Jesus tells us to eat his flesh and drink his blood. How does your celebration of the Lord’s Supper/Eucharist/Holy Communion reflect this teaching? [John 6:51-59] Previous Next John List John 6:48-59 Jesus tells us to eat his flesh and drink his blood. How does your celebration of the Lord’s Supper/Eucharist/Holy Communion reflect this teaching? Image by Sylvain Brison, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti February 22, 2026 Read John 6:48-59 Jesus calls us to eat his flesh and drink his blood In verse 48, Jesus repeats, “I am the bread of life,” which he said in verse 35. In verse 35, it marks a transition to new material, and it may be a transition in verse 48 also. However, before turning to that new material where he commands us to eat his flesh and drink his blood, Jesus bridges the two sections by summarizing what he said in the previous passage. What does Jesus say in verses 49, 50, and the first half of 51 that he has already said in verses 27-47? Why does he emphasize these things? Why are they so important? Up to this point (through the first half of verse 51), most of Christendom is in general agreement about what Jesu is saying in this chapter. The various denominations within Christianity all see verses 35-47 as an invitation to believe in Jesus, who was sent down from heaven by the Father, and to receive eternal life through him. The major disagreements begin with the second half of verse 51 (John 6:51b) and what follows it. Different Interpretations of John 6:51-59 The Christian churches diverge on how to interpret verses 51-59. Is this passage merely saying in a different way what Jesus said in the previous passage, or is Jesus making a new point about what we call the Lord’s Supper/Holy Communion/the Eucharist? More specifically, is this just another way of calling us to believe in Jesus, or is it calling us to embrace the real, literal presence of the risen Christ in the Eucharist/Holy Communion? There is a wide range of views: The Roman Catholic Church teaches that in this passage Jesus is speaking literally and spelling out the nature of the Eucharist/Holy Communion: namely, that what is received in communion in a Catholic Mass is literally the flesh and blood of the risen and glorified Christ, even though they remain under the appearances of bread and wine. Catholics call this “transubstantiation.” The Orthodox Churches teach that the consecrated bread and wine in our Eucharistic celebrations become the body and blood of Christ and that there is a literal transformation of the bread and wine, but they do not try to define in dogma the mystery of that transformation and they do not accept the Roman Catholic doctrine of “transubstantiation.” Lutherans believe that the body and blood of Christ are “truly and substantially present” in the consecrated bread and wine but that it is still bread and wine. Episcopalians believe that Christ’s body and blood become “really present,” without any need for the consecrated elements to stop being bread and wine. Most evangelical churches reject the idea that the bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Christ. They see the communion service as purely memorial in nature and interpret John 6:51-59 as figurative or symbolic language that calls us to be united to Christ spiritually by faith. They say Jesus is telling us to feed on him in a spiritual sense and incorporate him spiritually into all we are. They argue that in John 6:63 Jesus signals that he wasn’t speaking of literal flesh and blood. There is also a debate over how this passage relates to other passages in the Bible. To many scholars, there is a clear connection between (1) what Jesus teaches in John 6:51-59, (2) the Last Supper as described in the Synoptic Gospels, (3) what the apostle Paul describes uses similar language in 1 Corinthians 10:16, and (4) what we celebrate in our time as the Eucharist/Holy Communion/Lord’s Supper. Some evangelical scholars deny that John 6 has a connection to the Last Supper, arguing that John’s material should be read as being in chronological order and the Last Supper hasn’t happened when Jesus says these things. Other evangelicals do think these passages are related. For example: In the International Bible Commentary , David J. Ellis says that the connection to the Lord’s Supper is “inescapable” and that “the teaching of the Lord Jesus” in this passage “can only be fully understood in the light of the feast which He inaugurated” – although Ellis says the flesh and blood language is only “metaphorical” (Ellis, p. 1244). In Dr. Lloyd J. Ogilvie’s Communicator’s Commentary Series , Dr. Roger L. Fredrickson argues that although the “primary purpose of these verses is to teach us how to feed on the Son of Man, to take Him into our innermost being by faith,” this teaching is also about “the meaning of the Lord’s Supper.” He suggests that there is “a particular sense in which Christ’s presence is made real among His people when we eat the bread and drink the wine” and that it “goes beyond a remembrance of Christ and His sacrifice” (Fredrickson, p. 138). For those who would like to explore this further, some brief background reading might be useful. In around AD 155, Justin Martyr summarized the thinking in the early church about the practice of the Lord’s Supper (which he called the “Eucharist”) in his First Apology , where he described the Eucharist as “the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus” (Justin, read paragraphs 65-66). Evangelicals, Protestants, and even Catholics who wonder why Catholics don’t consider this a form of cannibalism might find this article helpful: “ Are Catholics Cannibals? ” (Staples). An example of how evangelicals present their disagreement with transubstantiation can be found here: “ What Did Jesus Mean in John 6:54 ”. Notice that this entire debate is over what cannot be seen with our physical eyes. Protestants and Catholics agree that the elements at communion have the appearance of bread and wine and that if you examined them under a microscope with the most advanced scientific instruments, you would see the molecules and cell structures that constitute bread and wine. Evangelicals and Catholics agree that the bread and wine (or grape juice) used in an evangelical church is only bread and wine. The disagreement is over whether the bread and wine used in a Catholic Mass literally becomes the body and blood of the glorified Christ even though it retains the appearance of bread and wine – and whether that transubstantiation is what Jesus meant by what he said in John 6:51-59. What is your experience of communion? Without judging anyone else’s views, what does it mean to you when Jesus says, “The bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (verse 51)? What do you think Jesus is saying in the rest of this passage (verses 52-59), and how does it relate to your celebration of the Eucharist/Holy Communion? In verse 52, the Jewish religious leaders object to what Jesus is saying. Why would this be objectionable to them? It sounds like nonsense or cannibalism to them. Moreover, in a moment, Jesus is going to add that we are called to drink his blood, and the drinking of blood was prohibited under Jewish Law. Jesus knows that they are troubled by his words and that it sounds to them like cannibalism. Yet he doesn’t soften his language. Instead, he restates his point 4 more times, even more intensely and explicitly, in verses 43, 44, 45, and 46. For Protestants: Why do you think Jesus does not rephrase it, if he isn’t actually saying that we are called to eat his flesh and drink his blood? For Catholics: Why do you think Jesus makes such a big point about this? In verse 54, Jesus says that those who eat his flesh and drink his blood have eternal life, and he will raise them up on the last day. In verse 56, Jesus says that those who eat his flesh and drink his blood remain in him, and he remains in them. In verse 57, he says that they will have life because of him. In verse 58, he says they will live forever. Which of these ways that he describes it is the most meaningful to you, and why? Eating and drinking are essential to our physical life. Jesus is essential to our spiritual life. Jesus wants us to be as dependent on him and connected to him as we are to our physical food and drink. How can we live our lives in a manner that is as dependent on Jesus as our bodies are dependent on food and drink? How can your celebration of communion help you to become more fully united with Christ so that you can live a life more fully dedicated to serving him and him alone? John begins the chapter about the feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus as the Bread of Life by saying, “The Passover feast was near” (John 6:4). Why would he choose to make a point of that? How does this chapter about Jesus as the Bread of Life connect to the Passover? Jesus made the connection between himself and the unleavened bread of the Passover at the Last Supper, when he said: “Take, eat; this is my body” (Matt. 26:26) and shared the bread with his disciples. The Jewish celebration of Passover remembered that the Israelites were “passed over” when the angel of death saw the blood of lambs on the lintels of their doors. The Jewish celebration of Passover was immediately followed by the 7-day Feast of Unleavened Bread, which celebrated the Israelites’ hasty journey out of Egypt. Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice for us. John notes in verse 59 that this dialogue took place in the synagogue in Capernaum. What stands out in your mind as you envision Jesus having this discussion in the synagogue with scribes and Pharisees who worship God there? Take a step back and consider this: People on all sides of the transubstantiation debate call attention to two sermons given by Augustine in the early 400s. In what is now known as his Sermon 227, he spoke on Easter morning to newly initiated Christians who had been baptized the night before. Here is how he began that sermon: I had promised those of you who have just been baptized a sermon to explain the sacrament of the Lord’s table, which you can see right now, and which you shared in last night. You ought to know what you have received, what you are about to receive, what you ought to receive every day. That bread which you can see on the altar, sanctified by the word of God, is the body of Christ. That cup, or rather what the cup contains, sanctified by the word of God, is the blood of Christ. It was by means of these things that the Lord Christ wished to present us with his body and blood, which he shed for our sake for the forgiveness of sins. If you receive them well, you are yourselves what you receive. You see, the apostle [Paul] says, We, being many, are one loaf, one body (1 Cor 10: 17). That’s how he explained the sacrament of the Lord’s table; one loaf, one body, is what we all are, many though we be. (Augustine, Volume 6, p. 254 ) Augustine says that if you receive the body of Christ well (i.e., worthily), “you are . . . what you receive”; that is, when you receive the body of Christ, you are the body of Christ. Similarly, in his Sermon 272, which he delivered on Pentecost to newly initiated Christians, Augustine says: What you can see on the altar, you also saw last night; but what it was, what it meant, of what great reality it contained the sacrament, you had not yet heard. So what you can see, then, is bread and a cup; that’s what even your eyes tell you; but as for what your faith asks to be instructed about, the bread is the body of Christ, the cup the blood of Christ.... [Somebody might ask,] “How can bread be his body? And the cup, or what the cup contains, how can it be his blood?” The reason these things, brothers and sisters, are called sacraments is that in them one thing is seen, another is to be understood. What can be seen has a bodily appearance, what is to be understood provides spiritual fruit. So if you want to understand the body of Christ, listen to the apostle telling the faithful, You, though, are the body of Christ and its members (1 Cor 12:27). So if it’s you that are the body of Christ and its members, it’s the mystery meaning you that has been placed on the Lord’s table; what you receive is the mystery that means you. It is to what you are that you reply Amen , and by so replying you express your assent. What you hear, you see, is The body of Christ ? and you answer, Amen . So be a member of the body of Christ, in order to make that Amen true. (Augustine, Volume 7, p. 300 ) Augustine sees the consecratedbread on the communion table as the body of Christ and also sees us at the communion table as the body of Christ. This teaching of Augustine is sometimes paraphrased as: Be what you receive; receive what you are; that is: Be the body of Christ that you receive; receive the body of Christ that you are. In both sermons, Augustine goes on to urge his listeners to live in unity with one another. He argues that, as the bread is made from many grains that have become one loaf, and as the wine is made from many grapes that have become one cup, so too we must be one united body. It is a sad irony that the Eucharistic celebration that Augustine saw as a sacrament of unity has become a central point of division among the Christian denominations. How can you embrace the unity of the body of Christ in your celebration of communion? How can we strive for some level of unity with those who do not agree with us about the meaning and application of John 6:51-59? 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

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

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

Betrayal and an impending denial surround Jesus's command to love one another. Can we love even when it is hard, as Jesus did? [John 13:21-30; 13:31-35; 13:36-38] Previous Next John List John 13:21-38 Betrayal and an impending denial surround Jesus’s command to love one another. Can we love even when it is hard, as Jesus did? Judas leaves the Last Supper with a moneybag in hand, as the devil enters at the right. Pieter Pourbus (c. 1523–1584). The Last Supper . 1548. Cropped. Groeningemuseum, Bruges, Belgium. Photo by Vassil, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Groeningemuseum_Pieter_Pourbus_Last_Supper_01052015_1.jpg . Tom Faletti May 15, 2026 Read John 13:21-30 Jesus announces that he will be betrayed In verse 21, Jesus is troubled for the third time (see also 11:33; 12:27). What does he tell the disciples? How do the disciples react to the statement that one of them will betray Jesus? In verse 22, we see the first reference to “the one whom Jesus loved.” We will also see this “beloved disciple,” as the scholars call him, at the foot of the cross, at the empty tomb, and in other places. He is traditionally considered to be the apostle John. How do you think he came to be known as “the one whom Jesus loved”? The beloved disciple is reclining at Jesus’s side – literally, “in the bosom of Jesus.” (At festive meals in Jesus’s time people would lie on their sides on cushions around a low table. If they laid on your left side in order to eat with their right hand, the one to Jesus’s right who be able to lean back into the bosom of Jesus.) Look at the social dynamics between Jesus, this beloved disciple/John, and Peter. What can we learn about the relationships between them from the clues here? Background on “the disciple whom Jesus loved” Besides here in 13:22, we also see “the one whom Jesus loved” identified in the same way several other times: In 19:26, he is standing at the foot of the cross with Jesus’s mother Mary. Jesus says to Mary, “Woman, behold your son,” and to him, “Behold your mother.” In 20:2, he runs with Simon Peter to the empty tomb, enters the tomb, and believes. In 21:7, after the Resurrection, when he and some other disciples are fishing, he is the first to recognize that the man who calls to them from the shore is Jesus. In 21:20, the authors of the final chapter of this Gospel identify him, the beloved disciple at the Last Supper, as the one who wrote the first 20 chapters of this Gospel. There are some other passages that might be referring to the same person: In 18:15 there is someone called “another disciple” who, is known to the high priest, goes into the high priest’s courtyard after Jesus is arrested, and asks that Peter be allowed to come in also. In 20:2, the one who runs with Peter to the empty tomb is called “the other disciple whom Jesus loved,” which suggests that the “another disciple” in the courtyard is the same as “the one whom Jesus loved.” In 1:37, the first two people to follow Jesus are an unnamed disciple and Andrew. Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter, and the unnamed disciple could be this same disciple who is not named throughout the Gospel. In all of these places, this disciple has traditionally been thought to be the apostle John, although some modern scholars have suggested that he might be someone else – perhaps an unnamed disciple who is not one of the 12 apostles. At Peter’s suggestion, John asks Jesus who it is that will betray him. How does Jesus show them quietly who it is? Dipping a morsel was one of the rituals of the Passover feast (dipping a bitter herb in salt water). Although John does not tell us about the moment when Jesus offers the bread and the cup, his story is consistent with this being the Passover meal described in the other Gospels. The fact that Jesus offers the morsel to Judas could have been taken by Judas as a gesture of fellowship and friendship, and Judas could have turned away from his plans for betrayal and chosen to be reconciled to Jesus, but Judas was no longer open to changing his mind. Verse 27 says that after Judas takes the morsel into himself, Satan enters him. Satan’s action was possible because Judas opened the door. In our everyday lives, we don’t usually face such soul-defining moments. But are there ways that we either shut the door to Satan or open a door that allow him to gain a foothold in some piece of our lives? How? Jesus knows that Judas’s mind is made up, so he tells him to go and do it quickly. The disciples have no idea what that interaction is about. We are sometimes oblivious to the evil going on around us. Sometimes that’s a good thing, but other times, we might be able to intervene if we had eyes to see the wrongs that are being done. How can we learn to see what is going on around us at a spiritual level – to see as God sees – when we have opportunities to do something to protect someone from being mistreated or help them see how God is working in their life? God does not override human free will to prevent people from doing evil. What does God do instead? Without violating our free will, how does God nudge us to resist temptation and evil? Sometimes we are very aware of the evil being done around us ,but we are powerless to stop it. How can we handle being in situations like that, and what lessons can we learn from Jesus? Read John 13:31-35 Jesus gives us a new commandment: Love one another as he loves us Jesus says again that he is about to be glorified – that is, he is about to sacrifice his life for all people. That is the context in which he offers them what he calls a new commandment. The Old Testament has commands to love God and love your neighbor. How is this commandment new? How does Jesus’s command go further than the Old Testament command to love your neighbor? When the Law said to love your neighbor, that was understood to mean their fellow Jews, not Gentiles. Christians understand Jesus’s love command to include Gentiles. Jesus also teaches that our neighbor includes anyone in need who we can help (Luke 10:25-37), and that we are even called to love our enemies (Matt. 5:43-48). In addition, he tells us to love as he loved, which is a far greater love than the Old Testament’s love of neighbor. How much does Jesus say we should love one another? As much as he has loved us. What does that kind of love look like in practical terms? Jesus tells us to love as he loved us, and then he shows us how great his love is by dying for us on the cross. What does that tell us about the kind of love he wants us to show? Where might you have an opportunity to rise to a higher level of love in some particular area of your life? In verse 33, Jesus calls the disciples his “little children.” But in verse 34, he tells them that he won’t be with them much longer. In 14:18, he will assure them that this does not mean they will be orphans, because he will return and because his Spirit will live in them. But here, his statement that he won’t be with them much longer proceeds this new commandment to love one another. Why does the fact that Jesus is no longer with us physically make it all the more important that we love one another? When we love each other, Jesus isn’t really gone; he is present in and through us. What does verse 35 say? What will be the effect, if we have this kind of love for each other? To what extent do you think it is true today that people can know who the followers of Jesus are because of their love for one another? What could we do personally, and what could our churches do, so that more people would know by our love or each other that we are Jesus’s disciples? Read John 13:36-38 Jesus predicts Peter’s denial Peter is troubled by the idea that he can’t follow Jesus wherever he goes. He wants to know why. What bold claim does Peter make in verse 37? Peter is being overconfident, but he is undoubtedly speaking sincerely: he truly believes what he says here. What does this tell us about him? What does it tell us about the kind of faith he wants to have in Jesus? What is Jesus’s response to Peter in verse 38? Look at the end of verse 36. Jesus tells Peter, “You can’t follow me now, but you will follow afterward (or later).” What does that mean? In what ways will Peter follow Jesus later? In what ways are we called to follow Jesus? Why do you think John placed Jesus’s command to love one another between Jesus’s discussion of Judas’s betrayal and Peter’s denial of him? Take a step back and consider this: It is intriguing that Jesus’s command to love is surrounded by Jesus’s announcement of Judas’s impending betrayal of him and his caution to Peter that he will soon deny Jesus. Did John place these three events in this sequence in order to highlight that the commandment to love one another may be difficult but that Jesus has shown us the way of embracing it anyway? As we try to live a life devoted fully to Jesus, we may be betrayed by someone we thought was a friend. We may be ghosted or have someone act like they were never our friend. We may be rejected by people we thought were allies in our service to God. Even so, we are still called to love as Jesus loved. As John put it in 13:1: “Having loved his own, he loved them to the end.” In following Jesus, we also must love those whom God has given to us and love them to the end. Have you ever felt betrayed or denied by someone whom you thought was on your side? Have you ever been the one who denied or betrayed someone else? What would Jesus want you to do about it? Why do you think Jesus sticks with us, even though we often fail him? How can you have the same attitude toward others that Jesus has toward you? 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. 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God patiently waits for us to bear fruit and asks us to be patient with those around us. Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 13:24-53 God patiently waits for us to bear fruit and asks us to be patient with those around us. Mustard plants. Image by Manuel from Pixabay, https://pixabay.com/photos/fall-mustard-field-mustard-field-4568733/ Tom Faletti June 5, 2025 We are in the middle of a series of parables of Jesus that Matthew has gathered together in one place. For the next parable, the disciples later ask Jesus for an explanation and get one. We will look at the parable and the explanation together. Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Good seed and weeds There is a weed called darnel that looks like wheat in its early stages of growth, but that is poisonous to humans when it matures. This is what the parable is talking about: that you can’t tell at the beginning whether a plant is wheat or darnel. What do you find most striking in this parable? What do the owner’s slaves want to do, and why does he tell them not to? This parable is often thought to be talking about the church. What is the message for the church in the owner’s restraint? If you try to weed out the sinners, you may get it wrong and also weed out good people. Notice that the owner is very steady and confident, while the owner’s slaves are flustered. What does this tell you about our faith? In the parable, the entity who messes up the owner’s field is called an “enemy” (verse 28), and in verse 39 Jesus calls that enemy “the devil.” To what extent do you think the devil is at work trying to mess up the good harvest of the kingdom of God? Jesus says that the seed represents “the children of the kingdom” (verse 38). Notice that this is different than in the previous parable, where we are the soil. Here, we are seed, which God has sown in the world. Seed is sown so that it can produce a harvest. What kind of harvest do you think we are meant to produce? In this parable, the weeds are people. In the simple terms of the parable, wheat doesn’t turn into weeds, and weeds can’t turn into wheat. But in real life, people have the ability to change. What can happen that might make someone turn from being more like a weed to being more like a good seed? What might happen if we are too quick to get rid of the weeds – the sinners? Do you think that one reasons why God doesn’t want to pull up the weeds until the end of the age is because people can change? If so, how what is the message for us in the owner’s restraint? How are we doing in fulfilling this teaching? This parable teaches that there is an ultimate separation of the good and bad at the time of the harvest. What criteria are used to decide who is separated out of God’s harvest? In Jesus’s explanation of the parable, who is responsible for the ultimate separate of the wheat from the weeds, the good from the bad? What does that say to you? There are many answers to this question. Some people see in it a message that God holds everything in his hands, so we can trust him. Do your part. Nurture the harvest, don’t prematurely limit it. What is the message for us in knowing there is a final judgment? Is it more of a warning or an assurance? (You may find in your Bible's footnotes that some scholars think the explanation of the parable in verses 36-43 did not come directly from Jesus but from the early church. There is no way to know this, one way or the other. But either way, the explanation is part of the inspired canon of Scripture, so it doesn’t really change anything. I would like to think that the disciples were, at least sometimes, self-aware enough to know when they were lost and ask for explanations.) The parable we just looked at is the first in a series of parables where Jesus begins by saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like (or can be compared to)….” That doesn’t necessarily mean that there is a particular element of the parable that represents the kingdom. Rather, it means that the actions in the parable resemble in some ways what happens in the kingdom. Jesus is saying: The way things happen in the kingdom of heaven is sort of like the situation where…. A parable is not an allegory; you can’t compare every element of the human story to a specific spiritual element. Rather, we need to look for the overall message of the parable. Some scholars think the key point of the parable itself (verses 24-30) is the need for patience: don’t try to kick all of the sinners out of the church – that’s God’s job at the end of time. Others think the key point is in Jesus’s explanation (verses 36-43), where those who cause sin and do evil face ultimate judgment. What is the key point you take from this parable? Notice that in the end, “the righteous will shine like the sun” (verse 43). Picture yourself shining like the sun in the kingdom of heaven. What is your response to that image? What can you do now, to help you shine like the sun in the kingdom of God? Matthew 13:31-35 Mustard seeds and yeast The mustard seed was used as a reference for a very tiny size. The mustard seed grew to as high as 10 feet in Galilee. Jesus is not claiming that mustard seeds literally turned into giant trees – exaggeration is a common feature in parables and other kinds of stories in Jesus’s time. But Luke uses the word “garden” in Luke 13:19, where Matthew says field (13:31), and the mustard seed turned into a very large bush in a garden, large enough to tower over other plants in the garden. Jesus’s goal was to contrast the size difference, from tiny seed to large bush, not to present a botany lesson. In Matthew 13:33, where Jesus refers to “three measures” of flour, the unit of measure he uses is the sata . Three sata is the equivalent of around 9 gallons, or 144 cups. So he is referring to a huge amount of flour be leavened by the small lump of leavened dough that served as the “yeast” or leavening agent when Jews made leavened bread. What is the meaning of the parable of the mustard seed? What is the meaning of the parable of the yeast? What do these parables tell us about the kingdom of God? What does this tell you about what God is doing in our world? What do you think our role is in this kingdom that is growing so large? We are called to do our part. Even a small act, a small word, can have an influence and make a difference. Is there a lesson here for us when we try to start new efforts to promote the kingdom of God? Are we, in effect, planting a mustard seed? What does that tell us? How is leaven or yeast, which transforms a lump of unleavened dough into something more, an apt metaphor for the kingdom of God? Notice that leaven here is treated as a good thing, whereas in other situations it was considered as something that represented sin. Jesus used every example available to him to make his points. In verse 35, Matthew quotes from Psalm 78:2 to explain Jesus’s use of parables. But in the second half of that quote, he makes an extraordinary claim about Jesus. What is he saying Jesus does? Matthew says that, even though Jesus is speaking in parables, he is revealing things that have been hidden since the creation of the world. Earlier we were told that Jesus speak in parables so that people have to make an effort, open their ears, and soften their hearts if they want to understand Jesus. Matthew is saying that those who don’t make that effort are missing out on truths that humans have not had access to since the world was created. If Jesus’s parables contain such deep truths, how should we respond to them? Matthew 13:44-50 A treasure, a pearl, a net What do the parables of the treasure and the pearl tell us about the attitude we should have toward the kingdom of God? Give the kingdom of God your full effort and support. Most of us are not going to sell everything we have tomorrow. What does it look like in practical terms to give the kingdom of God your full effort and support? In the parable of the net, Jesus again shifts the focus to the final judgment. What is his point? All of the parables are told in figurative language. People sometimes seize on one or another element of a parable and try to take it literally. Seed, yeast, fire, etc. are all figurative illustrations to teach deeper truths. The deeper truths are that God is building a great kingdom and patiently tolerates a lot of evildoing while it is germinating, that participation in that kingdom is the greatest treasure one could have, and that there will be a final judgment that separate those who have embraced God’s kingdom from those who have not. The language in all of the parables is figurative. What do you think the final judgment will be like? What do you think the “separation” of good and evil people will look like in the final judgment? Matthew 13:51-53 Using both the old and the new Matthew concludes this collection of parables with a parable about using all of the revelation that God has given to us. In this closing parable, Jesus compares a scribe to a head of a household. What is the comparison? What is the “storeroom” (NABRE) or “treasure” (NRSV and most other translations)? What do the “new” and the “old” stand for? In verse 52, Jesus refers to a “scribe.” Some scholars think that in Matthew’s church people entrusted with the ministry of teaching may have been identified as “scribes,” so that this passage might be aimed partly at them. In a broader sense, Matthew himself could be seen as a “scribe” who brings forth treasures from both the “new” teachings of Jesus and the “old” teachings of the Hebrew Scriptures. We too, have access to the treasures of God’s kingdom. In what ways are we called to bring forth “treasures” from both the “old” and “new” parts of our faith? Take a step back and consider this: These parables, taken together, present an interesting image of the believer: producing fruit but not prematurely forcing out those who are not doing the same; giving up everything for the kingdom but not separated from the wicked until God does the separating at the end of time. What attitudes and virtues can help us find this balance of being all-in for Jesus but not trying to be the judge who separates out those who don’t? 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

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

God wants to renew our hope and help us put our faith and hope into action. Previous Next Jubilee Year 2025: Embrace God’s Hope and Extend It to All Introduction: Respond to the Invitation to Embrace God’s Hope God wants to renew our hope and help us put our faith and hope into action. Link to S pes Non Confundit Photo by Tom Faletti, Washington, DC, August 28, 2024. Tom Faletti November 16, 2024 You Are Invited to a Jubilee Year Experience! Suppose you received an invitation to a celebration – a celebration where potentially up to a billion people might participate. You might want to know more. The truth is: the invitation has been sent, and you can respond at any time. On behalf of the entire Church, Pope Francis is inviting you to join in the celebration of 2025 as a Jubilee Year of the Church. You don’t have to RSVP; you can just show up, and you can participate in many different ways. Where is my invitation: In May 2024, Pope Francis released the document Spes Non Confundit (Hope Does Not Disappoint), in which he invites us to join in the Roman Catholic Church’s celebration of Jubilee Year 2025 and to focus particularly on the hope we have in Christ. What is a Jubilee Year: The Roman Catholic Church has been celebrating Jubilee Years almost every 25 years since the year 1300, and additional Jubilee Years have occasionally been added. Drawing on Old Testament tradition, the Jubilee Year is meant to be a time to celebrate the grace, forgiveness, and mercy of God – a time of pardon, release, and remission of sins. Each Jubilee Year, the Church invites us to open our hearts in a special way to the grace of God, to receive forgiveness and freedom from sin. As a tangible manifestation of the invitation, the Church opens special holy doors in Rome during the Jubilee Year and invites us to go on a pilgrimage to one or more of those holy doors. We are invited to embrace the spirit of conversion and open the doors of our hearts to facilitate God’s work of renewal in our lives. However, a physical pilgrimage is not required. We can embrace the Jubilee Year in many different ways. We can go on a spiritual pilgrimage of the mind and heart. What all pilgrimages have in common, whether physical or spiritual, is that we take the time to consider where we are spiritually and where God is calling us to be, and then embrace the steps toward growth that the Holy Spirit is inspiring us to take. We want to extend to you Pope Francis’s invitation to join the journey! Through this study guide, we offer one approach that might strengthen your faith and renew your hope in God. Who is invited: Anyone seeking to grow closer to God is welcome. When: Officially, this Jubilee Year runs from approximately Christmas 2024 through Christmas 2025. But the door is never closed to experiencing the grace of God. You are welcome to take this journey with us any time, in whatever ways work best to support your faith. Where: Through this study, you can journey with us in an exploration of God’s hope and grace, guided by Pope Francis and the Sacred Scriptures. You can do this online, at home, or in your parish. You can do it on your own or with a small group. We also encourage those who are able to take a pilgrimage to Rome or join in your local diocese’s official celebrations and rituals. Theme: In Spes Non Confundit , Pope Francis invites us to explore the theme of hope – the reasons for hope, how we can embrace God’s hope and allow it to fill our hearts, and how we can extend God’s hope to all people, in every part of our society and every corner of the world. If you would like to respond to this invitation to hope, keep reading! First read the Overview, and then start your study. The Overview has separate suggestions for individuals studying on their own, small group members, and small group leaders. For More Information or Help If you have questions about anything in this study guide, please feel free to email Tom Faletti at tomfaletti@faithexplored.com or use the contact form at the bottom of FaithExplored.com . May you grow in hope and find new ways to put your hope into action, as you study Spes Non Confundit and celebrate the Jubilee Year. It is wonderful that we can say yes to God’s invitation to live in hope and to extend God’s hope to others by sharing the good news we have found in Jesus Christ and working to bring His justice and peace to the world around us! Your fellow pilgrim on the path to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Tom Faletti Dedication This study was developed at the suggestion of Father John Mudd, who has served the Archdiocese of Washington for more than 50 years with joy and an open heart for all God’s people. Thank you, Father Mudd, for your dedication and support. May God continue to bless your ministry! 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

The cursing of the fig tree was a prophetic action, where Jesus stands against those who are "all leaf and no fruit." Is our metaphorical fig tree producing fruit or withering? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 21:18-22 The cursing of the fig tree was a prophetic action, where Jesus stands against those who are "all leaf and no fruit." Is our metaphorical fig tree producing fruit or withering? Image by Wyxina Tresse, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti August 5, 2025 Matthew 21:18-22 Jesus curses a fig tree What do you think is going on in this incident? On his first day in Jerusalem, Jesus uses tactics we have seldom seen him use in the past. He is no longer concerned about attracting attention. He has made a dramatic entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, driven money changers and sellers out of the Temple, healed people in the Temple under the indignant noses of the chief priests, and now cursed a fig tree. What is going on? One way to interpret this is that Jesus is doing what many Old Testament prophets did: he is using dramatic public actions to illustrate symbolically what the leaders have ignored when he has merely spoken. These kinds of actions might be thought of as acted-out parables . (Protest movements would call it “street theater.”) Here are some of the things Old Testament prophets did that seem to be similar to Jesus’s actions in these acted-out parables: At the Lord’s direction, Jeremiah called the elders and senior priests together and destroyed a clay jug in their presence, telling them that this is what God would do to their houses and the house of the king if they did not repent (Jer. 19:1-13). Ahijah bought a new garment and tore it into 12 pieces to dramatize the breakup of David’s kingdom (1 Kings 11:29-31). Ezekiel baked bread on dung in the sight of the people and ate it for a year (Ezek. 4:9-17). When the people did not wake up to the calamity they faced, Ezekiel cut off his hair, divided it into three pieces, and then burned one-third, went around the city striking one-third with a sword, and scattered the last third to the wind, symbolizing what would happen to the nation (Ezek. 5:1-12). Isaiah took off his clothes and went naked and barefoot for 3 years to symbolize the coming defeat that would result in the people being led away naked and barefoot into captivity and exile (Is. 20:1-6). Jesus is using prophetic actions , direct actions similar to these, to try to wake up the religious leaders. American Catholic novelist Flannery O’Connor wrote stories that were often considered violent, disturbing, and even grotesque. He explained why: “When you can assume that your audience holds the same beliefs you do, you can relax a little and use more normal ways of talking to it; when you have to assume that it does not, then you have to make your vision apparent by shock – to the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost blind you draw large and startling figures.” (qtd. in Austin Dominic Litke, O.P. “ Reading Flannery O’Connor in our times .”) Many people are bothered by the idea that Jesus might have cursed a poor tree, and they are even more troubled when they see that Mark says it was not the time for figs (Mark 11:13). Scholars have a variety of sometimes contradictory explanations: Some say that in fact figs do grow on fig trees in Israel at the time of year when the Passover occurs, and this tree was deficient. Others say that leaves don’t grow on fig trees until later in the Spring, so this tree had leaves when it should not have had leaves, a sign that it was not flourishing properly and would not produce fruit at the proper time. Others say that fig trees start with a knob that is not a delicious fig but can be eaten, and the tree should have had these knobs by this time of the year. A tree with no “fruit” (i.e., no knobs) at this point in the growing cycle would not produce fruit later in the year. Others point to the fact that the word Mark uses when he says that it was not the “time” for figs is the Greek word kairos , which is usually used in the New Testament to speak of a special kind of time: God’s time, the appointed time. So the tree should have had fruit because it was God’s time for that tree to have fruit for Jesus, but it was not responding to God’s time, just as the Jewish leaders were not responding to the unique moment or “time” they were in, a time when they should have been welcoming Jesus as the Messiah. Since this action of Jesus seems to be a prophetic action or acted-out parable – an action taken to make a broader point – let’s focus on the metaphor and the broader point Jesus is making, not the tree. If Jesus’s action is a metaphor, what do you think the fig tree and its lack of fruit stand for? The fig tree was sometimes used in the Old Testament as a reference to Israel – for example, in Jeremiah 8:12-13 and Hosea 9:10. Israel, as represented by their leaders, is not producing the fruit God expects to find. Mark tells the story of the fig tree in two parts, happening on successive days, with the cleansing of the Temple happening in-between. Since his Gospel was written first, it is possible that his sequencing of the story is closer to the actual timeline of what happened. His narrative establishes a clear connection between the cleansing of the Temple and the cursing of the fig tree. Matthew condenses the fig tree story but still keeps it adjacent to the cleansing of the Temple. When we see the connection, we realize that Jesus’s action is not about this tree’s fruit. The tree sacrificed its life so that the Lord of the Universe could perform a dramatic prophetic action to try to wake up the Jewish leaders. If the fig tree stands for Israel, i.e., the Jewish people, what is Jesus trying to tell the Jewish leaders? The Jewish leaders might be described as all leaf and no fruit. What kind of fruit should the leaders have been showing? How can we avoid being all leaf and no fruit? What should our “fruit” look like? Perhaps the most surprising thing about this passage is that Jesus does not explain his action. He does not talk about the tree or the fruit. He does not talk about the leaders. When he is questioned by the disciples, he makes a separate point that has nothing to do with the leaders, the fruit, or the leaves. Perhaps he concluded that the acted-out parable did not have the desired effect so he decided not to belabor the point, or the disciples didn’t remember his point, or the Gospel writers didn’t think there was value in explaining the point or thought we would grasp the point without it being said. He will make the point again in some of the parables he will tell in the next few days, as he returns to prophetic teaching rather than prophetic acting: Our actions need to conform to what we profess or claim about ourselves. We need fruit, not just leaves. How is the metaphorical fig tree of the Church (God’s people) doing these days? In what ways is it producing fruit or withering? How is your metaphorical fig tree doing? In what ways are you producing fruit or withering? How does Jesus respond in verse 21, when the disciples ask how the tree withered so fast? Rather than warning people that they might be at risk of suffering what the tree suffered, Jesus unexpectedly suggests that the disciples might be able to do the same thing he did if they have faith. In verse 21 and at the end of verse 22, what does he ask his followers to exhibit? What does this passage say to you about your own faith life and prayer life? Do you think Jesus is talking literally about trees and mountains (that if I have enough faith, I could cause a tree to wither or a mountain to move?), or is he speaking metaphorically? What are the “trees” and “mountains” that we might need to talk to God about with undoubting faith? Christians tend to like the mountain metaphor: we see obstacles, call them mountains, and pray that they will be removed. Can the fig tree be a useful metaphor for us as well? What might be some things we could approach God about in prayer, that we would like to see wither away so that God’s will would be done in our lives? How can we build the kind of faith that is not about getting God to do what we want, but rather about living in such union with God that we can ask for the right things and trust him completely that he will work in and through us? Take a step back and consider this: The clearing of the Temple and the cursing of the fig tree can raise many questions in our minds. Let’s not lose sight of the big picture. Jesus is calling us to live lives totally devoted to God, and this dedication should be manifest in our public lives: in the “Temple,” in marketplace, in our workplaces, in our families, everywhere. If the chief priests and scribes had believed in Jesus, he would never have felt the need to cause a fig tree to wither as a metaphor for their lack of faith. But the point was never about the fig tree; the point was that the nation was withering because of the lack of faith of the chief priests and scribes. Perhaps our lack of faith also causes things to “wither” that would flourish if we had faith. When we fail to trust that God has our back, we may be tempted to do inappropriate things that wither our spiritual life rather than giving life. When we fail to believe in and support the people around us, our actions or inaction may wither the life in them and us. When we do the easy thing instead of the right thing, and do it again and again, our connection to God will gradually wither. Every day, we face choices that lead us to cry hosanna to the Son of David or to take actions that contribute to the withering of our life with Christ. How can you recognize and consciously reject actions that cause faith to wither? How can you help your own faith and the faith of the people around you to produce fruit? 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

Some people see Mary in a variety of images and prophecies in the Bible where she is not specifically named. What do these passages tell us about God and how we can respond to him? [Revelation 12:1-6; 12:13-18; Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 22:9-10; Jeremiah 31:22; Micah 5:1-4] Previous Mary List Next Session 7: Other possible references to Mary in the Bible Some people see Mary in a variety of images and prophecies in the Bible where she is not specifically named. What do these passages tell us about God and how we can respond to him? [Revelation 12:1-6; 12:13-18; Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 22:9-10; Jeremiah 31:22; Micah 5:1-4] Henry Moore (1898-1986). Mother and Child: Hood . 1983. St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, UK. Photo by Tom Faletti, 28 May 2025. “The work presents three stages of motherhood: conception, gestation and parenting. These gradually reveal themselves as you walk around the sculpture” (“ Mother and Child: Hood by Henry Moore,” St. Paul’s Cathedral, https://www.stpauls.co.uk/mother-and-child-hood-by-henry-moore ). Tom Faletti July 16, 2025 In the previous 6 sessions, we looked at every passage in the Bible that explicitly refers to Mary. We will round out our study by looking at other Bible passages that some people have interpreted as references to Mary but that do not specifically reference her. Most of these passages were written hundreds of years earlier in the Old Testament; one is embedded in the apocalyptic imagery of the Book of Revelation. Revelation 12:1-6 and 12:13-18 A dragon (Satan) wants to kill a woman and her baby This passage is interpreted in a variety of ways. Some say the woman represents Mary, but that raises a variety of questions; for example, the timeline of Revelation is set in the future, but Mary gave birth to Jesus in the past. Is this passage really about her? Many scholars, Catholic and Protestant, see the woman as representing something larger than just a single person. They suggest that she might represent God’s people, either the nation of Israel from the Old Testament or the Church established in the New Testament – that is, the People of God under the New Covenant, the Body of Christ, all believers in Jesus. (The story could have multiple levels of meaning, in which case both interpretations might have value.) What are some ways that Mary is a symbol for the whole Church in her relationship with Jesus? How might this woman’s protection of the child be an echo of Mary’s protection of Jesus? Verse 17 says the woman has many offspring. How are those people described in verse 17? Her offspring are the people who keep God’s commandments and hold onto the testimony of Jesus (or bear witness to Jesus). Verse 17 is one reason scholars think the woman represents the Christian faithful (or also represents the faithful on a different level as well as representing Mary). If verse 17 is about the Church, then it is about us. What are we called to do? Are there ways that you, by your words or deeds, could be a more effective witness to Jesus? What is the big-picture point of this passage, and what does it tell us about God? The rest of the passages we are going to explore come from the Old Testament, with prophecies that may refer to the mother of the Messiah. Our first passage tells what happens right after Adam and Eve eat the fruit in the Garden. God comes to them, and they have this dialogue with God. Genesis 3:9-15 enmity between the snake and the woman; her seed will strike the snake Verse 15 is considered the first verse in the Bible that promises a redeemer for humankind. In the second-to-last phrase, most modern translations say: “They will strike your head” or “He will strike your head.” The “you” is referring to the snake. Although the snake could be interpreted literally to mean that humans and snakes will not get along, Church fathers beginning with Irenaeus of Lyons in the 2nd century and scholars all the way to the present have interpreted the snake as referring to the devil. The “they” or “he” is referring to the woman’s “offspring” or “seed.” The word “offspring” or “seed” could be understood as a singular or a plural word, which is why we see it translated both as a singular and as a plural. It could be understood as referring literally to the descendants of Eve as a group (“they”) or to some particular descendant (“he”), but Church fathers back to Irenaeus and most scholars since then see the offspring/seed as referring to Christ. Although the pronoun translated as “he”/”they” is masculine, when Jerome translated the Bible into Latin in the translation known as the Vulgate, he translated it as “she,” and that has led some people to interpret it as referring to Mary. This is why we see artists from the Middle Ages on portraying Mary as stepping on a snake. Some translations in our time still use “she” even though the pronoun is masculine. ( New American Bible, revised edition , Gen. 3:15 fn.). Let’s start with the interpretation that this passage is a prediction of a Messiah or redeemer to come, and the “seed” is a reference to Jesus. In that case, why is the passage significant? If the “seed” is Jesus and the snake is the devil, what does it tell us about the relative power of Jesus and the devil in our world today? How can you draw encouragement from the image of Jesus (the seed) striking at the devil (the snake)? If the “seed” is a reference to Jesus, what does it tell us about Mary? Now let’s look at the more questionable interpretation, based on Jerome’s translation, that the “seed” is referring to Mary. The text doesn’t support this interpretation, since the pronoun is masculine, but why do you think artists and other people down through the ages have been attracted to this interpretation that the passage is referring to Mary? People have also drawn comparisons between Eve and Mary. How are they similar? How are they different? What do you think Genesis 3:15 is saying, if anything, about Mary? And what difference does it make to you? What does this passage tell us about God? In particular, if God prophesied a Messiah who would vanquish the devil, all the way back at the beginning, right after the first sin, what does that tell you about God and his concern for humans? Isaiah 7:10-16 A young woman (virgin?) will bear a son who will be called Emmanuel Verse 14 is the key verse here. Some translations have used the word “virgin,” which makes us think of Mary, but the Hebrew word just means a young woman without specifying whether she is a virgin or not ( New American Bible, revised edition , Is. 7:14 fn.). There are people who appear to make judgments about whole translations of the Bible based on whether they use the word “virgin” in this verse. That excessive emphasis on this verse misses a crucial point. Christians believe that Mary conceived Jesus as a virgin not because of anything Isaiah says, and not because of how we translate Isaiah, but because of the clear testimony of the Gospel of Matthew that Mary was a virgin. So how we translate Isaiah 7:14 is a secondary issue, not a core issue of the faith. (For further information on this debate, see the sidebar at the end of this section.) Christians believe that the Old Testament often has stories that have two levels of meaning – one in the context in which it was written and one that can be seen in the light of the New Testament. Why is this passage important from a New Testament perspective? Regardless of whether the original meaning in Isaiah referred to a virgin, Christians see in Mary and Jesus a virgin and a child who is called Emmanuel, “God with us.” What is Mary’s role in making “God with us” a reality? In what ways is God still delivering on the claim that he is “God with us,” even in our day? Our theme has been that what Mary did, we are called to do. How can we make God’s presence with us more real for others? Psalm 22:9-10 in the NRSV and most other translations (Psalm 22:10-11 in the NABRE) Jesus had a relationship with God while still in Mary’s womb This is the prophetic psalm that begins, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” Jesus prayed this psalm while hanging, dying, on the cross. Many of the lines in the psalm describe Jesus prophetically. For example, the psalmist says he is scorned, that they pierced his hands and feet, that they divided his garments. In the two verses we are looking at, if we read them as being Jesus’s words, he is talking about the relationship he had with God when he was still in Mary’s womb. In the first of those two verses, what does it say God did? In the second of those two verses, how does it describe Jesus’s relationship with God? What does this tell us about Mary’s role in Jesus’s relationship with God? How can we, like Mary, provide a safe place for others to know God? [The following Jeremiah passage is confusing and can be skipped. It is included here only for the sake of completeness, as this study has included every passage that refers to Mary or that some scholars think may refer to Mary.] Jeremiah 31:22 woman encompasses man. This is an obscure passage, with a possible interpretation that might relate to Mary. A footnote in the New American Bible, revised edition says, “No satisfactory explanation has been given for this text. Jerome, for example, saw the image as a reference to the infant Jesus enclosed in Mary’s womb” ( New American Bible, revised edition , Jer. 21:22 fn.). Mary could not “encompass” Jesus forever. However, it is a beautiful image. To what extent, and for how long, do you think Mary “encompassed” Jesus? How does Mary point us to a God who encompasses us? How can we provide the encompassing love of God to others? Micah 5:1-4a out of you shall come forth a ruler when she gives birth What does Micah say a woman will do as God brings salvation to Judah (the nation of the Jews)? How did Mary fulfill this prophecy? What is the significance of the fact that this passage refers both to Bethlehem and to a shepherd who brings security and peace? What does this passage tell us about God? How can we help people return to their shepherd and find peace? Concluding Questions for This Study on Mary, the Mother of Jesus As you think back over what you have seen and learned in this study of Mary, what has stood out for you or touched your heart in a particular way? What did you find most surprising? What did you find most encouraging? Our guiding principle in this study has been: What Mary was, we are called to be; what Mary did, we are called to do. What is one trait or characteristic of Mary that you would like to grow in? If you could name one thing that you think God might be calling you to do as a result of this study, what would that be? How can we help each other be more like Mary? Take a step back and consider this: Mary, in the Bible, is in some ways a well-defined person and in some ways an enigma. We rarely know what she is thinking. And yet, we see that she is a person of deep faith, unwavering in her commitment to her son, and present in the most significant moments in his life She consents to carry him in her womb and give him life; she is present in his childhood; she encourages him to perform his first big miracle or “sign”; she is visibly present to him throughout the agony of his crucifixion; and she is present when his Holy Spirit first comes upon his followers and the Church is born. You could say that one of her biggest ways of being a role model and example for us was her dogged determination to remain faithful to Jesus and thereby fulfill the role to which God called her. How can you imitate her unwavering commitment to remain faithful to Jesus in the roles you have been given in your life? In her devotion to Jesus, Mary was an encouragement to her son even by standing by him at the cross. Who might need you to stand by them, to help them stay faithful to their calling? How might you encourage them in their faith? _____ Sidebar: In Isaiah 7:14, did Isaiah refer to “the young woman” or “the virgin,” and how much does it matter? (This is for people who like to dig into the nitty-gritty of scholarly debates.) This is not a debate over whether Mary was a virgin. That is decisively stated in Luke 1:27, 34 and Matthew 1:18, 20, 25. The question here is only whether Isaiah prophesied a virgin birth. In Isaiah 7:14, King Ahaz is told that “the young woman” or “the virgin” (depending on how the word is translated) – will have a child who will be called Emmanuel (“God with us”). This makes people think of Mary. The Masoretic text, which is our oldest surviving copy of the text in Hebrew, says “the young woman,” and the word used there is a word used to describe a young woman who is old enough to get married. The word does not specific whether the woman is a virgin or not. Scholars note that the phrasing in Hebrew indicates that the woman was already pregnant at the time the words were spoken, which means that the “sign” was not that she would become pregnant but that the child would be called Emmanuel (“God with us”). That is why the NABRE translates this verse with these words: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel” (Is. 7:14, NABRE), and the NRSV uses these words: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.” (Is. 7:14, NRSV). Those translations make clear that the Hebrew indicates that the woman was already pregnant. The scholars who produced the translation for the Catholic New American Bible, revised edition explain why they concluded that Isaiah 7:14 should be translated as “the young woman” in this footnote: 7:14 Isaiah’s sign seeks to reassure Ahaz that he need not fear the invading armies of Syria and Israel in the light of God’s promise to David ( 2 Sm 7:12–16 ). The oracle follows a traditional announcement formula by which the birth and sometimes naming of a child is promised to particular individuals ( Gn 16:11 ; Jgs 13:3 ). The young woman : Hebrew ‘almah designates a young woman of marriageable age without specific reference to virginity. The Septuagint translated the Hebrew term as parthenos , which normally does mean virgin, and this translation underlies Mt 1:23 . ( New American Bible, revised edition , Is. 7:14 fn.) Many evangelical Protestants also agree that the Isaiah passage refers to a young woman, not a virgin. For example, David F. Payne, the then-Registrar of the evangelical London Bible College, now called the London School of Theology, in writing the Isaiah section of the International Bible Commentary , edited by evangelical leader F. F. Bruce, concludes: (c) Despite several attempts to demonstrate otherwise, it remains very doubtful whether the Hebrew word ‘almāh signified only a ‘virgin’. Certainly it was a term which included virgins; but it cannot be restricted to them. (d) In a context where names clearly functioned as signs (Shear-Jashub in 7:3, and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz in 8:1-4), it is highly probable that it was the name ‘Immanuel’ rather than the child’s conception or birth, which was to be the sign. (e) It seems probable, though not certain, that the Hebrew construction suggests that Isaiah was referring primarily to a young woman already pregnant; virtually the same construction occurs in Gen. 16:11. (Payne, pp. 726-727). Some conservative scholars, Catholic and evangelical, argue that the word “virgin” would more accurately reflect what Isaiah wrote and intended. They argue that what made this birth a “sign” – something extraordinary – was that it was a birth to a virgin. They argue that the Masoretic text of the Hebrew that we have today may not accurately reflect what the original Hebrew said, and that the Septuagint, with its Greek word for virgin, may better reflect the original Hebrew. They note that Matthew was familiar with both the Hebrew and Greek versions of Isaiah, and he chose to use the Greek Septuagint translation, which uses the Greek word for “virgin.” However, these scholars have not provided evidence that the Masoretic text here is a garbled version of what Isaiah originally wrote. And Matthew’s decision to use the Septuagint translation does not tell us what the original Hebrew said or meant. He might have chosen the Septuagint version simply because it better fit the actual circumstances of Jesus’s birth, not because he had an opinion on whether the original word in the Hebrew text was “young woman” or “virgin.” In summary, we do not have enough information to be sure what word Isaiah originally used and what he meant by it, but the wording in the oldest Hebrew text we have (the Masoretic text) is “the young woman,” and in order to adopt the alternate reading of “the virgin” we would have to accept, without strong evidence, that the text became garbled between its original writing and the earliest version we have today (the Masoretic text) and that somehow the Septuagint preserved a more accurate reading. In the end though, it doesn’t matter. Whether Isaiah meant “young woman” or “virgin” has no bearing on the faith of Christians. We believe in the virgin birth of Jesus not because of anything Isaiah said but because the Gospels of both Matthew and Luke tell us that Mary was a virgin. What we know for sure from Isaiah 7:14 is that Isaiah prophesied that there would be a child who would be called “God with us,” and that is what we have in Jesus. And this Child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and delivered by a virgin. All of this is true regardless of whether Isaiah refers to “the young woman” or “the virgin.” End of sidebar _____ Bibliography See Mary - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/mary/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. 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Jesus takes retaliation in a new direction. Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 5:38-42 Jesus takes retaliation in a new direction. Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti May 4, 2024 Matthew 5:38-42 Retaliation After reading Matthew 5:38-42, read Exodus 21:23-24 and Leviticus 24:17-20 . (Optionally, you could also read Deuteronomy 19:16-21.) What did the Old Testament prescribe as the limit of retaliation or punishment for hurting another person? This system is known by its Latin name, lex talionis , which means the Law of Retaliation, in which people receive retribution in kind: whatever the offender did to someone else, the offender receives roughly equal treatment. It is often called “an eye for an eye” because of the Old Testament examples that are given. When it was established by the Israelites, it was a restriction on vengeance or retaliation at a time when it was common to kill someone who injured you or to have your entire tribe attack the entire tribe of someone who inflicted an injury. It was saying: Only one eye for an eye; only one life for a life. Deuteronomy 19:18 indicates that this system of penalties was to be carried out by the society through the courts; the Law was not establishing a private right of action where you could go after the person who hurt you and do the same thing to them. The Jewish rabbis did not believe that God wanted people to be literally maimed, so they developed methods of calculating how much a person should pay in money, rather than having body parts taken (William Barclay, Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 162). We would call this “compensatory damages” today. What is Jesus’s new way of approaching the problem? Jesus says, don’t resist, don’t demand retribution; instead, give more. Another part of the Old Testament Law said, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18, NRSV). This seems to contradict the eye-for-an-eye mentality. Jesus weighed in on the side of not taking vengeance. But Jesus went further. Matthew 5:39a states the general principle, followed by 5 different practical applications of it that move progressively further and further away from the original issue of violence. What are the 5 specific cases Jesus cites and how to deal with them? Someone hits you, sues you, forces you to go a mile, begs from you, or asks to borrow from you. Let’s look at each of these examples to see what insights and concerns they raise. 1. Someone hits you. This example is often misunderstood. Most people are right-handed, and the example assumes a right-handed person. If a right-hander is going to hit you on the right cheek, it will have to be done with the back of the hand, not with a fist. This implies an insult slap. (If someone slugs you with their right fist, the right fist will generally hit your left cheek, not your right cheek. Only a backhanded slap lands on the right cheek.) If you have been insulted with a back-of-the-hand slap to your right cheek, offer them your left cheek, which can be hit even more forcefully. What is Jesus saying? One possible extension of what Jesus is saying is: Do not get all worked up when people insult you. How can we learn to not seek retaliation when we are mistreated? Another possible extension of what Jesus is saying is that Jesus’s approach may have a greater likelihood of changing your opponent's behavior than hot-headed retaliation would. Read Romans 12:19-21 . (What Paul writes here is based on Proverbs 25:21-22.) What does Paul tell the Christians in Rome, and how does it relate to Jesus’s teaching here? Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote: “[W]e must not seek to defeat or humiliate the enemy but to win his friendship and understanding. At times we are able to humiliate our worst enemy. Inevitably, his weak moments come and we are able to thrust in his side the spear of defeat. But this we must not do. Every word and deed must contribute to an understanding with the enemy and release those vast reservoirs of goodwill that have been blocked by impenetrable walls of hate” ( Strength to Love , p. 46). How might responding to insult or mistreatment by turning the other cheek defuse a situation and give you an opportunity for reconciliation and a better outcome? 2. Someone sues you. Jesus says, If you are sued for your inner garment, of which a person would probably have more than one, give also your cloak – the outer garment, of which the typical Jew would have only one (Barclay, Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 165). Under the Old Testament Jewish Law, you had a right to your cloak at night, even if you had to give it to someone during the day as the pledge for a loan (Exodus 22:26-27). Jesus says, give up even your cloak. One interpretation is that Jesus is saying that you should not insist on your rights. How can we be like that? When we do this, it might open up the possibility of bridging the gap between us and the other person, which might make it possible to restore the relationship. (But don’t count on it. This is not a magic. There may be times when we just have to leave justice in the hands of God. And there may be times when we need to stand up for our rights.) 3. Someone forces you to go a mile – i.e., inconveniences you. Roman soldiers could press a person into service to carry a burden for them, as Simon of Cyrene experienced with Jesus’s cross. Jesus is saying to do more than what we are asked when we are inconvenienced. How can we be like that? 4. and 5. Someone begs from you or asks to borrow from you. We have all experienced times when people have begged or borrowed from us. Begging and borrowing are not the same thing. How are they different? Despite the differences between begging and borrowing, in what ways do both types of requests put us in the same position? What is Jesus’s response to both situations, and why do you think that is his prescription? How can we be like that? Considered together, these examples deal with much more than retaliation. They describe a way of approaching life – a mindset – that is at odds with our human nature and with what the world teaches us. How would you describe the fundamental attitudes or mindset that underlie this approach to life? At How can we transform our hearts and minds so that these kinds of reactions come more naturally? Where in your life right now might God be asking you to try to accept this mindset and do things differently?How can we transform our hearts and minds so that these kinds of reactions come more naturally? Where in your life right now might God be asking you to try to accept this mindset and do things differently? root, they involve a deep reliance on God. Do any of these seem especially unrealistic or difficult? Discuss it. Jesus would listen intently to your concerns. How do you think he would respond? Take a step back and consider this: It would be easy to see the Sermon on the Mount as replacing the old Law with a new Law – a new, stricter set of rules that we should follow. That is not what Jesus is doing. More laws will not create the kind of people Jesus is seeking to form. He wants to create new hearts, not new laws. One of God’s great projects on Earth is to work his character into our hearts. The more we become like him, the more instinctively we will be able to live out his teachings. What are the underlying changes of heart and mind that would be needed in order to live out Jesus’s instructions in this passage more easily? How can we transform our hearts and minds so that these kinds of reactions come more naturally? Where in your life right now might God be asking you to try to accept this mindset and do things differently? 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 sick; the young; migrants and refugees; the elderly. (Paragraphs 11-14 of Spes Non Confundit) Previous Next Jubilee Year 2025: Embrace God’s Hope and Extend It to All Session 4: Where signs of hope are needed today, part 2 The sick; the young; migrants and refugees; the elderly. (Read paragraphs 11-14) Link to S pes Non Confundit Sunset, Ephesus. Photo by Tom Faletti, Ephesus, Turkiye, October 27, 2023. Tom Faletti November 16, 2024 Everywhere we turn, we can find people who are discouraged. Jesus calls us to share God’s hope with those around us whose lives are not easy. In this session, we look at more of the groups Pope Francis identifies as having a special need for hope: the sick and disabled, the young, migrants and refugees, and the elderly. People in each of these groups face significant challenges that could sap their hope. Pope Francis suggests ways we can help give them hope. Our study guide will help us explore specific ways we might bring God’s hope to people in these situations. When we reach out to those who are overlooked, forgotten, or on the margins of society (what Pope Francis calls the “periphery”), we are recognizing God’s presence in them and welcoming them in as part of “us.” When we cross those barriers, we help make it clear that in God’s world there is no “us” versus “them”; there is only God and “us” – all of us. Read paragraphs 11-14 in preparation for this session. Paragraph 11 (the sick) 🔗 Why does Pope Francis care so much about the sick? Read Matthew 25:35-36,40 What does Jesus say about people who are sick and himself? How is visiting someone who is sick a way to foster hope? In paragraph 11, besides talking about the sick, Pope Francis also talks about healthcare workers. Why does he say we should show them gratitude? The pandemic showed just how precarious the conditions of healthcare workers can be. What concrete actions can we take as a society to increase their safety and hope? Suggested Activity: Think about a caring nurse, a cheerful medical receptionist, an upbeat optician or dental hygienist, a gentle phlebotomist, or another healthcare worker who has brightened your day by the way they have cared for you. Say a prayer of thanks for them and ask God to renew their hope in their profession. Then send them a thank-you message. You can also let their boss know how much you appreciate them. You can do the same for a doctor, but don’t leave out the assistants who make a huge difference but are so often unseen. What can we learn from healthcare workers and apply in how we care for others? Do you know someone who is sick and would appreciate a note, call, or visit? What is one step you can take to show them God’s love and your caring heart? Suggested Activity: Ask someone who is sick if you could bring them a meal, a loaf of bread, or just stop by for a visit. Check with them about their dietary needs and personal likes and dislikes before cooking something, and adjust accordingly. If they invite you to stay and eat with them, accept their offer – they may appreciate the company more than the food. In the second part of paragraph 11, Pope Francis expresses concern for people with disabilities. Read Leviticus 19:14 Leviticus 19:14 shows the bare minimum of how we should treat people with disabilities: don’t make things more difficult for them. Why would that even need to be said? Why do people with disabilities sometimes face unnecessary discrimination and mistreatment? Pope Francis calls for our whole society to join in a “song of hope” (par. 11) for people with disabilities through our care for them and respect for their human dignity. What are the concrete actions that might create a “song of hope” for people with disabilities? What are some specific things that you or your parish or your society’s institutions could do to help people with disabilities feel less restricted and, with a song in their heart, be more free to be independent participants in society? Suggested Activities: Check in on people you know are dealing with a chronic illness. For many, their ongoing challenges may take a long time to resolve, if ever, while the attention of those they know may have moved elsewhere. So try to keep in touch over time. Get to know a member of your parish who has a disability. Ask them if they would be willing to move through your church and parish facilities with you and show you the obstacles they encounter. Then work with them to explore with your parish leadership what might be done to help people with disabilities feel more welcome in your church. Invite people with disabilities to events and help make it possible for them to attend if they are interested, rather than assuming they will not be able to do so. Paragraph 12 (the young) 🔗 In this paragraph, Pope Francis is thinking primarily of teenagers and young adults. Why is he concerned about them? What are some of the signs that they are lacking in hope? Read Colossians 3:21 Although Colossians 3:21 is directed at fathers, it offers wisdom for society as a whole. What are some of the challenges young people face that may cause them to become discouraged or lose heart? What can your parish or community do with young people to support their hopes and dreams? Are there ways you can encourage young people in their desire to help people in need? Suggested Activity: Ask teens you see at church if they would be willing to share their perspective with you on how the Church could be more welcoming and supportive of teens. Or ask your parish youth group leader if you could bring a few adults to one of their meetings to meet with the youth group members and listen to their ideas. Be prepared to try to move forward on some of the ideas you hear, or you will become one more reason why teens are sometimes discouraged about the Church. Paragraph 13 (migrants and refugees) 🔗 In paragraph 13, Pope Francis lists some reasons why people become migrants or refugees. Why do migrants leave their homelands? Why are refugees forced to emigrate? Read Matthew 25:35 and 25:40 When Jesus refers to a “stranger” in Matthew 25:35, the Greek word is xenos , which means a foreigner or a person who is unfamiliar. What does this passage suggest to us about our treatment of migrants and refugees? How does our society currently treat migrants and refugees? Note: The Catholic Church teaches that nations have a right to control their borders, but that governments have an obligation to treat migrants and refugees with dignity and respect and to provide protection to those seeking refugee status while their claims are considered. How can we help make migrants and refugees more welcome in our society? Read Leviticus 19:33-34 How does God say “strangers” or “aliens” should be treated? How would things be different in our society if refugees and other immigrants were treated the same as native-born people, as Leviticus directs? In the second part of paragraph 13, Pope Francis calls on the Christian community to defend the rights of the vulnerable. How can we do this and how would it increase hope? Suggested Activities: Look for opportunities to be welcoming to immigrants or other people on the fringe of parish life. Introduce yourself to them after church. Chat with them at the coffee hour. Research what people in your community are doing to welcome immigrants and look for ways you can be supportive. Encourage others in your parish to join in helping when you see needs that can be met. Paragraph 14 (the elderly) 🔗 Why do you think Pope Francis says that elderly people often feel lonely and abandoned? What are some of the factors in modern society that contribute to the elderly being neglected rather than held close to us as a treasured part of the fabric of our communities? What can we do to keep the elderly connected to the life of our parishes and communities? What can we do to help the elderly live in hope all through their lives? Suggested Activities: Invite older people to events you are part of. Go beyond just people who are your age or have the same marital status as you. Say hello to the older people in your parish and draw them into conversations. Visit people you know who are home-bound. Send them a card or note letting them know you care about them. Let your parish know about them. Ask your parish priests whether they know of “shut-ins” who would appreciate a visit. The sick, teenagers, migrants, refugees, and the elderly all experience situations where they feel like they are being ignored by church and society. Why is that? Read Proverbs 31:8-9 Proverbs 31:8-9 tells us to be a voice for those who have no voice. How might you respond to this call? How can you be an advocate for people whose voices are not heard in society or in the halls of power? Verse 8 says to speak up for the rights of the destitute, and verse 9 says to defend the needy and the poor. Why is this kind of action necessary, and not just providing charity to them? Closing question: How can we shift the way we see people so that our default is to be welcoming to all, to be people who inspire hope in all who feel ignored or disconnected? 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

Living parables: Incidents in Jesus’s ministry that tell a bigger story, including the feeding of the 5,000. [Matthew 13:54-58; 14:1-12; 14:13-21] Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 13:54-14:21 Living parables: Incidents in Jesus’s ministry that tell a bigger story, including the feeding of the 5,000. The feeding of the multitude. Hagia Sophia, Trabzon, Türkiye. Late 13th century fresco. Photo by Dosseman (Dick Osseman), 6 Sept. 2018, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trabzon_Hagia_Sophia_Feeding_of_the_thousands_93_080.jpg . Tom Faletti June 6, 2025 In chapter 13, Matthew gathered together a broad group of Jesus’s parables. Now, from Matthew 13:54 through chapter 14, Matthew gathers together some of Jesus’s actions that might be thought of as living parables : stories that reveal something bigger than just what happens in the story. Matthew 13:54-58 Rejection in his hometown of Nazareth What does verse 54 tell us that Jesus does? How do the people react? At root, what is the reason Jesus is not accepted in Nazareth? What is beneath their doubt? Is it jealousy? Insistence on upholding the accepted social hierarchy? Something else? Do you think the proverb quoted in verse 57 is true most of the time, or only occasionally? Explain. Verse 58 says Jesus did not do many miracles there. Why? Read Mark 6:5-6 , which provides a bit more detail. Why do you think that some people who were sick were able to be healed by Jesus? Matthew 13:58 says that Jesus did not do many miracles there, but Mark 6:5 says that Jesus was not able to do many miracles. Most scholars believe Mark’s Gospel was written first, and that Matthew drew from Mark. There are a variety of places where it appears that Matthew made edits to Mark’s words as he incorporated them into his Gospel. In this case, perhaps he did not want to imply that Jesus could be limited. Do you think the reason so few miracles were done was because Jesus did not want to heal people who didn’t believe in him, or because their lack of faith did not provide the right conditions for him to act? Explain. How might we be preventing God from acting mightily in our lives due to our lack of faith? How is this reaction of the people of Nazareth a living example of the parable of the sower and the soils? If we take this story as a living parable illustrating a bigger point for the early church and for us, what might that point be? Matthew 14:1-12 The death of John the Baptist Herod the tetrarch was a son of Herod the Great (the one who tried to have Jesus killed as a baby) and inherited one fourth of Herod’s territory – including Galilee. What happened to John the Baptist? Why had John criticized Herod? Why was John the Baptist killed? According to Jewish historian Josephus, Herod had John killed because he was afraid that John had become so popular that he could start a rebellion (Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 , pp. 103-104). Is that plausible? From Herod’s perspective, why was John killed? From Herodias’s perspective, why was John killed? From Salome’s perspective, why was John killed? From the perspective of the early Christians, why was John killed? From Herod’s perspective, the matter is political and personal, and eventually touches on his ego and his social standing. From Herodias’s perspective, the matter is personal and also touches on her legitimacy as Herod’s wife, so it is vindication. From Salome’s perspective, it is something she can do for her mother, and also possibly for power. For the early church, John’s death is a passing of the torch and is also a foreshadowing. John was committed to speaking the truth and died honorably for it. Herod was committed to upholding a foolish vow even though it meant an innocent man would die. Staying true to your word doesn’t make you honorable if it means doing something wrong. How do you know when you should stick with a commitment? Should you ever let a commitment go unfulfilled? If we follow Jesus’s command to not swear by anything (Matt. 5:34-37), we will never be in a position where we have to choose between going back on an oath or doing something evil. Some people think Herod was experiencing guilt for what he had done, and that is why he imagined that Jesus might be John, raised back to life. John the Baptist was Jesus’s cousin. They probably had times together when they were growing up. How might Jesus have reacted to John’s execution? According to John 1:35-42, some of the disciples started out as followers of John. How might they have reacted to John’s death? If this story is a living parable illustrating a bigger point for the early church and for us, what might that point be? Matthew 14:13-21 Jesus feeds 5,000 We use the shorthand phrase that Jesus fed 5,000 people, but verse 21 tells us that it was 5,000 men, plus the woman and children who accompanied them; so it was actually far more than 5,000 people. Why do you think Jesus withdrew to a deserted place? How do you think he felt when the people found him so quickly? When Jesus saw the crowd, he had “compassion” for them. What does this say to you? What happens in this story? What does this story tell us about Jesus? What does this story tell us about the crowds of people? They were focused on wanting to be with Jesus, so focused that they chased after him and didn’t pack their bags first. They may not have always been thinking clearly, but they were orderly and open to God. What does it tell us about the disciples? They were caring and practical, even though they didn’t have a miracle in mind. They didn’t know Jesus would care so much. They were instruments of God’s miraculous work. Put yourself in this story. Where would you have been, and what would you have been thinking about what happened? What do you think God wants us to learn from the fact that there were so many leftovers? What do you think God wants us to learn from the fact that so many people were fed? What does this overall story say to you? Why do you think God doesn’t multiply food all the time? Hundreds of millions of people go hungry every day. Nine million people die from hunger every year, including 3 million children. Why do you think God doesn’t feed them all, as Jesus fed everyone here? Note that although God doesn’t fix everything for us, he always welcomes what we bring to him and seeks to transform it to do more – when they said they had 5 loaves and 2 fish, Jesus said, “Bring them here to me” (Matt. 14:18). This story is so central to story of Jesus that it is the only miracle (other than the Resurrection) that is told in all 4 gospels. Christians of all stripes see this story as far more than just a story about a good thing happening to 5,000+ people. It illustrates much bigger points about God and our relationship with God. If this story is a living parable illustrating a bigger point for the early church and for us, what might that point be? From this story, people often draw lessons about the power of God, God’s provision for us, God’s love for us, how much can be done when we take what little have and hand it over to God to what he wants with it, etc. There are some bigger points here as well: First, this story is an anticipation of the Eucharist (Communion), through which God feeds us spiritually today. The language in Matthew 14:19, where Jesus “looked up to heaven” (perhaps in prayer), “blessed and broke the loaves,” and “gave them to the disciples,” is very similar to the actions he took at the Last Supper when he instituted the Eucharist/Holy Communion (Matthew 26:26). What connections would you make between this miracle and the Eucharist/Holy Communion? Second, it can be interpreted as a foreshadowing of the eternal banquet which we will enjoy with God forever in heaven (see Matt. 8:11; Rev. 19:9). What connections would you make between this miracle and the heavenly banquet God is preparing for us? Take a step back and consider this: The Bible shows that God loves situations where lots of people are fed: We see this in the scenes where Jesus feeds thousands of people (Matt. 15:29-39 as well as Matt. 14:13-21). We see it in Jesus’s imagery of heaven as a place where feasting is the norm (Matt. 8:11; Matt. 26:29; Luke 22:29-30; Matt. 22:1-14). We see it in John’s vision of heaven (Rev. 19:9). We see it in the Old Testament, in God’s provision for the Israelites in the dessert (Ex. 16), in the celebration of the Passover feast (Ex. 12:1-28; Num. 9:1-14; Deut. 16:1-8), and in prophecies of the future (Isaiah 25:6). Clearly, God loves feasts and wants us to associate good eating with him. How can you make every meal a reminder of God’s love and a celebration of God’s provision for us? 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