20 jan 19 b

Light on the Lessons Isaiah 62:1-5; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; John 2:1-11 Second Sunday after the Epiphany; Cycle C; January 20, 2019 Participant Resources I Getting Started 1. What are some behaviors or attitudes on the part of a Christian which would cause an observer to say, “The LORD delights in you!”? 2. What is the difference between a “talent” and a “gift”? 3. If Jesus’ miracles are “signs,” to what do they point? II Check the Texts 1. Isaiah 62:1-5 These words are likely addressed the returnees now resettled in Jerusalem. A. Who is the speaker? Vindicate means to justify, defend, or protect. How do you understand the meaning of vindication in verses 1 and 2? B. What does God promises in verse 2b? Read Genesis 17:3-7, 15-16. What is the significance of this action? Who gives this? What is the significance, in your view, of this one being the giver? C. To what do the names in verse 4a refer? What is the imagery behind the names in verse 4b? Check the RSV/NRSV footnotes. What word is in Hebrew “beulah”? “Beulah” comes from the root meaning “fertility.” What does this suggest to you about the meaning of the contrast between the names in verses 4a and 4b? D. What does the image of the LORD as “builder,” verse 5a, mean to you? What do you think the image of the LORD “marrying” Israel? 2. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 15 supply the Second Lesson through the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany. This might be a good time to read the whole of this important letter from St. Paul. A. Our Bibles list this letter as “The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians.” But what does verse 5:9 suggest? B. What do the opening words of 12:1 suggest to you, especially “now”? (Clue: Compare against 11:33-34) What hints that Paul may have had a letter from the Corinthians before him? (Clue: Check 7:1, 25; 8:1; 16:1) C. What is the contrast in verses 4-11 between clauses with “same” and clauses with “another”? What do you think is the point Paul wants to make by repeating “same” and “another”? In what way does verse 7 summarize verses 8-11? D. How would you characterize the gifts in this list? How does this list of gifts differ from the one in Romans 12:4-8? What does verse 9a say to you about faith? E. What does verse 3 say about saving faith, our confession of Christ as Lord? 3. John 2:1-11 A. What is John’s word for a miracle, in verse 11? How does John define the purpose of Jesus’ miracles? B. In the Gospels, Mary the mother of Jesus is presented as an ideal faithful disciple. What in this incident at Cana shows Mary in that light? C. John uses heavily symbolic, allegorical language. It is proper to try to probe his “deeper meaning,” even though we can never know exactly what John had in mind. Use your spiritual insight to work though possible deeper significance for the following: a, third day, verse 1; b, wine (Clue: Think color, then check Exodus 7:14-19 and John 6:53-56); c, the wedding feast (Clue: Check Revelation 19:6-9); and d, the abundance of wine, for six stone jars contain about 120 gallons (Clue: Check Amos 9:13-15). D. What do you think is the “deeper meaning” of the steward’s remark in verse 10? (Clue: Check John 1:17) Another possibility: If this points ahead to John 6:22-34, what do you think is the connection? E. What do you think Jesus means by his “hour,” verse 4b? (Clue: Check 4:25 and 12:27) III What Does It All Mean? 1. Several TV shows and segments deal with makeovers, of individual appearances or homes. If you could make a new start, what three things would you change about yourself? What new name would you adopt to mark these changes? 2. How do you see God working to “build” or “rebuild” your life? Do you view God the “builder” as building a new house, adding on to and expanding the existing house, or remodeling and tinkering with the basic house? 3. “Sure, I am a Christian. I trust Jesus as my Savior. But I can’t say that I have ever experienced the Holy Spirit.” How would you answer? (Lutherans might consult Luther’s explanation of the Third Article of the Creed in his “Small Catechism.”) 4. Name three gifts that you have. How can they be used in service to others? 5. We tend to separate people into categories according to their gifts, and we prize some gifts more than others (especially gifts that make one wealthy!). Paul argues that all gifts are equal because they come from the same source and work together for a common purpose, service to others. How might we come to think of this sort of human diversity more as Paul does? 6. Have you or someone you know experienced the gift of glossolalia or “speaking in tongues”? If so, share your experience. 7. What “signs” do you see that show God at work in the world to achieve his purposes? 8. In a prayer to God the Holy Spirit, what is the chief thing that you would include? IV Into the Week 1. You go home and someone asks, “What did you learn today?” How do you reply? 2. Reflect this week on your gifts. Work on developing a list of 25 gifts or strengths that you have. (This can be difficult because we are raised not to toot our own horns. Forget all that; don’t be afraid to praise yourself. God has given you more than you can imagine.) Think about how you have used these gifts to help others. Identify one or two of your least-used gifts and put them to work.