The Widow With The Two Coins

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.

~Mark 12:41

Why would Jesus watch people putting money into the offering?  What do you think he was looking for?

• to see who is more generous in giving to the church

Picture yourself in this scene: You're in the temple, putting your offering into the receptacle.  You don't know it, but Jesus is watching.  What does he see?

• he sees a person giving willingly and faithfully out of thanksgiving

But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

~Mark 12:42

The trumpet-shaped receptacles for offerings were made of metal.  Compare the difference between the sound of the widow's offering with the sound of the offerig of the rich.  Who do you think was most noticed by the crowd?  Who did Jesus notice?

• the crowd notices the rich, but Jesus notices the widow

What did Jesus see about the woman that others in the crowd missed?  What might Jesus see about you that others around you might miss?

• a thankful woman despite her financial issues
• a person with many gift she can give to the wolrd

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

~Mark 12:43-44

What was significant about the widow's offering?  Why do you think Jesus pointed the widow's offering out to his disciples?  What did he want them to think, to understand?

• she gave all the money she had to the church
• that she had great faith in God

How does the widow's offering compare to the offering that Jesus was about to make?  What was similar about it?  What was different?

• close to the same
• Both won't be giving much
• Jesus doesn't give anything

In one sentence, summerize what the Holy Spirit is teaching you through this story.

• Don't be afraid to give everything you have to God
  

What does it mean to pray "in Jesus' name"? How can your life have the power and authority of Jesus behind it?

“Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

~Luke 10:16

To pray "in Jesus' name" means that you are giving your pray - whatever it may be about - to Him and that yo utrust his authority based on your faith in him.  Your life has the power and authority of Jesus behind it all based on what you say in your prayer.  If you believe that he will answer it, then you have the reason to not feel defeated in this world.  Life never comes easy, but through prayer, the power of Jesus always comes to save.

Salome, Mother of The Zebedees

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

    “What is it you want?” he asked.

She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

~Matthew 20:20-21

What did James's and John's mother really want?  Do you think she was asking only for honor for her sons, or did she also want something for herself?

• honor for her sons\

How do you react when your child is honored?  How do you react when your child is passed over for some honor?  How are you like Salome?

• with great happiness
• a little disappointed but still happy for the other person
• I act just as hopeful as she does

“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

“We can,” they answered.

  Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

~Matthew 20:22-23

What "cup" is Jesus talking about here?  Do you think the disciples answered the question glibly or seriously?

• his ministry?
• they answered the question seriously

Would it be wise to prevent all suffering in the lives of your children?  Why or why not?

• not really because we all must endure a time of sorrow or defeat to learn any lessons in life

When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.

~Matthew 20:24

Why were the other disciples upset with James and John instead of with James's and John's mother?  Do you think James and John had some part in their mother's actions?

• Because James and John were not saught out by Jesus
• no

If you had been there, what would you have said to Salome?  Have you ever said something similar to the mother of one of your child's friends, perhaps not to her face but at least to yourself?  Why are mothers so eager to protect and elevate their own children?

• I probably would have reacted with the same answer
• I am not a mother yet, so this question doesn't exactly apply to me right now
• They want to make sure that they have everything they need in life

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—

~Matthew 20:25-27

With these words, Jesus totally overturns the natural reaction of his culture and ours.  How do you think his disciples and Salome reacted to his words?  What do you think Salome might have been thinking at this point?

• they probably felt stood corrected
• how thankful she was for Jesus' words

How easy or hard is it for you to play the role of servant?  Define servant leadership.  What has to change in your life for you to truly become a servant leader?

• pretty easy, I guess
• leading a group of people to help serve others
• nothing that I can think of at this point
  

Why do you think the Bible include accounts of big failure like this? Have you ever experienced a repeated failure, a sin or problem that keeps returning, no matter what you do?

 Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the LORD sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.

~Deuteronomy 28:47-48

It's not so much a sin really, but I keep feeling like I'm failing at finding a job these days.  I try and I try to apply to all sorts of different places, but it always seems that everyone wants someone better experienced than me

Mary of Bethany

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

  When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.  “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

  Jesus wept.

  Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

  But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

~John 11:32-37

Why is Mary crying here?  How does Jesus react to her grief?

• her brother is dead
• he felt both sorry and troubled

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.  “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

  Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

  So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.  I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

  When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”  The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

~John 11:38-44

Put yourself in Mary's place in this scene.  Your brother, who lives with you and supports you, has died and then is raised.  No information is given on the reactions of the sisters or the crowd.  How do you think they reacted?  How would you react?

• with pleasant suprise
• I think I would have racted the same way

Have you ever had something that caused you grief suddenly change to joy?  A sickness healed?  A child returned?  How did you react?  Whom did you thank?

• yes I think I have. 
• I reacted with great suprise and thanked God for it

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.  Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.  Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

~John 12:1-3

What do you think caused Mary to make such an extravigant gesture?

• she was thankful of Jesus miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead

If you were to make a year's worth of your wages (see John 12:5), what would you do with it for Jesus?

• here is what John 12:5 says:
  
  

  “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”
  

   I can only thinK I would have done the same thing Mary did

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,  “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”  He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

~John 12:4-6

We're told exactly why this use of expensive perfume bothered Judas so much.  What word best describes it here?

• worry

How Sincere are you?  Like Mary?  Like Judas?  Somewhere in between?  If Jesus came to your home for dinner, what would you do to express your love for him?

• I think that I am more like Mary  when it comes to being sincere. 
• I would welcome him in with great kindness and treat him just like Mary did

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.

~John 12:7

Do you think Mary had any idea that this act of devotion was preparation for Jesus' burial?  How do you think she might have reacted to his statement?

• Not really
• with great suprise

You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

~John 12:8

Did Jesus mean we should ignore the poor and pay attention only to him?  If not, what exactly did he mean?

• not at all!
• that you will always have physical beings around you, but the person holding divinity will soon not be physically around

The poor are among us yet today, and so is Jesus, through the Holy Spirit.  What can we do to help the poor?  What can we do to acknowledge Jesus' presence to our world?

• feed them and give them clothing
• praise him through prayer 

Martha

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.

~Luke 10:38

What do the words "opened her house" tell you about Martha?

• that she was very welcoming

When have you opened your home to someone?  Not just had them over for coffee or a meal, but let them use your house as their own?  Opened your heart to them as well as your home?  Describe the person adn the circumstances.

• Since I still live with my parents, I can't exactly recall having a situation like this in my life.  If I were on my own right now, anyone that would be close to me would be more than welcome to stay

Hospitality is listed as a gift in I Peter 4:9.  Do you have the gift of hospitality?  How do you use it?

• I believe I do.  I would treat any of my guests like they were a part of my own family

She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.

~Luke 10:39

Describe what you think this scene looked like.

• I see the whole group in a dining area where Mary sits at Jesus' feet, the desciples are listening to his teachings and Martha is rushing around making sure everything is going well for her guests

Compare Mary and Martha.  Which woman are you more like?

• There are times when I'm like either woman.  Like Mary, I'm a good listener to anyone that may heed me advice or just wants to talk.  On the other hand, I can be like Martha, where I want to make a good impression for my guests or friends that are visiting.

Often, this story puts Martha in a negative light and Mary in a possitive one.  Do you think that's fair?  Why or why not?

• In a way I think it is because Martha didn't need to worry about impressing Jesus.  He would have been just as content with the dwelling's current condition no matter what and if his desciples had griped about it.  He would have rebuked them.  Martha should have been listening to Jesus' teachings just like her sister Mary

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

~Luke 10:40

Martha was pretty frank with Jesus.  What does that tell you about her relationship with him?  Why do you think she complained to Jesus instead of going directly to Mary?

• that she can be pretty impatient
• She probably complained to Jesus instead because she thought Mary wouldn't listen to her sister

If you were honest with Jesus, more honest than you've ever been before, what would you say to him?

• I would tell him anything that I would feel very uncomfortable telling anyone else I know

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

~Luke 10:41-42

What was Jesus trying to tell Martha?

• Not to worry and to just relax and listen to his teaching

If Jesus were to come to visit you today, would you busy yourself with preparation, as Martha did, or sit at his feet, like Mary?  Which position would you be more comfortable with?

• I think I would be more like Mary, sitting at his feet.  I also think I would be more comfortable with this position

What in your life would Jesus think is a distraction from spending more time with him?  Would he think these distractions were anymore legitimate than Martha's?

• I guess I would say the liesure reading I do all the time. 
• Probably not

As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”

~Luke 11:27

We often study Martha and see her shortcomings.  However, this statement, made after her brother, Lazarus, had died, reveals another side of Martha.  What does her declaration here tell you about who Martha really was?

• deep inside, she was a true believer of God
  

The Syrophoenecian Woman

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”

~Matthew 15:21-22

What about these words makes it obvious that the woman and her daughter were both suffering?

• when she asked Jesus to have mercy on her

If your child were the one possessed, how woudl you aproach Jesus for healing?  What would you say?  How would you act?

• I would probably do the same exact thing the Syrophoenecian woman did

Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

~Matthew 15:23

Why do you suppose Jesus at first ignored the woman?  What was her response?

• It could be possible that he thought she had enough faith that her daughter would be healed on her own
• I think she was suprised by his unresponsiveness, so she tried to keep gettinghis attention

Was it ok for the woman to keep "crying out"?  Why or why not?

• sure, because she was probably wanting to see a miracle performed

He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

  The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

  He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

~Matthew 15:24-26

The woman was not an Isrealite.  What might have been her response to Jesus' statement that he had come "only to the lost sheep of Isreal"?  Why do you think she didn't give up?

• suprise
• she wanted to see her daughter healed

How persistent are you in prayer?  Do you give up easily?  Or do you keep praying until you get a definite answer?

• I keep praying until I get a definite answer

“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

  Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

~Matthew 15:27-28

What was meant by the "crumbs" in verse 27?  What was the woman saying?

• the crumbs are individual people
• that everyone matters in this world

What was Jesus' response?  Why did he responsd in the way he did?

• he was very please because he was testing her faith

When have you asked for little and received much?  Were you suprised?  How often do we settle for the "crumbs" when Jesus really wants to give us the whole loaf?

• It probably happened a while ago but yes I believe I acted very suprised. 
• We probably only settle for so little on a very minimal basis, but we probably should do it more often

Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

~Matthew 15:23, 28

What is the difference between how the disciples responded to the woman and how Jesus ultimately responded to her?

• the disciples didn't want to be bothered whereas Jesus was willing to elp

When a needy person approaches you, do you respond like Jesus or like his disciples?  How do you respond if the person is emotionally needy - continually sticking close to you, interupting your conversations with others, asking questions you can't answer, and generally wanting more than you wish to give?

• I do my best to respond more like Jesus
• I don't think I have encountered all these situations, but when someone is emotionally in need of me, I do my best to be a good friend and provide them with any answers they might be seeking to the best of my ability and if I can't think of a good personal answer, then I ask them to pray about the situation