Family, Friend and Foe on the Galilee Roads

Jesus' ministry in Galilee is just beginning to take off in our New Testament studies. But it's interesting how different a picture we get when we follow the story slowly week by week. Bearing in mind that the real story must have taken one to three years, maybe following slowly is a good thing. We're glad you're joining us!

(28) Friends, Enemies and Family

Luke gives an often-ignored picture of how Jesus travels the countryside. Read Luke 8:1-3.

1.       Is Jesus opposed to the rich, or to money? Are women poor? And is this the picture you expected?

2.       Is Jesus opposed to women in ministry?

3.       What sort of women are following him? Why might poor women not be numbered among them?

4.       Why might family members (Mary for example) not be numbered among them?

Proclaiming the kingdom of God… in Galilee… is a pretty big deal and provokes a prompt, not always positive, response.

1.       Read Matthew 12:22-23, Luke 11:14, Mark 3:20-21. How do people react to miracles—then and now? Have you ever been in gatherings where miraculous healings occurred? How did you feel?

2.       Read Mark 3:22, Matthew 12:24, Luke 11:15. How did the authorities react? And how do churches and denominations react today? How do we know what’s real and what’s fake in bigtent healing ministries?

3.       Read Luke 11:16-23, Matthew 12:25-30, Mark 3:23-27. The accounts are almost alike. Can you paraphrase Jesus’ “proof” that his power comes from God?

a.      Who else might cast out demons at that time?

b.      Who could “judge” what is and isn’t demonic?

c.       Can you paraphrase Jesus’ parable about “binding” the strong man?

d.      What if Jesus is the “strong man”? Who was trying to “bind” Jesus then, and how does that prove they were against him?

e.       How might this parable apply in today’s spiritual/secular world? What or who protects us from evil?

4.       The argument that “He who is not with me is against me” leads directly to that vexing question of the unforgivable sin. Read Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-30.  2,000 years on we’re still arguing over what Jesus meant, but what might his first followers have imagined this meant, in the context of what’s just been discussed? How might Mark 12:30 help us understand?

Questioning Jesus over dinner (as Simon did in last week’s lesson) and accusing Jesus of working with the devil are rather different things. What is happening to people’s attitudes to Jesus at this point? When might polarization of society be a good thing, and when might it be a bad thing?

As the authorities question Jesus more closely, can you imagine them beginning to look more closely into his background too? We’re never told why Jesus mother and brothers leave Nazareth to find him, but they’re about to arrive on the scene. What might you imagine is behind their trip?

Read Mark 3:31-35, Matthew 12:46-50, Luke 8:19-21

1.       How do you imagine the scene?

2.       Read Luke 11:27-28 Someone clearly recognized Mary in the crowd. How did they expect Jesus to respond to her arrival?

3.       What matters more… the genetics of our human birth or the heritage of our spiritual rebirth? How can we show we are children of God in our everyday lives?

4.       Some Christian churches revere Mary. Others cite these passages and ignore her. What do John 2:4-7 and John 19:25-27 reveal about Jesus’ relationship with his human mother?