Bible Studies, Inspired by Faith and Science

(72) Dazed and Confused in Jerusalem So… a rich son can get lost and be redeemed and a poor shepherd can rejoice in a lost sheep and the beggar on the street corner might get invited to a banquet. It’s no surprise if Jesus’ listeners, even his disciples, are confused. But now he’s going to confuse them (and maybe us) some more. Read Luke 16:1-2 1.        Given what Jesus’ has been talking about, who might the disciples imagine is in the wrong at this first sentence—the rich (Pharisee?) perhaps? Who have the Pharisees been accusing of squandering God’s teaching? So… who might they imagine the steward represents? 2.        Okay, that’s not how we usually read the story, but remembering Jesus has a sense of humor, read Luke 16:3-4 and imagine how the disciples might react to “I can’t dig and I’m ashamed to beg.” Can you imagine Peter calling out “Ah, but can he fish?” 3.        How was Jesus...

We left Jesus enjoying a well-salted meal with some Pharisees, telling stories, getting his hosts to both laugh and think. But these aren't the only people Jesus hangs out with. Sometimes (all too often) he's found among the dregs of society, and what's a fine Pharisee to make of that? Maybe we'd know better if we could figure out which we are, rich, well-blessed, and well-taught Pharisees, or poor and well-downtrodden, religiously uneducated masses... (71) Hanging out with the poor and lost Jesus has just told his “rich” friends a story where the poor and helpless take their place at a banquet. And, of course, Jesus does seem to spend a lot of time with such unsavory types, so it’s not hard to imagine a rich friend suggesting Jesus could have more influence if he stuck to the right sort of companions. Read Luke 15:1-3a, Matthew 18:10-11. Does this sort of debate ever come up in Christian circles today? 1.        Where do you think the idea of “guar...

Jesus ate with bad guys and women, but he also ate with the good guys of society. And sometime's a dinner's just a dinner, with time to talk, laugh, maybe heal someone, tell a story... So, welcome to the table! (70) Eating with the rich and holy Jesus doesn’t run away from those who might challenge him. He doesn’t stick to his own sort of people. Instead he accepts invitations, invites questions, offers lessons tailored to his audience, and even makes people laugh!—a friend, not an enemy. In today’s passage he goes for a meal with a ruler of the Pharisees. Read Luke 14:1-6 . The meal probably takes place in the courtyard of a great house, open to envious passers-by, and a sick man is in the crowd. Does Jesus bring the sick man with him, or does the sick man come to Jesus? (Some interpreters say the Pharisees brought him, but that would be very strange in their culture.) 1.        What’s the difference between causing offense and refusing to avoid ca...

It's so easy to convince ourselves that if just this one thing is fixed, everything will fall into place. The broken world will be mended. Authorities will rule correctly. All will be well. Back around the year 30AD, lots of people were convinced that if only the Messiah would come... But perhaps they, and we, should have spent more time expecting the unexpected. (68) Expect the Unexpected The Messiah was expected to unify the state of Israel, kick out the Romans, and institute a perfect world, where everyone was ruled by God and the good guys always won. While we may not expect a perfect world in our lifetime, where do we look for improvements? What leaders do we expect/look for today? Which leaders do we put our trust in? In reality, Christ brought division, trouble and anxiety – Read Luke 12:49-53 . 1.        Do we expect God to destroy the earth or to save it? What does the world think we expect? What impression do we give the world? 2. ...

Beware of hypocrisy. Don't worry. And danger is coming... This week we find Jesus continuing to teach the disciples, this time helping them see what they should really worry about. He's probably still in Jerusalem, probably still preaching as a rabbi to his chosen crowd. So of course, someone asks him a question--a worried person perhaps, but someone who's worried about the wrong things... (67) So What Should We Worry About? Last week we saw Jesus reminding his disciples to beware of many things, and not to worry— do you remember what we should beware of? What might being wary about the right things look like? What right things do we worry about? Jesus tells some familiar stories to help us understand what’s important. Read Luke 12:13-21 1.        Read verse 13. The question’s not entirely out of context – rabbi’s/teachers really did help arbitrate family disagreements. Do we ask similar questions in prayer? Should we? 2.    ...

A new year brings lots of new possibilities, not all of them good. And if we think our world is dangerous, it might be good to reminded of how dangerous the world of Jesus and his disciples was. Plus, of course, there's the approaching danger of Jesus' arrest to keep the disciples afraid. This week's study is filled with reminders of fear, why we should or shouldn't be afraid... and of our value to God. (66) Approaching Danger News of last week’s lively discussion with the lawyers and Pharisees would spread quickly among the crowds in Jerusalem. After all, Jesus is a seriously newsworthy figure, and gossip is the biggest source of news. Read Luke 12:1-3 1.        How is hypocrisy like leaven? 2.        How is hypocrisy like trying to keep things hidden? 3.        What might Jesus have said in “private” that is now public knowledge? 4.        What might th...

From Hanukkah to Passover--it's not so long a period. In our timeline of Jesus' ministry, Mary and Martha will entertain Jesus and the disciples just after Hanukkah and again just before Passover. Let's join them... (65)Distractions Bethany is not far from Jerusalem (or from Bethlehem). Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus lived there, and were clearly friends of Jesus (as explained in John11:1-2 ). If Jesus spent his earliest years in Bethlehem, perhaps they were childhood friends. Or the family may have become friends when Jesus was baptized at the start of his ministry. Now, toward the end of Jesus’ ministry, we find him (and possibly his disciples) staying at Martha and Mary’s house. Read Luke 10:38-42. 1.        How do you picture the scene? Where is Jesus? Who is listening to him—family? neighbors? What might Jesus be talking about? 2.        Where is Martha? Can she hear Jesus? Can she be heard? 3....