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How does Holy Communion help you to enter into the new covenant that Jesus offers us? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 26:26-35 How does Holy Communion help you to enter into the new covenant that Jesus offers us? Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665). Eucharist . Circa 1637-40. Cropped. The National Gallery, London, UK. Photo by Tom Faletti, 28 May 2025. Tom Faletti September 16, 2025 Matthew 26:26-35 The Passover meal: The first communion/Eucharist The Passover seder involved a variety of steps. Participants drank four cups of wine, spread over the course of a meal that lasted several hours. They ate certain foods that had symbolic meaning. For example, parsley or other greens were dipped in salt water, symbolizing the early hope the Israelites had when they first came to Egypt (the greens) turning to bitter tears (the salt water) in their period of slavery. At one point in the Passover meal, the unleavened bread is called the “bread of affliction.” It is broken by the person leading the seder and passed around. Matthew 26:17 refers to the Feast of Unleavened Bread because in Jesus’s time, the two feasts were celebrated together. What actually happens in this passage? What does Jesus actually do? What is your understanding on the meaning of what happens here? Background regarding communion/the Eucharist The Christian denominations don’t agree on what is happening here. If you are studying this passage in a group, this is not the place to try to convert each other. Listen to others, humbly share what you believe, and leave it to the Holy Spirit to work in everyone’s heart. If we don’t treat each other lovingly, even when we disagree, we haven’t grasped what Jesus is all about. Here is some background for those who have an interest in understanding how different Christian denominations approach the Lord’s Supper: Christians of all denominations look to this meal as the basis of the ritual they celebrate in their worship services or liturgies. Catholics call it the “Eucharist” or “communion” and call the service the “Mass.” Evangelicals and other Protestants usually call it “communion” or “the Lord’s Supper.” Whatever they call it and in whatever way they celebrate it, the roots of their practice are here in Jesus’s final meal before his death. Christians don’t just celebrate it yearly the way the Jews celebrated the Passover – but instead celebrate it weekly, or daily, or monthly – because in Luke 22:19, Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me” or “in memory of me.” Christians have different ideas about what happens at their worship services or Masses. Catholics believe that the bread and wine, when consecrated, actually becomes the body and blood of Christ even though they remain under the appearances of bread and wine. Catholics call this “transubstantiation.” Orthodox Christians believe the consecrated bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, but they do not try to define in dogma the mystery of that transformation and they do not accept the Roman Catholic formulation of “transubstantiation.” Nevertheless, they share a belief in a literal transformation of the bread and wine that traces back to the earliest writings of Christians (going all the way back to Justin Martyr around AD 155). Lutherans believe that the body and blood of Christ are “truly and substantially present” in the consecrated bread and wine but that it is still bread and wine. Episcopalians believe that Christ’s body and blood become “really present,” without any need for the consecrated elements to stop being bread and wine. Most other Christian bodies reject the idea that the bread and wine literally “become” the body and blood of Christ. They generally believe that Christ is present spiritually, but not physically. Another point separates believers: Most Christians believe that the communion service or Eucharist or liturgy is a memorial, or commemoration, or remembrance of the Jesus’s Last Supper, or of Christ’s Passion and Resurrection more broadly. Some denominations believe that it goes further: that what Christ did 2,000 years ago is made truly present to us now. For example, Catholics believe that the Mass is a memorial but also more: They believe that, in the Mass, Christ’s unique, once-and-for-all sacrifice is made present again in our midst. They are not saying that the Eucharist is a new sacrifice each time – there was only one sacrifice made by Christ on the Cross – but they believe that single sacrifice is re-presented to us and that the Mass allows us to enter now into what happened then. We are not going to resolve these issues here. If you are studying in a small group, please accept the fact that Christians disagree, share what this passage of Scripture means to you, listen to others, and avoid arguments, which rarely resolve anything and can undermine the cohesiveness of your group. How important is communion to you, and why? Why do we generally have “communion” as a communal event? We pray individually, but we don’t have our own private moments of partaking of bread and wine. Why is this something meant to be done together? In verse 26, what does Jesus say the bread is? Catholics take Jesus’s words “This is my body” literally, while most Protestants consider it symbolic. What do the words “This is my body” mean to you? Even people from the same denomination can bring a richness of personal perspectives and experiences to this question. As far as doctrine goes, Catholics are the literalists here, whereas sometimes in interpreting other verses of the Bible it is Protestants who insist on more literal interpretations. God keeps loving us despite our disagreements. In the Passover seder, one of the cups of wine that the participants drink is associated with the covenant established by God when he gave the Law to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai. Jesus was incredibly well versed in the Scriptures and may have been thinking about Exodus 24:8, which he referred to “the blood of the covenant” – a sacrifice made by the Israelites as they entered into the covenant with God at Mt. Sinai. (This is different from the sacrifice of the Passover lambs as the Israelites prepared to leave Egypt.) In verse 28, Jesus identifies the cup as being a covenant, but this covenant is different from than the earlier covenants God made with Israel. How does Jesus describe this covenant? If you were expecting the word “new” in this verse, you are thinking of Luke 22:20, where Jesus says, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” In Matthew 26:28 and Mark 14:24, Jesus says, “This is my blood of the covenant.” The covenants in the Old Testament are solemn agreements between God and his people. How is Jesus’s blood a covenant with us? In verse 28, what does Jesus identify as the purpose of the pouring out of his blood? His blood is poured out for the forgiveness of sins. When Jesus says this, Jesus is making a connection with Isaiah 53:12, where Isaiah says of the Suffering Servant that “he poured out himself to death, / and was numbered with the transgressors; / yet he bore the sin of many, / and made intercession for the transgressors” (NRSV). How does this connection of the cup to the forgiveness of sins relate to you? What difference does it make in your life? How is Jesus’s new interpretation of the Jewish Passover an additional demonstration of his authority? At many places in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus has been reinterpreting the Jewish Scriptures: You have heard it said . . . , but I say. . . . Now, he has reinterpreted the foundational feast of Passover. Now he shows that he also has authority over Jewish liturgical practices. How does the new covenant inaugurated here have power that the earlier covenants did not have? How do you think Matthew and the believers of his time felt about the Lord’s Supper described here? What do you think Matthew is trying to tell us? Note: In verse 29, Jesus says he will not drink wine again “until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” This statement is usually interpreted as referring to the heavenly banquet that is envisioned for us in heaven. Notice in verse 29 that even though Jesus knows he is going to die, he knows this is not the end. He is still thinking about his Father’s kingdom and looking forward to the future. How can this attitude be helpful to you in your own life’s journey? In verse 29, Jesus says that he will drink “with you” in the Father’s Kingdom. That assurance extends to us as well. What is your reaction to the idea of that someday you will eat and drink with Jesus in heaven? When you receive communion at church, what is going through your head? In what ways do you see Christ in the Eucharist/communion and/or see it as a means of becoming more fully united with Christ? Augustine gave a homily about the Eucharist for new converts who were baptized at Easter or Pentecost around A.D. 408 in which he took the idea that the consecrated bread is the body of Christ and connected it to the idea presented by Paul that we are the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). Augustine said: “Be what you see; receive what you are” (Augustine, “Sermon 272”). How do you see the “body of Christ” in communion? How do you make the most of the experience of receiving communion? Focus now on Matthew 26:31-35 , where Jesus predicts Peter’s denial Jesus tells them several important things in verses 31 and 32. What does he tell them (1) about themselves; (2) about himself; and (3) about what will happen afterwards? He says: (1) They will desert him and scatter. (2) He will be stricken, but he will also be raised up and he will go to Galilee. (3) They will meet him in Galilee (going “ahead” of them implies they will go as well). The Old Testament passage Jesus quotes in verse 31 is from Zechariah 13:7. In verse 33, how does Peter respond to the claim that they will desert Jesus? Peter carries forever the stigma of having denied Jesus because we have the full story of his denial. But what does v. 35 tell us about the other disciples? In verse 31, Jesus said, “You will all. . . .” Do you think the other disciples were different from Peter in their denial/desertion? Peter was not a coward. He tried to defend Jesus with his sword when Jesus was arrested, and he followed Jesus right into the courtyard of the high priest’s compound. But in the end, it turned out that he had too much confidence in himself. We sometimes think our faith and loyalty and courage are greater than they are. What caution can we take from Peter’s misplaced confidence? Read Matthew 26:41 and then re-read what Jesus says in verses 31-32. How do you think Jesus feels about the disciples? Is he angry? Embittered? Lovingly aware? How do you think Jesus feels when you turn away from him in big or small ways? How do these verses provide encouragement in difficult times? Notice that even though Jesus has just told them they will desert him, he also says in v. 31 that he expects to see them later in Galilee. Do you find that God is also that way with us: that even though we mess up, he never rejects us – instead he just keeps expecting us to show up the next time? What does this tell you about God? Take a step back and consider this: The Passover feast was a celebration of God’s acts of salvation in the history of the Jewish people. Jesus’s sacrifice of himself ushered in a new covenant that fulfills and transcends the previous covenants God made with his people. We see these previous covenants in the Old Testament: God made a covenant with Noah and his descendants after the flood (Gen. 8:20-9:17); a covenant with Abraham that established a nation that would be God’s special people (Gen. 17:1-14); a covenant with Moses and the Israelites that gave them the Law (Ex. 19-24); and a covenant with David, through whose line the messiah would come (2 Sam. 7:1-17; summarized again in 1 Chron. 17:11-14). Later, God promised that he would establish a new covenant that would be for all people (Jer. 31:31-34). Jesus establishes that new and eternal covenant through his death and resurrection. In fact, Jesus Christ brings all of the covenants to their fulfillment. How is God’s relationship with the Jewish people through many centuries important to Christians? What difference does it make in your life that Jesus has both fulfilled the old covenant and established a new covenant? A covenant is a solemn agreement between humans and God (or between humans with each other ). Do you think of yourself as being in a “covenant” relationship with God? How is it helpful to think about your relationship with God in that way? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

Jesus loves his people like a mother hen who desires to gather her young under her wings. How can we embrace this maternal love of God for us? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 23:37-39 Jesus loves his people like a mother hen who desires to gather her young under her wings. How can we embrace this maternal love of God for us? Ben Austrian (1870-1921). Hen with Baby Chicks . Circa 1915. Cropped. Reading Public Museum, Reading, PA. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ben_Austrian_-_Hen_with_Baby_Chicks_-_2009.3.1_-_Reading_Public_Museum.jpg . Tom Faletti August 22, 2025 Matthew 23:37-39 Jesus yearns for the people of Jerusalem like a mother hen for her chicks We have completed the material Matthew has gathered together regarding the confrontations between Jesus and the leaders of the various factions of Jews in Jerusalem. Matthew ends with a passage that is very different but is connected by the fact that both this passage and the previous passage refer to the killing of prophets sent by God. But the tone in this passage is different. In the previous passage, where Jesus is uttering woes against the scribes and Pharisees, it would be natural to assume that Jesus’s tone was stern and judging. What is his tone in this passage? How does he feel about Jerusalem? What does the image of a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wings tell you about Jesus? How does a mother’s love portray God’s feelings toward us? This is not the only passage in the Bible that presents God using maternal images. Read Isaiah 49:13-15 As they struggle in exile, how does verse 14 describe how God’s people (the people of Zion) are feeling? They are feeling forsaken or forgotten by God. How does God respond in verse 15? God describes his relationship with them as like that of a woman and her infant, saying: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, / or show no compassion for the child up for womb? / Even these may forget, / yet I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15, NRSV). God is to his people like a mother to her nursing babe. What does this tell you about God’s relationship with us and love for us? Read Isaiah 66:13 In this portion of Isaiah, the prophet is describing the future restoration of Israel. What does God say in this verse? God says, “As a mother comforts her child, / so I will comfort you” (Isaiah 66:13, NRSV). How is the image of a mother comforting her child a helpful image of God’s concern for us? Read Psalm 131 How does the psalmist describe his approach to God? The psalmist says, “I have calmed and quieted my soul, / like a weaned child with its mother” (Psalm 131:2, NRSV). The psalmist could have said “father” – the child has been weaned, so this is not a nursing image. But here he pictures the peace and security he finds in the presence of God as being like a child leaning into the embrace of its mother. How does that enhance our image of God’s love for us? Can you picture yourself leaning into God’s embrace like a child to its mother? How does that make you feel? Does this image add anything to your usual image of your relationship with God? Read Hosea 11:1-4 Although the people of Israel have not been faithful to God, how does God describe his relationship with them? This is not an exclusively maternal image of God, but certainly has maternal overtones. When God says he taught his people to walk, “took them in my arms,” cared for them with love like those who “lift an infant to their cheeks,” and “bent down to feed them,” how does that remind us of a mother? Do you feel like God is helping you to grow and develop the way a mother nurtures her child? How is this image helpful? These few verses cannot be used to construct a theology for calling God “Mother,” especially considering the massive counterweight of biblical language that explicitly calls God “Father.” Since God is not a material creature, he is neither male nor female. But he chose to become a member of the human family as a male, and Jesus called God his “Father.” That is not something to be rejected. So it is appropriate to call God “Father.” Nevertheless, Jesus and Old Testament writers occasionally used the metaphor of a loving mother to express God’s love for us, which offers us the opportunity to explore the value of that metaphor in understanding how much God loves us. Go back and re-read Matthew 23:37-39 . Imagine being swept up into Jesus’s arms, or under his wings. How does that make you feel? What does Jesus want you to understand about yourself and him, in these words he spoke? Notice that Jesus’s words imply that he has been in Jerusalem many times previously. Matthew and the other synoptic Gospels tell Jesus’s story as though his public ministry included only one visit to Jerusalem. John’s Gospel shows that he has been there multiple times. Luke 3:41 tells us that Mary and Joseph and the child Jeus went to Jerusalem for Passover every year. It is unlikely that he would have stopped the practice as an adult. So Matthew’s Gospel, despite how much it covers, still only presents part of Jesus’s life in the public eye. Picture Jesus traveling to Jerusalem (like a pilgrimage) every year for the Passover sacrifice. What does that add to your understanding of his life? In verse 38, “your house” means Jerusalem – Jerusalem will be left desolate. This is another instance of Matthew alluding to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, after the time when Jesus spoke but before Matthew wrote his Gospel. Since Jesus has already had his dramatic entrance into Jerusalem in Matthew 21:1-11, where the people cried out, “Blessed is he who come in the name of the Lord,” verse 39 can’ be interpreted as a reference to that day. Therefore, verse 39 is often interpreted as referring to the Second Coming, when Jesus will come in glory for the final judgment. That make sense in the context of what is coming in the next two chapters, which are about the Second Coming and the Final Judgment. Everyone will face a final judgment at the end of their life. Jesus shows patience rather than calling for an immediate punishment upon the people in Jerusalem who oppose him. How has he treated you with similar patience? How might we imitate Jesus’s love for people even when they are rejecting him? How might we imitate Jesus’s love for people even when they are rejecting us? Take a step back and consider this: In Psalm 131, the psalmist says, “I have calmed and quieted my soul, / like a weaned child with its mother” (Psalm 131:2, NRSV). You can imagine him simply being present to God: not trying to direct the conversation, not imploring God to do one thing or another, just being with God, as young child in its mother’s arms. The next time you have a quiet time with God, don’t start with your requests and petitions. Don’t start with your sins. Start by just being with God, like a child with its mother. Jesus wants to bring all of us under his wing, close to himself. Spend some time resting in the peace of knowing that Jesus is near you and wants you near him. Like a child, lean in and enjoy just being with God. What effect does this kind of prayer, just resting in the arms of God like a child with its mother, have on you? How can responding to Jesus’s desire to gather you under his wings change your spiritual 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

Jesus is greater than King David. He’s not your ordinary messiah, not your ordinary son of David. Who is Jesus in your life? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 22:41-46 Jesus is greater than King David. He’s not your ordinary messiah, not your ordinary son of David. Who is Jesus in your life? Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640). King David playing the harp . Tapestry. Circa 1628. Convent of Las Descalzas Reales, Madrid, Spain. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:King_David_playing_the_Harp.png . Tom Faletti August 18, 2025 Matthew 22:41-46 Jesus challenges the Pharisees: What do the Psalms say about the Messiah? Matthew has now presented 3 separate confrontations between Jesus and 3 major factions of Jewish religious and political society: the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees. Each group hoped to trip him up. In each case, he not only outwitted them; he gave timeless guidance for how to think about major questions in life. Jesus now turns the tables and poses a question to the Pharisees. He knows that they believe, correctly, that the Messiah will be the son of David. Matthew signaled from the very beginning of his Gospel that this is a key theme of the Gospel, when he presented the genealogy of Jesus in a way that showed that Jesus is the son of David (Matt. 1:1ff) and the Messiah. First, Jesus asks the Pharisees an easy question. What does Jesus ask in verse 42, and how do they answer? Jesus then asks a really difficult question that had never occurred to them. In verses 44, Jesus quotes from Psalm 110:1. This psalm begins with a caption attributing the psalm to David, and the Jews of Jesus’s time believed that this psalm was talking about the Messiah. In verse 43, he points out that David was inspired by the Spirit when he wrote it. In verses 43-45, what is the meaning of Jesus’s question? Why is this a difficult question? In the psalm, David says: The Lord (i.e., God) said to “my lord” (meaning whom?), “Sit at my right hand….” Who could David be referring to as his “lord”? The Jews interpreted the psalm as speaking about a son (descendant) of David, but a child is generally not considered greater than the parent. Who could be of higher stature than David, that David would call him “lord”? The Jews of Jesus’s time believed that in this psalm David was talking about the future messiah, yet David calls this descendant of his his lord. Jesus asks, how can this be? It is a difficult question because it suggests that the messiah is greater than David, not simply a descendant who would restore David’s throne. How can this be? If the messiah is greater than David, not just a son of David, what might that suggest about the Messiah? Jesus is suggesting that this Messiah is greater than David and more than just a “son of David.” But what could be greater than David? This raises the possibility that the Messiah is the Son of God. Is Jesus saying something about himself? How does this relate to Jesus? Several people have called Jesus the Son of David in Matthew’s Gospel, and he has never rejected the title. When the crowd called him the Son of David in Matthew 21:9 as he entered Jerusalem, he did not reject it. And in Matthew 21:15-16 when the chief priests and scribes criticized the use of that title for Jesus, he embraced it. So he is indicating that he is greater than David – greater than any human. If we put the pieces together, Jesus is saying that Jesus is the long-expected Messiah and Son of God, and that David prophesied that God would say to Jesus: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.” If Jesus is described as being at God’s right hand and that God will put his enemies under his feet, what does that say about Jesus? Are the ideas in this passage old news to you, or does it shed new light on your faith in some way? What does this passage say to you? Matthew wants us to understand that Jesus is more than an ordinary messiah, more than a generic descendant of David. Who is Jesus in your life? Who is Jesus to you? Jesus has now stumped the people who should know the most about the Hebrew Scriptures. What does verse 46 tell us? Why are they afraid to ask him any more questions? Should we be afraid to ask Jesus questions about the Scriptures or anything else? Why not? Why do you think Matthew has walked through these debates between Jesus and the various Jewish factions? Among other things, Matthew is showing that no one knows the Old Testament Scriptures better than Jesus and that the Scriptures point to Jesus’s unique identity as the Son of God. It also sets the stage for what is coming by showing some of the reasons why the Jewish leaders want Jesus dead. And it shows Matthew’s readers why they can believe in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. Looking back at the debates between Jesus and his opponents in Matthew 22:15-46, how does Jesus want us to respond to what we are learning from him in these passages? Take a step back and consider this: One of the early debates in the Church, as it was first being formed, was whether Christians needed the Old Testament or could just discard it as a relic of an earlier time before Jesus appeared. How do you think Jesus would respond to that question? Why is an understanding of the Old Testament valuable for the faith of a Christian? What is your relationship with the Old Testament? Do you find it valuable? If so, why? Are there ways you think you could do more to enhance your understanding of the Old Testament? Why? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

What are your goals as a small-group Bible Study leader, and what do you need to do to fulfill the role you have taken on? Previous For Leaders Next Important Functions of Leaders What are your goals as a small-group Bible Study leader, and what do you need to do to fulfill the role you have taken on? Image by Priscilla Du Preez, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti March 25, 2024 Bible Study groups seek to accomplish at least three important goals: (1) increase people’s understanding of the Bible, (2) foster spiritual growth through the application of God’s Word, and (3) provide a place to experience Christian community. Although leaders have different styles, leaders of every style need to try to fulfill several important functions as they guide their groups. 1. Ask all 3 types of questions. In order to facilitate both the understanding and application of God’s Word, a leader must ask all 3 major types of questions: Questions of fact : What does the passage say? Questions of interpretation : What does it mean? Questions for application : How can we apply it to our lives? Some leaders focus on the 2nd and 3rd types of questions but leave out the “What does it say?” questions. This leads to misunderstandings, as people jump to conclusions about what the Bible says and get it wrong. Some leaders focus on the 1st and 2nd types of questions but leave out the application questions. This leads to dry studies that seldom change lives. Make sure you ask a specific, challenging application question about every passage. A general question like “Where do you see this in our world?” will not change lives the way a specific question like “Where do you experience this in your own life?” can. Personal application questions are a key to having a thriving group. 2. Manage the time. A leader must stay aware of the time and manage it carefully. Leave plenty of time for application questions. Don’t let the first two type of questions squeeze out the chance to talk about how to apply the truths we have discussed. Don’t be afraid to gently redirect the conversation. Sometimes this is as simple as asking another question or drawing the group’s attention back to a particular verse. Break the passage down into manageable chunks. If you make your chunks too large, you can easily overlook key points. Sometimes it is helpful to say, “Let’s read verses 25 through 36 but focus first on verses 25 to 30.” Then you can ask questions about the first half of the passage before you discuss the second half. 3. Always welcome other people and their ideas. A leader must help set people at ease. People will not be able to be open to what the Scripture says if the group or the leader do not demonstrate an openness to them. Your openness to them sets the stage for their openness to God. Don’t try to refute every idea you think is wrong. It’s OK to leave unchallenged things that you disagree with. Sometimes you will want to point out that church teaching or scholars view the matter differently, but do it in a gentle way that doesn’t prevent future sharing. Otherwise, people will simply keep silent about their views. By allowing room for differing views, we allow room for the Holy Spirit to slowly guide people into a clearer understanding of God’s truths. 4. Encourage faith. A leader must guide the group toward a faith-filled response to God. When people express doubts about a Scripture passage, we need to give them space to share those concerns. At the same time, we want to encourage a faith-filled response to God’s Word. Often, the best way to do this is not by challenging the doubter but simply by expressing our own faith and our confidence that God is with us even in our doubts. We can tell Him how we feel and still try to stay open to Him. Our attitude of faith will rub off on others much more than anything we say. Don’t be afraid to express your faith and encourage and praise the faith-based responses of others. For more leadership training materials, see Leading a Small-Group Bible Study . 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

The Golden Rule is part of the fundamental choice Jesus is calling us to make. Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 7:12-23 The Golden Rule is part of the fundamental choice Jesus is calling us to make. Image by Rosalind Chang, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti June 7, 2024 Matthew 7:12 The Golden Rule What word or phrase comes to mind as you consider this passage? In my Bible Study group, here are some of the ideas that were considered: empathy, consideration, reciprocal treatment, kindness, walking in the other’s shoes. How does this go beyond the “eye for an eye thinking” of earlier civilizations? Almost all religions and ethical systems have some form of the Golden Rule, but most are expressed in the negative: Don’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you. No one before Jesus expressed this idea in the affirmative, requiring that we “do.” How does Jesus’s way of saying it push us further? There are a variety of possible answers to this question. One think worth noting is that the negative formulation only requires you to hold back and not do something bad. Jesus’s rule requires us to affirmatively take action to be helpful in ways that we would want others to be helpful to us. To live the Golden Rule seriously, we have to take the time regularly to think about what we might wish others were doing – and then do that thing. Is that an easy or difficult challenge for you? Explain. How would the Christian witness to the world be different if we truly lived the affirmative version of the Golden Rule that Jesus taught? Matthew 7:13-23 The fundamental choice Verses 13-14: The wide way and the narrow way. In the poem “The Road Not Taken” , Robert Frost wrote: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Jesus is similarly proposing a fundamental breakpoint where a choice must be made. Where does the narrow gate lead (verse 14)? What do you think he means by “life”? How have you experienced this “life” that is found on the narrow way? What choices did you have to make to set you on the path with the narrow gate? On the narrow way (verse 14), why do you think Jesus says the road is “hard” (NRSV) or “constricted” (NABRE)? How is the narrow way hard? Where does the road with the wide gate lead (verse 13)? What do you think he means by destruction”? Are there times when you have experienced the effects of spending time on the easy road with the wide gate? Explain. If you have spent time on the wide way, what choices did you have to make to get of that road and move to the narrow way? How would you characterize the difference between how a person lives their life on the narrow way versus the wide way? Are there differences in outlook, focus, character traits that are exhibited, priorities, etc.? Verses 15-20: False prophets Prophets are people who speak the word of the Lord to the people. While we think of prophecy mostly in terms of predictions about the future, most prophetic activity in the Old Testament and probably in the early church involved the delivering of commands from God about how the people should live, often in response to what was going on at the time. We know from other passages in the Bible that itinerant prophets would come through town and expect to be fed them and supported while they were there. The question was, were they moochers, or evilly inspired, or from God? According to Jesus, how can you judge whether some is a good prophet (verses 16 and 17)? What does good fruit look like? What fruits would you look for in trying to judge whether someone is of God? Among many criteria, we might look for: How are they living their lives? Do their lives exhibit righteousness and repentance, or are they caught up in sinful behaviors? Do their lives conform to the Golden Rule that Jesus has just laid down a few verses earlier? How well do they manifest the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23)? Do they live lives of discipline or excess? Do they care for the poor or focus on the wealthy? How do they handle adversity? Do their teachings promote unity or sow division? Do their teachings cohere with what God has already revealed or promote new, hidden knowledge known only to them? Why does Jesus say in verse 19 that bad trees are cut down and thrown into the fire? Who are the “prophets” of our time whom we need to judge by their fruits? Are there “prophets” you are tempted to listen to? How can you make sure you are judging them wisely and not being drawn in by clever words and enticing ideas? Verses 21-23: Saying “Lord, Lord” doesn’t mean you’re in the kingdom of heaven Jesus says that saying, “Lord, Lord,” is not enough. What needs to be done to enter the kingdom of heaven? Only those who do the will of the Father enter the kingdom of heaven. In this context, what do you think Jesus means by “doing the will of the Father”? What must we do? What deeds are not sufficient evidence that someone will be welcomed into the kingdom of heaven (verse 22)? Why are those powerful signs of God’s presence not sufficient? What do you think those people should have been doing instead? Note: Jesus will spell some of this out more explicitly later in Matthew’s Gospel, including where he says that the ultimate test will be how we treated the least of us who were in need around us (Matthew 25:31-46). It is popular to say that we need to “walk the walk and not just talk the talk.” How does that idea reflect what Jesus is saying? What is the “walk” that is needed, that goes beyond the “talk”? Notice that the people Jesus is describing here weren’t just “talking.” They were doing impressive, attention-grabbing things. They may have even been doing good things. But Jesus said that is not enough. What are they missing? What does this passage say to you about your own life? What do you need to be doing, in order to be what you are called to be? Take a step back and consider this: It is interesting that the Golden Rule sits between a set of passages that, on one side, tell us to stop judging others and to pray continually to God with confidence that our Father in heaven will give us what we need, and, on the other side, tell us that we need to make a fundamental choice to take the hard way that bears good fruit and look good. Perhaps the linkage is that the Golden Rule, if lived fully by a committed Christian, will lead us to the right dispositions: If we treat others the way we want them to treat us, we will cut others as much slack as we hope they will cut us and that God will cut us. If we treat others the way we want them to treat us, we will trust God for our needs and not look for ways to squeeze every last dollar out of the people around us. If we treat others the way we want them to treat us, we will live lives that the people around us will recognize as bearing good fruit. If we treat others the way we want them to treat us, the Lord will not say, “‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers” (Matt. 7:23, NABRE). If we take the Golden Rule in its full, affirmative form – do what you want others to do – how might it change not only our actions, but our entire way of thinking? Pick an area of your life where you are dealing with other people and the situation is currently bothering you or not going as you would like. How can you apply the Golden Rule creatively, in its affirmative direction to do what you wish others would do for you? How can you do something differently in that situation, in the spirit of the Golden Rule? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

Jesus provides evidence that he comes from the Father and challenges the religious leaders to search the Scriptures to find him. How eagerly do we search the Scriptures and accept what he says? [John 5:19-30; 5:31-40; 5:41-47] Previous Next John List John 5:19-47 Jesus provides evidence that he comes from the Father and challenges the religious leaders to search the Scriptures to find him. How eagerly do we search the Scriptures and accept what he says? Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti January 22, 2026 Read John 5:19-30 Jesus is the Son doing the work of his Father The main thrust of this passage is that Jesus does not do anything on his own. Where does what he does and says come from? In verse 20, Jesus says that the Father shows Jesus what to do because the Father loves Jesus. In what ways does the Father show his love for Jesus? In verse 21, Jesus says that the Father raises the dead and gives life – powers that the Old Testament acknowledged as powers of God. In what ways does Jesus give life? (Think about this question both literally and figuratively.) Verse 21 says that Jesus gives life to whomever he wishes. How has he given life to you? How do you respond to Jesus’s gift of life? Are there ways you would like to adjust how you respond, to receive his gift more fully? The Old Testament acknowledged that God has the power to judge humans. In verse 22, Jesus refines this understanding, saying that the Father does not judge people but instead gives all judgment to the Son. What does this mean to you? In verse 24, Jesus describes those who will not be condemned or suffer judgment when Jesus exercises judgment. Who does Jesus say has eternal life? Jesus says this about those who “hear my word” and “believe in the one who sent me.” Verse 24 could be misinterpreted to make salvation seem to be a matter of the ears and mind. Jesus obviously expects more. In verse 29, what does Jesus say is the difference between those who receive the resurrection of life and those who receive the resurrection of judgment? Jesus says that those who have done good (NRSV) or done good deeds (NABRE) receive the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil (NRSV), or wicked deeds (NABRE), receive the resurrection of judgment. This makes it clear that “hearing” and “believing” require action. What do these verses tell us about what it looks like when someone actually “hears” Jesus’s words and “believes” in God the Father? What do you think Jesus means when he talks about doing good or doing good deeds in verse 29? What does that look like? What do these verses tell you about your own place in the Final Judgment that Jesus is describing? In verse 27, Jesus refers to himself as the “Son of Man” in the context of the dead coming to life in a day of judgment. He is invoking two Old Testament prophecies. First, in Daniel 7:13-14, the prophet Daniel has a vision in which he sees “one like a son of man” coming with the clouds of heaven, who is then presented to God and given eternal dominion over all nations and peoples. Second, in Ezekiel 37:1-4, God addresses Ezekiel as “son of man” (a term he uses frequently for Ezekiel) and tells him to speak words over a valley full of dry bones (i.e., people who are dead) and tell them that God will restore their bodies and they will come back to life. Any time we face judgment, whether it is by a parent or a boss or a judge or a friend, or by anyone else, the fear is always that the judge will not be fair. In verse 30, Jesus says that you can count on his judgment being just because he does not seek his own will but the will of the one who sent him. Do you think of Jesus as a just judge? How does the fact that he is the one who will be judging you make you feel? Throughout this passage, Jesus has insisted that he only does what the Father tells him to do, that everything he does and says is a reflection of who the Father is. If he were claiming to be the son of a Greek god, this would be terrifying, since the Greek gods were petty, jealous, fickle, and rarely loving. These words of Jesus can be reassuring only if we have a positive impression of the God whom Jesus is calling his Father. What do you think about God the Father’s attitude toward you? Go back and re-read John 3:16-17 . What does John the Evangelist tell us about the Father, and how does that help us understand what Jesus is like when he acts according to the Father? How can the fact the Jesus embodies the ways of the Father be reassuring to you? Can we use this image of being like the Father as a guide for our lives? If we are meant to be like Jesus, who is an image of the Father, how might that guide how we live? What is the most important thing you can take from this passage as you live your life? Read John 5:31-40 Jesus discusses the witnesses that testify on his behalf Jesus has just been talking about his role in judging the world. Now he shifts the focus to respond to the fact that the Jewish religious leaders are judging him. He talks about the evidence that shows that what he is teaching is right. In Jewish law, testimony on your own behalf was not considered convincing. John will bring this up in 8:13. Furthermore, according to Deuteronomy 19:15, no one could be judged on the basis of a single witness. The testimony of 2 or 3 witnesses was required in order for a verdict to be reached. Here, Jesus offers 4 sources that testify on his behalf. What does Jesus mean when he says that these various sources of evidence “testify” on his behalf? What does it mean for them to “testify” for him? Jesus is describing what in a modern court might be thought of as a combination of “character witnesses” and witnesses who provide testimony that can be used as evidence in support of the claims of the defendant. These sources show that what Jesus is saying is true. What are the sources that testify to Jesus in the following verses? Verses 33-34? Verse 36? Verses 37-38? Verse 39? Jesus says that he receives supportive testimony from John the Baptist, the miracles that he (Jesus) does, the Father, and the Scriptures. By citing these sources of testimony, what is Jesus saying about himself and who he is? What evidence or sources do you find most compelling in support of your belief in Jesus? There is an interesting ambiguity in verse 39. In most translations, Jesus is stating a fact: “You search the Scriptures, because you think in them you have eternal life.” However, the sentence could be translated as an imperative (an order or direction): “Search the Scriptures....” Could you imagine Jesus telling that to you? Why might Jesus want you to study the Scriptures? How might your life be affected if you spend more time studying the Scriptures? What do you think might happen? Read John 5:41-47 Jesus criticizes the Jewish religious leaders for their refusal to accept him despite the evidence Looking at verses 43-44, who does Jesus say the people receive or accept or give glory to, instead of accepting Jesus? They accept and honor people who are speaking only in their own name, not in the name of God. How is this a problem in our time? In what ways do people today accept the claims of others who are only speaking in their own name? In verse 44, Jesus criticizes them for seeking praise from each other instead of from God. In what ways do people in our day do that? What does it look like to seek the praise of God, as Jesus describes in verse 44? How can we know if we are living a life that is worthy of praise from God (for example, where God might say, “Well done, you good and faithful servant”)? In verses 45-47, Jesus says that the people he is talking to – the religious leaders and those who follow them – are not paying attention to Moses. Moses was considered the author of the first 5 books of the Old Testament (the Torah). Jesus is saying that they are ignoring the evidence in the Old Testament that would show that Jesus is the Messiah. We are probably more familiar with passages from other parts of the Old Testament that prophecy about Jesus, but the Torah also has passages that point to a Messiah. For example, Genesis 3:15 says that Eve’s offspring will strike the head of the serpent (the passage that is considered the first Messianic prophecy); Genesis 49:10 says that the scepter will never depart from the house of Judah (implying that a king would arise again); and in Deuteronomy 18:15-19 Moses says that God will raise up a prophet like him. There is also Numbers 21:4-5, which we saw in John 3:14-15, where the bronze serpent is hung on a pole to heal the people. Why do you think the religious leaders were not able to see Jesus in the Old Testament? When did you come to realize that you are comfortable with the idea that Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecies? What Old Testament passages do you think talk about Jesus most compellingly? Take a step back and consider this: It may see odd to think of Jesus being judged rather than doing the judging. But people do it all the time as they try to decide whether to believe in him. And it might be fair to say that we are judging the words of Jesus when we try to decide what parts of Jesus’s teaching should be taken more seriously and what parts can be moved to the shadows. I'm not suggesting that everything Jesus says must be taken literally. He spoke often in metaphors, and in contexts we don’t always understand well. We need to study his words carefully to figure out what words are meant to be taken literally and what words need to be interpreted with more nuance. But the challenge remains: Are there things Jesus teaches that you have consciously decided to ignore? Are there things Jesus teaches that you have unconsciously pushed out of sight? How can we grapple with the words of Jesus in all their complexity, believing that all of his words have meaning for us? How can we take seriously even the teachings we may not entirely agree with? How would Jesus like us to deal with the things we find difficult? May God the Father be with you and may the Holy Spirit guide you as you wrestle with the words of Jesus. Bibliography See John - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/john/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 John List Next

The apostle Paul undermined the Roman system of slavery by seeking to transform the relationship between masters and slaves. Could he have done more? Could we be doing more to challenge the injustices of our time? Previous Philemon List Next Philemon: Broader Questions About Slavery The apostle Paul undermined the Roman system of slavery by seeking to transform the relationship between masters and slaves. Could he have done more? Could we be doing more to challenge the injustices of our time? Kiwi the Green Wing Macaw, in a cage. Quality Inn Oceanfront, Ocean City, MD. Photo by Tom Faletti, 28 Sept. 2024. Tom Faletti October 6, 2025 Broader Questions About Slavery We have carefully explored Paul’s letter to Philemon. Now let’s look at the broader issue of slavery in the Roman Empire as it affected the early church. First, some background facts: When the New Testament was being written, 20% or more of all the people in the Roman Empire were slaves, and the percentage was higher in the Empire’s home province of Italy ( Welch and Hall ; The British Museum ). Slavery was embedded in the entire fabric of the Roman Empire. It was central to the social structure and economic system, and it was a central feature of Rome’s military expansion. The Empire routinely captured thousands of enemy soldiers and civilians when they won military victories and brought them to Rome or other parts of Italy as slaves. Slaves performed a wide range of jobs, both professional and menial, so they often moved freely around their city and could show up everywhere – sometimes working side by side with freed people. A master didn’t have to be wealthy to own a slave. Slaves were allowed to earn money, which served as an incentive for good performance. They could buy their freedom, if their master was willing. Masters also sometimes freed slaves by their own choice. In the early centuries of the Roman Empire, slave owners were allowed to treat their slaves any way they wanted, and abuses were common. Almost any kind of punishment was permitted. A slave could be beaten, forced to wear irons, branded on the forehead, or even killed by a master. In addition, if the government got involved – for example, when there were slave rebellions – the penalty could be crucifixion. And being a fugitive slave in the Roman Empire was a major crime. Later, restrictions were placed on how masters treated their slaves. Both slaves and masters, like other people, were often attracted to the new religion of Christianity. Therefore, the early church included both slaves and masters, and the church had to figure out how to deal with the constant presence of slaves and masters in their midst. People sometimes ask why Paul didn’t denounce slavery or call for its abolition. How might his approach have been affected by his expectation that Christ would be coming back soon? Considering the structure of the Roman Empire, what do you think would have happened if he or other Christians had worked to abolish slavery in the Roman Empire? Why might he have chosen not to challenge the slave-based social structure? In the Gospels, Jesus never calls for the abolition of slavery. He tells stories about slaves and masters. He says that the truth will set you free (John 8:31-36), but he is talking about spiritual freedom from sin, not slavery as an institution. Why do you think Jesus never called for the abolition of slavery? While Paul does not explicitly call for an end to slavery, he says things that could be seen as undermining the system. For example, what are the implications of saying that a slave is a beloved brother in the Lord (Philemon 16)? Paul talks about slaves, masters, and free people in several of his letters. Let’s look at what Paul says when he brings up the topic: 1 Corinthians 7:20-24 Stay in the state you’re in Why does Paul encourage people to avoid slavery and to become free if they can? What attitude does he say people should have if they are slaves? How is Paul’s teaching here supportive of the existing social structure of slavery? How does Paul’s teaching here undermine the existing system? In what ways might saying that slaves are free in the Lord lay the groundwork for an end to slavery? 1 Corinthians 12:13 the Spirit is given to slaves and free people Consider the social and political distinctions that come with being a slave or a free person. How is Paul’s teaching here subversive of the existing social structure of slavery? Galatians 3:26-28 In Christ there is neither slave nor free How does the principle Paul establishes here undermine the slavery system and lay the groundwork for enslaved people to eventually be freed and treated as equals? Colossians 3:11 there is no slave nor free; Christ is in all How does saying that “Christ is in all” add to what Paul said in Galatians 3? Ephesians 6:5-9 how slaves and masters should treat each other How do Paul’s instructions to slaves suggest an entirely different way of thinking about their work? How do Paul’s instructions to masters suggest an entirely different way of thinking about their relationship to their slaves? Considering what we know about how masters could abuse their slaves with impunity in the Roman Empire, how is Paul fostering a new way of thinking about slaves? Colossians 3:22–4:1 how slaves and masters should treat each other These instructions are very similar to the instructions in Ephesians 6. What words does Paul uses in 4:1 that introduce a new way of thinking about how masters should treat slaves? Paul says masters should treat their slaves “justly” – a word that raises a question: what is justice for slaves? And when he says masters should treat their slaves “fairly,” the root of the Greek word he uses is the word for equality (Liddell and Scott; Vine; and the Interlinear Bible ). In other words, Paul is telling masters to treat their slaves with justice and with equality (although he does not elaborate as to whether he means equality among slaves or equality between slaves and free people). What message about slavery is Paul sending by saying that slaves should be treated justly and fairly? Conclusion Different people reach different conclusions about Paul’s handling of the reality of slavery in the Roman Empire. What do you think about how Paul dealt with this central feature of Roman society? Do you think his focus on transforming attitudes was appropriate, or do you think he should have done more? Could we be doing more to challenge the injustices of our time? Paul Robinson Coleman-Norton is cited as a key source by Joseph A. Fitzmyer, who wrote the commentary on Philemon for The New Jerome Biblical Commentary . Coleman-Norton (1898-1971) was an authority on Roman law at Princeton University for 40 years. Coleman-Norton noted that Paul “does not denounce the system [of slavery] itself as wrong; rather Paul tries to transform the relation of master and slave by referring it to Christian considerations.” He concludes that Paul “enunciates the doctrine which eventually destroyed the system of slavery” (Coleman-Norton, p. 165). In other words, Paul sowed seeds that eventually led Christians to conclude that the institution of slavery could not be defended. Do you agree? When you get to heaven, what would you like to ask Paul about this subject? Epilogue Why do you think this letter about a personal matter was included in the New Testament, when most of the letters in the canon were written for the public instruction of a church or a group of churches? There is an interesting historical footnote to this story. Around 50 years after Paul wrote this letter, sometime between 108 and 117, Ignatius of Antioch, the bishop or “patriarch” of Antioch, was being taken to Rome to be martyred. On the way, he wrote 7 letters (which still survive) to various churches in Asia Minor. In his letter to the church at Ephesus, he praises their bishop, Onesimus. Scholars wonder whether this Onesimus might be the same Onesimus who Paul wrote to Philemon about. (If Philemon was a young man when he ran away, he could have been an old bishop 50 years later.) Some scholars believe that Paul’s letters were assembled into one document at Ephesus. If Onesimus became the bishop there, he could be the reason why the church at Ephesus preserved this seemingly personal letter from Paul. (See Orthodox Church in America for a statement of this belief.) If Onesimus did ultimately become a bishop, that would suggest that Paul was successful in his mission of getting Philemon to allow Onesimus to work in ministry. Take a step back and consider this: Every generation faces new or resurrected issues where the Christian faith has something to say that runs contrary to the norms of a culture or society. If we are trying to influence someone to “do the right thing” in their treatment of a group that might be suffering mistreatment or might be at risk, Paul’s approach to Philemon might offer us some suggestions for how to be effective advocates. Paul’s leadership tips for how to approach a decision maker might include the following: Praise the decision maker for what he or she has already done. Praise the people you are advocating for. Try to persuade but not command. Describe the benefits to the decision maker of following your suggestion. Describe the benefits to yourself and the people you are advocating for. Offer logical, reasoned arguments. Appeal to both the head and the heart. Acknowledge that the decision is ultimately in their hands. What might be an issue today where you feel called to speak up and urge someone to find an appropriate way to put the teachings of Christ into practice? How could you draw wisdom (and courage) from Paul’s example, regarding how to do it? What might your next step be? Bibliography See Philemon - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/philemon/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Philemon List Next

Is your faith built on rock? Is the Sermon on the Mount a central part of your faith? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 7:24-29 Is your faith built on rock? Is the Sermon on the Mount a central part of your faith? Image by Nenad Radojčić, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti June 7, 2024 Matthew 7:24-27 The house built on rock What are the two things Jesus says a person must do to be like the wise man? What does it mean to truly “hear” God’s word? What does it mean to “act on” these words? Jesus uses the metaphor of building a house. What does the “house” stand for in our lives? There are many possible answers, including: your faith, your principles, your worldview, your habits, your character, your life choices, etc. How does a “wise” person built this kind of house? What is the “rock” on which your life stands? And how does it operate as a “rock” for you? What might be some examples of “sand” that are not solid things on which to build your life? What are the rain, floods, and winds that will test the “house” you have built? Why does Jesus contrast “hearing and doing” vs. “hearing and not doing”? What does this tell us about the role of obedience and action in our lives? What is something you might consider doing that might help ground your life more fully on the rock rather than on shifting sands? Matthew 7:28-29 The effect of Jesus’s teaching Matthew ends the Sermon on the Mount by saying of Jesus, “he taught them as one having authority and not as their scribes” (Matthew 7:29, NRSV and NABRE). What does this mean? Among other things, the scribes only explained and interpreted what the Law said; they did not add to it. Jesus is speaking as one who has the authority to create new teachings for people to follow. In what ways do you see the teachings in the Sermon on the Mount as manifesting Jesus’s authority? The fact that Jesus is acting like he has the authority not just to interpret but to re-think and expand upon the law, and to do other things that mere scribes cannot do, will soon get him in trouble with the religious leaders. Stay tuned by continuing the study of Matthew. Conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount Skim back over the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7). Which of Jesus’s teachings strikes you as being most uniquely Christian – that is, which of the teachings of Jesus seems to be most distinct from the teachings of other religions or ethical systems? What does this uniquely Christian message tell you about God or people or God’s desires for us? How important is the Sermon on the Mount in your understanding of your faith? What passage or teaching from the Sermon on the Mount do you think God is calling you to give special attention to right now in your life? What is one concrete step you can take to live out that teaching more faithfully? Take a step back and consider this: We know that Christians are not perfect. We don’t live up to the fullness of the gospel as presented by Jesus. As Peter said to Jesus, “Who then can be saved?” (Matt. 19:25, NABRE). Jesus’s answer – “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26, NABRE) – is a comfort to modern Christians, who believe that God will indeed save them. It is sad, however, that many Christians, when they study the Sermon on the Mount as we have, are surprised to learn these details of the kind of life Jesus calls us to live. Perhaps too many people have not been effectively taught the full gospel, or even the full Sermon on the Mount. (And, of course, too often, we hear but don’t act on what we hear.) A detailed study of the Sermon on the Mount prompts many Christians to embrace new habits. That’s a good thing. But there is a danger. It would be easy to turn every teaching in the Sermon on the Mount into a new law. We could add to the Ten Commandments another 10 or 20 laws to follow, just from these three chapters. The risk is that we might turn into modern-day Pharisees, focused on the laws as ends in themselves rather than living in a vital relationship with the God behind the teachings. Without that relationship, the Sermon on the Mount will seem like an impossibly difficult, ever-expanding work list. But with a relationship with God, the Sermon on the Mount is a continual invitation to keep become more like Jesus, to keep being empowered by the Holy Spirit to respond to ever-new opportunities to bring God’s love and grace to the world. How can we encourage ourselves and our fellow believers to embrace the full Sermon on the Mount, but do so in ways that avoid turning it into another soul-deadening Law? How can we find joy in our relationship with God in responding to the dos and don’ts of Jesus’s teachings? 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

Pilate tried to pretend that Jesus’s death was not his decision. How can we be honest about the role we play in what goes on in our lives? [Matthew 27:11-14; 27:15-26] Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 27:11-26 Pilate tried to pretend that Jesus’s death was not his decision. How can we be honest about the role we play in what goes on in our lives? Pilate washes his hands in front of a bound Jesus. Andrea Schiavone (c. 1510-15 - 1563). Kristus inför Pilatus [Christ before Pilate] . 16 th century. Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andrea_Schiavone_-_Christ_before_Pilate_GG_1516.jpg . Tom Faletti September 19, 2025 Matthew 27:11-26 Pilate questions Jesus and sentences him without finding him guilty Pilate was given authority over Judea as a military governor from AD 26 to 36, so he is not new to the position when Jesus shows up in his court in AD 30 (or 33 according to some scholars). His headquarters were in Caesarea, on the Mediterranean coast, but he knew it was important to be in Jerusalem during the Passover feast due to the huge crowds that gathered there. He was an unsympathetic person, not well liked, and unnecessarily cruel, which eventually led to his being recalled to Rome. He apparently considered his primary duty to be to keep the lid on the pressure-cooker of Judea, where there were many fervent and sometimes resistant Jews living under Roman occupation. Sadly, his methods often inflamed the population rather than pacifying them. Pilate’s formal title was “prefect,” a military governor. Some translations refer to him as the “procurator,” a generic term indicating that a person has been given power but is subordinate to a higher authority. Pilate had received power from the emperor and was responsible to him for what went on in Judea. In verse 11, what does Pilate ask Jesus? Why would he care about that particular question? Matthew is providing a condensed version of what happened. The Gospel of John provides a much fuller account of the multiple hearings that led to Jesus’s execution. Matthew does not state the formal charges that were brought against Jesus. We see them in Luke 23:2. The charges included that he claimed to be “the Messiah, a king.” Pilate asks about the claim that he is a king because that would be an unacceptable claim in the Roman Empire. He would be much less concerned about whether Jesus claimed to a messiah. He would consider that to be mainly a religious squabble among the Jews unless it was accompanied by acts of insurrection against the Empire. How does Jesus answer in verse 11? When asked if he is a king, Jesus again the same “You say so” that we have seen him use previously. Again, a straight “Yes” would be misleading because he was not claiming to be the king of the Jews in the military sense that Pilate would have understood the term to mean. We often get ourselves into trouble by saying too much or by saying things that people can misinterpret and that we could have said better. What can we learn from Jesus about saying the right things in the right ways at the right times? How does Barabbas come into the story starting in verse 16)? The claim that Pilate had a practice of allowing one prisoner to go free during the feast is not mentioned in sources outside of the Gospels, but it is a prominent element of the story in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John. Verse 18 tells us that Pilate had reached a conclusion as to why Jesus was brought before him. What does he think is going on? If that is what Pilate thought, do you think he should have handled Jesus’s case differently? What happens to Herod’s wife (verse 19)? It looks like God is giving Pilate every opportunity to do the right thing and refuse to do the wrong thing. Does God also give us little signals when we are contemplating doing something wrong, or does he just sit back and watch as we wrestle with sin? What is God’s attitude toward you as you are grappling with temptation? Reread Matthew 27:20-26 . Who do you think these “crowds” were, that were there in Pilate’s court rather than focusing on their Passover celebration? Why do you think they asked for Barabbas to be released rather than Jesus? What does verse 23 tell us about whether Pilate thinks Jesus is innocent or guilty? How does verse 24 further show what Pilate thinks about Jesus? If Pilate thought that Jesus was innocent, why didn’t he release him? We might wonder how concerned Pilate is about justice. Verse 24 offers some insight about his biggest concern here. What does Pilate care about most? Matthew’s is the only Gospel where Pilate washes his hands (verse 24). What is Pilate’s point in doing that? The Jews had a practice of washing one’s hands to show innocence. It arose from an instruction in the Mosaic Law in Deuteronomy 21:1-9, which said that if a corpse was found in the wilderness and no one had any idea who killed the person, the elders of the nearest town were directed to sacrifice a heifer and wash their hands over it as a sign of their innocence, asking God not to hold against the people the guilt of the shedding of innocent blood. Pilate is unlikely to have had any interest in following a Jewish ritual, and the circumstances in Deuteronomy don’t fit Jesus’s situation. However, this gesture by Pilate has come down through the ages as a symbol of professed innocence. Pilate further underscores his innocence by saying to the crowd in verse 24, “See to it yourselves” (27:24), the same thing the chief priests had said to Judas when he repented of betraying innocent blood (27:4). He is saying, “Don’t put the blame on me.” However, who ultimately hands Jesus over to be crucified – the crowd or Pilate? Can a person in power get off the hook or absolve themselves from something by washing their hands of it? When is it appropriate for them to say, “Don’t blame me,” and when is a person in power still morally responsible for what they allow others to do? Verse 25 has a statement that has been misused throughout history to justify discrimination, mistreatment, and oppression of Jews. In Matthew’s telling, the people say, “His blood be on us and on our children.” In Western history, how have Christian churches and individual Christians used this statement as a bogus reason to treat Jews badly? Jews in later generations were falsely called “Christ-killers,” discriminated against, kept from good jobs and neighborhoods, forced into ghettos, evicted from their homes, murdered in vicious pogroms, and ultimately subjected to the Holocaust. Many of these acts were falsely justified on the grounds that a tiny number of their distant ancestors sought Jesus’s execution. Matthew is expressing a view that arises from the contentious and sometimes violent relations between Christians and Jews in his time. The words he places in the mouth of the crowd are not a judgment from God. God’s view is entirely different. Read Ezekiel 18:4 and Ezekiel 18:20 . Does God allow children to be punished for the sins of their parents? No. God says: “For all life is mine: the life of the parent is like the life of the child, both are mine. Only the one who sins shall die!” (Ezekiel 18:4, NABRE) If that isn’t clear enough God adds: “Only the one who sins shall die. The son shall not be charged with the guilt of his father, nor shall the father be charged with the guilt of his son” (Ezekiel 18:20, NABRE). Is there any legitimate justification for blaming the entire Jewish people for the acts of the few who were there at the time? Why not? Note that in the end, in verse 26, it is Pilate who hands Jesus over to be crucified, not the Jews generally or even the chief priests specifically. Pilate is the only one with the authority to order the crucifixion. How does that guide your thinking about Pilate’s protestations of innocence? It is Pilate’s Roman soldiers who will crucify Jesus, and they will do so on the orders of a Roman, Pilate. How does that guide your thinking about the ways that Christians have unjust treated Jews throughout the ages? In verse 26, Jesus is scourged. Scourging was an incredibly excruciating form of torture, where a condemned prisoner was whipped with leather straps that had bits of bone and lead embedded in them. This was different than using a regular whip to whip someone as a form of punishment. Instead, it was part of the torture of execution, intended to deliver maximum pain and weaken the prisoner while still keeping him alive to suffer the further intense agony of the crucifixion itself. In verse 26, Jesus is “handed over” to be crucified. Matthew uses the same Greek work for “handed over” in all of the following places: In Matthew 11:27, Jesus says that the Father has handed over all things to him. In Matthew 20:18, Jesus says that he will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, who will condemn him to death. In Matthew 26:2, Jesus says that he will be handed over to be crucified. In Matthew 27:2, Jesus is handed over from the chief priests to Pilate. In Matthew 27:18, Matthew tells us that Pilate knew the chief priests handed Jesus over to him out of jealously. In Matthew 27:26, Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified. Interestingly, not in Matthew but in John, when Jesus died, he bowed his head and handed over his spirit (John 19:30). To the end, Jesus was in control of his destiny. Do you ever feel like your life is a series of instances where you are “handed over” to some experience or another? In John 10:17-18, Jesus says that he has the power to lay down his life and the power to take it up again. In Matthew 26:53, Jesus declares that he could summon legions of angels to intervene if that was what the Father wanted to happen. What does the fact that he allowed this to happen, when he could have stopped it, tell you about him? How might Jesus’s example give you a sense of perspective as you deal with difficult situations in your life that are not of your own choosing? Take a step back and consider this: The Roman Empire is often praised for the Pax Romana , a period of supposed peace and prosperity the reigned under Roman rule from roughly 27 BC to AD 180. There may have been relative peace on the Italian peninsula during this time, but to people of other ethnic groups it was a period of oppression that was so extensive that any attempt to fight for freedom was quickly and brutally crushed. Moreover, people did try to fight for freedom, leading to massacres such as Rome’s destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. And even during periods of relative “peace” such as the years in which Jesus lived, Roman crucifixions lined the roads of the Empire as vicious warnings not to disrupt the peace of Roman oppression. How can we hold historians to account, and challenge ourselves as well, to tell an accurate history that includes the experiences of the oppressed and does not present the views of the victors as the only way to understand what happened? How do you think God would want you to tell your own nation’s history? Christ died on the cross for all people, not just the people who were most powerful. Does your nation’s history tell the stories of people who were oppressed or held back as honestly as God would tell their stories? Whose story might need to be more fully told if seen through God’s eyes? Why does it matter whether Christians tell the whole history of a people? 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

Living parables: Incidents in Jesus’s ministry that tell a bigger story, including the feeding of the 5,000. [Matthew 13:54-58; 14:1-12; 14:13-21] Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 13:54-14:21 Living parables: Incidents in Jesus’s ministry that tell a bigger story, including the feeding of the 5,000. The feeding of the multitude. Hagia Sophia, Trabzon, Türkiye. Late 13th century fresco. Photo by Dosseman (Dick Osseman), 6 Sept. 2018, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trabzon_Hagia_Sophia_Feeding_of_the_thousands_93_080.jpg . Tom Faletti June 6, 2025 In chapter 13, Matthew gathered together a broad group of Jesus’s parables. Now, from Matthew 13:54 through chapter 14, Matthew gathers together some of Jesus’s actions that might be thought of as living parables : stories that reveal something bigger than just what happens in the story. Matthew 13:54-58 Rejection in his hometown of Nazareth What does verse 54 tell us that Jesus does? How do the people react? At root, what is the reason Jesus is not accepted in Nazareth? What is beneath their doubt? Is it jealousy? Insistence on upholding the accepted social hierarchy? Something else? Do you think the proverb quoted in verse 57 is true most of the time, or only occasionally? Explain. Verse 58 says Jesus did not do many miracles there. Why? Read Mark 6:5-6 , which provides a bit more detail. Why do you think that some people who were sick were able to be healed by Jesus? Matthew 13:58 says that Jesus did not do many miracles there, but Mark 6:5 says that Jesus was not able to do many miracles. Most scholars believe Mark’s Gospel was written first, and that Matthew drew from Mark. There are a variety of places where it appears that Matthew made edits to Mark’s words as he incorporated them into his Gospel. In this case, perhaps he did not want to imply that Jesus could be limited. Do you think the reason so few miracles were done was because Jesus did not want to heal people who didn’t believe in him, or because their lack of faith did not provide the right conditions for him to act? Explain. How might we be preventing God from acting mightily in our lives due to our lack of faith? How is this reaction of the people of Nazareth a living example of the parable of the sower and the soils? If we take this story as a living parable illustrating a bigger point for the early church and for us, what might that point be? Matthew 14:1-12 The death of John the Baptist Herod the tetrarch was a son of Herod the Great (the one who tried to have Jesus killed as a baby) and inherited one fourth of Herod’s territory – including Galilee. What happened to John the Baptist? Why had John criticized Herod? Why was John the Baptist killed? According to Jewish historian Josephus, Herod had John killed because he was afraid that John had become so popular that he could start a rebellion (Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 , pp. 103-104). Is that plausible? From Herod’s perspective, why was John killed? From Herodias’s perspective, why was John killed? From Salome’s perspective, why was John killed? From the perspective of the early Christians, why was John killed? From Herod’s perspective, the matter is political and personal, and eventually touches on his ego and his social standing. From Herodias’s perspective, the matter is personal and also touches on her legitimacy as Herod’s wife, so it is vindication. From Salome’s perspective, it is something she can do for her mother, and also possibly for power. For the early church, John’s death is a passing of the torch and is also a foreshadowing. John was committed to speaking the truth and died honorably for it. Herod was committed to upholding a foolish vow even though it meant an innocent man would die. Staying true to your word doesn’t make you honorable if it means doing something wrong. How do you know when you should stick with a commitment? Should you ever let a commitment go unfulfilled? If we follow Jesus’s command to not swear by anything (Matt. 5:34-37), we will never be in a position where we have to choose between going back on an oath or doing something evil. Some people think Herod was experiencing guilt for what he had done, and that is why he imagined that Jesus might be John, raised back to life. John the Baptist was Jesus’s cousin. They probably had times together when they were growing up. How might Jesus have reacted to John’s execution? According to John 1:35-42, some of the disciples started out as followers of John. How might they have reacted to John’s death? If this story is a living parable illustrating a bigger point for the early church and for us, what might that point be? Matthew 14:13-21 Jesus feeds 5,000 We use the shorthand phrase that Jesus fed 5,000 people, but verse 21 tells us that it was 5,000 men, plus the woman and children who accompanied them; so it was actually far more than 5,000 people. Why do you think Jesus withdrew to a deserted place? How do you think he felt when the people found him so quickly? When Jesus saw the crowd, he had “compassion” for them. What does this say to you? What happens in this story? What does this story tell us about Jesus? What does this story tell us about the crowds of people? They were focused on wanting to be with Jesus, so focused that they chased after him and didn’t pack their bags first. They may not have always been thinking clearly, but they were orderly and open to God. What does it tell us about the disciples? They were caring and practical, even though they didn’t have a miracle in mind. They didn’t know Jesus would care so much. They were instruments of God’s miraculous work. Put yourself in this story. Where would you have been, and what would you have been thinking about what happened? What do you think God wants us to learn from the fact that there were so many leftovers? What do you think God wants us to learn from the fact that so many people were fed? What does this overall story say to you? Why do you think God doesn’t multiply food all the time? Hundreds of millions of people go hungry every day. Nine million people die from hunger every year, including 3 million children. Why do you think God doesn’t feed them all, as Jesus fed everyone here? Note that although God doesn’t fix everything for us, he always welcomes what we bring to him and seeks to transform it to do more – when they said they had 5 loaves and 2 fish, Jesus said, “Bring them here to me” (Matt. 14:18). This story is so central to story of Jesus that it is the only miracle (other than the Resurrection) that is told in all 4 gospels. Christians of all stripes see this story as far more than just a story about a good thing happening to 5,000+ people. It illustrates much bigger points about God and our relationship with God. If this story is a living parable illustrating a bigger point for the early church and for us, what might that point be? From this story, people often draw lessons about the power of God, God’s provision for us, God’s love for us, how much can be done when we take what little have and hand it over to God to what he wants with it, etc. There are some bigger points here as well: First, this story is an anticipation of the Eucharist (Communion), through which God feeds us spiritually today. The language in Matthew 14:19, where Jesus “looked up to heaven” (perhaps in prayer), “blessed and broke the loaves,” and “gave them to the disciples,” is very similar to the actions he took at the Last Supper when he instituted the Eucharist/Holy Communion (Matthew 26:26). What connections would you make between this miracle and the Eucharist/Holy Communion? Second, it can be interpreted as a foreshadowing of the eternal banquet which we will enjoy with God forever in heaven (see Matt. 8:11; Rev. 19:9). What connections would you make between this miracle and the heavenly banquet God is preparing for us? Take a step back and consider this: The Bible shows that God loves situations where lots of people are fed: We see this in the scenes where Jesus feeds thousands of people (Matt. 15:29-39 as well as Matt. 14:13-21). We see it in Jesus’s imagery of heaven as a place where feasting is the norm (Matt. 8:11; Matt. 26:29; Luke 22:29-30; Matt. 22:1-14). We see it in John’s vision of heaven (Rev. 19:9). We see it in the Old Testament, in God’s provision for the Israelites in the dessert (Ex. 16), in the celebration of the Passover feast (Ex. 12:1-28; Num. 9:1-14; Deut. 16:1-8), and in prophecies of the future (Isaiah 25:6). Clearly, God loves feasts and wants us to associate good eating with him. How can you make every meal a reminder of God’s love and a celebration of God’s provision for us? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

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

Luke provides an orderly account of the life and teachings of Jesus, explaining the significance of Jesus for all nations. His Gospel places a special emphasis on the lowly, outcast, and marginalized, and God's concern for them. Previous Next Luke List Introduction to Luke Luke provides an orderly account of the life and teachings of Jesus, explaining the significance of Jesus for all nations. His Gospel places a special emphasis on the lowly, outcast, and marginalized, and God's concern for them. Image by James Coleman, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti This article will provide an introduction to the Gospel of Luke, including what we know about its author, when it was written, who the intended audience was, Luke's purposes/goals, etc. Bibliography See Luke - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/luke/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 List