10 Big Ideas from the Nativity

Bad bible blogger! Never put up December's study. It's an mild adaptation of an former youth study. It engendered a pretty healthy discussion with a bunch of old guys, though. Due to the formatting, it's easier to share as a PDF:

Hope and Prayer

No youth study this week but we do have a Men's study.  It's an overview of what we've been doing for the youth, with the questions tuned for this group of Wise Guys.  It's a bit long (3 pager), so if we're out of time at (12), I'll skip to (18).  While we're on prayer, Bev Van Kampen passed along the Operation World prayer movement that helps in praying for the countries around the world.  My family started tonight with Afghanistan.

Manliest prayer image I could find.
Romanian soldiers praying in Afghanistan.

During Lent there are three traditional disciplines, all of which are worth considering throughout the year: prayer, almsgiving and fasting. But certainly prayer is something we are called to constantly. So then during Lent, maybe it’s really an opportunity to reexamine what we’re doing.

0) What is the purpose of prayer to you?

One model of prayer that has been helpful for many people is the ACTS prayer format. The idea is to pray scripturally, following the modes of prayer that we see people using in the Bible.

Adoration – We adore God for who he is. (No asking for anything.) “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross.” Hebrews 12:2
Example: Praise the names of God. 1 Chronicles 29:11 and 2 Corinthians 12:9

Confession – We see our sin as God sees it. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
Example: Confess hiding our sins. Psalm 32:3-5, Psalm 51:6a, Psalm 139:23-24 and James 5:16

Thanksgiving – We focus on what God has done. “Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.” Psalm 111:2
Example: Thank you for providing a way. Isaiah 30:21, Isaiah 42:16 and Proverbs 15:19

Supplication – We call on God for guidance and help, and intercede for others. “And I will do whatever you ask in my name.” John 14:13a
Example: Please help our friend to know Jesus voice and follow him. John 10:4-5, John 18:37 and Revelation 3:20

I think an alliterating friend I have might have said - Adore, Admit, Acknowledge and Ask.

1) Which of these is especially fruitful for you? Are any more difficult or more likely to be omitted?


Of course, this is an area where Jesus taught directly. The Our Father was what Jesus told the apostles when they asked him to teach them how to pray. We find this in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6.

We often pray a version close to the first widespread English translation, King James, followed by the more modern God’s Word translation.

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespass, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Our Father in heaven, let your name be kept holy.
Let your kingdom come.
Let your will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.
Give us our daily bread today.
Forgive us as we forgive others.
Don’t allow us to be tempted.
Instead, rescue us from the evil one.

2) Is there anything that we might be missing by praying the older version?

3) Jews are not allowed to even speak the name of God, that we say as Yahweh. How would they have reacted to being told to call him “Our Father?” Some writers think that the word Jesus used is more like Daddy.


4) I usually remember to pray “forgive me,” but I don’t usually tack on “as I forgive other people.” And in case we didn’t catch that difference, right afterward Jesus says: “If you forgive the failures of others, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failures.” Why did Jesus put that in his prayer instructions?


5) Is there anything else in this prayer about which you wonder?


6) Do you see any of the ACTS principles in the Our Father?


7) One of the problems with knowing a prayer by memory is that it’s easy to pray it too fast and without thinking. Do you have any tips for praying the Our Father instead of reciting it?


I think Jesus wasn’t telling us to pray with these exact words, but remembering these ideas. The most important Jews at the time tended to pray making a big fuss, and acting all holy. With lots of very precise gestures and bows and rituals. Jesus was freeing his disciples from all of that. Telling them it’s simple, and that prayer is talking to a loving parent who wants to do good things for you.

In the gospel of Luke, after he shares Jesus teaching the Our Father, he shares the story of a persistent and annoying friend. Read Luke 11:5-11

8) In the second paragraph, Jesus explains the parable, which he doesn’t always do. How does he get that point out of the bread story?


9) What does the “Even though you’re evil…” part mean? Is Jesus calling us evil? What is his point?


Later in the gospel of Luke, Jesus again is teaching about prayer. Read Luke 18:1-8

10) This time Luke gives the reason for the parable up front. How does this story fit “pray all the time and never give up?”


11) Why does Jesus make the judge, who’s in God’s place in the story, a dishonest judge?


12) The last sentence has gotten a LOT of attention. What do you think it means and why is it in this story?



Nadia Bolz-Weber (the Sarcastic Lutheran) has written: (abridged from http://bit.ly/eHgBul):

The best way to suck the life out of a parable is by attempting to neatly allegorize it or worse try to figure out the so-called moral of the story. Parables aren't about morals they are about truth - hidden, unyielding, disruptive truth. The kind of truth that simply can't be contained.

13) Why would telling the point of a parable “ruin” it?


It's tempting to look straight on and see the story of the persistent widow as a self-help technique by which we can get all the cash and prizes we want out of God's divine vending machine if we just kind of bug God to death through ceaseless prayer, when it comes down to it, we know better. … Do we only think God answers by giving us what we ask for?

14) What does it mean for God to answer a prayer?


Yet Luke tells us that this parable is about our need to pray constantly and not lose hope. So maybe an alternate reading of this parable is that it's yes, about persistence and prayer and hope but maybe it's about the persistence of God. … Maybe prayer isn't the way in which we manipulate God but is simply the posture in which we finally become worn down by God's persistence. God's persistence in loving us …God's persistence in forgiving and being known and being faithful and always, always, always bringing life out of death.

15) I connect this with the weird idea that by praying we are changing God’s mind. If praying changes me, it makes more sense. But then why do we pray?


In Luke and throughout scripture we are told to pray constantly, pray without ceasing, so that we do not lose heart. And how do you pray without ceasing? Only by having others pray for you, with you. … So to pray without ceasing is not an individual sport if anything it's a relay race. It’s what we do for each other, and it’s what we do for the world. And these prayers are like these gossamer threads connecting us to God and God’s people. When we pray on another's behalf we become connected to that person through God, and we become connected to God through that person. And in these connections God gets stuff done. Not necessarily the stuff we think God should do, but the work that God is always about, which is redeeming us and all of creation. These gossamer threads of prayer, woven through the space and time of our lives, are like the network through which God sends God's own love for the world.

16) What is she trying to get at here?


It hurts sometimes. But the more you see suffering and injustice around you, the more you pray and the more you pray the more connected you are to that suffering, and the more connected you are to that suffering the more connected you are to the crucified and risen Christ. For these silken threads of prayer which connect us to God and to one another and even to our enemies are how God is stitching our broken humanity back together. So church, pray without ceasing and do not lose heart. For God has some stuff to do.

17) The way humans are we can’t go from no prayer to prayer without ceasing. We have to build up and train for it. So to start, when are some times in your day you could or do pray?


18) If you were teaching a new Christian about prayer, or a Christian that has little prayer experience, what would you emphasize?

Photo credit:  AfghanistanMatters and spiritz from Flickr.

Persistent Persistent Persistent

Successful prayer?

In the gospel of Luke, after he shares Jesus teaching the Our Father, he shares the story of a persistent and annoying friend.

Luke 11:5-11 Jesus said to his disciples, “Suppose one of you has a friend. Suppose you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, let me borrow three loaves of bread. A friend of mine on a trip has dropped in on me, and I don’t have anything to serve him.’ Your friend might answer you from inside his house, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children are in bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’ I can guarantee that although he doesn’t want to get up to give you anything, he will get up and give you whatever you need because he is your friend and because you were so bold.

“So I tell you to ask, and you will receive. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find, and for the person who knocks, the door will be opened.

“If your child asks you, his father, for a fish, would you give him a snake instead? Or if your child asks you for an egg, would you give him a scorpion? Even though you’re evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. So how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

1) Have you had the experience of doing something for a friend that you didn’t want to do? Why did you?


2) In the second paragraph, Jesus explains the parable, which he doesn’t always do. How does he get this out of the bread story?


3) What does the “Even though you’re evil…” part mean? Is Jesus calling us evil?


Later in the gospel of Luke, Jesus again is teaching about prayer.

Luke 18:1-8 Jesus used this illustration with his disciples to show them that they need to pray all the time and never give up. He said, “In a city there was a judge who didn’t fear God or respect people. In that city there was also a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice.’

“For a while the judge refused to do anything. But then he thought, ‘This widow really annoys me. Although I don’t fear God or respect people, I’ll have to give her justice. Otherwise, she’ll keep coming to me until she wears me out.’ ”

The Lord added, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge thought. Won’t God give his chosen people justice when they cry out to him for help day and night? Is he slow to help them? I can guarantee that he will give them justice quickly. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

4) This time Luke gives the reason for the parable up front. How does this story fit “pray all the time and never give up?”


5) Why does Jesus make the judge, who’s in God’s place in the story, a dishonest judge?


6) The last sentence has gotten a LOT of attention. What do you think it means and why is it in this story?



Nadia Bolz-Weber (the Sarcastic Lutheran) has written about the Persistent Widow:
(This is extensive quoting; basically it's an abridged form of her post.)

The best way to suck the life out of a parable is by attempting to neatly allegorize it or worse try to figure out the so-called moral of the story. Parables aren't about morals they are about truth - hidden, unyielding, disruptive truth. The kind of truth that simply can't be contained.
7) Why would telling the point of a parable “ruin” it?


It's tempting to look straight on and see the story of the persistent widow as a self-help technique by which we can get all the cash and prizes we want out of God's divine vending machine if we just kind of bug God to death through ceaseless prayer, when it comes down to it, we know better. … Do we only think God answers by giving us what we ask for?
8) What does it mean for God to answer a prayer?


Yet Luke tells us that this parable is about our need to pray constantly and not lose hope. So maybe an alternate reading of this parable is that it's yes, about persistence and prayer and hope but maybe it's about the persistence of God. … Maybe prayer isn't the way in which we manipulate God but is simply the posture in which we finally become worn down by God's persistence. God's persistence in loving us …God's persistence in forgiving and being known and being faithful and always, always, always bringing life out of death.
9) I connect this with the weird idea that by praying we are changing God’s mind. If praying changes me, it makes more sense. But then why do we pray?


In Luke and throughout scripture we are told to pray constantly, pray without ceasing, so that we do not lose heart. And how do you pray without ceasing? Only by having others pray for you, with you. … So to pray without ceasing is not an individual sport if anything it's a relay race. It’s what we do for each other, and it’s what we do for the world. And these prayers are like these gossamer threads connecting us to God and God’s people. When we pray on another's behalf we become connected to that person through God, and we become connected to God through that person. And in these connections God gets stuff done. Not necessarily the stuff we think God should do, but the work that God is always about, which is redeeming us and all of creation. These gossamer threads of prayer, woven through the space and time of our lives, are like the network through which God sends God's own love for the world.
10) What is she trying to get at here?


It hurts sometimes. But the more you see suffering and injustice around you, the more you pray and the more you pray the more connected you are to that suffering, and the more connected you are to that suffering the more connected you are to the crucified and risen Christ. For these silken threads of prayer which connect us to God and to one another and even to our enemies are how God is stitching our broken humanity back together. So church, pray without ceasing and do not lose heart. For God has some stuff to do.
11) The way humans are we can’t go from no prayer to prayer without ceasing. We have to build up and train for it. So to start, when are some times in your day you could pray?


Photo credits: From Flickr - rikkis refuge, dr.jd

Give Thanks

Why do we, How do we, When do we?


Luke 17:11-19 Ten Healed of Leprosy

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Even in the miraculous history of the Jews, healings from leprosy were rare. Moses’ sister Miriam had leprosy for a week, and Elisha healed a military commander. Leprosy was a death sentence and exile all in one. So it’s not clear what the lepers could have hoped for when they cried out to Jesus.

1) What are excuses that the nine lepers might have made about why they didn’t go back?



2) Were the nine lepers healed or not? What does the last phrase mean?



Why?
3) What’s an example of deep gratitude you’ve felt towards a person? What was the cause?



Some reasons for Thanksgiving:
• Thanksgiving praises God. We’re called to worship God – commanded to – and giving thanks is worshipful.
• Madame Blueberry learned that “A grateful heart is a happy heart.” Focusing on with what we have been blessed helps us know how blessed we are.
• It helps us remember that God is good. In the psalms they’re still thanking God for the Exodus. By thanking Him, it helps us remember all he’s done. It fights against taking God for granted.
• It trains us to look forward to continued blessings. God who has done mighty things for us, will continue to do mighty things for us.
4) Have you experienced any of these benefits? Are there other benefits you’ve received from giving thanks?


5) Do you make a distinction between praising God, worshipping God and giving thanks to God?



How?
6) When someone thanks you, what tells you if it’s genuine gratitude or politeness?



7) Does that apply to us giving thanks to God?


8) The two most frequent descriptions of thanksgiving in the bible are giving thanks (1) with song and (2) with praise. How does that help us give thanks?


When?
Paul tells us to “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph 5:19-20); “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col 3:17); “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thes 5:16-18)

Why Paul’s emphasis on everything? One Bible study says: “It couldn’t get any simpler or plainer. The verse means exactly what it says, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God.” Period. By giving thanks to God for everything, I give Him credit for everything. I give Him all the praise and glory. My focus is on Him. That’s what He wants. He wants my undivided attention. … If the tire goes flat, I’m to thank the Lord. If the weather cancels out an important event, I’m to thank the Lord. If I get fired from my job, I’m to thank the Lord. If I get sick, I’m to thank the Lord. When the Lord says “everything,” He literally means “everything,” regardless of the lightness or severity of the situation.”

9) How do you interpret “give thanks in all circumstances”?


Many psalms are good training for thanks giving, in particular 100, 106, 107, 118, and 136.

Psalm 136

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.
who made the great lights – His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt. His love endures forever.
and brought Israel out from among them; His love endures forever.
with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever.
to him who divided the Red Sea [a] asunder His love endures forever.
and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever.
but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever.
to him who led his people through the desert, His love endures forever.
who struck down great kings, His love endures forever.
and killed mighty kings – His love endures forever.
Sihon king of the Amorites. His love endures forever.
and Og king of Bashan – His love endures forever.
and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever.
an inheritance to his servant Israel; His love endures forever.
to the One who remembered us in our low estate. His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies, His love endures forever.
and who gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

10) What verses would you add to this great hymn?


Like the old church response goes - Let us bless the Lord: Thanks be to God!

Bonus:  One of the greatest stories of thanks I have ever heard is from Corey ten Boom, who had reason during the Holocaust to be thankful for fleas.  Read this story, which is an excerpt from her book The Hiding Place.

Reference:
http://www.morninglightministries.org/commentary/in-everything-give-thanks.asp
Photo by shannonkringen @ Flickr

The middle school study this week will be a subset of this men's study.

Giving Thanks (Youth Group version)
Why do we, How do we, When do we?

Luke 17:11-19 Ten Healed of Leprosy

1) Why do you think Luke makes a point of the thankful man being a Samaritan?

2) Would your instinct have been to go back to Jesus or keep going to the priests or something else?

3) What are excuses that the nine lepers might have made about why they didn’t go back?

4) Were the nine lepers healed or not? What does the last phrase mean?

Why?
God doesn’t need us to give thanks, and He doesn’t do good for us to get thanks. He asks us to give thanks because it’s good for us! Some reasons for Thanksgiving:
• Thanksgiving praises God. We’re called to worship God – commanded to – and giving thanks is worshipful.
• Madame Blueberry learned that “A grateful heart is a happy heart.” Focusing on how we have been blessed helps us know how blessed we are.
• It helps us remember that God is good. In the psalms they’re still thanking God for the Exodus. By thanking Him, it helps us remember all he’s done. It fights against taking God for granted.
• It trains us to look forward to continued blessings. God who has done mighty things for us, will continue to do mighty things for us.

5) Have you experienced any of these benefits? Can you think of any other reason it’s good for us to give thanks?

How?
6) When someone thanks you, what tells you if it’s genuine gratitude or politeness?

7) What does that mean about how we should give thanks to God?

When?
Paul tells us to “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph 5:19-20); “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col 3:17); “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thes 5:16-18)

8) How do you interpret “give thanks in all circumstances”? Are we supposed to give thanks when things are terrible?


Many psalms are good training for thanks giving, in particular 100, 106, 107, 118, and 136.

Psalm 136

9) What verses would you add to this great hymn?

Like we say in church… Let us bless the Lord: Thanks be to God!

Shrewd Steward

What’s a Steward?

So Luke has just finished up the parable of the Prodigal Son, one of the Bible’s all time greatest hits, and follows it with today’s reading, which is… not. People struggle with it. They don’t know how to interpret it. They don’t know what the moral is. It’s confusing.

Can you make sense out of it? How do you deal with a tough bible reading?

Luke 16:1-9 The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

“The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’

“So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.’

“Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’

“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”

Help with tough bible readings:

• Is it a particular style of writing? Poem, parable, history, etc. Knowing the style can help.

This is a parable. What do we know about parables?

o They’re teaching stories. What’s Jesus teaching about?
o Sometimes in response to a question. Not here, though!
o Sometimes Jesus explains them afterward. Again, not here! (At least not plainly.) He does ask more questions, though.

Luke 16:10-12 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?”

What does that tell us about the parable?

o Parables are often analogies: this is like that, this other thing represents…

Who is the master like?
Who is the steward representing?
Does the steward’s actions with the debtors stand for something?
What does the master’s praise for the steward mean?

• What’s the context of the reading? What happens before and after?

This is towards the end of a string of parables; the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son before and Lazarus and the Rich Man afterwards. But specifically afterward, there’s an exchange with the Pharisees.

Luke 16:13-15 (still Jesus talking.)
“No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.”

What does this tell us about the parable?

• See what the experts say about it. One of the benefits of the internet is being able to read so much from so many people.

Most studies interpret this parable as being about stewardship, which is often code for taking care of our money. We are stewards – caretakers – of God’s gifts to us, which includes our time, talents and wealth. I think it’s being too literal. The story is about a steward, yes, but that doesn’t mean the moral or principle of the story is about being a steward. (Doesn’t mean it’s not either.)

• Write down or make note of what you’re thinking. Write or put notes in your bible documenting your thought processes.

What do you think? Put it in your own words.

• You don’t have to have all the answers. Some things we understand now, and some things later. The Bible is God’s word. It’s important. It can speak to us. But it’s not necessarily easy.
• If the passage you’re studying is a church reading, the readings for each week have connections that some very wise people suggest to us.

This weeks readings include: Old Testament prophet warning (Amos or Jeremiah), and this great statement from Paul to Timothy (1 Tim 2: 3-6)

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.

• Talk with other people about it. Maybe this should come first!

Comic is from Too Much Coffee Man, 

a strange and funny but 

not always family-appropriate strip.

Dishonest or Shrewd or Crooked or Unjust?

So the parable this weekend (the lectionary is going through Luke and these middle chapters are parable rich) has gotten us to what is alternately called the Parable of the Shrewd Manager, the Dishonest Manager, the Dishonest Steward or the Unjust Steward.

Here's the passage:  Luke 16:1-5 in the NIV or below from the Message: (both by way of BibleGateway)

The Story of the Crooked Manager
Jesus said to his disciples, "There was once a rich man who had a manager. He got reports that the manager had been taking advantage of his position by running up huge personal expenses. So he called him in and said, 'What's this I hear about you? You're fired. And I want a complete audit of your books.'

"The manager said to himself, 'What am I going to do? I've lost my job as manager. I'm not strong enough for a laboring job, and I'm too proud to beg. . . . Ah, I've got a plan. Here's what I'll do . . . then when I'm turned out into the street, people will take me into their houses.'

"Then he went at it. One after another, he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'

"He replied, 'A hundred jugs of olive oil.'

"The manager said, 'Here, take your bill, sit down here—quick now— write fifty.'

"To the next he said, 'And you, what do you owe?'

"He answered, 'A hundred sacks of wheat.'

"He said, 'Take your bill, write in eighty.'

"Now here's a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. I want you to be smart in the same way—but for what is right—using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you'll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior."

God Sees Behind Appearances

Jesus went on to make these comments:
If you're honest in small things, you'll be honest in big things;
If you're a crook in small things, you'll be a crook in big things.
If you're not honest in small jobs, who will put you in charge of the store?
No worker can serve two bosses:

He'll either hate the first and love the second or adore the first and despise the second.

You can't serve both God and the Bank.

When the Pharisees, a money-obsessed bunch, heard him say these things, they rolled their eyes, dismissing him as hopelessly out of touch. So Jesus spoke to them: "You are masters at making yourselves look good in front of others, but God knows what's behind the appearance.

What society sees and calls monumental, God sees through and calls monstrous.
God's Law and the Prophets climaxed in John;
Now it's all kingdom of God—the glad news and compelling invitation to every man and woman.
The sky will disintegrate and the earth dissolve before a single letter of God's Law wears out.
Using the legalities of marriage as a cover for lust is adultery.

What's a bit frustrating is that all the commentaries seem to think this is about money.  Now, of course, it is about money.  Even the NIV has v14 as "The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus." The Pharisees thought it was about money, too.  After all, it has one of the great lines of the bible: "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (v13, KJV)

But Jesus straightens it out for the Pharisees.  It's about idols.  And money is certainly a popular idol.  But how do we communicate the idea of an idol to middle schoolers?  They have hints about money at this age, but mostly it hasn't taken on the importance it will later. 

What do we do with difficult material in studies?  I feel the temptation to just skip it.  I also feel the temptation to take it on, no matter what.  Probably, if we do it, it should be a demonstration.  Me sharing my process in a think aloud.  This feels like a passage for which questioning is a good focus, and maybe we can use it to get at other questions.  Questions about the church, the liturgy, the Bible and who knows what else.

Of course, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this passage in the comments, if you're willing to share.

 

Mercy Youth

The middle school version:

Mercy of Quality
“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endures for ever.” - I Chronicles 16:34.
The phrase “His mercy endures forever” is written 42 times in the Bible.

1) What do you think of when you hear the word ‘mercy’?



(1 Tim 1:12-20) I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

2) Why does Paul emphasize his past? What is a blasphemer? How does ignorance and unbelief get you mercy?


Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

3) Why does Paul’s past make him a good example? Example of what?


Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

4) Why aren’t Hymenaeus and Alexander candidates for mercy?



(Luke 15:1-10) Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

5) How is this an answer to the Pharisees? What is the moral of this parable?


“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

6) What is the moral of this parable? How is it different from the sheep?



7) How do these parables relate to the idea of mercy? What do they tell us about God’s mercy?


8) By substituting sheep and coins for people, how do these parables fall short? (Or do they not?)


9) Some teachers explain mercy as not getting what we deserve, and grace as getting what we don’t deserve. How do you think they are the same? How are they different?


10) Have you been shown mercy by anyone? Had a chance to give mercy? What happened?



Maybe we can close by seeking mercy together. The great prayer of mercy from the psalms was written by David after being confronted about Bathsheba and brought to truth by Nathan.

Psalm 51:1-17 (The Message)
Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.
Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry.
I know how bad I’ve been; my sins are staring me down.
You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil.
You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair.
I’ve been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born.
What you’re after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.

Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don’t look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God; I’ll let loose with your praise.

Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you.
I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered.
Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.

11) Jot down one thing you got out of this lesson.


Photo credit: Samuca on Flickr - Sheep in County Mayo, Ireland

Mercy

The Lakeshore Lutheran Men's Bible Study for September 11th.  Quite similar to what the middle school study will be on Sept. 12th.  Maybe without the Shakespeare?  The middle school study starts this week, so look for weekly postings throughout the school year.


Mercy of Quality
“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endures for ever.” - I Chronicles 16:34.
The phrase “His mercy endures forever” is written 42 times in the Bible.

1) What are some good examples of mercy in the Bible?

(1 Tim 1:12-20) I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

2) Why does Paul emphasize his past? (How was he a blasphemer?) What does he mean about ignorance and unbelief? Why does that make him a good example?


3) Why aren’t Hymenaeus and Alexander candidates for mercy?

(Luke 15:1-10) Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

4) What is the moral of these parables? How is it a response to the Pharisees?


5) How does this relate to the idea of mercy? What does it tell us about God’s mercy?


6) By substituting sheep and coins for people, how do these parables fall short? (Or do they not?)


7) Is there a difference between grace and mercy?


8) Have you been shown mercy by anyone? Had a chance to give mercy? What happened?


Outside of the Bible, the most famous words about mercy were written by Shakespeare. Portia, in The Merchant of Venice, says to Shylock who has a rightful claim against : (Act 4, Scene 1)

The quality of mercy is not strain'd, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath:
it is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, The attribute to awe and majesty, Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings; But mercy is above this sceptred sway; It is enthroned in the hearts of kings, It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew, Though justice be thy plea, consider this, That, in the course of justice, none of us Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much To mitigate the justice of thy plea;

9) What is Shakespeare saying? Is this a biblical view of mercy?



Maybe we can close by seeking mercy together. The great prayer of mercy from the psalms was written by David after being confronted and brought to truth by Nathan.

Psalm 51:1-17 (The Message)
Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.
Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry.
I know how bad I’ve been; my sins are staring me down.
You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil.
You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair.
I’ve been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born.
What you’re after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.

Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don’t look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God; I’ll let loose with your praise.

Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you.
I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered.
Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.

Photo credit:  mharrsch on Flickr of the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC.