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Living the Christian life in the church. [1 Thessalonians 5:12-22; 5:23-28] Previous 1 Thess. Index Next 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 Living the Christian life in the church. Image from Wix. Tom Faletti January 31, 2025 1 Thess. 5:12-22 Relationships and behavior within the church Paul now turns to his expectations for how the Thessalonians should live with each other in the church. In verses 12-13, he describes how the leaders of the local church should act and how the “congregation” (the members of the local church) should treat them. In verse 12, what 3 things does he say the leaders do? They “labor” among you, they have a leadership role over you, and they “admonish” you. Different Christian denominations have different terms for these leaders of the church: priests, ministers, pastors, deacons, elders, etc. In the following questions, the term “priests and ministers” will be used, but please translate that into whatever terms you use in your church. In what ways do our local priests and ministers “labor”? What is the “work” they do? In what ways should we defer to them as our leaders? Do your priests/ministers admonish you? If so, how? If they don’t, should they, and if so, how? How important is it to have people in your life who will “admonish” you? And how should they do it so that it is effective and not just off-putting? In verse 13, what 3 things does Paul ask the members of the church to do in support of the leaders? He asks them to show their leaders “esteem,” love them ( agape ), and be at peace. Why is it important to “esteem” our priests and ministers and to show them “love”? Are there ways you could show them more appreciation for the work they do? Are there ways you could show more appreciation or support for the other church employees, who do so much unsung work? Paul adds that the Thessalonians – the members of the congregation – should be at peace with one another. Why is peace important? Why is being at peace with the other members of your church such an important part of loving the leaders of your church? What do you do to help bring about or maintain peace in your church? In verses 14-15, Paul moves into a longer list of things the members of the church should do with each other. What does he tell them to do? Why is he concerned about people who are idle (he also mentioned them in 4:11)? What would it look like to admonish people who are idle? How might you encourage the fainthearted and help the weak? Why is patience so important? How does it help us deal with the idlers, the fainthearted, and the weak? Verse 15 could be a good rule for life in a variety of circumstances. What does Paul tell them to not do and to do in verse 15? Don’t return evil for evil. Always seek the good for each other and for all. The first half of verse 15 says: Don’t return evil for evil. Why is this an important rule? What might this stop us from doing, and what are the kinds of circumstances where we need to remember this? The second part of verse 15 goes further. The first part only tells us what not to do. The second part tells us what to do instead . Why is seeking the good of “each other” important? And how does it counteract our tendency to focus on ourselves? But Paul goes even further. He tells us to seek the good of “all,” meaning everyone else, too. In order to be the kind of person who always does what is good not only for myself , and not only for just me and you, but also for everyone else , how might we need to change how we think about the situations we are in? How does this approach to interpersonal relationships reflect the way God does things? How does this approach to interpersonal relationships challenge you? In verses 16-18, Paul focuses more on what is going on inside of us – in our inner selves. What does he say? How can we rejoice always? (What have we to rejoice about even when things are going wrong?) How can we pray without ceasing? For a simple way to approach the habit of praying constantly, you might explore the very short book The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, an uneducated 17th century monk who spent most of his time working as a cobbler and in the kitchen of the monastery. It can be bought very inexpensively, but it can also be found online at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library . How can we give thanks in all circumstances? What might we give thanks for when we are experiencing illness, mistreatment, or misfortune? How might this attitude of rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks at all times revolutionize your relationship with God? How might it revolutionize your relationships with the people in your world? In verses 19-22 where Paul talks about prophetic utterances, he is probably talking about the kinds of manifestations of the Spirit that appear to have been common in the early church and are sometimes seen in charismatic communities in our time. What is the balance he is seeking? Paul seeks to allow people to speak freely in response to the movement of the Holy Spirit, but with testing and discernment by others. How might this be a good approach to inspiration in general? 1 Thess. 5:23-28 Paul’s closing prayer and greeting Paul ends with prayer (verses 23-25) and greetings (verses 26-28). In his prayer, what does Paul ask of God? Looking at verse 23, what would it take for you to embrace the goal of being “perfectly” (NABRE) or “entirely” holy? Paul’s hope is that the lives of all God’s people would be entirely without blame or fault, “spirit, soul, and body” – i..e, in all aspects of their being. God is working to perfect us. How do our spirit, soul, and body all play a role in the perfecting process that God wants to work in us? What does Paul add in verse 24, and how is it an encouragement? Do you live as though God is faithful and will accomplish your perfection in Christ? How might that insight transform your life? In verse 25, Paul also asks them to pray for him. Why is that important? What does it tell us about Paul? In verse 26, Paul tells them to greet “all the brothers” with “a holy kiss.” A kiss was a common form of greeting in his time. It was used in Christian communities and very early in the life of the Church it became part of the ritual or liturgy. (The Roman Catholic Church reclaimed it as a formal part of the liturgy after Vatican II.) In light of verse 27, however, there may be more to verse 26 than meets the eye. Paul orders, in unusually strong terms (roughly equivalent to “I charge you under oath”), that the letter be read to “all.” He says this right after he tells them to extend the holy kiss to “all.” We do not know why he felt the need to issue such a stern order to have the letter read to everyone in the Christian community. Scholars speculate that there might have been factions developing and Paul wanted to make sure his words reached everyone. But we don’t need to assume that there were factions in order to make sense of verse 27. Paul wanted to make sure that his letter reached everyone – even the idlers (5:14), even the ones who were not peaceful (5:13) or patient (5:14), even the ones who were not walking as children of the light (5:4-8), even the ones who were not living in sexual holiness (4:3-8). Greet all of them, he says, with a holy kiss, and make sure this letter is read to all of them. Paul wants his letter to reach even those who are not living the holiest of lives. Why is it important that we keep reaching out to all of the people in the church, not just the ones who are consistently living holy lives? How might your church be more welcoming of people who are not (and maybe not anywhere near) perfect? How might you be more welcoming of people who are not living a fully Christian life as you perceive it? Paul ends (5:28) where he began (1:1), with grace: May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. How can you grow in being the kind of person who extends God’s grace to everyone? Take a step back and consider this: We need a Christian community. First, we humans are social creatures and need other people. Second, it is difficult to become like Christ without spending time in a community that is dedicated to living like Christ. Third, we cannot abound in love (3:12), encourage each other and build each other up (5:11), support those who are weak or fainthearted (5:14), or do the many other things Christians are called to do, if we are not living in a Christian community. We need to be around people in order to minister to them. Christian communities also offer opportunities to become more like Christ in another way. Spending time with other people opens us to interactions that may have some friction, which become additional opportunities to grow in holiness (5:23) as we try to serve our Lord together. They also give us a place to ask questions and answer questions (3:10; 4:13). We can explore together who God is, what he is trying to accomplish in our world, and how we can participate in God’s work in the world. It is fair to say that we need to be in a Christian community to be all we are intended by God to be. The fact that Paul ends his letter by urging that the holy kiss be extended to everyone and that his letter be read to all tells us how important he thought it was that everyone be supported and included in the community of believers. What is your church or Christian community? How is your Christian community important to you? How does your church enable you to be all you are meant to be? How could your church do more to enable others to grow in Christ, and what part might you play in that effort? How does your church challenge you to grow in Christ, and what might God want you to do in response? What is one practical piece of advice or insight or attitude that Paul offers in this letter, that you can take to heart and pursue within the context of your Christian community? Bibliography Click here for the 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 1 Thess. Index Next

What does it look like when we love God with our whole heart, soul, and mind, and extend the same love to others? Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 22:34-40 What does it look like when we love God with our whole heart, soul, and mind, and extend the same love to others? Image by Wyron A, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti August 18, 2025 Matthew 22:34-40 The Pharisees ask what is the greatest command? This is the third in a series of 3 challenges Jesus faces in his final week in Jerusalem before he is executed. This time it is the Pharisees who challenge him. The Jews had identified 613 commandments in the Mosaic Law, which was a lot to keep track of. Jewish teachers sometimes tried to summarize the Torah in a sentence. A Gentile once came to Hillel the Elder, the great Jewish scholar, and asked to be converted “on condition that you teach me the entire Torah while I am standing on one foot.” Hillel summarized the Torah with a statement that is essentially the reverse of Jesus’s Golden Rule in Matthew 7:12, saying, “That which is hateful to you do not do to another; that is the entire Torah, and the rest is its interpretation. Go study” ( Shabbat 31a ). Hillel founded the school known as the House of Hillel in Jerusalem and was a spiritual leader there from around 20 or 30 years before Jesus was born until Hillel died when Jesus was a teenager or young adult. His “house” or party of scholars lived on for more than a century after his death, generally in opposition to the stricter House of Shammai that led the Pharisees during Jesus’s ministry. What do the Pharisees ask Jesus? How does Jesus answer the question of which commandment is the greatest? Notice that Jesus quotes two commandments (found in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 9:18), not one. Why does it take two commandments to summarize the law? One deals with our relationship with God, and one deals with our relationship with people. (Jesus also cited the second of these commandments, Leviticus 9:18, in his answer to the rich young man in Matthew 19:19.) Jesus says that all of the teachings of the Old Testament Law and prophets depend on, or are based on, these two commands. Why is that? Test Jesus’s claim by applying it to some of the commandments you know from the Old Testament (for example, the Ten Commandments or other things God tells us to do in the Old Testament). How is each command based on one or the other of these two greatest commandments? What does it mean to love God with your whole heart, soul, and mind? How do you love God with your whole “heart”? How do you love God with your whole “soul”? How do you love God with your whole “mind”? Some Christians try to downplay the importance of the mind, but Jesus (and the Old Testament, and Saint Paul) emphasize the importance of the mind in our relationship with God. How can you use your mind in ways that “love” God? What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? What are some ways you try to love your neighbor as yourself? People often point out that to love your neighbor as yourself implies that you love yourself. The concern that arises if that if you don’t love yourself, it may be hard to love others. What are some ways that we can apply to ourselves the same love that we extend to our neighbors? The Jews would have taken it as a given that people love themselves, care for themselves, and try to provide for themselves. How can that instinct to take care of our own needs help us understand what we are called to do to love others by also taking care of their needs? Jesus says the second command is “like” the first? How are the two commandments related? How does the second command reflect the first? Jesus taught us in Matthew 25:31-46 that if we aren’t loving our neighbor, we aren’t loving God, because Jesus is to be found in the people in need around us. So these are not two totally separate ideas about how to honor God. The two commands work together because God has chosen to make us and everyone else in his image, so he is present in our neighbors. How can you follow these two commands in your life today? What is one thing you might do more faithfully, or start doing, to better fulfill the two great commandments? Now take a step back and consider this: A woman in one of my Bible Study groups once shared a story when we were discussing this passage. She was struggling with the idea of showing love to a difficult person in her life. She talked with her priest about it, and the priest reminded her that the other person is a child of God too. He told her to look at the other person as God does. She tried to do that, and, she said, “It worked.” Once she was able to see the other person through the eyes of God, she was able to not just tolerate the other person but develop a friendship with them. Loving God with our minds sometimes means looking at a situation and thinking through how God sees it, and then acting accordingly. Loving our neighbor means seeing them as God sees them. When we adjust our thinking, God is able to do things through us that he can’t do when we are closed off from extending his love to others. It is tremendously rewarding when we can experience the reality that, by loving God and loving our neighbor, we are participating in the work of God. Where in your life can you take a new step this week to love God with your whole heart, your whole soul, and all of your mind, and extend that love to others? Bibliography Click here for the bibliography . Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

Jesus fulfills the Old Testament: the Law and the Prophets. Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 5:17-20 Jesus fulfills the Old Testament: the Law and the Prophets. Tom Faletti April 26, 2024 Matthew 5:17-20 Jesus came to fulfill the Law What does Jesus say in verse 17? Jesus refers to “the law and the prophets.” The law and the prophets are two of the three divisions of the Hebrew Bible, our Old Testament. The “law” is the Torah, the first 5 books of the Old Testament. The “prophets” refers to the books of the prophets – Isaiah, etc. The third division of the Hebrew Bible is the “writings” – which includes the Psalms and other books of literature (Proverbs, etc.) that are grouped with the Psalms in the Hebrew Bible. In Matthew, Jesus uses the phrase “the law and the prophets” here and in three other places: Matthew 7:12; 11:13; and 22:40. In 7:12, he says that the “Golden Rule” – do unto others as you would have them do unto you – is the law and the prophets. In 22:40, after talking about the two Great Commandments – love the Lord our God and love your neighbor – he says that all that is written in the law and the prophets hangs on these two commandments. Jesus says he did not come to “abolish” the law and the prophets. What would it mean to “abolish” them? And therefore, what does it mean to not abolish them? What does it mean to “fulfill” the law and the prophets? To “fulfill” means to “complete,” or to bring to completion, or to have reached the point of completion. To “fulfill” the law and the prophets can be explored in two ways: How the law is fulfilled as we follow the moral law first outlined in the Old Testament; and How Jesus , by his life, death, and resurrection, fulfilled the purposes and promises of God presented in the Old Testament. With regard to Jesus, it is useful to note that in Luke 24:44, Jesus said that “everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled” (NRSV). There, he is referring to all three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures. With regard to how the law applies to us, the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible comments that the New Covenant Jesus presented “perfects and transforms” the Old Covenant: “While sacrificial laws of the OT expired with the sacrifice of Jesus, the moral Law (Ten Commandments, etc.) was retained and refined” (fn. to 5:17, p. 15). In the next section of Matthew’s Gospel, we see Jesus transforming the teachings of the Old Testament in ways that we still try to follow today. In what ways do we continue to follow the commandments of the Old Testament and embrace the teachings of the prophets? How does our commitment to following the law allow the law to fulfill its intended purpose? In what ways did Jesus fulfill the law and the prophets? Some scholars argue that this teaching in Matthew contradicts what Paul says when he says that we are not justified by doing the works of the law (for example, in Galatians 2:15-16; Romans 3:21-31). How would you respond? Is Jesus saying we are justified by doing the works of the Law? Is Paul saying we don’t have to obey the basic commandments of the Law? Or do these passages of the Bible fit together even though they may be looking at the issue from different perspectives? Some scholars overstate Paul’s rejection of the Law. Paul affirmatively cites the Ten Commandments in Romans 13:8-10 and says they are summed up in the command to love your neighbor, as Jesus said in Matthew. And throughout his letters, Paul expects a high moral standard of the people to whom he is writing. We are not justified by doing the works of the law – we still need salvation through Jesus; but Jesus expects us to follow the Ten Commandments and also other elements of the moral/social law – for example, to care for the poor, treat workers justly, welcome the stranger, etc. In verse 18, Jesus says that not one letter of the law will pass away. The word for “letter” is literally the Greek word iota – their name for the letter “i,” which is the smallest letter in Greek as it is in English. It is important to note that Jesus is not endorsing all the tiny details of the interpretations of the Law that the scribes and Pharisees had piled on top of the actual words of the Old Testament Law. He broke their "laws" frequently and derided them for their excessive devotion to the laws they had made. But he is expressing a deep reverence for the word of God handed down in the Old Testament itself. Jesus’s reference to heaven and earth passing away may be recalling Isaiah’s prophecy of a “new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17, NRSV and NABRE). In Matthew 5:18, Jesus says that nothing will “pass” from the law “until all is accomplished.” This could be interpreted as referring to the “eschatological” end of the world (the “end times”), but it makes more sense to understand it as referring to Jesus’s fulfillment of the law and the prophets by his death and resurrection. Jesus has already preached that the kingdom of heaven is near. In what ways are we living, metaphorically or partially, in the “new heavens and new earth” that Isaiah foretold, even as we wait for its complete fulfillment at an end time that is yet to come? In what ways do the law and prophets still apply to us in this interim time we live in? Given that Christians do not accept the obligation to carry out all 613 commandments in the Old Testament – for example, we do not follow the kosher laws, the sacrificial laws, or other ceremonial laws – how do we know which laws Jesus still expects us to follow today? Notice in verse 19 that Jesus does not consign to hell those who break the commandments, but he says they will be called “least” in the kingdom of heaven. What do you think this means? What might “least” look like in heaven? Verse 19 particularly makes a point about teachers. Why are they so important? Jesus ends this passage with a statement that would have been a surprise to his followers. The scribes and Pharisees sought to live at an extreme or maximum level of righteousness. What does Jesus say in verse 20? What do you think Jesus is telling you, in saying that your righteousness must be greater than that of the people who are trying the hardest to be righteousness? For you, what is the good news in this passage? Take a step back and consider this: If the Law was a sentient being, you might picture it eagerly anticipating its “fulfillment.” It was created for a purpose – to prepare the way for Jesus and the salvation of not only the Jewish people but all of humanity. Now, in Jesus, the beginning of that time of fulfillment is at hand. We, too, are on a path to fulfillment. God is working his character into us and reflecting his goodness and love out through us to a world that desperately needs opportunities to see God through us. In the end, our goal is to allow God to work his character fully into us so that we are like Jesus. I can’t be exhibiting God’s character and manifesting God’s love if I am insulting, unfaithful, hateful, etc. – issues that Jesus will take up in the next passage. Those attitudes do not reflect the image of God because God does not have those attitudes. If my ultimate fulfillment is to be like Christ, then those attitudes must go. The moral law set forth in the Old Testament, however, does reflect aspects of God’s character. The Law helps me understand, in some ways, the kind of person God is calling me to be. For you, is the Law a bad guy that prohibits you from doing what you want to do and being what you want to be? Or is it a good thing that reminds you of what you want to do and who you want to be? How does the Law help you to live the life of Christ? How can you embrace more fully this vision: that the Law, which is fulfilled in Christ, is not something to be abolished but rather is a support for your life of faith that can help you reach your ultimate fulfillment in Christ? Bibliography Click here for the bibliography . Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

The empty tomb means that Jesus is alive – and still alive today! Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 28:1-10 The empty tomb means that Jesus is alive – and still alive today! Tom Faletti May 24, 2024 Matthew 28:1-10 The Resurrection: Jesus appears to the two Marys From your knowledge of the Resurrection story, why do you think the two Marys returned to the tomb after the Sabbath? Luke tells us (24:1) that they had prepared spices with which to anoint his body. What happens in verse 2? This is not an earthquake for show, though it is meant to signal that God is at work here. The real earth-shaking event here is not the rumble of shifting tectonic plates but the fact that the stone has been rolled away. What does the description of the angel in verse 3 tell us about this person? How does it show that this is not a human? In verse 4, how do the guards react? The angel says a lot of things to the women. Take it one verse at a time. What does the angel tell them in verse 5? In verse 6? In verse 7? What is the significance of “Do not be afraid”? Is there a place in your life where you need to hear those words right now: Do not be afraid? What kinds of things cause us to need to hear those words? Uncertainty, inadequate resources, health issues, loved ones facing struggles, world situations, etc. How does the fact that Jesus is risen give us a way to try to deal with our fears? (If you are struggling with anxiety or worry, this might be a good time to go back and look at our study of Matthew 6:25-34 : Do not worry about your life; do not worry about tomorrow.) Why does the angel remind them that Jesus said he would be raised? Why does the angel invite them to “see the place where he lay”? The angel honors the natural human desire to want to verify. Being able to see with one’s own eyes gives confidence that it is true. It will also strengthen their story and make it more believable when they go tell the disciples. In some Christian circles, one sometimes gets the impression that wanting evidence is a bad thing. But the Christian faith is based on real evidence, not on unsupported claims. The angel invited the women to see for themselves . Jesus invited Thomas to examine the wounds of his crucifixion. Jesus appeared bodily to the disciples. He didn’t just communicate to them in some ethereal, otherworldly way that he had risen from the dead – he showed them by coming into their midst with a real body, eating with them, and letting them touch him. God understands our need for evidence. Evidence is not a bad thing. Why is evidence important? Among other things, evidence allows us to separate countless fakes and frauds from the genuine work of God. You were not there to see the empty tomb or to see the risen Lord in the flesh. On what basis can you make the claim that Jesus is risen and is not still dead in a tomb? What difference does it make to you that Jesus is risen? How does it affect how you live your everyday life in the real world? It is amazing that, despite the male-dominant culture of Jesus’s time, the initial news that Jesus is risen is given to women, not to male members of the band of disciples. Why do you think this is, and what difference does it make that God chose to have this great news be told first to women? Women showed up to the tomb, so they were in the right place at the right time. Women throughout history are the ones who show up to do the grunt work. In doing the grunt work, they were there for this great revelation. God’s choice to honor the women is one more example of God’s downside-up approach to humanity. Women were the first people to tell the good news of Jesus’s resurrection. Do we give women a significant enough voice in our churches today? Explain. Jesus wants to see the disciples. It isn’t just that they want to see him. He wants to see them . Why? Can we extend this to ourselves? In what ways, and why, does Jesus want to see us ? Jesus told the disciples at the Last Supper, in Matthew 26:32, that after he was raised he would go ahead of them to Galilee. Why do you think he wants to see them in Galilee ? What do you think he wants to do with them, and why not just stay in Jerusalem and do it there? There are many possible answers to this question. Some of the factors are: The disciples are just visiting Jerusalem. They don’t have homes there. They have families who presumably expect them back. Jesus has more he needs to teach them, to prepare them for his sending them forth to preach the gospel without his constant bodily presence. Being in Jerusalem means being under a spotlight. Galilee provides a quieter, less visible place where they can focus on that preparation with fewer distractions. Just as Jesus isn’t finished with the disciples yet, he isn’t finished with you or me, either. What do you think he wants to do with us right now? Where is your “Galilee”? Where is the place where Jesus can meet with you and get you ready for your next steps, with minimal distraction? The women leave the tomb to go tell the disciples, feeling both fear and great joy. What a combination of feelings! Suddenly – wonder of wonders – Jesus himself appears to them! Are there ways in which it is especially fitting that it is these two women who first experience the risen Lord? Explain. Jesus greets them. The Greek word Matthew uses for Jesus’s greeting had multiple meanings. It was a standard greeting, meaning “Hail!” or “Greetings.” So a literal translation of that sentence might be: “And behold, Jesus met them, saying greetings” (“Matthew 28,” Interlinear Bible, Bible Hub , https://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/28.htm ). However, the original and literal meaning of that word was “rejoice,” and it was still used that way in Jesus’s time. For example, in Matthew 5:12, when Jesus says, “Rejoice and be glad” when they persecute you, the word “Rejoice” is the same Greek word. We wouldn’t translate it “Greetings and be glad”; we would choose the other meaning for the word: “Rejoice.” So, it would be legitimate to translate the sentence where Jesus greets the women in this way: And behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” How is being in the presence of the Lord a reason for rejoicing for you? In verse 9, how do the women respond when they see Jesus alive? What is the significance of “worshipping” him? There is a subtle but important point in the fact that they touched his feet: It tells us that he had a real body and was not just a disembodied spirit. Why is this important? How important is it to you that Jesus rose from the dead and is alive, not dead? Jesus repeats the angel’s instructions: Do not be afraid; tell the disciples to go to Galilee, where they will see me. But he doesn’t call them “disciples.” He calls them “brothers.” Why is it significant that, at this particular point in time, he is calling them “brothers”? Jesus had not used the word “brothers” for them previously in Matthew except in a vague way in Matthew 12:46-50. Calling them “brothers” now, after they deserted him, is a clear sign of the depth of his love for them and dedication to them. It is also a declaration of the relationship they will have with him forevermore. Jesus considers us, too, his “brothers and sisters.” How does it feel to you, to be called a brother or sister of Jesus? Now look beyond just how it feels. What does it mean to say that you are a brother or sister of Jesus? Is there anything you would like to say to the risen Lord Jesus, or that you would like to do, in response to the fact that he considers you his brother or sister? Take a step back and consider this: At a few points in our study of Matthew’s Gospel, where scholars disagreed or there were conflicting interpretations of a passage, I have said or implied that it doesn’t really matter for our faith which interpretation is right. For example, whether there was a Roman or Jewish guard at Jesus’s tomb doesn’t affect our faith. It is not a central issue. (I am not promoting relativism here. There is an absolute truth. Either there were Roman soldiers guarding the tomb or there weren’t, regardless of what we think. But practically speaking, the answer to that question does not have any significant effect on what we believe as Christians or how we live out our faith.) But the issue of the Resurrection does matter. Whether Jesus did in fact rise from the dead, resulting in an empty tomb and a living Lord; or whether there was still a body in a tomb somewhere, now long decomposed; or whether the disciples stole the body, also now long decomposed – that matters a lot . If Jesus did rise bodily from the grave, he did something that no other human could do, after announcing it in advance. In that case, the Resurrection confirms and authenticates the claims he made when he was alive. If he can do that, he is not just a human. And since he called himself the Son of God, his Resurrection calls us to response to him as the Son of God. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, his claims are fraudulent. Moreover, in that case the transformation of the fledgling Christian community from fearful waverers to bold witnesses is incomprehensible. Many people have died for a lie, but who would suffer excruciating torture for a fraudulent claim they knew they had made up? The story from the beginning, for which people gave their life, is that Jesus bodily rose from the dead and lives in a very real way today. So this really matters. Why have Christians from the very beginning emphasized the reality of the Resurrection so much? Is the Resurrection a central part of your faith? How important is the Resurrection in your understanding of God’s interaction with the world and with you? Are there ways that you have experienced the resurrection power of God? What has God done in your life that gives you confidence that Jesus rose from the dead and is alive today? For small groups studying Matthew: Preparation for next time: If you can, please do this small amount of preparation before our final meeting (but come anyway, even if you can’t do this “homework”): Look back through the Gospel of Matthew and try to answer these two questions: What do you think Matthew wants his readers to do in response to his account of the life and teachings of Jesus? Please don’t stop at something simple like, “He wants us to believe.” Yes, of course he does. But what would that look like? What does he want us to do or how does he want us to live our lives as our response to Jesus? What is your favorite story, quote, or teaching from Matthew’s Gospel, or what strikes you as most important or most meaningful, and why? Bibliography Click here for the bibliography . Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index 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 Index 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 Click here for the 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 Index Next

Are you wearing spiritual clothes fit for life in the kingdom of heaven? Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 22:1-14 Are you wearing spiritual clothes fit for life in the kingdom of heaven? Francisco Goya (1746–1828). La parábola de los convidados a la boda [The parable of the wedding guests] . Circa 1796-97. Oratory (Chapel) of the Santa Cueva (Holy Cave), Cádiz, Spain. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_par%C3%A1bola_de_los_convidados_a_la_boda_por_Goya.jpg . Tom Faletti August 9, 2025 Matthew 22:1-14 The parable of the guests at the wedding feast Read only Matthew 22:1-10 first . Verses 11-14 are an extension of the story with a separate point. What happens in this parable? Note: Luke tells a somewhat different version of this parable (Luke 14:15-24) where it is just a banquet not a wedding feast, and none of the king’s servants are mistreated or killed. Also, Matthew adds an entirely separate addition to the story that we will look at shortly (vv. 11-14). Some scholars suggest that Matthew tailored the story to the particular needs of his community and the particular point he wanted to make here. It is also possible that Jesus told this story more than once and in this instance told it in a way that connected with the point he made in the preceding parable about the wicked tenants. The image of a feast is a common way of thinking about what heaven might be like, and Jesus says that this is a parable about the kingdom of heaven. Why is a banquet of feast a particularly good image of heaven? Note: The Greek word translated “slaves” or “servants” in this parable is doulos . This word generally means “slaves.” It is often translated “servants” because, although slavery in the Roman Empire often was brutal, slaves often had much more freedom than we envision when we think of American, plantation-based, race-based, segregationist slavery. In the Roman Empire, slaves often did the same jobs as free people, side by side with free people. They could receive wages and in some cases were able to buy their own freedom. To avoid giving the wrong impression, a majority of English translations from the King James Bible to the present have used the word “servant.” Who do the different players of the story represent in the kingdom of heaven – who is: the king? the son? the invited guests? the first group of servants/slaves (who are ignored/rebuffed)? the second group of servants/slaves (who are mistreated/killed)? the third group of servants/slaves who go invite people in the streets? the people “bad and good” who are found on the streets and invited? The parable is generally interpreted as referring to these people: God the Father, Jesus the Son of God, the people of Israel (the Jews), the prophets, more prophets and perhaps John the Baptist (and Jesus also might fit here in the sense that he was inviting the people of Israel to enter the kingdom of God), the apostles/early Church, and the Gentiles. The king is excited to have his invited guests come to the wedding banquet. What does this tell us about God? God wants to share his presence and joy with humans. He wants us to be with him. He’s persistent. Why would this particular kind of feast – a marriage feast for the son – be an especially appropriate image of heaven? How do the invited guests react? Notice that some of the invited guests just dismiss the invitation and go about their business, but other invited guests mistreat and kill the servants. Who do the people who kill the servants represent? The Jewish leaders, past and present. How might people in our day be like the ones who ignore the invitation because they are too busy? Is there a danger that even people who are members of the Church might be like these people who are “too busy” to spend time with God? What in your life might sometimes seem so important that you might miss out on joining in the Lord’s banquet celebration? Are there ways that we allow even mundane matters to distract us so that we don’t participate in the joy of spending more time with God? In verse 7, the king destroys the murderers who killed his servants and burns their city. Many scholars think that Matthew is alluding to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70, and that is one of the reasons they think that the Gospel of Matthew was written after AD 70. Luke does not have this verse, which might be support the idea that Matthew added it to the original story. When the New Testament was written, there was no such thing as quotation marks in writing, so Matthew would not have had any way to signal that he was adding a note of commentary or interpretation. In verse 7, which is not in Luke’s version of the parable, it sounds like Matthew is suggesting that God destroyed Jerusalem because Jesus was killed there. Some people are troubled by that image of God, because it seems to suggest that God is a vengeful god (“you killed my son, so I’m going to kill you”) rather than a loving God. What do you make of this verse? The king still wants guests. He still has a banquet prepared and a banquet is no good without guests, so what does he do? Who do these new guests represent in the kingdom of heaven? In the immediate telling of the parable, they represent tax collectors, prostitutes, and other “sinners” who repent. By the time of Matthew, they also represent the Gentiles, who were a significant part of Matthew’s community. In our time, they represent us. The king then tells the servants/slaves to invite anyone they can find, “bad and good.” Why does God invite even the “bad” to come spend time with him in his banquet? Being there can start a change. God is inviting us to come to him even when we are not perfect, because he wants us to be with him and grow to be like him. How does this inclusion of the bad and the good describe the Church (i.e., Christians as a whole) throughout history and in our day? What does this welcoming of the bad and the good tell us about God? How does this part of the story illustrate the meaning of “grace”? What is the message Jesus is trying to get across to the Jewish leaders? What is the message for us? Now let’s look at the additional section Matthew adds that is not in Luke’s story. It is like an additional parable added on to the earlier parable. Read Matthew 22:11-14 . What happens? People are sometimes uncomfortable with the idea that people who were invited in off the streets could be criticized for not wearing the proper clothes. This would miss the point. Scholars suggest that we might picture it this way: The guests might have been provided wedding robes by the king, or the invitation might have named a specific time that gave them time to go home and put on the proper attire for the wedding banquet. It was the norm at the time for a king to send out invitations in advance to let people know that they were going to be invited to a feast and then send out a second notice when it was time to come. So we shouldn’t take this part of the parable too literally. Instead, we should ask: This is a parable about the kingdom of heaven. What are the proper “garments” to wear in the kingdom of heaven? What should we clothe ourselves with? Read Colossians 3:12-14 . What does Paul tell us to clothe ourselves with? In Colossians 3:12-14, he tells us to put on compassion, kindness, humbleness, gentleness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness, and love. In other words, live a life fitting for being at the banquet of the Lord. God is inviting us to put on those garments, which are his garments. In Romans 13:14, Paul tells us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for our sin-based desires. Returning to Matthew, who does the guest who is not properly dressed stand for? This guest might represent people who respond to God at a surface level but don’t actually let him transform them. They do not show any recognition of the relationship with God (the king) that they have been invited to embrace. How might we be guilty of not fully putting on the metaphorical “garments” that are fitting for living with God now and forever in the kingdom of heaven? Does it make sense to you that God would invite everyone, good and bad, including us, into a relationship with him, but expect us to respond by putting on the proper “attire” for being at his heavenly banquet? Some scholars like the idea that God supplies the proper garments to us – he doesn’t expect us to be holy on our own. How does that image reflect your relationship with God? In Revelation 7:13-15, the ones who are wearing white robes are those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. In 19:6-8, at the wedding feast of the Lamb, his bride, the Church, is wearing a bright clean garment made out of “the righteous deeds of the saints.” Read Matthew 7:21-23 . What would Matthew say is necessary to be clothed properly for the kingdom of heaven? We need to do the will of God. In Matthew 22:14, many translations say, “many are called,” but the verb in that phrase has the same root as the word “invited” in the parable. When Jesus in Matthew 22:14 that “many are invited but few are chosen,” what does that tell us? The invitation to be part of God’s kingdom goes out far and wide, and everyone is given a chance to come to God’s heavenly banquet. But not everyone does their part. Jesus is not saying that God is selectively allowing only a few people into heaven. In the contrary, he is saying that some people don’t choose to do what is necessary to belong there. What do you need to do to be properly “clothed” for God’s great banquet feast in heaven? Take a step back and consider this: Regardless of whether the king provides the wedding robes to the guests or they are given time to get properly dressed before they come, one thing stands out: The man at the end of the story is not properly clothed. When the king points this out, the man is unable to offer any argument or defense. He is not dressed properly to be celebrating with the king at the heavenly banquet. To what extent do we have a choice as to what “garments” we put on as we participate in the kingdom of God? How do we “choose” our garments? How can you, by the choices you make, embrace a life that puts on the love and compassion of Jesus? Bibliography Click here for the bibliography . Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

Blessed are those who are focused on what God cares about. Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 5:6-12 Blessed are those who are focused on what God cares about. Tom Faletti April 20, 2024 Matthew 5:6-12 – For context, re-read Matthew 5:1-12 : The “Sermon on the Mount” In our last study , we looked at the first 3 beatitudes that appear in what has been called Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount.” Today we will look at the remaining beatitudes. Having read the entire list of beatitudes, what do you think is the overall message Jesus is trying to communicate in this discussion about what makes a person “blessed”? Verse 6 What does it mean, to “hunger and thirst for righteousness”? In general, how is hungering or thirsting for something different than simply wanting it? Barclay says that in the Greek language, the ordinary grammatical structure for the words hunger and thirst connote a desire for some – I hunger for some bread, not the whole loaf; I thirst for some water, not the whole pitcher. But in this sentence spoken by Jesus, the grammatical construction connotes a desire for all of it, for the whole thing – in this case, for total righteousness, for being wholly righteousness (William Barclay, Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 96). Do we truly hunger and thirst for righteousness? Or do we tend to just want some righteousness? What can we do to become more like the person Jesus pictures who hungers for total righteousness? There is a promise associated with this hungering. What does it mean when he says that they will be “filled” (5:6 NRSV) or “satisfied” (NABRE)? How can we become filled to the point that we are no longer hungry for righteousness? What does that mean? Luke’s 6:21 says, “Blessed are you who are now hungry, / for you will be satisfied” (NABRE) or “filled” (NRSV). That is a literal hunger. Why would Matthew focus on a spiritual interpretation rather than Luke’s literal experience of hunger? What value is there in Matthew’s version of this beatitude? It is very possible that Jesus said it both ways at different times. What does Matthew’s choice of words suggest about his audience, compared to Luke and his audience? Verse 7 What does it mean to be merciful? How does it feel to receive mercy? What is that experience like? How can I become more merciful? Among many possible answers, consider these: Cut others some slack. Try to walk in their shoes. Does this remind you of any other Bible passages? For example, the Lord’s Prayer; the forgiven servant (who didn’t forgive). What kind of mercy do you particularly hope you will receive, or in what kinds of situations do you most hope you will encounter mercy? Are those situations perhaps the situations where you also need to give mercy? Verse 8 What does it mean to be “pure in heart” (NRSV) or “clean of heart” (NABRE)? Pure has many good connotations. We often focus on purity in our conduct or behavior. There is also the idea of having a pure heart in the way we relate with others. What does that kind of pure heart look like? Purity of heart also can be considered in our relationship with ourselves, in an honesty with ourselves. What does that look like? Among many possible answers, consider these: Being free of mixed motives; not manipulative; doing the right thing regardless of your feelings; without a personal agenda, but rather, having God’s agenda as your only agenda (because then you will be connected to him in an intimate way; you will “see” him). What does the promise mean, that they will “see God”? Do you think this opportunity to “see God” is all in the future, or is there a sense in which the pure in heart experience it partially in their present life? Why is purity necessary in order to see God? In what sense do the pure in heart see God in a way that other, less pure Christians might not? What can I do to become more pure or clean of heart? Verse 9 What is “peace”? “Peace” in Greek is eiréné , but the Jews would have had in mind the Hebrew word shalom , which does not mean the absence of strife but the presence of all that is good (William Barclay, Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 103) or a “total well-being” ((Benedict T. Viviano, O.P., “The Gospel According to Matthew,” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary , para. 24, p. 640). What is a “peacemaker”? What do you have to do to be a peacemaker? Is it possible to be so focused on keeping the peace that you fail to address problems that then grow and break the peace? Is peacemaking sometimes a struggle? If so, how can we stay focused on peace making , and not just avoiding strife? Barclay tells us that the Jewish rabbis said that peacemakers are the people who “establish right relationships between man and man” (William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 105) – i.e., who bring people together and resolve conflicts. He contrasts “peace-makers” with “trouble-makers.” In what ways are you a peacemaker? How does a person make peace between people? Are there ways that you would like to be more consistent or effective as a peacemaker? Explain. How can we become better peacemakers? What promise comes to the peacemakers, and what does it mean? They will be called children of God when all is said and done – not necessarily in the heat of the peacemaking struggle. The phrase is literally “sons of God.” They are like God or reflect the lineage of God because they are doing the work of God. In what ways is God a peacemaker, so that being a peacemaker is being like God? Verses 10-12 What kind of persecution is rewarded with this blessing – i.e., according to v. 10, for what are they being persecuted? What do you know of the sufferings of the early martyrs? What persecutions did they suffer, and why? They were executed in many gruesome ways, mainly for not offering the required sacrifice to Caesar. They could not acknowledge Caesar as Lord because for them, only Jesus was Lord. Jesus elaborates on this beatitude in vv. 11-12, shifting from talking about “they” to talking to “you.” In v. 11, when are “you” blessed? Why are you blessed when you are persecuted? Notice that Jesus does not name a promise in this beatitude the way he did in the other beatitudes. The promise is implicit – that you will be counted with the prophets. Why is that a high reward? What do you think are the benefits or rewards that come with being persecuted? Some of the rewards include: the chance to live with God forever, to be counted among the prophets, to know that you were able to stay faithful to the God you love, and to know that you were participating in God’s great work on earth. Translations that use the word “glad” are understating the level of joy Jesus is suggesting here. The Greek word means to exult – nearly the same word Mary uses in her Magnificat when she says, “my soul rejoices .” It comes from two words that mean “much” and “leaping” – i.e. to leap for joy (see, for example, William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 112, and “21. agalliaó,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance , Bible Hub , https://biblehub.com/greek/21.htm ). What would it take for you to see persecution as a cause for rejoicing? How, if at all, are we persecuted in our time? What can we take from this exploration of the blessings of being persecuted? Looking back at the whole expanse of the beatitudes, what key points do you see? What stands out to you as especially important? What is most important to remember? What beatitude is God calling you to live out more fully? What can you do to become more a beatitude person? Take a step back and consider this: The beatitudes are just the beginning of the story Matthew and Jesus are telling us about kingdom of heaven and what the life of a Christian looks like. What attracts you about a Savior who starts with the Beatitudes as an introduction to life with God? What troubles you about this as his starting point? What do you think Jesus would say to you about what attracts you and what concerns you here? Bibliography Click here for the bibliography . Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

Prologue to Luke's Gospel: Why is he writing and for whom? Previous Next Luke Index Luke 1:1-4 Prologue to Luke's Gospel: Why is he writing and for whom? Tom Faletti Luke 1:1-4 What does Luke say that others have done before him? What does Luke say that he has done? What do you think an "orderly account" means? He refers to events that have been "fulfilled among us." Who is "us"? What do you think it means to say that these events have been "fulfilled" among us? What does Luke want Theophilus to know? Who do you think Theophilus is? "Theophilus" means "friend of God. The style of Luke's writing at this point, with his reference to the "most excellent" Theophilus, is the way one would refer to an official or other prominent member of the community. However, the meaning of the name is convenient for indicating that anyone who is a friend of God would welcome this account. It is therefore possible that "Theophilus" is not a specific person and that Luke sees himself writing for all the Theophiluses of the world -- all the friends of who want to know the truth about what they have been taught. (to be continued) Bibliography Click here for the bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Next Luke Index

How do you prepare a small-group Bible Study meeting? Previous For Leaders Next Preparing to Lead a Small-Group Bible Study Meeting How do you prepare a small-group Bible Study meeting? Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti March 25, 2024 At the Previous Meeting Tell the group what verse you are starting at or what verses or chapters you will be covering, especially if there is an expectation, or a desire among some, to study during the week. During the Week Before the Meeting Don’t wait until the last day to prepare. In your preparation, it is better to be prepared to cover too much material than not enough. Pray. Ask God to guide you, help you understand the text, and help you formulate questions and comments that will lead others to understand God’s Word and how it speaks to their lives. Read the text at least twice. Then read a commentary and/or study notes to learn some of the nuances of the text and the kinds of issues that might come up. Break the text into appropriately sized passages: a paragraph, a story, a set of verses that focus on a particular topic. For each passage, formulate a series of questions, including all three of the following types of questions: What does it say? These are questions of fact . They help the group to acknowledge and agree on the basic facts of what the passage says. Examples: What happened? What is Jesus (or God or some other person) saying here? What issue does Paul (or some other author) raise here? What does the author say we should do? What guidelines for living does he offer? What does it mean? These are questions of interpretation . They help the group to wrestle with what the passage means, and with different interpretations of what it means. Examples: Why did the man do what he did? Why did Jesus react in that way? What does that word (or phrase) mean? Why did the author (or person) use that particular word (or phrase)? What does the author mean when he uses that term, or says “. . . .”? Who is this referring to, or who does this apply to? What does this passage tell us about God? Why do you think the author chose to focus on that problem? How does this passage make you feel? What are some attitudes or actions that term would apply to today? What does that key word (or phrase) mean to you? What are some ways that people demonstrate this characteristic? Give some examples of actions that fit the description in the passage. Describe a time in your life when you encountered this problem. How can we apply it to our lives? These are application questions. They help the group to share their faith and practical insights with each other, and apply the passage to their own lives. Examples: What do you find most challenging in this passage, and why? How can we learn from the example of the person in this passage? What does this person’s example tell us about what me might do in our own lives? How can we apply this passage to our lives today? What does this passage say to us about our relationship with God, or about God’s attitude toward us? What are the modern problems we face today that this passage is talking about? How does the passage say we should respond? What does this passage say to you about yourself? What do you find most encouraging in this passage, and why? What are some things we can do to live out these commands? Which of these commands do you find hardest to obey, and why? When do you find it especially difficult to do what this passage is saying? Why is that the hard time, and what can you do about it? What are some ways we try to avoid the implications of this passage? What do we need to change in our lives to become examples of what Jesus (or God or the author) is talking about? What are you facing right now where you need to hear and apply the ideas in this passage? When have you experienced what the passage describes? When are you tempted to do what the passage describes? What does this person’s example tell us about how we can deal with similar problems at work (or at home, or in our church, or in our relationships)? In what ways do we fail to do what this passage is describing? How well does our parish reflect these values? What can we do to improve our parish’s way of living this part of the Gospel? What do you need to do to live out the truths of this passage? What holds you back from living out these principles? What would the author (or God) say to you in response? What do you find hardest to accept or live out in this teaching? Why? In the next week, what is one thing you can do to live out the challenge of this passage? Determine whether there are some key issues and applications you think the group should see. Make sure your questions will lead the group to wrestle with those issues, but don’t put your answer in the questions. Allow room for the members to reach a different conclusion. (For example: If you think the key is faith, don’t ask, “Don’t you think faith is the key point here?” Instead, ask, “What do you think this passage says to us about our relationship with God?”. If the group answers in a different way than you expect, you can share your view, but don’t push them to see it only your way.) During the Meeting Extend a welcome to each person as they arrive. Greet each person warmly. Don’t delay your start. Reinforce those who are on time by starting 5 minutes after the official starting time, regardless of who you are still expecting. Begin with prayer, reminding the group that Jesus is here with us, and spend a short time in silence to become aware of His presence. Then ask the group to pray short prayers of thanks or praise : “Thank you, God, for. . . .” Or “I praise you, Lord, for. . . .” Close this prayer time by asking for God guidance and the group’s openness to Him. Unless you are covering several chapters each week, ask someone to read aloud the first passage. (If you are covering large sections, instead ask the group to read the chapters in advance and begin by summarizing what happened in the passage, perhaps reading a key part.) Ask the questions you prepared. Always start with the basic “what does it say” or fact questions. Quite often, people don’t really understand or agree about what the passage actually says, and if they don’t understand what it says they certainly won’t understand what it means or how to apply it. Your study during the week may have given you some background knowledge you can share here to help the group understand what the passage says. However, try to elicit as much as possible from the group rather than telling it all yourself. Ask your interpretation or “what does it mean” questions, but don’t let the group get stuck there. Leave plenty of time for application questions. Ask some application questions that help the group find apply the passage to their daily lives. Don’t skip this step. Your job isn’t done until the passage has been applied. Frame your questions in ways that encourage personal sharing and a faith response to the passage. Know in advance which questions you think are most important. After the group has talked about what the passage says and means, ask your most important application questions first. If the group spends a long time on your first application question, you don’t have to use every question you prepared. Try to involve everyone. Make sure that people who want to say something but are more shy about breaking into the conversation are given a chance to speak. (For example, say, “I think Chris is trying to say something here.”) If one or two people have taken the discussion into a side area that is not involving the whole group, bring the group back to the topic. “Off the track” is often in the eyes of the beholder, so if the area is somewhat related to the passage, and most of the group is interested and participating, you may want to let the discussion go for a little while. The goal is faith sharing and spiritual growth, and the Holy Spirit can sometimes accomplish that in a different way than you anticipated. But don’t let the discussion get way off the passage and don’t let a few people go on and on without involving the rest of the group. Bring the discussion back to the passage. (For example, say, “Let’s look at the passage again to see what it says about this.” Or ask another application question that brings the group back to the passage.) When you feel it is time to move on, briefly summarize what the group has discovered in that passage and suggest that the group move on to the next passage. Repeat steps 4 to 11 for the next passage. Before the end, try to summarize the key findings and applications from the week’s discussion. End with prayer, inviting short prayers asking God to help us or others : “Lord, help me or us to. . . .” or “Lord, help my brother or sister to . . . .” Encourage the group to echo each other’s prayers, so that it is truly conversational prayer: “Yes, Lord, help, me or us or Chris to. . . . Give them your. . . .” Make sure newcomers and quieter people are included in the social chit-chat after the meeting. Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous For Leaders Next

Who are you willing to befriend? Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 9:1-17 Who are you willing to befriend? “I say to you: Stand up.” Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Berlin, Germany. Photo by Tom Faletti, 24 June 2024. Tom Faletti August 3, 2024 Matthew 9:1-8 a paralyzed man is forgiven of his sins (and healed) Jesus returns home to Capernaum, the city he moved to after he started his public ministry (Matt. 4:13). Matthew leaves out some details we are familiar with from Mark’s version of this story – for example, in Mark’s telling, they let the man down through the roof of the house. What does Jesus see in the men who are carrying the paralyzed man? What does he say first to the man (verse 2)? Why would Jesus focus on the man’s need for forgiveness from his sins? Why do the scribes react so negatively? Mark explains why they think he is blaspheming. They are saying to themselves, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7, NRSV) Unstated but probably also in their minds is that sins are forgiven through sacrifices offered in the Temple. Note that if Jesus were merely human, his claim would indeed be blasphemous, because sin is, at root, an offense against God, and only God can forgive that. Note also that blasphemy is a serious charge. Jesus will ultimately be charged with blasphemy when the religious leaders use it to call for his execution by crucifixion (Matt. 26:65). How does Jesus respond to the scribes in verses 4-5? Some people find Jesus’s statement confusing. The key to understanding it is to picture how easily people could check to see if the statement is accurate. It is easy to say , “Your sins are forgiven,” because no human can verify whether your words have made it happen. But it is hard to claim that a paralyzed person is now able to stand up and walk unless you actually have healing powers, because the evidence will clearly show whether you are telling the truth or lying. For a purely human person, which is easier: to tell someone their sins are forgiven or to tell them they are healed and can now walk? Why? In verse 6, Jesus says that healing the man will help the scribes know that Jesus can forgive sins. Explain how this is so. It is only at this point that Jesus now heals the man. How might this conversation have been important for the man to hear, before he was healed? How do you think the man felt, having his sins forgiven and his body healed? How do you feel when you experience God’s forgiveness? In John 20:22-23, Jesus gives to the apostles the power to forgive sins. How do you see this power flowing through the church today? How do the crowds react to what Jesus has said and done? How is their reaction different from the reaction of the people in the town where the demon-possessed men lived? How does this story ratchet up even further the power and authority Jesus is showing? How does forgiving sins show an even greater authority than stilling a storm or ordering demons to leave a man? What does this story say to you about your own life and your own relationship with Jesus? Go back to verse 2 for a moment. The man was only able to have this encounter with God because some friends brought him to Jesus. How are friends important to our faith? Are there some friends of yours who might need a little help from you to bring them to Jesus so that they can have an experience of God? Introduction to Matthew 9:9-17 : Jesus’s relationship with tax collectors and fasting Having related 3 more miracles, Matthew again takes a break to bring us two more conversations between Jesus and those around him. In both cases, Jesus is trying to give religious leaders a clearer insight into his purpose or mission. In each of these two dialogues, Jesus presents three arguments in response to a challenge. Matthew 9:9-13 going to a party at a tax collector’s house What good thing happens in verse 9? In Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27, the tax collector’s name is Levi, and in Mark 2:15 and Luke 5:29 the party takes place at Levi’s house. The fact that in the Gospel of Matthew this man’s name was changed to Matthew suggests that there may be some connection between this Gospel and this man. However, as our Introduction to Matthew explains, this tax collector is probably not the actual author of this Gospel, even though some sayings in this Gospel may have been handed down from him. Tax collectors (also called by their Roman name “publicans”) were responsible for collecting local taxes in Roman provinces and remitting the taxes to Rome. In Israel, they were Jews who were usually despised for two reasons First, they were seen as collaborators with the imperial overlords who oppressed them. Second, they were seen as extortionists. Tax collectors did not receive a salary. To become a tax collector, they had to win an auction where they made the best bid to collect the most taxes for Rome, and they had to deliver on the amount of taxes they promised. The only way they could make money was by collecting more taxes than they had to remit to Rome. They were allowed to use whatever means were necessary to collect the taxes, and since the more they collected the richer they became, the system was highly vulnerable to abuse. Many tax collectors used extortionist methods to enrichment themselves at the expense of their fellow countrymen. As a result, they tended to be wealthy and hated. The term “sinners” is used repeatedly in the Gospels. It includes people in a variety of occupations, including camel drivers, herders, and physicians (who expose themselves to blood and other impurities that might make them ritually unclean) (Benedict T. Viviano, “The Gospel According to Matthew,” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary , para. 61, p. 649). H. L. Ellison indicates that there is a place in the Talmud where a list of sinners includes gamblers, people who engage in usury, criminals, and tax collectors, among others (H. L. Ellison, “Matthew,” The International Bible Commentary , p. 1131). In both cases, the word appears to focus on people who have made persistent business or vocational choices, not people who have committed individual sins in their private lives. Is Matthew’s decision to follow Jesus a good thing even if he is a tax collector? Are there times when we are skeptical about people who count themselves among the followers of Jesus? How do we deal with that? Why is it significant that Jesus dines at Matthew’s home? What is the Pharisees’ complaint against Jesus in verse 11? The Pharisees were devoted to strict observance of every tiny detail of the Law, with great concern about ritual purity. They would never have entered the home of a tax collector or sinner, much less eaten with them. They think Jesus should have the same view. What are they implying about Jesus? They are implying he is a sinner because he hangs out with sinners. As my Bible Study group member Migna Taveras put it, they are suggesting that “you are who you hang out with.” Matthew has now brought into the light the opposition of both scribes and Pharisees to Jesus. Jesus offers 3 arguments in response to the Pharisees’ concern. First, he uses the analogy of healthy and sick people (verse 12). How does this analogy fit the situation of going to this dinner party? Are we “well” or “sick”? Explain. What might we do when we realize that we and others are a combination of well and sick? Jesus’s second argument (verse 13a) uses a quote from Hosea 6:6 in which God says he desires mercy, not sacrifice. What does that mean? The prophet Hosea, speaking to the northern kingdom of Israel, was trying to call back to God a people who had rejected the Davidic line of kings, set up their own worship practices in place of worship in the Temple, and tolerated and often embraced the worship of other gods. The Pharisees, in their response to Jesus, are rejecting the Messiah in the Davidic line who is, like Hosea, trying to bring a wayward people back to God. Jesus echoes Hosea in saying that mercy is the first thing on God’s mind. How can we embrace Jesus’s call for mercy in our lives? Jesus’s third argument (verse 13b) is that he came to call sinners, not the (self-)righteous. We might find it uncomfortable to be counted among either of those groups. Is there a third option besides “sinners” and the “(self-)righteous”? How is Jesus’s statement that he has come to call sinners, not the righteous, a direct appeal to those who complained? How can we embrace more fully the attitude of the Lord who welcomes sinners, comes for the sick, and extends the mercy of God? What is something specific that you can do differently or do more consistently to by like Jesus? Matthew 9:14-17 John’s disciples and fasting Jesus encounters a third complaint, this time from the followers of John the Baptist. What is the complaint in verse 14? What are they implying about Jesus? Jesus offers 3 arguments in response to this question about fasting. First, he notes that people don’t mourn at a wedding (verse 15). What is the meaning of this seeming non-sequitur? Jesus is the bridegroom, and his disciples are the wedding guests. They do not need to fast while he is present. When Jesus refers to himself as a bridegroom, it evokes several Old Testament Scriptures where God is described as a bridegroom, including Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 3:20; Hosea 2:14-20. When Jesus says that later they “will” fast, is that an order or just a prediction/prophecy? Jesus’s second point is that you don’t sow a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak (verse 16). What is wrong with doing that? What is Jesus’s point? What does the unshrunk cloth stand for, in this analogy? What is the old cloth? What are we? Where do we fit in the analogy Jesus offers? Jesus’s third point is that you don’t put new wine in old wineskins (verse 17). What is wrong with doing that? What is Jesus’s point? What does the new wine stand for, in this analogy? What are the old wineskins? What are we? Where do we fit in the story Jesus tells? How can we welcome the “new wine” in our lives and live as new wineskins? What about the “old wineskins” who live among us? Is there hope for them? What can we do with them? Note: In 9:15, Jesus gives his first hint of his coming death: “The days will come. . . .” These hints will get stronger and more explicit as we continue in Matthew. Take a step back and consider this: In the story of the paralyzed man, the man’s friends bring him to Jesus and the scribes are resistant to Jesus’s authority. In the story of the party at the home of the tax collector, the Pharisees are indignant that Jesus has befriended these obvious sinners. Whenever Jesus is confronted with a person, he begins with the fact they are created by God and loved by God, and therefore worthy of receiving our welcoming and love. He always sees the whole person – not just one thing they have done, or one aspect of who they are. Therefore, when he sees the paralyzed man, he sees someone who needs both healing and forgiveness. When he sees the tax collector, he sees someone who could be an apostle. When he sees the tax collector’s dinner companions, he sees people who are more than what they currently seem to be. And he wants to befriend them all. How can we put on Jesus’s eyes and see the fuller story of every person we meet, rather than rejecting people because parts of their story are objectionable? Who are you willing to befriend? Bibliography Click here for the bibliography . Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew Index Next

Will we accept the direction of the Lord or resist? Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 11:20-30 Will we accept the direction of the Lord or resist? 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 Click here for the bibliography . Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). T his 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 Index Next

What does God want us to see? And once we see the real world as he sees it, how would he like us to respond? Previous Matthew Index Next Matthew 20:29-34 What does God want us to see? And once we see the real world as he sees it, how would he like us to respond? Artist unknown. Kristus helbreder de to blinde ved Jericho [The Healing of the Two Blind Men at Jericho] . 16th century. Cropped. Statens Museum for Kunst (National Gallery of Denmark), Copenhagen, Denmark. Public domain, SMK, https://open.smk.dk/en/artwork/image/KMSsp689?q=Kristus%20helbreder%20de%20to%20blinde%20ved%20Jericho&page=0 . Tom Faletti July 5, 2025 Matthew 20:29-34 Two blind men call on Jesus as the “Son of David” Matthew now returns to his narrative about Jesus’s walk to Jerusalem. We are now around 15 miles or so from Jerusalem. The city of Jericho was more than 800 feet below sea level, in the Rift Valley that includes the Dead Sea (the Salt Sea). Jerusalem is approximately 2,500 feet above sea level. So, from Jericho, it is climb of more than half a mile in altitude, through canyons and hills, over a 15-mile walk. The road they are walking on is the road that was famous for robbers – the road Jesus talked about in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37). Jesus is leaving Jericho, embarking on the climb to Jerusalem, when this incident happens. The story was probably told frequently: it appears in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Mark tells us the name of one of the men: Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46), which suggests that Bartimaeus may have become a well-known member of the church. Matthew has already told us a similar story in 9:27-31. Some scholars suggest that they are the same story told in different ways, but the details of the stories are very different. Who is walking with Jesus? Who starts shouting, and what do they say? What is the reaction of the crowd? When the blind men keep shouting, what does Jesus do? What does he ask them? When the blind men tell Jesus they want to see, what is Jesus’s emotional reaction? What does Jesus do? What do the men’s actions tell us about them? Are they mild-mannered and easily pushed around? Are they easily discouraged? Does their blindness cause them to be ignorant of what is going on in their town? What do these things tell us about them? This is the one chance these men will ever have to be healed of their blindness, and they are not willing to let anything stand in the way of seeking the One who can make a difference in their lives. Are we so committed to seeking out the Lord? What does the example of these men say to us about our own approach to God? The blind men call him “Son of David.” In Matthew’s Gospel, that term is used by people seeking healing – see, for example, 9:27 and 15:22. In the next scene, where Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey, Matthew’s is the only Gospel where that phrase is used by the crowds, who call Jesus the “Son of David.” What does “Son of David” mean? David was the great king of Israel, and the Jews always expected that one day a descendant of David would once again rule them. King Solomon was the immediate son of David, according to the flesh. At the time of Jesus, some people believed that Solomon had powers (verse 7:20 in the apocryphal book of Wisdom, which was written in the voice of Solomon, claimed he had knowledge of nature-based healing methods). Jesus is the “son” of David in the sense that he is a descendant of David, and Christians understand him to be the “Son of David” messianically. The fact that the blind men call Jesus “Lord” and “Son of David” suggests that they recognize that Jesus is the Messiah. Although Jesus previously told evil spirits not to tell that to anyone, Jesus does not tell them to be quiet. Perhaps now that he is so near to his crucifixion it no longer matters. Commentators have always seen this story as about more than a physical healing: it speaks to the issue of spiritual blindness and sight. What do you think this story might suggest about spiritual blindness? Though these men are physically blind, they are closer to the truth than many “seeing” people, who are spiritually blind. How can we avoid spiritual blindness? Jesus doesn’t heal the men immediately. Although their need was probably very obvious, he first asks them what they want and waits for them to give him an answer. Do you think that is true in general in our relationship with God – that God waits for us to ask specifically before he answers? Why? Notice that they don’t say, “We want to see.” They specify what they hope Jesus will do: “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” They are specifically asking Jesus to do something specific. They are not expressing vague hope or a general desire – they are specific. Does this tell us anything about how we should approach God in prayer? What does the fact that Jesus was “moved with compassion” (verse 34) say to you? When Jesus heals the men, what do they do in response? They immediately follow Jesus on the road toward Jerusalem. Thomas Aquinas quotes the early Christian scholar Origen as writing: “We also now sitting by the wayside of the Scriptures, and understanding wherein we are blind, if we ask with desire, He will touch the eyes of our souls, and the gloom of ignorance shall depart from our minds, that in the light of knowledge we may follow Him, who gave us power to see to no other end than that we should follow Him” (Aquinas. “Commentary on Matthew 20” ). In what way might God be calling you to embrace a new ability to see, and follow him? What message do you take from this story for yourself? What does the example of these blind men say to us about how to respond to Jesus? Take a step back and consider this: “Lord, let our eyes be opened” (Matt. 20:34). These blind men wanted their eyes to be opened to see what is going on in the real world. We rightly lay a spiritual gloss on this story as we pray: “Lord, let our eyes be opened to your grace. . . . to your love. . . . to your wisdom.” We would do well to pray that prayer more literally: “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the beauty in your creation that we miss every day.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the beauty in our family members.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the ways our co-workers do wonderful things.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the not-so-random acts of kindness that our neighbors perform.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the beauty in the members of our community who quietly work to address the needs of the people we fail to see.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the suffering of those around us.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the hungry children desperate for food.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the immigrants who want nothing more than a chance to start at the bottom of a new society so they can stop living in constant fear.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the people who are denied health coverage and cannot afford to see a doctor.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the victims of war who fear every airplane that flies overhead, because it might carry the bomb that kills them.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the people who are threatened, doxed, flamed, fired, arrested, silenced, intimidated, or abused for trying to stand up for justice and the truth.” “Lord, let our eyes be opened to see the people you see, whom others do not want us to see.” The blind men asked that their eyes be opened to see, and then they followed Jesus on the road toward his Cross. May that be our prayer too, and may their response be ours as well. What might you already sense that God wants you to “see” – things that you may be missing because you are too busy, or too insulated, or too distracted? What might God want you to “see” that you are not currently focusing on because it makes you too uncomfortable? Once you see, what might God want you to do – the thing that would be your act of following him on the road? Bibliography Click here for the 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 Index Next