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Faith Explored applies the Bible to our lives today, with Bible Study resources for individuals and small groups and analysis of issues related to faith and justice. Copyright and Permissions Copyright © 2024 – 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. Scripture quotes are copyrighted by their respective owners; including the following: Some Scripture texts on this website are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Some Scripture texts on this website are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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

Some people see Mary in a variety of images and prophecies in the Bible where she is not specifically named. What do these passages tell us about God and how we can respond to him? [Revelation 12:1-6; 12:13-18; Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 22:9-10; Jeremiah 31:22; Micah 5:1-4] Previous Mary List Next Session 7: Other possible references to Mary in the Bible Some people see Mary in a variety of images and prophecies in the Bible where she is not specifically named. What do these passages tell us about God and how we can respond to him? [Revelation 12:1-6; 12:13-18; Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 22:9-10; Jeremiah 31:22; Micah 5:1-4] Henry Moore (1898-1986). Mother and Child: Hood . 1983. St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, UK. Photo by Tom Faletti, 28 May 2025. “The work presents three stages of motherhood: conception, gestation and parenting. These gradually reveal themselves as you walk around the sculpture” (“ Mother and Child: Hood by Henry Moore,” St. Paul’s Cathedral, https://www.stpauls.co.uk/mother-and-child-hood-by-henry-moore ). Tom Faletti July 16, 2025 In the previous 6 sessions, we looked at every passage in the Bible that explicitly refers to Mary. We will round out our study by looking at other Bible passages that some people have interpreted as references to Mary but that do not specifically reference her. Most of these passages were written hundreds of years earlier in the Old Testament; one is embedded in the apocalyptic imagery of the Book of Revelation. Revelation 12:1-6 and 12:13-18 A dragon (Satan) wants to kill a woman and her baby This passage is interpreted in a variety of ways. Some say the woman represents Mary, but that raises a variety of questions; for example, the timeline of Revelation is set in the future, but Mary gave birth to Jesus in the past. Is this passage really about her? Many scholars, Catholic and Protestant, see the woman as representing something larger than just a single person. They suggest that she might represent God’s people, either the nation of Israel from the Old Testament or the Church established in the New Testament – that is, the People of God under the New Covenant, the Body of Christ, all believers in Jesus. (The story could have multiple levels of meaning, in which case both interpretations might have value.) What are some ways that Mary is a symbol for the whole Church in her relationship with Jesus? How might this woman’s protection of the child be an echo of Mary’s protection of Jesus? Verse 17 says the woman has many offspring. How are those people described in verse 17? Her offspring are the people who keep God’s commandments and hold onto the testimony of Jesus (or bear witness to Jesus). Verse 17 is one reason scholars think the woman represents the Christian faithful (or also represents the faithful on a different level as well as representing Mary). If verse 17 is about the Church, then it is about us. What are we called to do? Are there ways that you, by your words or deeds, could be a more effective witness to Jesus? What is the big-picture point of this passage, and what does it tell us about God? The rest of the passages we are going to explore come from the Old Testament, with prophecies that may refer to the mother of the Messiah. Our first passage tells what happens right after Adam and Eve eat the fruit in the Garden. God comes to them, and they have this dialogue with God. Genesis 3:9-15 enmity between the snake and the woman; her seed will strike the snake Verse 15 is considered the first verse in the Bible that promises a redeemer for humankind. In the second-to-last phrase, most modern translations say: “They will strike your head” or “He will strike your head.” The “you” is referring to the snake. Although the snake could be interpreted literally to mean that humans and snakes will not get along, Church fathers beginning with Irenaeus of Lyons in the 2nd century and scholars all the way to the present have interpreted the snake as referring to the devil. The “they” or “he” is referring to the woman’s “offspring” or “seed.” The word “offspring” or “seed” could be understood as a singular or a plural word, which is why we see it translated both as a singular and as a plural. It could be understood as referring literally to the descendants of Eve as a group (“they”) or to some particular descendant (“he”), but Church fathers back to Irenaeus and most scholars since then see the offspring/seed as referring to Christ. Although the pronoun translated as “he”/”they” is masculine, when Jerome translated the Bible into Latin in the translation known as the Vulgate, he translated it as “she,” and that has led some people to interpret it as referring to Mary. This is why we see artists from the Middle Ages on portraying Mary as stepping on a snake. Some translations in our time still use “she” even though the pronoun is masculine. ( New American Bible, revised edition , Gen. 3:15 fn.). Let’s start with the interpretation that this passage is a prediction of a Messiah or redeemer to come, and the “seed” is a reference to Jesus. In that case, why is the passage significant? If the “seed” is Jesus and the snake is the devil, what does it tell us about the relative power of Jesus and the devil in our world today? How can you draw encouragement from the image of Jesus (the seed) striking at the devil (the snake)? If the “seed” is a reference to Jesus, what does it tell us about Mary? Now let’s look at the more questionable interpretation, based on Jerome’s translation, that the “seed” is referring to Mary. The text doesn’t support this interpretation, since the pronoun is masculine, but why do you think artists and other people down through the ages have been attracted to this interpretation that the passage is referring to Mary? People have also drawn comparisons between Eve and Mary. How are they similar? How are they different? What do you think Genesis 3:15 is saying, if anything, about Mary? And what difference does it make to you? What does this passage tell us about God? In particular, if God prophesied a Messiah who would vanquish the devil, all the way back at the beginning, right after the first sin, what does that tell you about God and his concern for humans? Isaiah 7:10-16 A young woman (virgin?) will bear a son who will be called Emmanuel Verse 14 is the key verse here. Some translations have used the word “virgin,” which makes us think of Mary, but the Hebrew word just means a young woman without specifying whether she is a virgin or not ( New American Bible, revised edition , Is. 7:14 fn.). There are people who appear to make judgments about whole translations of the Bible based on whether they use the word “virgin” in this verse. That excessive emphasis on this verse misses a crucial point. Christians believe that Mary conceived Jesus as a virgin not because of anything Isaiah says, and not because of how we translate Isaiah, but because of the clear testimony of the Gospel of Matthew that Mary was a virgin. So how we translate Isaiah 7:14 is a secondary issue, not a core issue of the faith. (For further information on this debate, see the sidebar at the end of this section.) Christians believe that the Old Testament often has stories that have two levels of meaning – one in the context in which it was written and one that can be seen in the light of the New Testament. Why is this passage important from a New Testament perspective? Regardless of whether the original meaning in Isaiah referred to a virgin, Christians see in Mary and Jesus a virgin and a child who is called Emmanuel, “God with us.” What is Mary’s role in making “God with us” a reality? In what ways is God still delivering on the claim that he is “God with us,” even in our day? Our theme has been that what Mary did, we are called to do. How can we make God’s presence with us more real for others? Psalm 22:9-10 in the NRSV and most other translations (Psalm 22:10-11 in the NABRE) Jesus had a relationship with God while still in Mary’s womb This is the prophetic psalm that begins, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” Jesus prayed this psalm while hanging, dying, on the cross. Many of the lines in the psalm describe Jesus prophetically. For example, the psalmist says he is scorned, that they pierced his hands and feet, that they divided his garments. In the two verses we are looking at, if we read them as being Jesus’s words, he is talking about the relationship he had with God when he was still in Mary’s womb. In the first of those two verses, what does it say God did? In the second of those two verses, how does it describe Jesus’s relationship with God? What does this tell us about Mary’s role in Jesus’s relationship with God? How can we, like Mary, provide a safe place for others to know God? [The following Jeremiah passage is confusing and can be skipped. It is included here only for the sake of completeness, as this study has included every passage that refers to Mary or that some scholars think may refer to Mary.] Jeremiah 31:22 woman encompasses man. This is an obscure passage, with a possible interpretation that might relate to Mary. A footnote in the New American Bible, revised edition says, “No satisfactory explanation has been given for this text. Jerome, for example, saw the image as a reference to the infant Jesus enclosed in Mary’s womb” ( New American Bible, revised edition , Jer. 21:22 fn.). Mary could not “encompass” Jesus forever. However, it is a beautiful image. To what extent, and for how long, do you think Mary “encompassed” Jesus? How does Mary point us to a God who encompasses us? How can we provide the encompassing love of God to others? Micah 5:1-4a out of you shall come forth a ruler when she gives birth What does Micah say a woman will do as God brings salvation to Judah (the nation of the Jews)? How did Mary fulfill this prophecy? What is the significance of the fact that this passage refers both to Bethlehem and to a shepherd who brings security and peace? What does this passage tell us about God? How can we help people return to their shepherd and find peace? Concluding Questions for This Study on Mary, the Mother of Jesus As you think back over what you have seen and learned in this study of Mary, what has stood out for you or touched your heart in a particular way? What did you find most surprising? What did you find most encouraging? Our guiding principle in this study has been: What Mary was, we are called to be; what Mary did, we are called to do. What is one trait or characteristic of Mary that you would like to grow in? If you could name one thing that you think God might be calling you to do as a result of this study, what would that be? How can we help each other be more like Mary? Take a step back and consider this: Mary, in the Bible, is in some ways a well-defined person and in some ways an enigma. We rarely know what she is thinking. And yet, we see that she is a person of deep faith, unwavering in her commitment to her son, and present in the most significant moments in his life She consents to carry him in her womb and give him life; she is present in his childhood; she encourages him to perform his first big miracle or “sign”; she is visibly present to him throughout the agony of his crucifixion; and she is present when his Holy Spirit first comes upon his followers and the Church is born. You could say that one of her biggest ways of being a role model and example for us was her dogged determination to remain faithful to Jesus and thereby fulfill the role to which God called her. How can you imitate her unwavering commitment to remain faithful to Jesus in the roles you have been given in your life? In her devotion to Jesus, Mary was an encouragement to her son even by standing by him at the cross. Who might need you to stand by them, to help them stay faithful to their calling? How might you encourage them in their faith? _____ Sidebar: In Isaiah 7:14, did Isaiah refer to “the young woman” or “the virgin,” and how much does it matter? (This is for people who like to dig into the nitty-gritty of scholarly debates.) This is not a debate over whether Mary was a virgin. That is decisively stated in Luke 1:27, 34 and Matthew 1:18, 20, 25. The question here is only whether Isaiah prophesied a virgin birth. In Isaiah 7:14, King Ahaz is told that “the young woman” or “the virgin” (depending on how the word is translated) – will have a child who will be called Emmanuel (“God with us”). This makes people think of Mary. The Masoretic text, which is our oldest surviving copy of the text in Hebrew, says “the young woman,” and the word used there is a word used to describe a young woman who is old enough to get married. The word does not specific whether the woman is a virgin or not. Scholars note that the phrasing in Hebrew indicates that the woman was already pregnant at the time the words were spoken, which means that the “sign” was not that she would become pregnant but that the child would be called Emmanuel (“God with us”). That is why the NABRE translates this verse with these words: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel” (Is. 7:14, NABRE), and the NRSV uses these words: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.” (Is. 7:14, NRSV). Those translations make clear that the Hebrew indicates that the woman was already pregnant. The scholars who produced the translation for the Catholic New American Bible, revised edition explain why they concluded that Isaiah 7:14 should be translated as “the young woman” in this footnote: 7:14 Isaiah’s sign seeks to reassure Ahaz that he need not fear the invading armies of Syria and Israel in the light of God’s promise to David ( 2 Sm 7:12–16 ). The oracle follows a traditional announcement formula by which the birth and sometimes naming of a child is promised to particular individuals ( Gn 16:11 ; Jgs 13:3 ). The young woman : Hebrew ‘almah designates a young woman of marriageable age without specific reference to virginity. The Septuagint translated the Hebrew term as parthenos , which normally does mean virgin, and this translation underlies Mt 1:23 . ( New American Bible, revised edition , Is. 7:14 fn.) Many evangelical Protestants also agree that the Isaiah passage refers to a young woman, not a virgin. For example, David F. Payne, the then-Registrar of the evangelical London Bible College, now called the London School of Theology, in writing the Isaiah section of the International Bible Commentary , edited by evangelical leader F. F. Bruce, concludes: (c) Despite several attempts to demonstrate otherwise, it remains very doubtful whether the Hebrew word ‘almāh signified only a ‘virgin’. Certainly it was a term which included virgins; but it cannot be restricted to them. (d) In a context where names clearly functioned as signs (Shear-Jashub in 7:3, and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz in 8:1-4), it is highly probable that it was the name ‘Immanuel’ rather than the child’s conception or birth, which was to be the sign. (e) It seems probable, though not certain, that the Hebrew construction suggests that Isaiah was referring primarily to a young woman already pregnant; virtually the same construction occurs in Gen. 16:11. (Payne, pp. 726-727). Some conservative scholars, Catholic and evangelical, argue that the word “virgin” would more accurately reflect what Isaiah wrote and intended. They argue that what made this birth a “sign” – something extraordinary – was that it was a birth to a virgin. They argue that the Masoretic text of the Hebrew that we have today may not accurately reflect what the original Hebrew said, and that the Septuagint, with its Greek word for virgin, may better reflect the original Hebrew. They note that Matthew was familiar with both the Hebrew and Greek versions of Isaiah, and he chose to use the Greek Septuagint translation, which uses the Greek word for “virgin.” However, these scholars have not provided evidence that the Masoretic text here is a garbled version of what Isaiah originally wrote. And Matthew’s decision to use the Septuagint translation does not tell us what the original Hebrew said or meant. He might have chosen the Septuagint version simply because it better fit the actual circumstances of Jesus’s birth, not because he had an opinion on whether the original word in the Hebrew text was “young woman” or “virgin.” In summary, we do not have enough information to be sure what word Isaiah originally used and what he meant by it, but the wording in the oldest Hebrew text we have (the Masoretic text) is “the young woman,” and in order to adopt the alternate reading of “the virgin” we would have to accept, without strong evidence, that the text became garbled between its original writing and the earliest version we have today (the Masoretic text) and that somehow the Septuagint preserved a more accurate reading. In the end though, it doesn’t matter. Whether Isaiah meant “young woman” or “virgin” has no bearing on the faith of Christians. We believe in the virgin birth of Jesus not because of anything Isaiah said but because the Gospels of both Matthew and Luke tell us that Mary was a virgin. What we know for sure from Isaiah 7:14 is that Isaiah prophesied that there would be a child who would be called “God with us,” and that is what we have in Jesus. And this Child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and delivered by a virgin. All of this is true regardless of whether Isaiah refers to “the young woman” or “the virgin.” End of sidebar _____ Bibliography See Mary - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/mary/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Mary List 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 List 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 See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

Worry – how to deal with it. Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 6:25-34 Worry – how to deal with it. The "lilies of the fields" Jesus talked about may have been these multi-colored flowers called anemones, which are found in Israel today as they were in Bible times. Zachi Evenor, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anemone-coronaria-in-Dalia-Israel-Zachi-Evenor-176.jpg . Tom Faletti May 24, 2024 Matthew 6:25-34 Do not worry; seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness Jesus has just been teaching us not to focus on money, telling us that we can’t serve both God and wealth. The natural reaction might be: But we need money! He responds to that natural concern in this passage. In verse 25, Jesus tells us several things not to worry about. What are the things he tells us not to worry about? Concerns about our life such as what we are to eat or drink, and concerns about our body such as what we are to wear. What does it mean to “worry”? Is worry different than simply thinking about things? What is “worry”? Worry dominates the mind in a way that causes stress or distress. It takes over or preoccupies our thoughts so that we find it difficult to set aside the thing we are worried about and think about other things. In this way, worry absorbs our attention to the extent that it makes us less free. How would you interpret the question in verse 25: “Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” What is the point of Jesus asking this question? In verse 26, what is the meaning of the illustration Jesus gives of the birds? Why should we not worry, according to verse 26? Here, the point is a spiritual one: God provides for the birds, and you are more valuable than the birds. What is the illustration Jesus uses in verse 27? Why should we not worry, according to verse 27? Here, the point is a practical one: Your worrying can’t make any difference, so it is wasted effort. Note: Translations of verse 27 vary because the Greek word can mean “life-span” or “stature” (i.e., height). So he may be saying we can’t add a single unit to our life-span or to our height. Both interpretations make the same point – worrying can have no effect on the stated problem. What is the illustration Jesus uses in verses 28-29? Why should we not worry, according to verses 28-30? Here, the point is a different spiritual one: You are an eternal being. God is generous in lavishing beauty even on things that are finite and die quickly; he will clothe you, his immortal ones, with what you need. In verse 28, Jesus says of the lilies that they “neither toil nor spin.” These words describe what humans do to create cloth for clothing. People toil: they work the crop – for example, flax in Jesus’s time. Then they spin: they turn the fibers of flax into yarn from which linen cloth is made for clothing and other purposes. Jesus is certainly not telling people not to work, so we have to look beyond the literal to find his meaning. One possibility is to consider it a caution about focusing too much attention (worry) on how impressively beautiful our clothes are. In your culture, do people worry about whether their clothes are beautiful enough or impressive enough, or made by the right designers? What might Jesus say? This passage might be interpreted metaphorically as referring to our calling to be clothed in righteousness in the kingdom of God, particularly in the context of verse 33. How might you worry less if you clung to the assurance that God desires to, and is able to, provide you with the “clothing” you need? At the end of verse 30, Jesus identifies the spiritual issue at work when we worry. What is the spiritual issue here? The spiritual issue is trust in God. What does worry do to people? In what ways is it harmful? When we are worrying, what is our focus on? What does Jesus want us to be focused on? It is hard to “not” do something, unless we replace it with “doing” something else. How do we “not” worry? Saint Paul offers advice on what to do instead: Read Philippians 4:6 . What does Paul tell us to do instead of being anxious? What does that verse mean? Let your requests be made known to God; i.e., tell God what you need. What it the difference between asking God for what we need and worrying? Why is praying, or talking to God about our needs, an antidote to worry? Worrying is talking to ourselves while focusing on what we lack. Praying about what we need is talking to God while focusing on the Person who can do something about what we lack. Paul is telling us that it is OK to ask God for what we need. Is there any need that is too small to talk to God about it? Explain. In verse 32, Jesus gives us some perspective. What does he tell us about God? What difference does it make that God knows what we need? The phrase “your heavenly Father knows” might be a good refrain or mantra for all the things we face in life. How would absorbing that assurance change your life? In verse 33, what does Jesus tell us to strive for? What does it mean to strive for the kingdom of God? In what ways might striving for the kingdom call us to action? What might it call us to do? What does it mean to strive for righteousness? This could be referring to the righteousness God wants to work into our character, or the righteousness God wants to bring into the world through the coming of his kingdom. In what ways might striving for righteousness call us to action? What might it call us to do? Jesus says that when we strive for these things, the other things will be given to us as well. We know that, in a literal interpretation of this statement, it isn’t always true. Non-believers are not the only people to starve to death in famines; Christians have starved to death too. This is the sort of thing that might make a skeptic take this sentence in isolation and use it to reject the gospel of Jesus. Yet Jesus has warned us earlier that Christians will face trials and persecutions. So, how should we understand this statement? How would you explain it to the skeptic? In verse 34, Jesus broadens his point by adding “tomorrow” to the list of things to not worry about. That takes us far beyond just food or drink or clothing. Almost any concern or possible trouble can lead us to worry about tomorrow. What is he telling us about all the other things we tend to worry about? What are the worries about “tomorrow” that are most likely to take over or absorb your thinking? If you could have a conversation with Jesus where he mentioned the worry or worries you have, what would he say to you about it? At the last sentence of verse 34, Jesus throws ends with a little twist at. What does he say? Today has enough trouble for today. In the final sentence in verse 34, the majority of Bible translations use the word “trouble,” but some say “evil.” There is a reason why the translators don’t agree. According to lexicographers, the word here, which is kakia , means badness (Liddell and Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon , entry for κᾰκία at http://folio2.furman.edu/lsj/ ; Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary , https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ved/e/evil-evil-doer.html ). The word is often used in a narrow sense with regard to human character flaws or evil, but here it more likely encompasses the broader troubles we experience because of the “badness” in the world. This verse might be saying: Don’t worry about tomorrow; today has enough bad stuff for today. There are times when, in the economy of God’s plan for this world, we may be called to help fill the needs of others, and thereby be God's means of answering other people’s prayers. In what ways might we be God’s means of answering other people’s prayers for their basic needs? Take a step back and consider this: Jesus is not telling us to be lazy, and he is not telling us to not think about the things we need. We need jobs in order to pay our bills and in order to contribute in our unique ways to the good of the world. Parents need the means to feed and clothe their children. When we are sick, we need good health care. Our communities need good schools, safe streets, and assistance for those who struggle. Our businesses need customers and affordable inputs and good workers. Our governments needs leaders who seek justice and work for the common good, and don’t settle for assisting the powerful or wealthy or the noisiest voices. We need to apply our minds to think through what we face in order to address these needs. But there is a difference between thinking about things and worrying about things. Can Jesus be our model here? Jesus clearly thought about a lot of things, including the terrible death he was going to endure on our behalf. Yet we don’t see signs that he spent much time worrying. How do you think Jesus handled his thoughts about the difficult things he was going to endure without falling prey to worrying? What is one area of your life where worry often intrudes? What would Jesus encourage you to do about it? How would your life be better if you replaced worrying with trustful conversation with God about the thing you are worrying about, even if the problem didn’t magically go away? How can cultivating a life where you are constantly talking to God, and routinely letting your needs be made known to him, improve your life and help you become more like Christ? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

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The work of God is that we believe in Jesus. How can we treat believing as an action that brings us into relationship with the person Jesus? Previous Next John List John 6:22-33 The work of God is that we believe in Jesus. How can we treat believing as an action that brings us into relationship with the person Jesus? Giovanni Battista Naldini (1535–1591). Manna from Heaven . Circa 1580. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Manna_from_Heaven_by_Giovanni_Battista_Naldini.jpg . Tom Faletti February 21, 2026 Part 1 of John 6:22-59 In this chapter, Jesus talks about himself as the Bread of Life, answers people’s questions, and tells them they need to eat his flesh and drink his blood to have eternal life. The dialogue runs from John 6:22 through 6:59. We will explore it in parts, beginning with John 6:22-33. Read John 6:22-33 the crowd questions Jesus The next day, the crowd expects to find Jesus still on the mountain, since they know that he went up the mountain to pray and his disciples left by boat. When they don’t find him, they go to Capernaum because that was where he had been preaching before the feeding of the 5,000. Matthew 4:13 tells us that Jesus had moved to Capernaum from Nazareth. We might think of Capernaum as his Galilee headquarters. In verses 22-24, why do you think the crowd is looking for Jesus? In verse 26, what is the reason Jesus gives for why they are looking for him? What is your main reason for following Jesus? In verse 27, what does Jesus tell the crowd they need to do? What would be examples of food that perishes? Jesus is not telling us that we shouldn’t work to get food to feed ourselves. What is his point? Still looking at verse 27, what is food that endures for eternal life? In what way does it endure for eternal life? What is Jesus telling us about the things we work for or strive for? How can we apply this in our lives today? In John 4:14, Jesus said that the water he offers is a spring of water welling up to eternal life. In 6:27, he says that the food that he gives endures for eternal life (6:27). How are both images related to eternal life? The crowd responds to Jesus’s comment about work by asking a new question: What do we need to do, to be doing the works of God (verse 28)? In verse 29, Jesus tells them what the work of God is. What does verse 29 mean to you? In what way is believing in Jesus the work of God? In verse 30-31, the crowd, or some people in the crowd who are more antagonistic toward Jesus, challenge Jesus. Why do you think these people want still more signs? The people in the crowd recall the manna that appeared daily while the Israelites were in the desert, which God called “bread from heaven” in Exodus 16:4. The people were aware of Jewish writings that suggested that God would once again miraculously provide manna to the Jews in the last days. It is possible that these people in the crowd were suggesting that if Jesus really was the Messiah he should provide bread every day. Why do you believe in Jesus without more signs? In verse 32, Jesus corrects some misunderstandings. First, he says that it was not Moses who provided the bread from heaven; it was God. We may have times when we forget that God is the source of our blessings and sustenance. Why is it important to remember that God is the ultimate source of all the good we experience? Second, Jesus says in verse 32 that it is not enough to say that God “gave” bread from heaven in the past; he “gives” the true bread from heaven now. Jesus is not yet speaking about the Eucharist (that will come in verses 50-59); he is speaking of himself. How is Jesus the true bread from heaven? In verse 33, Jesus says he gives life to the world. How does Jesus give life to the world? How does Jesus give life to you? Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus has been describing himself as coming from heaven – i.e., he is not just a human. In this conversation, he redirects their focus. They are thinking about manna provided to their ancestors in the desert in the past that fed them temporarily; he is bread given by his Father in the present that gives life to the world. This sets us up for the text sentence, where Jesus says, “I am the Bread of Life.” Take a step back and consider this: In verse 29, Jesus uses the active verb to believe . He does not say that belief (noun) in Jesus is the work of God, but that believing (verb) in Jesus is the work of God. Believing is something you actively do , not something you passively accept. Jesus is trying to draw the crowd away from thinking that they are there to passively receive something from him, whether it is teaching or food, and to instead see his words as a call to action. But the action he seeks is not more of the works-oriented law-following that the Jewish religion was full of at that time, but instead a believing that enters into a relationship with the One in whom they are invited to put their trust. Our faith does call us to embrace certain beliefs and spurs us to do good things for others, but Jesus is not focused on either of those things in this passage. He is calling the people to engage with him personally just as they are engaged with the food they eat. How do you keep your eye on believing in the person Jesus? How can your relationship with Jesus invigorate you and sustain you the way bread and other food nurtures and sustains your body? What is one step you can take this week to reinforce your decision to believe in Jesus? Bibliography See John - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/john/bibliography . Copyright © 2026, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous John List Next

Are you acting like you are ready for the Lord? What would it look like in your life to be the faithful servant, the well-prepared attendant? [Matthew 22:45-51; 24:1-13] Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 24:45-25:13 Are you acting like you are ready for the Lord? What would it look like in your life to be the faithful servant, the well-prepared attendant? Peter von Cornelius (1783–1867). The Parable of Wise and Foolish Virgins (unfinished) . 1813-1816. Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, Germany. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_von_Cornelius_-_The_Parable_of_Wise_and_Foolish_Virgins_(unfinished)_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg . Tom Faletti September 7, 2025 Matthew 24:45-51 two servants – one ready and one not ready for the master’s return This is the first of 2 parables about Jesus’s return and the need to be ready. Some translations use the word “servant” and some translations use the word “slave.” In New Testament times, perhaps 20% or more of all the people in the Roman Empire were slaves ( Welch and Hall ; The British Museum ). Slaves performed professional as well as menial jobs, often side by side with freed people. They moved freely around their cities and beyond, were allowed to earn money, and could buy their freedom if their master was willing. Although masters were allowed to abuse their slaves, and some or many did, Roman slavery was not the same as the chattel slavery of the American South. To help us understand the relatively independent, decision-making roles they played in their society, I will use the translation “servant” in this study. That will also help us understand that Jesus wants us to be able to see ourselves in these servants. What happens in this parable? Who do the two servants stand for? Jesus is talking to the disciples now, not the Pharisees or chief priests. Matthew is probably expecting his audience to apply the parable to themselves, in which case it applies equally to us and to all Christians in every age. One member of my Bible Study, when asked who the faithful and unfaithful servants stand for, thoughtfully replied, “It [i.e.,both] could be us at different times.” What is the job of the two servants? What would it look like when these servants were doing their jobs properly? Jesus wants us to see ourselves in these images, so translate this to your life. What would it look like in your life if you are the faithful servant living your life until the master comes? What would you, the faithful servant, be doing in your life? What are the things we might become distracted by, that would leave us caught by surprise when the master comes? Note that this servant is not just distracted, he is wicked: he abuses the other servants. In verse 51, what happens to that wicked servant? Jesus is talking to his followers in this parable, and Matthew is telling the story as a caution to his fellow Christians. Jesus says the wicked servant will be assigned a place with the hypocrites. Why is that a devastating outcome for a Christian? Who has Jesus accused of being a hypocrite, and why would Jesus use that term for “followers” of his who do not live the life of a faithful servant? It was the job of these servants to take care of the household and make sure the other slaves/servants were fed at the proper times. Each of us has a different “job” as we serve God, based on the unique circumstances of our lives. What are the “jobs” God wants to see you doing faithfully right now? Matthew 25:1-13 being ready – a parable of 10 virgins In the second parable, 10 virgins (i.e., unmarried women) are supposed to be ready so that when the bridegroom arrives (probably with the bride he has gone to get from another city) they can welcome him and accompany him to their new home for a week-long celebration ( Ignatius Catholic Study Bible , fn. to 25:1-13, p. 53). In Jesus’s time, travel was unpredictable and the timing of events was often more uncertain than in our day. It might not be clear when the bridegroom would have completed all the necessary steps to bring the bride home. When he was approaching, it was expected that the word would go out ahead of him so that they could be greeted, day or night. In this case, the bridegroom represents Jesus, so the focus in on him. The Greek word can mean “virgin” or “unmarried woman” (what in the past was called a “maiden”). Some translations use the term “bridesmaid.” Most translations use the term “virgin,” so this study uses that word. What happens in the parable? Who do the wise and foolish virgins represent? What is Jesus’s point in this parable? Notice that Jesus calls the virgins who weren’t sufficiently prepared “foolish,” whereas he called the unfaithful servant “wicked.” Are there ways that we might not be “wicked” but could still be foolish (unwise) and therefore not be what Jesus is expecting us to be? How might we be guilty of being, or in danger of being, unwise in our spiritual lives, even though we are not trying to be wicked? What does this tell us about faithfulness in living the Christian life? What happens to those who are not ready when the time comes? Matthew wants us to hear this parable as applying to all of us. What does it say to us? There are aspects of our lives where we can’t wait until the last minute to be ready for Jesus’s coming. What might be some of those things we need to be doing in advance? What might be some things we can’t “borrow” – that we need to already have when Jesus comes? In verse 12, when the foolish women finally show up late to the wedding banquet, the bridegroom says, “I do not know you.” In the context of the story , this makes sense: the groom, perhaps coming from far away, might not know the friends of the woman he is marrying. But what does this say to us about our lives? We would not want Jesus, when we come before him at the end of our lives, to say, “I do not know you.” What do we need to do about that? What does it mean to be known by Jesus? What would you do differently if you lived your life, like the five wise virgins, with a real readiness for the day you will meet God face to face? As with earlier statements by Jesus, this parable can be applied to being ready for the Second Coming of Christ, but it applies equally well to our deaths, for we shall see him then. What does this parable say to you about being ready for your inevitable death? Jesus’s ends by saying, “Stay awake, for you do not know the day or the hour.” What does it look like to, in a spiritual sense, “Stay awake”? Take a step back and consider this: We are always making choices. Sometimes our choices make us more ready for Jesus, and some do not. Some choices help us as we seek to know and be known by Jesus, and some do not. Sometimes we act like we can put off spending time with God or wait until later to do what God wants us to do, and yet still be ready for Jesus when he comes. That approach might make us unready for the Lord when we die. But it also has an impact long before we die. There might be things that God wants to do through us, but if we are not “ready,” he might not be able to open the path for us to serve him or others in that way. Our choices affect not only the endgame of our lives, but also the plays we make every day. To what extent is your life focused on being ready for each next thing that Jesus is showing up for in your life? How can you be more ready for every little thing that he might want to do in you or through you? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

Faith Explored offers resources for anyone interested in exploring how to apply God’s Word to our lives today.  The website was launched by Tom Faletti to bring to a wider audience the study materials he has developed in more than 40 years of small-group Bible Study. Please check out our blog Our website host is no longer supporting a forum. Jump to the Blog Page Blog Page Please review our Comment Policy to make sure your comments are appropriate. To see this working, head to your live site. All Posts Categories My Posts Login / Sign up Sort by: Newest Follow All Categories Create New Post Comments Views Recent Activity Item option menu What can we learn from Jimmy Carter that might help us live out our faith? Tom Faletti · Questions & Answers 0 1 Jan 10, 2025 What are your recommendations for strong family relationships? Tom Faletti · Questions & Answers 0 0 Oct 13, 2024 Welcome to the Forum Tom Faletti · General Discussion 1 0 Jul 03, 2025 Introduce yourself Tom Faletti · General Discussion 0 0 Feb 09, 2024 Forum rules Tom Faletti · General Discussion 2 0 May 10, 2025 Forum - Frameless Image at top provided by Wix. Join Faith Explored and Join the Conversation! Members of Faith Explored can comment on our blog posts, post comments in the forums, and post their own questions. C lick here or the blue button below to join (it's free). Use the other buttons below to post a comment. Become a Member to Enable Comments Blog Page Forum Page

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

Jesus wanted the Temple to be a house of prayer and a place of healing. Can our churches and our lives be that, too? [Matthew 21:12-13; 21:14-17] Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 21:12-17 Jesus wanted the Temple to be a house of prayer and a place of healing. Can our churches and our lives be that, too? August Jernberg (1826–1896). Kristus utdriver växlarna ur templet [Christ Driving the Moneychangers out of the Temple]. 1857. Cropped. Göteborgs konstmuseum (Gothenburg Museum of Art), Gothenburg, Sweden. Public domain. Photo by Hossein Sehatlou, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_Driving_the_Moneychangers_out_of_the_Temple_(August_Jernberg)_-_Gothenburg_Museum_of_Art_-_GKM_0008.tif . Tom Faletti August 4, 2025 Introduction to Matthew 21:12-17, Jesus’s first day in Jerusalem What do you think is the first thing Jesus does after he arrives in Jerusalem and gets off the donkey? Make a courtesy call to the political leaders? Visit the religious leaders and ask for their blessing? Get a permit for a rally where he can preach to the people in the city? Set up a healing tent? As we will see, the first thing he wants to do is heal people, but he needs a quiet place to do it. So the first thing he does is one of the most disruptive and confrontational things he could have done: clear the Temple of the people providing currency exchange services and selling sheep and doves for sacrifice. Matthew 21:12-13 The cleansing of the Temple: Jesus clears the Temple area of commercial business We saw in our study of the previous passage that, in the time of the Maccabees, palm branches were waved as part of the ritual in which the Temple was restored and purified after its defilement by the Greeks. Here, Jesus is addressing what he sees as a new defilement of the Temple. Some scholars see in this passage a reference to Mal. 3:1-3, where the prophet says that the Lord will come suddenly to his temple and “he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD” (Mal. 3:3, NRSV). What does Jesus do in the Temple? Who is the target of his disruption? Why does he do this? Jesus quotes from two places in the Old Testament. Let’s take them in reverse order. A den of robbers When Jesus refers to a “den of robbers,” he is drawing from Jeremiah 7:4-11. In that passage, God tells the people not to boast about the Temple because they are oppressing others and acting unjustly and have turned the Temple into a den of robbers (v. 11) In what ways might the Temple have become a “den of robbers”? The selling and buying took place in the outermost court of the Temple complex – not in the Temple building itself but in the Court of Gentiles. This was the first of several courts Jews had to walk through to reach the Temple itself, which could only be entered by the priests. The Temple tax, which every male Israelite was required to pay yearly, was a half-shekel, which was equivalent to about two days’ wages. However, the Temple authorities would not accept Roman or Greek coins because the emperor’s image was stamped on the coins. They would accept only Tyrian coins (because of their higher silver content) and Jewish coins. The currency exchange fee was about 10% (one gera or ma’a, which was around one-twentieth of a shekel, according to my research). In addition to paying that fee, if you brought a larger coin and needed to have change given back to you, the charge was doubled. So the fee was 10%-20% of two-days’ wages, which was a significant charge for poor people, who didn’t always find enough work to earn a days’ wages every day and who were sacrificing several days of wages to come to the Temple. There was a thriving trade in cattle, sheep, and doves (see John 2:14) for the sacrifices people needed to make at the Temple. For pilgrims, it was hard to bring an animal from far away, so people in Jerusalem sold sheep to them. This could have been seen as a helpful service, unless the prices were set high to take advantage of the pilgrims. Furthermore, you could only sacrifice an animal that was without blemish, and the power to decide if an animal was without blemish was in the hands of the Temple priests. It was easy for the Temple authorities to reject a supposedly “imperfect” animal, so the potential for abuse was high. Doves With regard to doves: Poor people who could not afford a sheep were allowed under the Law to bring turtledoves and pigeons (Lev. 5:7). Also, whereas Israelite men were commanded to offer a lamb, women were directed to offer a dove. Barclay says that price for a dove inside the Temple precincts could be as much as 20 times as high as the price outside the Temple (Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 , p. 270). Matthew and Mark both specifically mention that Jesus overturned the seats of the people selling doves. In John, he specifically chastises the people selling doves, telling them to stop making his Father’s house a marketplace (John 2:16). Why might Jesus be especially concerned about the selling practices regarding doves? Since doves were the offerings made by poor people, Jesus might have been particularly concerned about how the sellers were taking advantage of poor people. Poor people are easier targets for financial abuse since they have little power to respond, so perhaps the markup was especially large for doves, or perhaps he was concerned more generally about the impact of these practices on the poor. There is one other significant point of background: The high priest Annas had major control over this business and therefore probably took it personally when Jesus drove out the sellers. Are there ways that we can be at risk of turning God’s holy places into places of commercial exploitation? There is a lot of money-making associated with the Christian faith (consider Christian music, Christian books, Bible sales, Christian movies, Christian art, statues, candles, devotional materials, Sunday school materials, etc.). How can we evaluate when it is appropriate, or not, to make money from religious activities? A house of prayer In verse 13, Jesus says that his house should be a “house of prayer.” This phrase comes from Isaiah 56:6-7, where God says that foreigners will come to the Temple and worship there, and it will be a house of prayer for all people. Even if there was no exploitation going on, how might the money-changing and selling and buying have made it hard for this to be a house of prayer? How might this have been particularly problematic for the Gentiles, and why would Jesus care? Jews could go beyond the Court of the Gentiles, to the courts where things were quieter. But Gentiles could not go further and were stuck in the court where the marketing was going on. Do you think that all of the people involved in changing money and buying and selling were evil? Or is it possible that many were devoutly trying to honor God in their lives? Is it possible for Christians today to be faithful believers but not realize that they are caught up in accepted practices that undermine God’s work? What might be some examples? How might we take this message into the business world? What should the Temple have looked like and sounded like and felt like, as a house of prayer? If our churches are to be effective houses of prayer, what do we need to help them look like and sound like and feel like? Matthew 21:14-17 Jesus heals people and responds to the criticisms of the leaders After Jesus has cleared the Temple courts of the sellers, it is presumably a quieter, more prayerful place. What is the first thing Jesus does (verse 14)? Notice that he does this in the Temple – i.e., in the courtyards of the Temple – a place that is crowded with thousands upon thousands of pilgrims. What does this tell you about Jesus? Given that the Jewish leaders have not been friendly to Jesus, what does it tell you about Jesus that he is doing this right in the Temple courtyards? Why do you think the chief priests and scribes are unhappy that children are crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David”? How does Jesus respond (verse 16)? Jesus quotes from Psalm 8:2. This is the psalm that begins, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.” The verse Jesus quotes is the very next verse, which says, roughly: out of the mouths of babes and infants, you have [done something – scholars aren’t sure what the words mean here] to silence your enemies. Jesus chooses not to quote the words calling them “enemies” – he is an eternal optimist, hoping people will respond to his teaching. What is Jesus implying, by using this quote? What kind of link is he implying between himself and God? Notice that Jesus defends himself by quoting God’s Word to the religious leaders. How important is it to know the Bible? It is telling that the chief priests had no problem with the hubbub of the animals and the buying and selling and money changing in the Temple precincts, but now they are indignant about the noise of the children’s praise of Jesus. They see (verse 15) the miracles of healing that Jesus is performing. Yet they are indignant about the children, rather than moved by the healings. The chief priests may be unhappy that Jesus is healing people in the Temple precincts. Leviticus 21:16-23 said that people with a “blemish” – i.e., a physical deformity or deficiency – were not supposed to approach the altar. But Jesus is welcoming them right there in the Temple precincts, not far from the altar. The chief priests and scribes are more focused on their ideas about what the Temple should look like than on the good that Jesus is doing. Are we sometimes like that too, focused on our rules and preconceptions and missing the good that God is doing? Do any examples come to mind? If so, how might you do things differently? Jesus spends the night in Bethany, presumably with his friends Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. Martha and Mary are mentioned in the Gospel of Luke, and all three of them are mentioned in the Gospel of John. Take a step back and consider this: Jesus had had a special fondness for the Temple at least since he was 12 years old, when he first called it “my Father’s house” (Luke 2:49). He clearly believed that this was a special place – a place where heaven and earth meet and people have a special opportunity to commune with God. He is now making it not only a place where prayer can happen, but also a place where healings happen. Are there places that you think of as specially graced for prayer, healing, and communion with God? If so, how do you nurture the prayerfulness of those spaces? We are not bound to a Temple as the unique place where God resides, but rather have come to understand that every Christian is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who resides in us. What are some things we might consider doing to make our hearts, our souls, our very selves more fitting places of prayer, and healing, and communion with God? What can you do to nurture a spirit of prayer and healing in your own life? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

When you welcome children as God does, you never know the impact you might have. Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 19:13-15 When you welcome children as God does, you never know the impact you might have. Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti February 13, 2024 Matthew 19:13-15 Welcoming children Who do you think was bringing children to Jesus, and why? Why do you think the disciples were trying to keep them from Jesus? Some commentators argue that this is not about playing up how wonderful children are. A footnote in the New Oxford Annotated Bible says that this is: “Not an idealization of childhood” ( The New Oxford Annotated Bible , footnote to Mark 10:1-16, p. 1810). This may be about status, not about how cute or sweet or innocent children are. Children had the lowest status in Jewish society. The disciples were trying to maintain “control” so that Jesus could focus on more important things than children; but Jesus disagrees. What is Jesus’s view of those who have no status? No one is unimportant to Jesus. What is important to Jesus? What does this passage tell us about how things look or feel in the kingdom of heaven? How should this affect how we go about our lives? Take a step back and consider this: If parents are modeling the love that Jesus has for children, it will have lifelong effects on their children. The effects may sometimes be hidden at the time, but later, that love may manifest itself in powerful ways. In the movie Belfast (directed by Kenneth Branagh, TKBC and Northern Ireland Screen, 2021), the deeply loving relationship between 10-year-old Buddy’s grandparents has generation-crossing effects on their children and grandchildren. When Buddy’s father teaches Buddy to be welcoming to people of all faiths, we understand that he learned it from his parents. And now he is shaping his child (who became the actor Kenneth Branagh we know), who has shaped the thinking of millions of people through his movies. Our faithful love, reflecting the love of God in our marriages and family relationships, and the ways we pass on that love to our children, matters deeply. By our love, we shape how well our world reflects its Creator. So let us not lose sight of how important our treatment of children is. We have an awesome calling to show children the love of God and let them experience what it means to be part of the love in God’s kingdom. When we love them, we may be setting in motion good things that may bear fruit years later. How can we use well the awesome opportunity to love the children in our families and help them experience the welcoming and love of Jesus? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next