It's not about the food!

As you prepare for this week's worship, I encourage you to read through the scripture passage, Luke 10:38-42, and then take time to consider the questions below:

Luke 10:38    As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹ Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

Luke 10:41    But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! ⁴² There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Questions for Reflection:

1. Consider the two characters of Mary and Martha. Who do you resonate more with – Mary the contemplative, or Martha the activist?
2. Martha arguably had the gift of hospitality (Luke 10:38). What is the significance of food and meals and hospitality in the life and ministry of Jesus – how can we develop hospitality and open homes/hearts in our lives?
3. What distracts you from spending time with Jesus?
4. Is there anyone whose relationship with Jesus you are jealous of?

What Does Mercy Look Like Today?

As you prepare for this week's worship, I encourage you to read through the scripture passage, Luke 10:25-37, and then take time to consider the questions below:

Luke 10:25    One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

Luke 10:26    Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

Luke 10:27    The man answered, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Luke 10:28    “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

Luke 10:29    The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Luke 10:30    Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.

Luke 10:31    “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. ³² A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.

Luke 10:33    “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. ³⁴ Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’

Luke 10:36    “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

Luke 10:37    The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” 

Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Questions for Reflection:

When I read this passage, I cannot separate the overall narrative of the encounter Jesus is having with the expert in religious law, and the parable that Jesus then tells. The expert was doing what religious scholars would do. He is questioning a Rabbi on the law and, I believe ultimately, he is wanting Jesus to support his view on the law. But Jesus does what he often does and turns the situation around to question the expert on his own journey of faith. When we read the subsequent story from this perspective, I think we will find that the first two individuals who encounter the man beaten on the side of the road, do the appropriate action for seeing someone who appears to be dead––they keep themselves ceremonially pure. They live into the regulations of the law. 

1. Why do you think Jesus uses a Samaritan as the one who does the right thing in the story?
2. When Jesus asks the expert, “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits,” why do you think the man answers, “The one who showed him mercy?” Think about the word mercy. What does that mean for you in today's world?
3. Why do you think Jesus is pushing the expert to move beyond his current understanding of the law into an expanded understanding of mercy? How does the law conflict with the idea of mercy, as described within this story?

I hope you have fun studying this passage as we prepare to come together this Sunday for worship!

You want me to do what?

Happy Forth of July to you all. This has been an interesting week of celebration for us in the Divine family as I have traveled with our son Jon and our daughter Christina to help move her to Fort Collins, Colorado. Christina will be starting a three year residency in Equine Reproduction in a couple of weeks. 

I am so ready to be home for the rest of the summer, but have been blessed by our time in Cambridge, London and the time traveling across our beautiful nation.  

This week as you study our scripture passage from 2 Kings 5:1-14 I want to encourage you to do something you may have never done before. First, read through the passage to get an idea of the overall story. Then go back and read the story from the perspective of the King of Aram, then read it a third time from the perspective of Naaman and finally read the story from the perspective of Elisha.  

1. How does the story read differently from the perspective of each of these characters?
2. Why would the King of Aram go to such an expense to try to help Naaman? Have you ever gone out of your way to help a friend?
3. How did Naaman approach Elisha and Elisha’s plan for healing and what did this say about Naaman?
4. How can you serve people who have need that you encounter in your life?

Have fun studying this week and my prayer is that you will hear from God as you dive into this Scripture.