27 jan 19 b

Light on the Lessons Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a; Luke 4:14-21 Third Sunday after the Epiphany; Cycle C; January 27, 2019 Participant Resources I Getting Started 1. What do you gain by reading and studying Scripture? 2. “Our faith preaches cooperation. Our culture teaches competition. So, where do we go?” How would you answer? 3. In one sentence, how would you describe your sense of your mission as a Christian believer? II Check the Texts 1. Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one book. They provide our only biblical information about the returnees from Exile who rebuilt Jerusalem and the tiny province of Judah, under Persian rule. Nehemiah was a governor of the province. Ezra was the religious leader. It’s useful to look at the whole passage, verses 1-10, without omissions. The date is (probably) 485 BC. A. Consider this incident as a whole: What happened? Who was the chief player? Why do you think he did what he did? B. In 621 BC something similar occurred in Jerusalem, before the Exile, in the time of King Josiah, during the reconstruction of the Temple. Read 2 Kings 22:8-10 and 23:1-2. What are the similarities with Nehemiah 8? Also compare Nehemiah 9:1-3 with 2 Kings 22:3. What was the outcome of each event? C. What in verses 3-4 suggests that this reading was a formal, staged event? Who do you think are those in verse 3 who “could hear with understanding”? What does the audience description in verses 2-3 indicate? T D. What do verses 7-8 suggest to you? How do you understand the meaning of interpretation? E. How did the people mark this day, verse 9? What might have caused the people to weep? Who do you think are those in verse 10 “for whom nothing is prepared”? (Clue: Check Deuteronomy 14:29, 26:12-13) 2. 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a Keep last week’s lesson, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, in mind as the context for this lesson. A. How does Paul’s use of the body metaphor in Romans 12:4-8 compare with this passage? What meaning does Paul give to the “one body” image in Galatians 3:27-28? What common theme connects Galatians 3:27 with verse 13? How does the “one Spirit” idea in verse 13 relate to Paul’s argument in 12:4-11? B. What do you think was the situation in Corinth that caused Paul to make the argument he does in 12:14-21? C. What do you think underlies his statements in 12:22-26? D. Compare 12:24b-25 with 12:27-28. Then discuss this statement: “In Paul’s vision, everyone is equal and no one has authority over another because of their office or gifts.” E. In your own words, how would you express the point Paul is making in this passage? 3. Luke 4:14-21 A. How would you describe the function of verses 14-15 in Luke’s story? In terms of where Luke places the incident in verses 16-21, what function do you think it has in the whole narrative? (Clue: Skim chapters 1-3) B. Verses 18-19 are drawn from Isaiah 58:6 and 61:1-2 in the Septuagint (Greek) version. Read these passages in our translation. What meaning do they give to the term “poor” as Luke uses it verse 18b. What would “good news” be for this group? C. “The year of the Lord’s favor” refers to the year of Jubilee. Read about the Jubilee year, celebrated every 50 years, in Leviticus 25:8-17, 23-55. What theory of land ownership appears in verses 23-24? How would you summarize the benefits of the Jubilee year? Why would this be a good image for Jesus’ ministry? How does Luke 7:22 connect with verses 18-19? D. What is the significance of Jesus’ statement in verse 21? The audience responded favorably at first, and then turned hostile, verses 22-30. What was their basic misunderstanding, verse 22? If the stories about Elijah and Elisha would suggest God’s judgment, why might they have turned the people from Jesus? III What Does It All Mean? 1. Luther said that the Bible proclaims Christ, pointing to him in the Hebrew Scriptures and revealing him in the New Testament. Thus Christians analyze and interpret Scripture in light of their understanding of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Not every part of Scripture, therefore, has equal authority or significance for Christians. (Luther famously disparaged James and thought that we could get by nicely with John’s Gospel and Paul’s letters, especially Romans.) What do you think of his understanding of Scripture? 2. If you had to condense the Bible down to just a few pages to take with you on a long journey through outer space, what are some of the books or passages you would want to include? 3. “A middle-class, white Christians will feel more at home with a middle-class white person who couldn’t care less about Jesus and the faith than with a fervent black or poor white believer.” How do you react to that statement? To what extent do you feel solidarity with other baptized persons? What are the important elements that make you feel at home and comfortable with other Christians? 4. What qualities make another Christian someone to whom you look up to and want to learn from? 5. Work as a group to write a job description for a 21st -century disciple. Include understandings and attitudes, as well as actions. 6. Oppression takes many forms. What might you do to “let the oppressed go free,” for even one such person? IV Into the Week 1. You go home and someone asks, “What did you learn today?” How do you reply? 2. Many people are oppressed by the amount and extent of troubles and problems in their lives. Consider your circle of friends and colleagues. Are such persons there? What could you do this week to help or at least give encouraging support?