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
  

As Luke tells it, Jesus threatened the rich and powerful, but appealed to the poor and outcast. If Jesus came today, how would those two groups in our society respond to him?

Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

~Luke 5:31

I think it could be possible that they would have the same response as they did in his time

Joanna

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,

~Luke 8:1

What do you think this part of Jesus' ministry was like?  Describe what you think his disciples may have done throughout the course of a day.

• I would think extremely busy, but I'm sure he enjoyed doing what he was donig very much
• They followed him wherever he needed to go, discussed a vast amount of topics with him and listened to his teachings

To whome do you minister in the course of your day?  What people around you need the sort of ministry spoken of in this verse?  Keep in mind that while Jesus was traveling and proclaiming the good news he was also healing the sick and "doing good" (Acts 10:38).

• I don't exactly do any spiritual ministering at the current moment, but if it counts, I minister to children on various educational subject almost every weekday
• many people that have doubts about God's existence

and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;  Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

~Luke 8:2-3

What sorts of diseases might Jesus have cured in these women?  What was their response?  Jesus healed many people, most of whom thanked him adn praised God for their healing.  But these women were beyond mere thanks to very practical acts of gratitude.  Why do you think they responded this way?

• one in particular that I can think of is leprousy
• pure awe
• because they believe the healing to be a miracle

Have you ever been healed of a sickness?  Have you ever been saved from a life-threatening situation?  Have you ever found relief from low spirits or evil spirits or depression?  Who brought about your delieverance?  What practical acts of gratitutde can you, like Joanna and the other women, do in response?

• whenever I was sick, the sickness went away on it's own
• no
• yes, from my best friend
• spend more time with that friend

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.  In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:  ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”  Then they remembered his words.

  When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others.  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles.

~Luke 24:1-10

Joanna took care of Jesus during his life, supporting him with her work and her money.  Now she is planning ot take care of him in his death.  What does she find instead?

• the tomb was empty and Jesus was risen from the dead

Have you ever been totally suprised by a turn of events?  Especially something that you thought that was going to be terrible that turned out to be wonderful?  What was your response?

• yes, I would feel very excited about a certain sort of bad news turning into good news

But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.  Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

~Luke 24:11-12

Why didn't the disciples blieve what the women told them?  Do you think if you had been there you would have thought it was "nonsense" also?  What other reaction might you have had?

• because they wanted to see with their own eyes that they were telling the truth
• no
  

To what is God asking you to say yes? What sacrifice may be involved?

I believe he is asking me to say yes to evangelizing to others.  The sacrifice involved would be giving up some of my time that I would normally utilize for other things.