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How can we approach someone with a difficult a request in a way that might keep our relationship with them strong? Previous Philemon List Next Philemon 8-25 How can we approach someone with a difficult a request in a way that might keep our relationship with them strong? Philemon reads Paul’s letter. “A Letter to Philemon.” VideoBible.com . Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/vb-philemon/ . Tom Faletti October 5, 2025 Philemon 8-9 Paul urges by way of love, not command In verse 8, Paul says he hopes Philemon will “do what is proper” (NABRE) or “do your duty” (NRSV). What does “proper” mean, and how do you decide what is “proper” or your “duty” and not just something that someone else wants you to do? How does Paul characterize himself in verse 9? Look at verse 19 along with verses 8-9. Why does Paul think he could order Philemon to do what he wants? Why does Paul choose not to issue a command? What do you think of Paul’s approach to Philemon, where he tries to urge and not command? In situations you face or think you might face in your life, where might it be useful to try Paul’s approach of leaving some freedom for the other person to make a choice rather than trying to command them? As a teacher, I found that in many cases I was more likely to achieve my goal if I gave students choices, while making clear what I hoped they would do, rather than simply trying to order them to do what I wanted. Philemon 10-14 Paul makes a case for Onesimus After a long introduction, Paul finally mentions Onesimus in verse 10, though he doesn’t actually make his formal request until verse 17. Paul is making a pun in these verses. “Onesimus” means “Profitable” or “Useful.” Onesimus was supposed to be profitable for his master, but instead he has been useless and unprofitable. But now, Paul says to Philemon, Onesimus is useful both to you and to me. Read verse 10. What does Paul mean when he says that Onesimus is his child and he has become Onesimus’s father? What is the relationship between them that he is referring to? Onesimus has apparently come to faith in Jesus through his involvement with Paul, and Paul has become totally invested in Onesimus like a father and his son. Barclay quotes a Rabbinic saying: “If one teaches the son of his neighbor the law, the Scripture reckons this the same as though he had begotten him” (Barclay, pp. 280-281). In other words, you become like a father or mother to those you teach about God. Is there anyone for whom you feel somewhat like a parent in the faith? How does that affect your feelings toward them? What do you think happened in Onesimus that changed him from useless to useful when he became a Christian? Read Ephesians 2:10 . What does Paul say we are made for? How has your faith made you more “useful” in fulfilling your calling? Why is Paul sending Onesimus back to Philemon (verses 12-14)? Why did Paul want to keep Onesimus with him? What does this passage of Philemon suggest to Christians about the need to face up to the past and deal with the consequences of past actions? Philemon 15-25 Paul makes his request In verses 15-16, Paul sees the providential hand of God in the situation and suggests that maybe there was a purpose in Onesimus having been away (run away?) from Philemon. What does Paul suggest might have been the greater purpose? Note that the idea of providence here is not predestination. God did not force Onesimus to become a believer. Similarly, we can embrace or reject opportunities that might lead to good outcomes. In verse 17, Paul finally makes his explicit “ask.” What does he request? Paul does not explicitly ask Philemon to set Onesimus free (manumission). But he asks Philemon to see Onesimus “no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother” (verse 16) and asks Philemon to “accept him as you would me” (verse 17). Do you think Paul is implying that Philemon should set him free? Or is he just asking him to treat Onesimus as a brother in Christ even as he continues to have Onesimus serve him as a slave? What are some ways that Philemon could respond? He could punish Onesimus severely, punish him lightly, accept him but with resentment and not forgiveness, accept him back as a slave but with forgiveness, send him back to Paul to serve Paul, or free him to do whatever he wants. And he could publicly attack Paul, quietly resent and snub Paul, or welcome Paul’s intervention in his life. How should we respond to people who do wrong and then return? What does this passage say to you about forgiveness? How should we respond when people ask us to do something that is outside of the social norm? In verse 18, Paul tries to “sweeten the pot” by offering to pay for any costs, which implies that Onesimus might have done something wrong. What do you think Onesimus might have done before he ran away? How might verse 19 make it harder for Philemon to say no? In verse 20, Paul uses the word “profit” – which has the same root as Onesimus’s name – when he says he hopes to “profit from you in the Lord.” He also asks Philemon to “refresh” his heart – the same word he used earlier to describe how Philemon refreshed others. How important is that phrase “in the Lord” in verse 20? Explain. When have you found that you could be useful to someone else, but only if you let go of something that would have been beneficial to yourself? Paul is pulling out all the stops, making every case he can to save his friend Onesimus. How do verses 21-22 add to the ways he is pressing Philemon? In verse 23, Paul reiterates what he said in verse 9: that he is in prison. How might the fact that he is in prison affect what he says about slavery? Does anything in the final greetings in verses 24-25 surprise you? Epaphras founded the Colossian church (see Col. 1:7). Aristarchus spent a significant amount of time with Paul (see Acts 19:29; 20:4; and 27:2). We see more about Mark, Demas, and Luke in 2 Timothy 4:9-13. How important do you think Paul’s companions were to him? How important is it for you to have “co-workers” with you in the faith? Do you think Paul’s letter is reasonable, or does it go beyond the bounds of propriety? Why? Here are some of the reactions I have seen: On the one hand, the letter feels somewhat manipulative. Paul has appealed to Philemon in ways that would feel like Paul is pressuring him. On the other hand, Paul has not been coercive. He never says, “Do this or else I’ll . . . ,” nor does he say, “God says you should do this.” And his pressure is based on genuine love for both Philemon and Onesimus. Take a step back and consider this: Paul is working hard to raise a difficult topic with someone he wants to maintain a relationship with, in a way that will achieve his goal and not hurt the relationship. We all have been in such situations, where we need to choose our words carefully because we want to gain the support of someone who does not have to do what we want them to do. Paul’s effort might give us some ideas. Looking over the whole letter and the strategies Paul is using to deal with a difficult situation, when have you used similar strategies, and what happened? What can you learn from Paul’s strategies, that you might be able to apply in your own life? People sometimes think they are applying good strategies but do it in a way that is not effective. What might be an example of that, and how can you avoid mistakes like that in dealing with tricky situations? Bibliography See Philemon - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/philemon/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 Philemon List Next

Paul sends Onesimus to Philemon with a letter. Previous Philemon List Next Introduction Paul sends Onesimus to Philemon with a letter. Paul and Onesimus. “A Letter to Philemon.” VideoBible.com . Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/vb-philemon/ . Tom Faletti October 4, 2025 Introduction The apostle Paul wrote this brief letter to Philemon, asking him to treat kindly a man they both knew. The introductory notes are brief, so they are included in the study of the first part of the letter, which can be found here: Philemon 1-7 . Click Philemon 1-7 to see the Introduction and continue with the study. Bibliography See Philemon - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/philemon/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 Philemon List Next

Jesus had a clear awareness of his overall mission and when was the right moment for specific actions, and he did not let any temptations get in the way. How can you cultivate your sense of God’s timing and avoid temptations that might keep you from your mission? Previous Next John List John 7:1-13 Jesus had a clear awareness of his overall mission and when was the right moment for specific actions, and he did not let any temptations get in the way. How can you cultivate your sense of God’s timing and avoid temptations that might keep you from your mission? Ron Almog from Israel (ישראל). “Sukkot” (a booth set up for the feast of Sukkot). CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sukkot-9_(1447847411).jpg . Tom Faletti February 22, 2026 John 7-8 Chapters 7 and 8 have a series of separate incidents rather than a single theme. Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. Some of the things he says and does have direct connections to that feast, while other incidents don’t have a such a direct connection (though John might have included them here simply because they happened while Jesus was on this trip). The Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of Booths or Sukkot in Hebrew, is the most joyous of the Jewish feasts. It was a 7-day festival held in Jerusalem each fall that celebrated the ingathering of the fall harvest and commemorated how God provided for the needs of the Israelites in the desert after they escaped from Egypt. (Since the Jewish holidays follow a lunar calendar, Sukkot can begin as early as late September or as late as mid-October on our calendar.) Leviticus 23:33-43 and Deuteronomy 16:13-17 directed the Jews to construct small shelters or “booths” that were like tents or tabernacles and live in them during the festival, and to make offerings and sacrifices to God. A tabernacle is a tent. The Israelites lived in tents in the desert. Living in tabernacles or booths during the feast would help them recall how God had provided for their ancestors in the desert. Two of the ceremonies held during this feast have direct connections to things Jesus says in these chapters: First, each morning the priests would draw water from the pool of Siloam and pour it out in the Temple as an offering to God. In John 7:37-39, Jesus says that he provides “rivers of living water” for anyone who thirsts. Second, during this festival, giant candelabras were set up in the women’s court of the Temple that flamed brightly for all to see. In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” ( Ignatius Catholic Study Bible , fn. to 7:2, p. 175). The water recalled the miracles of water in the desert and the lights recalled the pillar of fire by which God led the Israelites by night as they lived in tents in the desert (Flanagan, p. 36). Jesus’s conflict with the religious leaders in Jerusalem reaches a peak at the end of chapter 8. Read John 7:1-13 The feast of Tabernacles or Booths – will Jesus go to Jerusalem for it? John begins in 7:1 by reminding us that there are Jewish leaders in Jerusalem who want to kill Jesus (we saw that in John 5:18). His “brothers” urge him to go to Jerusalem anyway. (See Mary, Session 5: Jesus’s family for a detailed exploration of what the Gospels might mean when they refer to Jesus’s “brothers.”) John tells us that his brothers do not believe in him (verse 5). Why do they say he should go to the feast? The brothers of Jesus do not become believers until later, but we find then in the Upper Room after Jesus dies, rises, and ascends to heaven (Acts 1:14). What is Jesus’s response in verses 6-7? When Jesus says, “My time has not yet come,” the word he uses for “time” is kairos , a word that has the connotation of the right time, the opportune time, the moment when God is prepared to do something special. Why is Jesus so attuned to those kairos moments? Many Christians have learned that there are special kairos moments in our lives when God wants to do something special in or through us. If we aren’t attuned to God, we can miss opportunities to do his work or receive his grace. How can we become more aware of those kairos moments so that we don’t miss them? In the Gospels, Jesus almost never immediately does what anyone tells him to do, even if he does it later. Why do you think that is? In verse 7, Jesus says, “The world . . . hates me, because I testify . . . that its works are evil.” What do you think he mean by saying that the world’s works are evil? How do you see that resistance to Jesus in the society around you? Notice that in verse 7 it is his testifying that elicits the hatred. Why is it that speaking up puts us at risk of opposition, and what should we do about it? Jesus is basically saying that he needs to stay true to the mission his Father has given him, even though it may cause some people to oppose him. How can that sense of mission guide you as a follower of Jesus in your relationships with the people around you? John tells us in verse 11 that the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem are looking for Jesus. Why do you think they are looking for him? Verse 12 tells us that the crowds are divided about Jesus. What are the different views they have of him? Why do you think the people in the crowds react in such different ways? Why do people react to Jesus in such different ways in our time? Verse 13 is one of the verses that shows us that when John uses the term “the Jews,” he means specifically the religious leaders, not the people as a whole. We can see that because the crowds of people eat the feast were Jewish, but Johns says that the people don’t speak openly because they are afraid of “the Jews.” They aren’t afraid of themselves; they are afraid of the Jewish leaders, and that is what John means by “the Jews.” Why do you think that the everyday people in the crowds might be afraid of the Jewish leaders? John may have included the point he makes in verse 13 because some people in his own time were afraid of the leaders of the Jewish synagogues, where many Jewish Christians still worshipped. Are there times when you hesitate to speak freely about what you believe because you are concerned about how people in power (religious or secular) might react? Jesus sometimes chose his words and actions carefully, to avoid triggering an arrest before the right time. It takes wisdom and discernment to know what to do when we encounter opposition. What guidance do you think Jesus would give you about what to do when people in authority don’t like what you are saying or doing? Take a step back and consider this: John’s Gospel does not have an account of Jesus being tempted by Satan. The highly respected Scripture scholar Raymond E. Brown noticed a similarity between the challenges Jesus faces in John’s Gospel from people who are not convinced that he comes from God and the temptations Jesus faces when he resists Satan in the desert in Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels (Perkins, The New Jerome Biblical Commentary , par. 105, p. 964): In John 6:14-15, after Jesus feeds the 5,000, the people want to make him king. This parallels the temptation in which Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if he will bow down to Satan (Matt. 4:8-9). In John 6:31-34, the people ask Jesus what he can offer that compares to the miracles of manna in the desert and then ask him to give them bread every day. This calls to mind the temptation in which Satan tells Jesus to turn the stones of the desert into bread (Matt. 4:3). And in John 7:4, Jesus’s brothers tell him that he should go to Jerusalem and do works publicly that would manifest him to the world. This is reminiscent of the temptation in which Satan takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem and encourages him to throw himself off and show who he is by letting the angels catch him (Matt. 4:5-6). There is no way to know whether John was intentionally making these connections, or the Holy Spirit was guiding him to unconsciously describe what happened to Jesus in ways that would allow us to make these connections, or the connections can be made simply because most temptations fall into these three categories (the temptations of power, comfort, and fame). Regardless, John has now made it clear that Jesus was encouraged in a variety of ways to do things that would not have aligned him with his Father’s will and the mission he came to Earth to achieve. We face temptations every day. Those temptations can come from (1) people who are impressed with us and want us to do great things (for them), (2) people who aren’t impressed with us and are pushing us to prove ourselves (to them), and (3) even our own family when their priorities or values are different than ours. Jesus kept his eyes on what his Father wanted him to do. Are you more likely to find yourself being asked to do things that are not in line with God will for you (1) by people who are impressed by you, (2) by people who are skeptical of you, or (3) by family or friends who just don’t have the same priorities as you? What can you do to keep your eyes on what God wants you to do? 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

Who can be saved? Your wealth won’t save you, but what will? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 19:23-26 Who can be saved? Your wealth won’t save you, but what will? Image by Jussara Romão, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti February 13, 2024 Matthew 19:23-26 The danger of riches Jesus uses a vivid illustration to make his point about the dangers of wealth. His statement about the camel going through the eye of a needle has led many people to search for answers – particularly because they don’t want to take it literally (and given that fact that Jesus was raised as a Jew in a culture where exaggeration for effect was the norm, he probably was exaggerating in some sense). Some scholars suggest the existence of a small gate into a walled city, separate from the wide, main gate, where a camel could only go through if it was stripped of all it was carrying. This smaller entrance is supposed to have been called the “needle’s eye.” There is no evidence for the existence of such entryways, but the image might be apt anyway. We need to let go of any possessions that would keep us from entering the kingdom of God, and that means we need to let go of everything we cling to, like a camel being relieved of its burdens, before we can go through. However, the disciples don’t envision there being any way through the eye of a needle. The disciples are astonished by what Jesus says about rich people because they think rich people are more likely to get into to heaven than poor people. That was common thinking in their day. Would that be a correct way of thinking? Explain. What is Jesus’s answer to their question, “Then who can be saved?” (19:25, NRSV) Note that Jesus is not saying rich people can’t go to heaven. Zacchaeus was rich (Luke 19:9). Joseph of Arimathea was rich (Matt. 27:57). Nicodemus was rich (John 19:39). Rich people were not required to give up their wealth in the early church (Acts 5:4). What do you think Jesus means by saying that for humans it is impossible? What do you think Jesus means by saying that for God all things are possible? What is he saying about us and wealth? What is your reaction to this passage? What does it say to you about your own wealth or lack of it and how it might affect your salvation? Take a step back and consider this: God is at work in us, in this world. He knows that we need possessions: a frying pan to cook in, clothes to wear, a toilet; etc. And the more advanced our world gets, due to the ingenuity of the human mind – which was created by God and then invited to use its free will to create other things – the more things we come to need: cars or bicycles, cell phones, microwave ovens, etc. The problem is not that things exist; the problem is that they sometimes take over the focus of our lives. Jesus has at least two different purposes in today’s conversation: to push us to re-focus and put our priorities in the right place, and to guide us to a deeper point – that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Only God can do that. Wealthy persons can live a life focused on their many possessions and the next possession they hope to get, or they live a life focused on sharing the love of God with those around them. Poor people can live a life focused on their meager possessions and the next possession they hope to get, or they live a life focused on sharing the love of God with those around them. Whatever a person’s situation, only God can bring them to the kingdom of heaven. Neither having many possessions nor having few possessions gives you a ticket to heaven. Only God can do that. What is one, small change you could make today, to take a bit of your mind off of wealth or “things” so that your mind and heart can focus more on people and God? Bibliography 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

Are you serving others and helping to lift their burdens, or seeking attention and honor for yourself? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 23:1-12 Are you serving others and helping to lift their burdens, or seeking attention and honor for yourself? Image by Sai Madhav, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti August 19, 2025 Matthew 23:1-12 Don’t follow the example of the scribes and the Pharisees In the previous passages, Jesus dealt with challenges from the various leadership factions in Jerusalem. Now he turns to the crowds and his disciples. In this chapter, Jesus severely criticizes the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy and their heartless indifference to the burdens of others. But these groups did not come into existence for nefarious reasons. They started from a sincere desire to follow God’s Law completely, which is a cautionary tale for us. The scribes were the experts regarding the Old Testament scriptures – what they mean and how to apply them to life. We might compare them to the scholars and theologians of our time: people who have theology degrees or other forms of lengthy training in religious matters. Most scribes had a deep reverence for the Law and believed that it was the highest of all callings to spend one’s life studying the Law. They worked very hard to identify the 613 commands they found in the Law of Moses and to apply the God’s commands to every minute detail of life, because they loved the Law so much. The Pharisees were a deeply dedicated group of Jews who sought to follow every detail of those 613 commands in the most rigorous way possible. They sought to live every part of their lives, as fully as possible, according to their strict interpretation of the Scriptures. We might compare them in our time to the most devoted members of ecclesial organizations such as Opus Dei or Third Order Franciscans. Just as not all theologians are members of Opus Dei and not all members of Opus Dei are theologians, but some people are both, so too there was an overlap but also a distinction between the scribes and the Pharisees. Jesus zeroes in on the ways that they have obstinately resisted his good news and have remained stuck in narrow and often self-serving approaches to faith. In verse 2, the reference to Moses’s “seat” may be metaphorical or it may refer to the seat of honor reserved for the people who taught in the synagogues. Synagogues did not have ordained “ministers,” so many people were invited to teach and interpret the Scriptures. In verse 3, what does Jesus instruct the crowds and his followers to do? There are two halves to what Jesus says here: Do whatever they teach you, but don’t do as they do. The first half – to do what they teach you – doesn’t seem to fit, given that Jesus has pointed out so many errors in their teaching throughout this entire Gospel. He is implying that sometimes they get it right. What do you think are some of the things they taught that he wants the crowds to follow? What do you think Jesus means in the second half of his statement, when he says: Don’t do the things they do? He might be saying that when they start focusing on their extreme and sometimes heartless interpretations of the Law, emphasizing little details that maybe even they don’t always follow, and when they make an ostentatious production of their faith, then you should not follow their example. How might we apply this in our day? What might Jesus suggest in our day that we should not do? What do you think verse 4 means when Jesus makes a metaphorical reference to “heavy burdens”? How are they imposing “heavy burdens” on the people who follow them? Their endless multiplication of detailed laws makes life very hard for everyday people. Their laws are burdensome and don’t benefit people’s faith life. Are there ways that people today pile rules and laws onto ordinary Christians unnecessarily, and perhaps miss the core of the gospel? Jesus adds that they don’t lift a finger to help the people who are struggling under the burdens they have created. Read Matthew 11:28-30 . How does their indifference compare to how Jesus deals with our burdens? Beginning in verse 5, Jesus focuses on the ways they do things for show. He has already warned the disciples about this in Matthew 6:1-18 with regard to almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. What is wrong with wanting to be seen when you do things that follow God’s Law? In verse 6, Jesus says they wear bigger phylacteries and longer tassels. Here is an explanation: Phylacteries are small leather boxes containing a little scroll with Scripture verses on it, that Jews would strap to their arm or forehead . This practice was based on Exodus 13:9. It was intended to remind them to keep God’s teachings on their lips and to remember God’s saving hand that delivered them from Egypt. The command is repeated in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, right after the famous command to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and might, implying that this practice would help them do that. It is also repeated in Deuteronomy 11:18-21, where this practice is linked with keeping God’s commands in their heart and soul. Tassels were pieces of string that were sewn onto the four corners of a person’s cloak to fulfill the command prescribed in Numbers 15:37-41. They were meant to be a reminder to follow God’s commandments. (The command is repeated in Deuteronomy 22:12 without the explanation.) When the woman with a hemorrhage touched the “hem” or “fringe” of Jesus’s garment in Luke 8:44, she was probably touching the tassel on his cloak. Do you think we would be more likely to remember to follow God’s commands if we went through our day with a reminder strapped to our foreheads or arms? Explain. What were the Pharisees doing wrong with regard to their phylacteries? What were they doing wrong with their tassels? In verses 6 and 7, Jesus denounces more of their practices. What were they doing wrong at banquets, in the synagogues, and in the marketplaces? What ungodly attitudes were being shown by these Pharisees? Where are the temptations for you to become a “scribe” or “Pharisee” in this way? Where might you have to be careful to avoid these kinds of attitudes? Verses 8-10 talk about titles to avoid. It is probably not useful to apply this too simplistically or literally. Even the apostle Paul referred to himself as the “father” of other Christians in 1 Corinthians 4:15 and Philemon 10. What is the ungodly attitude that Jesus is challenging? Jesus is challenging the pride that wants to be honored and treated as greater or more important than others. Almost every Christian denomination identifies the people who are allowed to teach the truths of their faith in colleges and seminaries as “teachers” (or “doctors,” which is just a title for a high-level teacher). The Catholic Church and some other denominations call their ministers “Father,” and many denominations make a big deal about who gets to be called “Pastor” (which means “shepherd”) or Bishop (which means “overseer”). Do we handle these titles appropriately, or do they run afoul of Jesus’s reserve the honorifics for God? If we dropped all honorifics for our church leaders, would it still be possible for them to fall into the pride that wants to be honored and treated as greater than others? And if so, what is the deeper point here? In verses 11-12, Jesus sums up what he is saying by making a bigger point. What does he say? This statement echoes what Jesus said in Matthew 20:26-27. How do verses 11-12 apply to Christian leaders, regardless of what we call them? How do verses 11-12 apply to you personally, as you live your own life? What do you need to do to honor Jesus’s teaching here? It is easy to try to put myself ahead of others without even realizing it, and to exalt myself in big or small ways. How can I keep from falling into that trap? There is also a risk that we might find ourselves trying to call attention to how humble we are. How do we sometimes do that? And how can we avoid it? Take a step back and consider this: For every scribe or Pharisee who was strutting around, flaunting his phylacteries and tossing his tassels, there were probably 2 or 4 or 9 others who were simply trying to live their faith with all the devotion they could muster. The same is true in our day. It is easy to point our finger at the TV evangelist with gold rings and a Mercedes. It is harder to recognize the subtle ways we are tempted to buy into a culture that tells us, “You need more ‘likes.’ It’s your time. You deserve the best. Everyone needs a little bling. Bigger is better. You earned it; now flaunt it.” If I listen to the ads and the social media culture, I’ll start to think that I need all kinds of things, and a lot of attention, in order to be important, or fulfilled, or happy. Jesus says, “No. Stop thinking about yourself. Stop wasting time on what does not matter. God has much bigger purposes for you than this. Focus on what God is trying to do.” What are the messages embedded in our culture that are most likely to steer you off track or knock you off your game? What are the distractions that can take your eyes off of Jesus? What can you do to stay focused, so that when people see you, they say, “There is a servant of God who makes life a little bit easier for the people around them”? And in your life as a servant, what can you do to help lift the burdens of others? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

Jesus spends time alone, leaving the disciples to get across the lake without him. When he walks on the water and joins them, they reach their destination. How do we handle the times when we don’t feel his presence? Previous Next John List John 6:16-21 Jesus spends time alone, leaving the disciples to get across the lake without him. When he walks on the water and joins them, they reach their destination. How do we handle the times when we don’t feel his presence? Anonymous artist in the circle of Jacopo Tintoretto (probably Lambert Sustris, 1515-c. 1591). Christ at the Sea of Galilee . Circa 1570s. Cropped. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. Public domain, courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, https://www.nga.gov/artworks/41637-christ-sea-galilee . Tom Faletti February 20, 2026 Read John 6:16-21 Jesus walks on the water This is the 5 th of John’s 7 “signs.” In a sentence or two, what happens in this incident? The reason why Jesus is not with the disciples in the boat is because, as verse 15 tells us, he withdrew to the mountain on his own. Why do you think he wanted to be alone, without his disciples? Matthew 14:23 tells us that he went up the mountain to pray, but can we take that a step further? Why do you think Jesus wanted to pray alone at this time, and not with his disciples? Are there times when we need to be alone? How is spending time alone important? Jesus is alone on the mountain, but the disciples are also “alone” in the boat in the sense that they are without Jesus. They have probably gotten used to having Jesus around, everywhere they go. Now they are facing strong winds and rough waves without him. At verse 19 before Jesus appears, how do you think they are feeling? Think of the fears you have had over the years, from when you were a child to now. What did you used to fear most, and what do you fear most now? What is Jesus’s response in verse 20? As you face troubling times in your life today, what do these words of Jesus say to you: “It is I; do not be afraid”? What effect do you think Jesus’s presence has on the disciples? Can you think of a time that Jesus had a similar effect on you or someone you know, where he came to you or made his presence known in a time of struggle? How important is Jesus’s presence to you? How important is it to feel his presence? In verse 20, most English translations have Jesus saying, “It is I.” However, in the original Greek, his words are, “I am,” which calls to mind the name by which God revealed himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14. (In Hebrew, God’s name is spelled using the Hebrew letters for “YHWH,” which is often written in English as “Yahweh” and also inaccurately written as “Jehovah”). Jesus also used “I am” with the Samaritan woman in John 4:25, but why is this moment on the sea an especially appropriate time for Jesus to claim for himself the divine name of God? At Cana, Jesus showed his power to transform nature, turning water into wine. With the feeding of the 5000, he showed his ability to multiply things in the natural world: to make something exist that did not previously exist. Here he shows his transcendence over nature: his ability to overcome the limitations of human nature and the chaos in the natural world. All of these acts show his power, but the third of these miracles demonstrates that he is not just a magician manipulating things; he transcends the natural world as only God does. How can you apply this passage in your life? What does this story tell us about faith? John ends abruptly with the cryptic statement in verse 21 that they immediately arrived at the shore. In Matthew’s telling of the story (Matt. 14:22-27), there is a dialogue and Peter walks on the water. John has a different focus. Perhaps to John the great miracle here was not the walking on the water but the immediate arrival at their destination once Jesus was with them. John emphasizes that once Jesus was present, the struggle is over: they don’t even have to do any more rowing – they immediately reach their goal, arriving at Capernaum immediately. How does the presence of Jesus make a difference as we try to reach a goal? In all 3 Gospels that have this story (Matthew, Mark, and John), Jesus walks on the water immediately after the feeding of the 5,000. They are connected in the movement of Jesus and the disciples and the crowd away from and back to Capernaum, but are they also connected symbolically? In what ways are the two stories similar in what they tell us about Jesus? Take a step back and consider this: The crowd so thoroughly misunderstood Jesus’s nature and purpose that they wanted to make him a king. So he withdrew from them. He also sent the disciples without him to Capernaum. Later in this Gospel, Jesus will say that he must go away to prepare a place for us but that he will return (John 14:3, 28). We can explore whether this passage says something to us about the times when we feel alone. There are times in our lives when Jesus feels more present and times when he feels more absent. How might those times when we feel more alone have value in our spiritual life? How might they help us become who we are meant to be? What does Jesus want us to do when we don’t feel his presence? How can this story help you in those difficult times? The disciples must row hard for a long time as they struggle to get across the lake while Jesus is not with them, but he hasn’t forgot about them and when he arrives, they reach their goal. What does that say to you in your times of trial? 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

Active in the timeline. Previous Next Table of Contents Where is God? - Part 2 Active in the timeline. Tom Faletti (to be continued) Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Table of Contents Next

Jesus told the paralytic man to “Arise, take up your mat, and walk.” Where is Jesus calling you to a step of faith right now? Previous Next John List John 5:1-9 Jesus told the paralytic man to “Arise, take up your mat, and walk.” Where is Jesus calling you to take a step of faith right now? Artus Wolffort (1581–1641) . Christ healing the sick at the pool in Bethesda (John 5:1-15) . First half of the 17th century. Cropped. Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Artus_Wolffort_-_Christ_at_the_Pool_of_Bethesda.jpg . Tom Faletti January 13, 2026 Read John 5:1-9a Jesus heals a paralytic [“9a” in the verse reference means the first part of verse 9. “9b” would be the second part of verse 9.] John does not identify the Jewish feast that prompts Jesus to return to Jerusalem, but many scholars think it is Shavuot (this Hebrew word is pronounced shuh-VOO-oat and means Weeks). At Shavuot, Jews celebrate both the spring harvest and the giving of the Torah (the Law of Moses) to the Israelites on Mount Sinai when they were in the desert. It is celebrated 7 weeks after Passover and corresponds with the Christian feast of Pentecost. If it is Shavuot, the reference to Moses at the end of the story in John 5:46-47 would be particularly relevant. The pool called Bethesda, with its 5 porticos, has been found by archaeologists (Biblical Archaeology Society, “ The Bethesda Pool ”), after centuries of uncertainty. Skeptics used to say that this story was fictional because there was no archaeological evidence of the pool of Bethesda, with its odd description of having 5 porticos (a portico is a colonnade or walkway covered by a roof). However, the pool of Bethesda was discovered by German archaeologist Konrad Schick in 1888. It consists of two basins separated by a wall. The structure is surrounded by a rectangular portico along all 4 sides, and there is a fifth portico on the wall between the two basins. It turns out that John knew what he was talking about, and the skeptics were guilty of a logical fallacy: absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. The pool of Bethesda was there, even though we couldn’t find it for hundreds of years. It is a short distance north of the Temple. Verse 4 is omitted in modern translations, because we have learned that the oldest manuscripts do not have that verse. It only appears in some later manuscripts, where it says that an angel of God would occasionally stir up the waters, and the first person to get in would be healed. It may have been added in an attempt to explain the man’s comment in verse 7. What happens in this story? Imagine you are this man: crippled or partially paralyzed for 38 years. Before Jesus comes along, how does it feel to be this man? What does Jesus ask him in verse 6? Jesus’s question might seem odd: of course he wants to be healed, right? Why do you think Jesus asks him this question? People sometimes have conditions that have become so much a part of them that they might hesitate to be healed. I have worn glasses since I was 7. I don’t know how I would feel if I suddenly did not need to wear glasses. A person who is deeply involved in the disability community might weigh the loss of that connection if they were no longer disabled. This is why a Christian should always ask permission before “praying over” someone to be healed. But there is more: Jesus’s greatest hope for the man is that he would come to faith, not just that he would be healed of his infirmity. How might asking the man what he wants help to stir up or clarify the man’s faith? Are there “infirmities” or other problems in your life that you would rather not be healed of? Explain. Now move away from the context of a healing and consider other ways that God wants to be deeply involved in your life. How do you react to the ways that God would like to change your life, develop a deep faith in you, form you into a person who has a deep love for others, etc.? When Jesus says, Do you want to be ____, how do you respond? Are there situations where God chooses not to act in our lives unless or until we make it clear to God (or even to ourselves) that there is something that we want or need? Where have you seen God wait for us? Why does God wait for our conscious involvement and not just heal us or resolve our problems without asking? People respond to the man’s answer in verse 7 in two different ways. Some think he is avoiding the question. Others think he is trying to explain just how hard he tries (“while I am going/coming/making my way”) in order to show how much he wants to be healed. Which perspective do you see here? Are we like this man? First, are there times when we try to avoid directly asking God to intervene in our lives? If so, what holds us back? Second, are there times when we clearly seek God’s help, but the healing or miracle or change we hope for does not happen? How do you handle that? Jesus accepts the man’s response to a certain extent, but he doesn’t immediately heal the man. What does Jesus tell him to do in verse 8? Why do you think Jesus doesn’t just say to the man, “You’re healed”? Jesus leaves it ambiguous so that the man must do something affirmative to receive the healing. The man needs to participate in the healing by standing up, picking up his mat, and walking. This will show whether he actually has faith in Jesus and believes that Jesus has the power to heal him. What does this suggest to you about how God works with us? What role does our participation play in the actions of God in our lives? In what circumstance in your life is Jesus asking you to take a step of faith right now, saying figuratively, “Arise, take up your mat, and walk”? How are you responding? How would you like to respond? Take a step back and consider this: We often think of Bible stories as being stories about “them,” and we rarely think about what happens next in “their” lives. The man was healed, and he lived happily ever after, right? He became a follower of Jesus and a pillar of the early church, right? Sadly, there’s no evidence to support that conclusion – in fact, quite the opposite. Jesus healed the man even though there were no guarantees that the man would use his new-found freedom to serve God. The same is true for us. God does good things for us even though we may or may not respond by giving him our wholehearted devotion. When God does something good in your life (a healing, a new opportunity, a renewed relationship), does it lead to a life of greater service to God, or to a time of complacency? How can you use God’ blessings as steppingstones to new levels of faith, commitment, and service to God? 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

If God doesn't care about us, we are in a pretty precarious position. Previous Next Table of Contents Does God Care? If God doesn't care about us, we are in a pretty precarious position. Tom Faletti (to be continued) Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Table of Contents Next

Will we accept the direction of the Lord or resist? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 11:20-30 Will we accept the direction of the Lord or resist? Image by Paul Jai, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti September 8, 2024 Matthew 11:20-24 Judgment for those who do not respond To understand this passage, you need to know where these cities are. Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum were cities in Galilee (the province where Jesus grew up, in the northern part of Israel). Recall that when Jesus began his public ministry after John the Baptist was arrested, he moved to Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 4:13). The other two towns were within 5 miles of Capernaum. These were places where Jews lived and Jesus preached. Tyre and Sidon were north of Israel. They were pagan or Gentile cities on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the province of Syria. Jesus rebukes Capernaum using a quote in Isaiah 14:13-15 about being exalted or brought down that is a prophecy against the king of Babylon. (Similarly, Ezekiel 26:20 says that Tyre will be brought down to the Pit – i.e., the place of the dead.) Barclay tells us that the Greek word for “woe” in “Woe to you,” which is sometimes translated as “Alas,” “expresses sorrowful pity [at] least as much as it does anger” ( The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 , p. 13, emphasis in the original). Liddell and Scott similarly describe the word as an exclamation of pain and anger ( A Greek-English Lexicon , entry for οὐαί ). Why might Jesus be feeling sadness or pain for them? How might things go better on Judgment Day for pagans in Tyre and Sidon, and the people in Sodom (the proverbial Old Testament example of evil), than for the Jews that Jesus is talking to here? Do you think that some non-believers might find a better reception on their day of judgment (i.e., when they die) than some people who are part of the faith/church? Explain. Matthew 11:25-30 Rest for those willing to accept Jesus’s yoke Matthew now eases up on the heavy tone. There are two parts to this little passage: a discussion of who receives wisdom and an invitation to come to Jesus and find rest in his yoke. Verses 25-27 Who receives an understanding of God’s message and who does not? Jesus calls attention to the “infants” (NRSV) or “childlike” (NABRE) in contrast with the supposedly wise and educated people. Many commentators interpret the “infants” as referring to the simple, uneducated people who were embracing Jesus (including his disciples) even as the scholarly scribes and those who followed them were not (Harrington, p. 50; ( Ignatius Catholic Study Bible , Matthew 11:25-27 fn., p. 26). If “infants” means the simple, uneducated people, what is Jesus saying about them in comparison to the scribes and others who think they are wise? Why do you think this upside-down result happens, that the scholarly are unable to grasp what the simple people understand? Jesus is not condemning intellectual exploration. If we thought he was, we wouldn’t be participating in this Bible Study. How can we use the scholarly and intellectual gifts God has given us and still make sure we are on the right side of this simple vs. wise divide? Barclay suggests, “We must be careful to see clearly what Jesus meant here. He is very far from condemning intellectual power; what he is condemning is intellectual pride ” ( The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 , p. 15). False wisdom thinks it knows better than God. Simple wisdom submits itself under the tutorship of God. Jesus praises God that the childlike are the ones who “get it.” They are the ones who receive the revelation from God and accept it. Does it seem like Jesus almost enjoys the idea that the wise and intelligent are less able to “get it” than the childlike? If so, why might that be? How does it fit with God’s general approach to humanity? How can we be more like the “infants” and not be found lacking like the “wise and intelligent”? We can be more open and malleable; not see ourselves as smart or important but keep the focus on the straightforward, direct, life-changing message of Jesus. In verse 26, Jesus says to the Father: “such was your gracious will” (NRSV). Do you think it was God’s gracious will that the simple received Jesus’s revelation, that the “wise” did not, or both? Verse 27 sounds like many things Jesus says in the Gospel of John: Jesus’s relationship with God is as the relationship of Father and Son. How does he describe that relationship? Verse 27 suggests that if it weren’t for Jesus, we couldn’t know God; we can know the Father only because Jesus chooses to reveal the Father to us. This means our knowing God is a privilege, not a right. What does this say to you? How is verse 27 important in your life? The fact that Jesus “knows” the Father suggests a real intimacy (he doesn’t just know about the Father). Jesus us draws us into that intimacy. How fully do you think Jesus wants us to know the Father? Who falls within the category of the “anyone” to whom Jesus chooses to reveal the Father? Is this an exclusive little club? If not, what is the implication of this point? Do you show appropriate appreciation for Jesus’s decision to allow you to know the Father? How do you show that appreciation? Are there things you can do to invite more people to, through Jesus, know the Father? Verses 28-30 In verses 28-30, Jesus offers us a tremendous invitation. What does the fact that Jesus says to you, “Come,” mean for you in your life? Jesus recognizes that many are weary and carry heavy burdens. How is it important that he knows that? Do we do what Jesus calls us to do here? If not, why not? Sometimes, we think we have it all figured out or think we should have it all figured out. We think we should be able to manage on our own. Or we may be uncomfortable, or fearful, or don’t want to know what God wants of us. What do you think it means when he says, “I will give you rest”? What do you think “rest” means, in practical and spiritual terms? What is a yoke? What does a yoke symbolize? A yoke symbolizes submission – a willingness to submit to the direction of the one who places the yoke on us. In this meaning, it also symbolizing being given guidance and direction . But a yoke also means an opportunity for service . Animals were yoked when it was time to work. How can taking on Jesus’s yoke provide “rest”? We are not animals, and the yoke is not literal. This is some kind of metaphor. What do you think it means? The rabbis saw the Torah – the Law of God – as a yoke. Jesus, in effect, replaces the Torah-giver (i.e., God) with himself: God gave the Torah as their yoke; now Jesus is giving them his teachings and his guidance as our yoke. How does Jesus describe his yoke? What do you think it means when Jesus says his yoke is “easy”? Barclay says “easy” means “well-fitting,” so it doesn’t chafe ( The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 , p. 19). Perhaps that means we don’t feel constrained or bound when we take Jesus’s yoke. How can that be? In what ways is Jesus’s burden “light”? Many people resist faith in Jesus because they think Christianity involves a heavy load of rules to follow. How is Jesus’s burden “light”? How can Jesus’s well-fitting yoke produce rest for our souls? We know physical rest. What is “soul” rest – rest for our souls? Christians can face many burdens, challenges, illness, pain, and loss, even when they tak on Jesus’s yoke. (Jesus even said some of his followers would face persecution.) How can his yoke be “easy” or “well-fitting” even in the hard times? How can it still provide rest? Describe a time when you made a conscious decision to accept Jesus’s yoke/direction even though it wasn’t what you really wanted to do. How did that go? Was the yoke as difficult as you expected? What do you need to do at this point in your life to accept and lean into Jesus’s yoke more fully or effectively? Take a step back and consider this: We noted above that a yoke is a symbol of submission. Some people find it harder than others to accept direction from another person. Some people just want to be their own boss. In the same way, some people find it easier than other people to accept direction from God. The people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum found it difficult to accept Jesus’s leadership. The scribes and their followers found it difficult to accept Jesus’s authority. The religious leadership couldn’t imagine itself taking direction from him. How good are you at taking direction from God and submitting to his guidance? What are the circumstances or times where it is easier or harder for you to let go of your own plans and do what God is calling you to do? Why are those times easier or harder? A master doesn’t explain to a service animal why the animal is being asked to do what is required. But Jesus does in many cases (not always, but often) tell us the “why.” He has revealed to us his plan to transform us into his image, to shine his light to others, to address the needs of the least among us, to love even difficult people so that they too can come to love him, to share his good news with others, etc. How does knowing the big picture goals of the Lord help as we try to embrace his yoke in our lives? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

Two responses to Jesus: total opposition and extravagant devotion. How can you show how you feel about Jesus? [Matthew 26:1-5; 26:6-13] Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 26:1-13 Two responses to Jesus: total opposition and extravagant devotion. How can you show how you feel about Jesus? Maître François (fl. 1460-1480). Anointing of Jesus , from an illuminated manuscript of Augustine's “ La Cite de Dieu ,” book I-X. Circa 1475-80. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anointing_La_Cite_de_Dieu.jpg . Tom Faletti September 15, 2025 In Matthew 26, we begin Jesus’s “Passion”: the events immediately surrounding his suffering and death on the cross. These are his final 48 hours on earth before he gives up his life for humanity. In the course of his mistreatment, he will be called “Messiah,” “Son of God,” and “King of the Jews.” In Matthew 26:1-13, we see 2 extreme reactions to Jesus: extreme hatred and extreme love. Matthew 26:1-5 Extreme hatred: the chief priests and elders plot Jesus’s death At this time, the high priest was appointed by the Roman rulers. Caiaphas was high priest from A.D. 18 to 36, an unusually long time considering that the average tenure of a high priest was around 4 years at this point in Jewish history. This suggests that Caiaphas was very good at navigating the politics of dealing with the Romans and keeping the peace (Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 , pp. 361-362). In his book Mere Christianity , C.S. Lewis said that Jesus hasn’t given us the option of being neutral about him: I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. (Lewis, pp. 55-56, at the end of the chapter entitled “The Shocking Alternative”) The chief priests and elder have made their choice. What does Jesus say is going to happen to happen? Jesus again states the specific manner by which they will kill him – crucifixion – and says that he will be “handed over” – a passive phrase that suggests that no one is truly in control of him; rather, God is in ultimate control and allowing all of it to happen ( The New Jerome Biblical Commentary , par. 147, p. 669). This term “handed over” will appears frequently in the passages ahead. Jesus has already used it in 17:22 and 20:18 to describe what is about to happen to him. He will be “handed over” multiple times before his death: he will be handed over to the chief priests in 26:45 and to Pilate in 27:2; he will be handed over to be crucified in 27:26; and his body will be handed over to Joseph of Arimathea in 27:58). What is this “Passover” that was about to be celebrated? This is the annual Jewish festival celebrating God’s saving action in the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. Who is involved in the conspiracy against Jesus? The chief priests and the elders are the parties to this plot. They are the religious and political leaders and powerbrokers of the society. Notice that the people who seek Jesus’s death are not the Pharisees and scribes , even though they frequently clashed with him. Jesus’s death was not an act of “the Jews” as some amorphous collective. The Pharisees – the Jews most focused on a living a holy life – were not part of this plot except those Pharisees and scribes who also were leaders. Jesus was executed by the scheming of the political and religious leaders, who saw him as too great a threat to their fragile hold on all they held dear. What do the chief priests and elders want to do, and what holds them back? How can a person reach a such an extreme stage of hate that they want to have Jesus killed? When you get focused on protecting what you have, what holds you back from doing wrong? Matthew 26:6-13 Extreme devotion: the anointing of Jesus at Bethany Where is Jesus when this happens? Recall that Bethany is a village on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, where Jesus has been staying each night. Luke and John tell us that Bethany is where Martha, Mary, and Lazarus lived. In John 11:45-53, the man is Lazarus and the woman is his sister Mary. Here in Matthew and also in Mark 14:3-9 the woman is not named. Luke 7:36-56 tells the story of a penitent woman who anointed Jesus’s feet at the home of Simon the leper. In the other accounts she is not identified as a penitient woman. In Luke and John, the woman anoints Jesus’s feet, but in Matthew and Mark she anoints his head. The differences in details suggest that there may have been 2 events where Jesus was anointed – probably Matthew, Mark, and John describing one event and Luke describing the other – but that some of the details may have become blurred or merged as the Christian community recalled the stories. The word for leprosy could refer to any of a variety of skin diseases, but having any of those diseases required that a person be separated from the rest of society to protect against the spread of the disease. Therefore, Simon was probably healed by Jesus at some earlier time. What does the woman do? Mark 14:5 says that the ointment could have been sold for more than 300 days’ wages – in our day that might be $18,000 to $36,000. She used costly ointment and spread it extravagantly. Why do you think she does this? How does the woman’s action affirm Jesus’s identity as the Messiah? “Messiah” means “Anointed One.” In the Bible, anointing was a way of signifying that God had chosen someone – for example, to be a king as when Samuel anointed Saul and later David. The woman may not have been making an intentional statement about Jesus’s identity as the Messiah – she may have just been expressing her extreme appreciation of him by giving him the most precious thing she owned – but the action does have messianic overtones. How do the disciples react to what the woman did? Notice that the disciples seem to be responding reasonably to Jesus’s clear and repeated concern for the poor. Jesus addresses that concern. How does Jesus describe the woman’s action in verse 10? She has done a good thing for him. We will talk about Jesus’s comment about the poor in a few minutes. Stay focused on the woman for now. What is the significant of Jesus saying that she did it “for me”? Does Jesus’s reaction give you any guidance in trying to judge when an extravagant action might be appropriate? The woman’s action was an act of love, coming from her heart. The disciples’ reaction was an act of practicality, coming from reason. How can we choose wisely in trying to decide when to listen to the heart and when to listen to practical reason? Don’t settle for a glib “always listen to your heart.” Listening to your heart always seems to work out in Disney movies, but in real life people’s lives have sometimes been shipwrecked by uncritically listening to their heart: rash marriages, bankruptcy, unnecessary dangers, and even death have followed those who fail to tame and guide the yearnings of their heart. Yet, excessive reliance on reason can sometimes lead to loneliness, missed opportunities, and a cold and joyless existence. How can we choose wisely when to listen to our extravagant hearts and when to listen to our practical and utilitarian minds? How does a person reach a stage of such extravagant love toward Jesus? The woman proactively seized the opportunity to honor Jesus while she could. If she had waited, the opportunity would have been lost. Are there times when we need to act while we can, to do some service for God, because we might not have the chance later? What does this tell you? Have you ever had a time where, out of love for God, you took an action that was extravagant or exceptionally generous or unusually self-giving? How did it feel to be doing that, and what happened? Is there anything you feel God calling you to do right now, out of love for him, that might be beyond the norm? How might you test that feeling to see if it is genuinely from God? Now let’s focus on verse 11. What does Jesus say in verse 11? The actual phrasing in the Greek does not say that you will always have the poor with you. Some translations get this wrong. The Greek word “have” is in the present tense – you [currently] always have the poor with you (the NRSV gets this translation right). It is not a prediction about the future, nor is it an excuse for not trying to reduce poverty. Why do you think it was true in Jesus’s time that they always had poor people among them? What kinds of societal structures were common in Jesus’s time that contributed to the fact that poverty was common? Why do you think it is true in our present time that we always have poor people among us? Are there societal structures in our time that contribute to the presence of poverty in our midst? Jesus is drawing on Deuteronomy 15:11, which commands God’s people to help the poor: “Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.’” (NRSV). How important is it to God that we care for the needy, and why do you think he cares? This passage does not support the view that poverty is inevitable and therefore we should accept it. First, Deuteronomy tells us to do more than just accept it – it tells us to open our hand to the poor and needy. Second, the Gospel of Mark has an additional sentence that Matthew left out when he shortened the story. In Mark 14:7, Jesus tells us that we can do good to the poor whenever we want. In Mark 14:7, Jesus says that you can do good to the poor whenever you want. How much of a priority do you think we should place on meeting the needs of the poor? Do you think Jesus would be comfortable with a world where Christians just accepted the existence of poverty and didn’t do much about it? Explain. What do you think we should be doing about poverty in our time – individually, through nonprofit organizations, through governments, and in other ways? In Matthew 26:12, what does Jesus say the woman has done for him? What do you think this means? What does Jesus say about the woman in verse 13? What does the example of this woman say to you about your interactions with Jesus? Can you draw any additional conclusions about this passage when you recall that in the previous passage Jesus said that what we do for the “least” among us we do for him? If what we do to those in need we do to Jesus, how might we “anoint” Jesus by the way we treat the least among us? Throughout history, women’s stories have seldom received as much attention as men’s stories and often have not been preserved at all. How does Jesus affirm/elevate women in verse 13 and throughout this story? How might we help affirm the value of what women do in our society? Take a step back and consider this: Jesus affirms that this particular act by this particular woman has lasting value. Not all acts of extravagance have such value. What matters is what has value in God’s eyes, not the world’s eyes. What can you do because of your love for Jesus that will have lasting value in the eyes of God? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

Jesus offers rivers of living water, referring to the Holy Spirit. Some believe in him, some have questions, and some reject him. How can you let the Holy Spirit flow more fully through you? [John 7:14-24; 7:25-31; 7:32-36; 7:37-39; 7:40-52] Previous Next John List John 7:14-53 Jesus offers rivers of living water, referring to the Holy Spirit. Some believe in him, some have questions, and some reject him. How can you let the Holy Spirit flow more fully through you? Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti February 25, 2026 Read John 7:14-24 Jesus has a contentious discussion about his authority Jesus waits until the week-long celebration of the feast of Tabernacles is half-over before beginning to teach publicly in the Temple area. Why do you think he comes secretly and then reveals himself? How might this timing relate to the idea of kairos (the opportune times or special moments when God acts) that we talked about in the previous passage? In verse 15, how do the religious leaders try to belittle Jesus’s qualifications? They say he has never been taught – i.e., he has not gone through the traditional system of being trained by an older rabbi. In verse 16, where does Jesus say he gets his teaching from? In verse 17, Jesus says that the people who choose to do the will of God will know whether his teaching is from God. This suggests that making a commitment to do God’s will comes first, and the ability to discern what is right comes after that. Why is a commitment to do God’s will so important? If we have not made the decision to follow the will of God, we will be tempted to assume that whatever we think is right is what God wants. When we commit to God’s will first, we are more open to letting the Holy Spirit show us what is actually from God. When Jesus says in verse 19 that they are trying to kill him, some people in the crowd are baffled. They don’t know about what happened when he healed a man on the Sabbath (John 5:16-18). Jesus may be speaking over their heads to the religious leaders when he argues that the healing he performed on the Sabbath was justified. In verse 21, Jesus says he performed one miracle. He is referring to the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath the last time he was in Jerusalem (John 5:1-9). He points out that they don’t consider it a violation of the Law of Moses when they circumcise a baby on the 8 th day, even if it’s on the Sabbath. If addressing the need of one part of the body on the Sabbath does not violate the Law of Moses, then addressing the need of the whole body on the Sabbath also does not violate the Law of Moses. In verse 24, he urges them to exercise ‘just” or “right” judgment (i.e., judgment based on justice or righteousness) rather than judging by appearances. What does just or right judgment look like? Justice involves ensuring that everyone, including God, receives what is due to them. It would not be just or righteous to withhold healing from someone if it is in our power to heal them, since we owe it to others, as an act of Christian love, to heal them if we can. How is just or right judgment different from judging by appearances? What principles guide you toward right or just judgment? A variety of answers might be appropriate here: for example, following Jesus’s law of love, doing what the Bible says is justice, following the Golden Rule (do to others what you would want them to do to you), doing good whenever you can, etc. Read John 7:25-31 People start to develop different opinions about Jesus Although some people in the crowd have no idea that the leaders want to kill Jesus, some people who live in Jerusalem are aware of it (verse 25). How do they react in verse 26? In verse 27, some of the people say that no one will know where the Messiah comes from, and therefore Jesus can’t be the Messiah since they know where he comes from (i.e., Galilee). That is one of two views that were common regarding where the Messiah would come from. We will see the other view, based on Micah 5:1, that the Messiah will come from Bethlehem, in verse 42. When Jesus again claims that he is from the Father (verses 28-29), how do the authorities respond in verse 30? When John says in verse 30 that Jesus’s “hour” has not yet come, the Greek word is hora , which John uses to refer to the appointed time of Jesus’s Passion and death, when he will give his life as a sacrifice for all. It is a concept John mentions repeatedly: that Jesus would move forward to the Crucifixion only at the hour appointed by God. Why did it matter when the Crucifixion happened? Are there things that needed to happen first? He has not finished teaching his disciples and preparing them. For example, he has not yet taught them that he is the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the Life, and the Vine, or that he will be sending the Holy Spirit. Also, in John’s Gospel, the Crucifixion happens at the same time that the Passover lambs are being slain in the Temple. That can’t happen if he dies during the feast of Tabernacles. How might our faith grow stronger if we give more attention to the importance of Jesus’s “hour”? Although the leaders again seek to arrest Jesus, many in the crowd have a different reaction. What does verse 31 tell us about them? Three groups of people see the same things, but they have very different reactions. The leaders become hardened against Jesus, some people begin to believe in him, and others are still unsure. What happens in people that leads to such different reactions to the same events? How do you respond when others seem indifferent or hostile to Jesus? Read John 7:32-53 The arrest that went astray, and rivers of living water Verse 32 tells us that some of the Pharisees are unhappy when they hear people in the crowd beginning to believe that Jesus is the Messiah (the Christ). Why does this particularly trouble them as Pharisees? The Pharisees are the ones who are trying the hardest to follow every detail of the Law, which Jesus is less concerned about. Jesus is equating himself with God, which to them would be blasphemy. And some of the Pharisees are members of the Sanhedrin; along with the chief priests they are concerned about how Jesus is undermining their leadership. In verse 32, the chief priests and Pharisees send officers to arrest Jesus. These are members of the Temple police, who are under Jewish authority – not Roman officers. We learn in verses 45-46 that they don’t arrest him. What explanation do they give in verses 45-46 for failing to arrest Jesus? Now let’s return to verses 33-34. Jesus tells the Pharisees that they will look for him and not find him. They are baffled. They wonder: Will he leave Jewish territory, go out into the Greek-speaking part of the Roman Empire where there were Greek-, and preach there? What does Jesus really mean? They can’t accompany him in his ascension to heaven, and they won’t be able to find him on Earth when he has returned to heaven. (They will, however, still be able to receive eternal life and spend eternity with him in heaven, if they are willing to believe.) Verses 37-39: Rivers of Living Water On the last day of the feast, Jesus stands up and in a loud voice makes an unusual proclamation (verse 37). What does he offer? We heard Jesus talk about this drink that quenches our thirst when he was talking with the woman at the well. He is referring to himself. In what ways does Jesus quench our spiritual thirst? There are many great answers to this question. He gives us salvation, forgiveness, unconditional love, etc.; he fills our thirst for truth, refreshes us when we are weary; etc. How does he quench your spiritual thirst? The quote in verse 38 is not an exact quote. It appears to draw from several Old Testament images: in Exodus 17:5-6 and Numbers 20:10-13, God provided water to the Israelites when Moses struck the rock; in Ezekiel 47:1-12, Ezekiel had a vision of a river of flowing water streaming from Jerusalem; in Zechariah 14:8, Zechariah prophesied that when Jerusalem was restored, fresh water would flow from Jerusalem. Verse 38 says, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” The “his” could refer to Jesus or to the person who believes in him, but grammatically it appears to refer to the believer. John explains in verse 39 that Jesus is referring to the Spirit, who had not yet been given. When was the Spirit given, the first time? How do these rivers of living water arise in our hearts? When or how do we receive the Spirit in our time? In what way is the Holy Spirit like a river of living water in you? How do the rivers of living water from the Holy Spirit flow out of us? What does it look like when the Holy Spirit is flowing from us? How can you be more open to letting the Holy Spirit flow through you? In verses 40-44, we see a whole range of reactions to Jesus. On one side, some people want Jesus to be arrested. On the other side, some say he is the Prophet who Moses said would come, and some say he is the Messiah. Others don’t think he could be the Messiah because they expect the Messiah to come from Bethlehem based on Micah 5:1 and they don’t know that Jesus was born there. We saw the alternate view in verse 27: that some people thought the Messiah would appear as an adult, seemingly from out of nowhere, and no one would know where he was from. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible points out the irony that there was partial truth in both of those views: unknown to the people, Jesus came from heaven (not from any earthly place), but he was also born in Bethlehem, not in Galilee ( Ignatius Catholic Study Bible , fn. to 7:27, p. 176). What do verses 47-49 tell us about the attitude of the Pharisees toward the people? What does their attitude tell us about how they viewed themselves? In verse 50, Nicodemus tries to bring some orderliness to the actions of the leaders. What does he ask in verse 50? Why is the rule of law so important, from a Christian perspective? How does the rule of law relate to God’s repeated demand for justice in the Old Testament? We saw Nicodemus come to Jesus by night in chapter 3. What do verses 50-51 tell us about his spiritual progress? Was the meeting he had with Jesus in chapter 3 worthwhile? The chief priests and Pharisees don’t believe the Messiah will come from Galilee. But their derisive comment in verse 52 suggests that they hold a bias against people from Galilee, who lived far away from the important city of Jerusalem, which was both the religious and political capital of the Jews. Are there ways that we might dismiss people because of where they are from? What do we miss out on, when we have that kind of attitude? Take a step back and consider this: When we want water to flow freely in our houses, we turn on the tap. If the flow is weak, we might check the supply line valve to see if it is fully open. Engineers build dams to limit the flow of a river. When they want the river to flow freely, they open the floodgates. The Holy Spirit flows like water in our hearts. But we may limit the flow. If we want to let the Spirit flow freely, we may need to open the valves, open the floodgates. How do you see the Holy Spirit flowing in your life? In what ways have you seen the Spirit flow out of you to those around you? What are things you might be doing or failing to do that might be limiting the Holy Spirit’s action like a partially closed valve or floodgate? What can you do to let the Holy Spirit flow more fully in your life? 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