christianity calls us to self-sacrifice? When you are telling people about what you believe, is the part about denying yourself and taking up your cross part of the story you tell? Why or why not? How important is this teaching to a full and mature understanding of the faith? How can you not only follow this teaching but explain it to others in a way that communicates the beauty and the joy of giving your whole self to Jesus? And is that something you need to work on for yourself? If so, how? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

Murder, anger, insulting others – how are they related, and what can we do about them? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 5:21-26 Murder, anger, insulting others – how are they related, and what can we do about them? Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti April 26, 2024 Matthew 5:21-26 Anger Jesus here begins a series of six teachings, in Matthew 5:21-48, where he states a Jewish law and then provides his own teaching. Each teaching begins with, “You have heard it said . . . but I say. . . .” They are sometimes called the “six antitheses” because some scholars see them as presenting the opposite (anti-) of a principle taught in the Old Testament (thesis). However, they usually go beyond rather than directly rejecting the Old Testament principle, so “antithesis” is not a good term for them. Some scholars call them the six “hypertheses,” because the prefix “hyper” can signify going beyond the thesis or principle that has previously been stated. In each case, Jesus re-interprets and expands on or transforms the Old Testament injunction. Often, he prohibits not only the action but also the thought that underlies the action or leads to the action. In verse 21, what is the Old Testament law Jesus cites? In verse 22, Jesus takes the principle much further in three ways. What does he say about anger? Still in verse 22, what does he say about using abusive or insulting language? In the third part of verse 22, some translations give us the Aramaic word Jesus uses – “Raqa” or “Raca” – which was a term of contempt used to call someone a fool or empty-headed or an idiot. What does Jesus say about using this kind of especially contemptuous language toward another person? Notice that each sin incurs a more serious consequence than the previous one, moving from being liable to judgment , which invokes an image of being brought before a local court of village elders; to being liable to the Council or Sanhedrin , which invokes an image of being brought before the highest court; to being liable to the fires of Gehenna , a word of Hebrew origin that is often translated as “hell’ but actually refers to the Valley of Hinnom southwest of Jerusalem, where there was a garbage dump that was thought of as always having a fire burning. In what ways are these three steps progressively worse – from anger, to insult, to contempt? How are these things related to murder? In what ways do they all start from the same place? When Jesus says that if we do these things we will be “liable” to these kinds of judgment, what do you think he means? Is he speaking literally (about courts and Gehenna) or metaphorically? And if metaphorically, what is he trying to tell us? For an extended exploration of how to apply Matthew 5:22 to our everyday lives, see How to Deal with Difficult People . Why is anger such a serious matter? Is anger always wrong? Is there an appropriate time for anger – what people sometimes call “holy anger”? Mark describes Jesus as being angry once, when Pharisees resisted the idea of a person being healed on the Sabbath (Mark 3:5), and Jesus certainly appears to be angry when he clears the Temple of the moneychangers (Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17). St. Paul says, “Be angry and do not sin” (Eph. 4:26), which indicates that anger is not necessarily sinful. Anger often arises as a physiological response to situations; it’s what we do with it that determines whether it is a sin. How can we stay open to the kind of “holy anger” that pushes back against injustice, yet avoid the kind of anger that Jesus is telling us to avoid? Why is abusive language such a serious matter? Abusive language has become such an embedded part of our culture – a standard part of television shows, comedy acts, etc. – that we might not even realize we are echoing or imitating it. How can we control our own language, the things we personally say? What are some examples of people in our time using the kind of contemptuous, dehumanizing language Jesus is talking about when he uses the word “Raqa”? The principle of human dignity calls us to recognize that every person has an inalienable dignity given to them by God – even the people who may be seen as our enemies. How is this kind of contemptuous language a violation of human dignity? Why is this kind of dehumanizing language so dangerous? What kinds of things can it lead to? Oppression, murder, discrimination, and even genocide sometimes starts with this kind of language, from the dehumanization of Black people in the history of the American South, to the dehumanization of Dalits in Indian history, to the use of the word “cockroaches” that preceded the Rwandan genocide. A brief look through history can bring forth many similar examples, and they continue in our time. Politicians in many countries are using dehumanizing language to delegitimize people they do not like – often with deadly results. Where is the part of this discussion that might make you uncomfortable? Where might you need to adjust how you manage your anger or your language, in order to be more like Christ? In verses 23-26, Jesus shifts the focus slightly. In verses 23-24, what does he tell us to do? Why would God say that reconciling with a brother or sister is more important than making an offering to God? In verses 25-26, Jesus broadens the idea of reconciliation by moving from a religious context to a legal context. What does he say? How is an openness to reconciliation important for avoiding bad court judgments? How might our society be a better place if there was more focus on reconciliation between offenders and those they have harmed? Both of the examples in verses 23-26 presume that we are at fault. We are often not very good at recognizing our own faults. How can you become the kind of person who recognizes when you are at fault? Looking at this whole passage, what is the most important point for you in what Jesus says about murder, anger, abusive language, contempt, and reconciliation? Take a step back and consider this: In the United States and many other countries, there has been a coarsening of social discourse and political discourse. Many social media voices and political leaders treat those who disagree with them with disrespect and contempt and blatantly distort their views – and rack up millions of views, “likes,” and reposts in the process. Christians might consider ways to push back against this ungodly trend. For example, we might decide that we will never forward or “share” a post that uses disrespectful language about another human being. We can find other articles that express the same views more respectfully. Many of us remember being told by a parent, “If you can’t say something good, don’t say anything at all.” While there is a place for criticizing the views of others, we should be able to accurately state the other side’s claims before showing why we think they are wrong, and our arguments for why they are wrong should be based on facts and evidence, not based on distortion and innuendo. If we can’t do that, we aren’t treating them as people made in the image of God. We might consider a 21st century version of our parents’ maxim: “If you can’t say something that respects the humanity of the other person, don’t say anything at all.” Or perhaps: “If you can’t state your opponent’s position in a way that would allow them to say, ‘Yes, that’s what I’m saying,’ then you shouldn’t try to characterize their views at all.” How can you contribute to a more civil public discourse in your country’s social and political life? And what about anger? Anger sometimes comes unbidden – a visceral reaction that arises from the physiology of our humanity. But we can choose whether to nurture that anger and help it grow, or tame it and give it the perspective it needs to be harnessed for good. What do you need to do to tame or harness your anger so that it is serves the good rather than becoming a trigger that leads to sin? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

The chief priests decide that the only way to save their nation is to kill Jesus. It is easy to decide to use sinful means to achieve what we think are good ends. How can we avoid that trap? [John 11:45-54; 11:55-57] Previous Next John List John 11:45-57 The chief priests decide that the only way to save their nation is to kill Jesus. It is easy to decide to use sinful means to achieve what we think are good ends. How can we avoid that trap? Léonard Gaultier, (circa 1561 - 1641). The Chief Priests and Pharisees . Engraving. Circa 1576-1580. Cropped. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. CC0, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:L%C3%A9onard_Gaultier,_The_Chief_Priests_and_Pharisees,_probably_c._1576-1580,_NGA_48165.jpg . Tom Faletti April 18, 2026 Read John 11:45-54 The Sanhedrin decides to kill Jesus Verse 47 says that the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the “council” or “Sanhedrin.” Sanhedrin is a Greek word meaning “coming together,” but in the time of Jesus it was also the name of the 71-member council in Jerusalem that served as the highest Jewish court. The Sanhedrin was more than just a court; it also had administrative functions, including the management of the Temple, and it had a police force to enforce its rulings. It included the chief priests, the elders of Jerusalem’s leading families, and leading members of groups such as the Pharisees and Sadducees, so it had representatives from both the aristocracy and the leading religious factions in the community. The Council now meets more formally, but at least some members of the Council have been working on a less formal basis to stop Jesus since chapter 7, when they sent guards to arrest him (7:32). Many members of the Council had reasons to oppose Jesus. The Pharisees objected to his unwillingness to submit to their microscopic applications of the Law. The Sadducees did not believe in life after death, so Jesus’s raising of Lazarus from the dead would have been particularly galling for them. And verse 48 expresses the concern of the chief priests and the leaders. According to verse 48, what do the leaders fear will happen if Jesus is not stopped? Why would they think that the Romans would destroy their nation if too many people followed Jesus? They might have thought that Jesus would foster a political rebellion. But even if they understood that this was not his goal, they still might have been concerned that the people might try to turn him into a political messiah anyway, and start a rebellion that would bring the Romans down on the whole nation. Ironically, in the end it was a rebellion by Jews who were not Christians that ultimately led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel. Note: Many Christians in the early church thought that the destruction of Jerusalem was a punishment of the Jews by God for their rejection of Jesus, but that implies a vindictiveness on God’s part that is not necessary: the leveling of Jerusalem by the Romans can be explained as a natural outcome of political cause and effect in a fallen world where tyrants seek total domination and rebels are willing to sacrifice their lives in pursuit of freedom. The high priest in Jerusalem was appointed by the Romans, and the Jewish historian Josephus tells us about Caiaphas. He was appointed by Pilate’s predecessor and served as high priest for 18 years, from AD 18 to 36. His father-in-law Annas had been the high priest from AD 6 to 15. In verses 49-50, Caiaphas offers a solution to the “problem” posed by Jesus. What does he suggest? When Caiaphas says that it is better for one man to die instead of the whole nation, he only means it in a political sense. John says in verse 51 that Caiaphas’s statement was prophetic in a religious sense. What does John mean? It is not clear what the “dispersed” or “scattered” children of God in verse 52 is referring to. It could be a reference to the Jewish diaspora scattered across the Roman Empire. It could be a reference to the “other sheep” in other folds that Jesus mentions in John 10:16, who are all meant to be part of Jesus’s one flock. In John 10:16, Jesus says he has other sheep in other folds. Here in 11:52, we have an image of Jesus gathering the scattered children of God together. In 17:20-26, Jesus prays for the people who will learn about him through the preaching of his disciples. What do you think God’s vision is for the vast flock of people that make up the Body of Christ? How does Caiaphas’s prophetic statement actually describe Jesus’s role in gathering God’s children together into one? In verse 53, what is the result of Caiaphas’s proposal to the Council? What do they decide to do? People often interpret the work of the Sanhedrin in very political terms: these men saw Jesus as a political threat to their positions, so they opposed him. What caution does that give us as we deal with the politics of our own societies? Some of the 71 members of the Council were probably focused on selfishly protecting their own political power, but others may have felt that it was their patriotic duty to do whatever was necessary to protect the nation. Patriotism is generally considered a good thing, but their patriotism led them to commit a terrible crime against Jesus. How do people in our nation face similar risks, and what can we do to make sure patriotism is used for good and does not lead to evil or sinful actions in our day? Verse 53 tells us that from that day on, the leaders of the Council planned to kill Jesus. They thought their only choice was to do something evil (kill a man) to avoid something more evil (the destruction of their nation). As Christians, how do we avoid the moral compromise of doing things that are evil to achieve what we think is good? Jesus withdraws from Jerusalem to Ephraim (verse 54), which was around 10-15 miles north of Jerusalem – a one-day journey on foot. Jesus spends some time with his disciples in Ephraim. What do you think he does with them there? Read John 11:55-57 Jesus leaves Jerusalem, and people wonder if he will return for Passover John tells us in verse 55 that Passover is approaching again. John identifies 3 separate Passovers that Jesus attended in Jerusalem (John 2:13; 6:4; and 11:55). This is one reason why scholars think Jesus’s public ministry lasted around 3 years. Why do people go to Jerusalem early, before the Passover (verse 55)? People go to Jerusalem early to purify themselves. The Old Testament required that people not be unclean at Passover (2 Chron. 30:1-3, 15-18). One of the common reasons why a person might be unclean is because they came into contact with a corpse. That is one of the causes of impurity specifically mentioned in the Old Testament (Num. 9:6-12). This may sound odd to us in the 21 st century, when the average person may have little contact with dead bodies. But there were no ambulances, first responders, or funeral homes in Jesus’s time. Everyone faced times when they had to move corpses and prepare and transport bodies for burial, so anyone could find themselves “unclean” as Passover approached. Verse 57 explains why Jesus decides to leave Jerusalem. What is he facing? John heightens the tension by describing the conversations people are having as Passover approaches (verse 56). What are the people doing and saying? They are looking for Jesus and discussing with each other whether he will come for Passover. The people in Jerusalem were wondering if Jesus would be there for Passover. We sometimes find ourselves wondering whether Jesus will be there for us when we face difficult times. How do you think he would answer? Take a step back and consider this: The Sanhedrin’s chief priests and political leaders were so afraid of the power of the Roman Empire that they could not see the power of God at work in their midst. We, too, sometimes become so focused on the powers that loom over our heads that we fail to see God, who has all power and is holding us in his hands. The powers of this world are temporary and fleeting – they will pass away. God is eternal and is always watching over us – and his love will persist as he continues to work in our lives forever. What earthly powers or challenges loom in your lives, and how do they appear to obscure the presence of God? How can you focus more fully on God and put your trust in him, even when you are facing challenges that demand your attention and seem to be unstoppable? 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

The earliest Christian documents – Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians – show an early understanding that Jesus is God, and the Gospels say it explicitly. Previous Christian Faith Articles Next When Did Christians First Recognize the Divinity of Jesus? The earliest Christian documents – Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians – show an early understanding that Jesus is God, and the Gospels say it explicitly. Stained glass presentation of the Holy Trinity in the church of St. Peter & St. Paul in Brockdish, United Kingdom. The artist is unknown. CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons . Tom Faletti March 15, 2025 2025 is a banner year for Christians, but few realize it. Exactly 1,700 years ago in AD 325, several hundred bishops gathered in the city of Nicaea (located in the present-day Turkish city of Iznik, approximately 90 miles southeast of Istanbul). There, they worked out the formal language describing many elements of the doctrine of the Trinity, including the words Christians use to explain that Jesus is God. Some skeptics claim that the early Christians did not see Jesus as God. At the extreme, conspiracy theorists who want Jesus to be seen as just a man argue that the divinity of Jesus wasn’t accepted until it was promulgated at that First Council of Nicaea, almost 300 years after Jesus died and rose from the dead. (A famous novel and movie from early in the 21st century made such a claim.) The skeptics are ignoring crucial evidence from the Bible itself. The belief in the divinity of Jesus first shows up in the first two documents that were later included in the Bible: Paul’s first and second letters to the Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians was written in AD 50, just 20 years after Jesus’s death and resurrection and 275 years before the Council of Nicaea. 2 Thessalonians followed a few months later. Both indicate that the apostle Paul believed in the divinity of Jesus. Paul treats the Lord Jesus and God the Father as a unity and prays to Jesus as he would to God It would be easy to miss these earliest expressions of belief in the divinity of Jesus. To us they are subtle. Paul wasn’t trying to write a book of doctrine. But a careful examination of what he wrote in Greek reveals clear indications of Paul’s belief in the divinity of Jesus, and his belief that Jesus and the Father are one. In 1 Thessalonians 3:11, Paul prays that God the Father and the Lord Jesus will direct his path back to the Thessalonians for another visit (his first visit was cut short by persecution). The verb he uses for “direct” is a third person singular verb – the verb you use when the noun is a singular noun. In other words, he speaks of God the Father and the Lord Jesus as a single entity, not as two entities. What do I mean by that? Let me explain by offering an analogy. Suppose I say that “John is directing traffic.” The word “is” is a third person singular verb, which goes with the third-person singular noun “John.” If I say that “John and Paul are directing traffic,” the word “are” is a third person plural verb that goes with the third person plural subject “John and Paul.” In ordinary circumstances, I would never say, “John and Paul is directing traffic.” That would be bad grammar. The word “is” requires a singular noun. There is only one reason why I would use “is” in that sentence: if “John and Paul” is a singular entity rather than a plural group of entities – for example, if “John and Paul” is the name of a security service. In that case, “John and Paul” is a singular entity, not a pair of separate entities, and I could correctly say that “John and Paul is directing traffic.” In 1 Thessalonians 3:11, Paul uses a verb that treats God the Father and the Lord Jesus as a single entity, using the third person singular verb . You can’t see this in the English, because English often does not have different words for singular and plural verbs; but it is clear in the Greek. Paul chooses the verb form that treats God the Father and the Lord Jesus as a unity that acts as one. (See 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13 for my full Bible Study on this portion of Paul’s letter.) In the next verse (1 Thess. 3:12), Paul prays that the Lord Jesus will help the Thessalonians abound in love. This is another subtle sign of his belief in the divinity of Jesus. Paul would not pray to a mere human; God is the one who can answer prayer. But he directs his prayer to Jesus. This indicates that, 20 years after the Resurrection, Paul sees Jesus as having the power of God. Contrary to the confusion of the skeptics, the Christians of Jesus’s time believed that Jesus is God and that he is one with the Father. He was not just a man elevated to divinity centuries later by the Council of Nicaea. Paul again places Jesus on a par with the Father in his second letter A few months later, Paul writes a second letter to the Thessalonians. He again chooses a verb that identifies God the Father and the Lord Jesus as one, as I explain in my Bible Study on 2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:18 . Here is the story. In 2 Thessalonians 2:16, Paul is praying for the Thessalonians. He begins the prayer 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 indicates by his grammar that he sees the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father as one God, which means that he believes in the divinity of Jesus. Other passages in the Bible assert Jesus’s divinity Paul also signals Jesus’s divinity a few years later in his letter to the Philippians (2:6-11). But Paul’s letters are not the only places we see signs of the early belief in the divinity of Jesus. In the Gospel of Mark, written less than 20 years later, Jesus embraces the claim that He is the Messiah and the Son of God and adds that He will come in judgment from the right hand of God (Mark 14:62-64). His opponents see it as a clear claim of divinity, which is why they call for His execution. The Gospel of John, which was written before AD 100, repeatedly affirms Jesus’s divinity. Here are some examples: The first chapter refers to Jesus as “the Word” (John 1:14-15) and says, “In the beginning . . . the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Jesus says, “The Father and I are one” (John 10:30). Jesus uses the phrase “I am” frequently, but in one instance, He uses it in a way that clearly asserts divinity. In John 8:56-59, He says, “Before Abraham existed, I am.” “I am” is the core of the name of God in the Old Testament (YHWH, or Yahweh). His opponents clearly understand that He is claiming divinity and pick up stones to kill him for blaspheming. When Thomas encounters the risen Jesus, he calls Jesus “my Lord and my God” (John 20:28). The skeptics think church leaders waited 300 years to declare Jesus divine. It is true that throughout history, some people, both within and outside of the Church, have questioned the belief that Jesus is divine. But the belief itself – that Jesus is divine as well as human – was not a novel idea decided out of nowhere in 325. It is actually in the Bible. The Council of Nicaea gave us common words to explain Jesus’s divinity The Nicene Creed affirms that there is one God in three Persons, that the Lord Jesus Christ is “God from God,” and that the Son of God is “consubstantial with the Father,” meaning that He is “of the same substance” as God and did not start out as a human. The Council of Nicaea was important because it agreed on formal, doctrinal language to express these truths of the Christian faith. But Paul signaled that Jesus is divine 275 years earlier in his choice of verbs and pronouns in his first and second letters to the Thessalonians. NOTE: There is much more in Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians. Although my Bible Studies pause occasionally to explain doctrinal issues like this, the main focus of my Bible Studies is to help us explore how we can apply the practical wisdom of the Scriptures to our everyday lives. Check out my full set of Bible Studies and see where God leads you. 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 Christian Faith Articles Next

We welcome everyone as we explore how to apply the Bible to our lives today, with resources for individual and group study developed over 40 years of church service. Welcome to Faith Explored! What is Faith Explored? Faith Explored is a virtual community for people interested in exploring how to apply God’s Word to our lives today. Our mission is to help each person understand God’s Word and put it into action in their lives. To achieve this goal, we seek to help people: increase their understanding of the Bible ; explore how we can apply God’s Word to our lives today; embrace the adventure of living our lives for God, in our unique individual lives and in communion with others; and identify concrete ways we can work for justice and change the world as we are inspired, transformed, and empowered by Jesus. We welcome people of all faiths in this exploration. We believe that everyone can benefit from studying how the Bible applies to our lives. While our approach is decidedly Christian (and Catholics, evangelicals, and Pentecostals can all be comfortable here), we believe that we can learn from others even as they may learn from us. How Faith Explored got started Faith Explored grew out of Tom Faletti’s quest to bring to a wider audience what he has developed in more than 40 years of small-group Bible Study. When we meet in small groups for Bible Study, we seek to provide a place where people can increase their understanding of the Bible, learn how to put their faith into action through the application of God’s Word, and experience Christian community. While Faith Explored is a virtual network rather than an in-person faith group, we hope Faith Explored will also promote understanding of God's Word, foster spiritual growth, and provide a supportive community for people interested in exploring their faith. Who is Tom Faletti? I am a native of California. In 1976, I investigated the evidence that Jesus rose from the dead and therefore was not just a great man, concluded that Jesus is God, and gave my life to Him. I entered into a personal relationship with God and promised to serve Him the rest of my life. Having been raised a Catholic, I remained in my church and started working to expand understanding of the Scriptures to anyone who was open. I also led programs with evangelical Christians and people in the charismatic renewal, and learned how to present the truth of God’s Word in ways that can help people of all backgrounds grow in faith. That is why, even though I remain deeply involved in my local Catholic parish, Faith Explored should be a comfortable place for people from any denomination. I graduated from Stanford University and earned a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley. I also earned a Graduate Certificate in Catholic Theology from St. Joseph’s College of Maine. My work life included 3 years of service as the youth minister in the parish church I grew up in; 24 years of service on Capitol Hill, where I worked to expand access to health and nutrition programs and improve the lives of everyday people; and 13 years as an award-winning high school teacher. I have been a committed follower of Jesus since 1976; a Bible Study leader for more than 40 years; and an advocate for truth with a passion for justice all my life. I live in Washington, DC, with my wife (and best friend) Sonia. We have been happily married for 45 years and have 3 adult children. My life is guided by a commitment to faith, family, kindness, respect, truth, and a wholehearted response to the call issued to every person that “You Can Change Your World!” Image at top by Mohamed Nohassi, and image of cross by Tabea, both provided by Unsplash via WIx. Image of small group provided by Wix.

Some disciples leave Jesus. Peter says, “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” How is your life built on that kind of commitment to Jesus? Previous Next John List John 6:60-71 Some disciples leave Jesus. Peter says, “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” How is your life built on that kind of commitment to Jesus? James Tissot (1836–1902). Election des douze apôtres (Ordaining of the Twelve Apostles) . Between 1886 and 1894. Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brooklyn_Museum_-_Ordaining_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_(Election_des_douze_ap%C3%B4tres)_-_James_Tissot.jpg . Tom Faletti February 22, 2026 Read John 6:60-71 Some disciples leave Jesus; Peter declares that Jesus has the words of eternal life Up until now, the murmuring has come from “the Jews”: – i.e., the Jewish religious leaders. Now, in verses 60-61, we see some of Jesus’s disciples murmuring and resisting what he has said. What do you think troubled them the most? Jesus responds in verse 62. He has previously emphasized that he has come down from heaven. What does he add in verse 62? He says that they will see him ascend to heaven. He refers to himself as the Son of Man, a term from the Daniel 7:13, where “one like a son of man" will receive eternal dominion over all nations when he reaches God. What is Jesus referring to when he indicates that he will ascend back to heaven? What does Jesus say in verse 63 about the spirit and the flesh? What does verse 63 mean to you? How does the spirit give life? How can you tap into the life in the spirit? In verse 63, Jesus does not say that the flesh is bad, but he does say that the flesh “is of no avail” (NABRE) or “is useless” (NRSV) or “is no help at all” (ESV)? Useless for what? No help for what? What is it that the flesh can’t help with? John notes in verse 64 that Jesus knew who would not believe and knew who would betray him. Jesus then reiterates in verse 65 that no one can come to him unless the Father grants it. You have come to Jesus. How does it feel to know that the Father has made it possible for you to believe in Jesus? John then tells us in verse 66 that, as a result of this conversation and what Jesus was teaching, many disciples leave Jesus. There is no indication that Jesus tried to hold onto them. What does this tell you? Why do some people leave the faith today? In verse 67, John refers to “the Twelve” for the first time. He assumes that his readers know who they are and know the leadership role Peter plays among them. Jesus asks them if they want to leave him. How does Peter respond? In the Synoptic Gospels, what is known as Peter’s “confession” is his declaration that Jesus is the Messiah (the Christ). That is not an issue in John, where Jesus’s divine nature has been asserted repeatedly. This passage serves a similar purpose, however, in showing Peter taking the lead in saying something that demonstrates that he has moved to a new level of faith in Jesus. Peter says, “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (verse 68). Have you ever been perplexed by Jesus’s teachings or God’s actions in your life but found yourself able to say something similar? How does having such a confidence in Jesus help us deal with things we don’t understand? In what ways is your life built on this kind of commitment to Jesus? One way to look at this passage is in terms of the battle between the head and the heart. The apostles struggle here because their heart is convinced but their mind doesn’t yet understand. Our heart can get us into big trouble, and so can our mind. When they disagree, either one of them can be right or wrong. How do you know when to follow your heart and when to follow your mind? When Jesus says in verse 70 that one of the Twelve is “a devil,” he is using a word whose root indicates that this this means a person who makes false accusations. John explains in verse 71 that he is referring to Judas, who will betray him. How do you think it feels for Jesus, having a betrayer close at hand at all times? What can we learn from Jesus’s patience with Judas, as we face situations where people do not have our best interests at heart? Take a step back and consider this: In John 6:66, John says that the disciples who departed no longer “accompanied” (NABRE) or “went about” (NRSV) with Jesus. The verb he uses is literally that they no longer “walked around” with him. We can picture in our minds Jesus walking all over Galilee, and back and forth between there and Jerusalem, and we can envision many disciples walking around with him, stopping where he stops, staying where he stays, moving on or backtracking depending on where he goes. But now, they no longer walk around with him. Now, picture your life with Jesus. Sometimes, you choose to walk around with Jesus – to go where he wants you to go, to do what he wants you to do, to focus on what he cares about. But sometimes, if you are like me, you turn aside and find that you are no longer walking around with Jesus. What distracts you or pulls you away, that takes you off the path of Jesus so that you are no longer walking around with him? What draws you back to Jesus and helps you rejoin him so that you again walk with him? What can you do to be more consistent in your walk, so that you are always walking with Jesus? 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