Bible Reflections for May, 2006
Sunday, May 7
Read: John 10:11-18
Consider:
Who is the good shepherd? Read Psalm 23...then John 10:11-18... then John 21:15-19. Here Jesus calls himself a shepherd in contrast to "hired hands," whose concern is for personal well being above that of the flock. A portrait of Christ as the one who continually cares for the well-being of his followers is painted here; this is the "pastoral dimension" of ministry -- Christ's and the church's. The gospel is not only a message to proclaim; it is a life to life in a community of mutual care and support as modeled by Jesus the good shepherd. His care extends all the way to the cross. Jesus then speaks of "other sheep that do not belong to this fold" that he must attend to.
Reflect:
+ Does the image of shepherding still rings with any power in an increasing less rural society?
+ How can we be shepherds to one another?
+ Sheep tend to be thoughtless followers, some would call the "stupid." Is the image of Christ's followers as "sheep" too insulting for thoughtful, self-motivated people?
+ Who might these "other sheep" be, who belong to Jesus but are of a different fold? Is he referring to the Gentiles, who will be evangelized by Paul in the early church? Does it point to the divisions among Jesus' followers, which today we label "denominations" Or might he be referring to future generations yet to come? In any event, these words may be a good corrective to drawing our circles too small and declaring who's in and who's out.
Sunday, May 14
Read: Acts 8:26-40
Consider:
Here is a vividly-told story (typical of Luke) of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch through Philip's witness. Again, as in the text of two Sundays ago (Luke 24:36-48), the understanding of Hebrew Scripture is important for Luke (the writer of Acts) in understanding Jesus. Philip is
directed by an angel to go south on a road through the wilderness where he meets this Ethiopian eunuch of high position in the queen's court. The eunuch is reading scripture (Isaiah) in his chariot, but with little understanding. Philip, at the Spirit's prompting, goes over to help him interpret the
prophet's words -- which are words that point to the coming of Jesus Christ. The eunuch comes to belief and asks to be baptized. A major breakthrough is taking place in this story: the gospel first breaks out of its Jewish confines... a non-Jew is included in the company of the faithful without
first becoming Jewish through circumcision and obedience to Jewish laws. We will see an even more dramatic breakthrough in the text for May 4 (Acts 10). This encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian enacts Jesus commission to take the gospel to Judea, then to Samaria, then to the "ends of the earth" (which Ethiopia represents in the biblical writer's perspective at that time).
Reflect:
+ What are other ways the gospel has broken through ethnic barriers...ancient and recent?
+ Why would the inclusion of a non-Jew (Gentile) be such a controversial act for the church at that time?
+ The eunuch seemed to have a searching spirit, seeking truth beyond his own traditions? Would that be said of you or me? When do we need to speak the truth boldly and when, in humility, to listen to others' understanding of truth?
+ An ancient prayer goes: "From the cowardice that shrinks from new truths...from the laziness that is content with half truths...from the arrogance that thinks it knows all the truth, O God of Truth, deliver us. What portion of that prayer most speaks to our spiritual need?
+ Who is your "Philip," helping you to better understand scripture? Who is your spiritual "guide" (verse 31) who helps you discern the meaning of God's word for today?
Sunday, May 21
Read: Acts 10:44-48 (For better context, read chapter 10 of Acts in its entirety)
Consider: Peter was a faithful Jew and therefore considered the Jewish ceremonial law to be of supreme importance; anyone who would follow Jesus Christ must also follow this law. His mind was changed in a vision in which he was commanded to eat non-kosher foods (verses
9-16), preparing him for his encounter with Cornelius, a Gentile (and therefore ceremonially unclean) who had been drawn to God in prayer and service. When Peter and some other believers went to visit Cornelius, to tell them about Jesus, the Holy Spirit was poured out on Cornelius and other Gentiles present that day, much to the surprise of the Jewish Christians. Realizing Gods presence with Gentiles as well as Jews, Peter called for water for baptizing these new believers
into the community of faith. A barrier had been crossed--no longer was the gospel only for Jews or those who would first become Jews before being baptized as believer. This faith was to be a universal faith. We may take that for granted today, but at that time, the inclusion of Gentiles was a breathtaking breakthrough.
Reflect:
+ About what things in life have you changed your mind?
+ Have you met people who didn't seem to have the qualifying criteria to belong to a particular group, but embodied a spirit that made it impossible to keep the door closed?
+ Are you able to look beyond the externals of a person to see the underlying gifts that he or she possesses? Where do you have difficulty letting go of conventional wisdom or stereotypes about certain groups of people?
+ What are some implications for today of the learning from this story that God pours out his Spirit indiscriminately, on those the religious community views as outsiders?
Sunday, May 28
Read: Isaiah 49:13-18
Consider: The prophet speaks a word of comfort and promise to a people broken and exiled. When God restores the fortunes of the suffering people, it is as though all creation--heaven, earth, mountains--sing for joy at the return of good fortune, blessing, healing, and justice. Then he employs one of the Bible's feminine analogies of God that remind us that God is above gender and inclusive in his being of both male and female: God as a nursing mother. Can a mother forget that
dependent child she loves so maternally and so unconditionally? Of course not. But even greater is the love of God for God's people. God is our compassionate, loving Mother as well as our eternal, almighty Father...the heavenly Parent whose love will not forsake us. We are as present to God as though we were "tattoos" on God's hands...always before God. God does not forget the covenants that God makes; that promise is the strong foundation on which faith builds...not that we are always faithful but that God is.
Reflect:
+ When have you felt like one of "the suffering ones" in your life? Perhaps you do now?
+ Other than the sufferings of bodily illness, what other kinds of suffering may inflict us?
+ Have you had the experience of finding healing for your suffering?
+ Why do you think the prophet turns to the image of a nursing mother to convey Gods love?
What does this image imply about us? our status? our means of nourishment?
Sunday, June 4
Read: Acts 2:1-21
Consider: This is the story of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus' early followers (you might check "The Pastor's Message for May" for some reflections on Pentecost). Pentecost was a Jewish festival that has come to mark for Christians the birthday of the church. The giving of the Holy Spirit completes the triune movement of God in human life: Father (Creator), Son (Redeemer), Holy Spirit (Sustainer). It was an experience of ecstatic speech (speaking in tongues), but unlike most expressions of tongue speaking today, it was a time of understanding one another, not a sound of babble (Babel). Pentecost seems to mark the restoration of unity to those who had been "scattered" and separated by language barriers (marked in the story of the Tower of Babel, Genesis 11). In other words, God's Spirit reunites, restores, and builds community--a divisive spirit cannot be the Holy Spirit. The Spirit also energizes, empowering people to see more than they had seen before and to do more than they ever could have dreamed.
Reflect:
+ When in life have you felt most "spirited" What were you doing or how were you developing at the time?
+ What energizes you to action? Could it be an expression of the Holy Spirit?
+ How are we able to distinguish the presence of the Holy Spirit from all the other spirits that excite people? (Group spirit, team spirit, spirit of accomplishment, spirit of family togetherness,
party spirit--as in politics, party spirit--as in people having a good time together?)
+ When have you felt reunited to someone from whom you had become alienated? What did it feel like to have the relationship restored? What enabled the movement from estrangement to reunion?
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