One thing that I’ve learned about church over the last 20 years is that it’s full of humans. Now that I’ve impressed you with my observational skills, let me just point out that whenever you get a group of humans together, you will inevitably find conflict. The church is no different.  “Conflict in church? Meh, there you go, the church is full of hypocrites!”  “No…it’s not full, there’s room for one more, c’mon in!”

Here’s the thing. Jesus seemed to anticipate our propensity for conflict, which prompted him to give the instructions we’ll be reading this Sunday in our study through Matthew: Ch 18:15-35.

In v 15-19, Jesus lays out a pretty straightforward outline of how to manage a dispute within the church family. What would you consider the theme of this approach to be? How important do you think communication and listening is when it comes to conflict resolution? The last part of his instructions in v17 sound harsh, but how did Jesus treat gentiles and tax collectors? Read that verse in the Message version. How do you think this would look in a real life application? V 20 gives us hope that as a community we’ll have the right discernment concerning these issues. How can remembering that Jesus is present in our gathering together help us to better deal with our conflicts?

Peter asks a bold question in v21-22. What do you believe Jesus’ answer means – give a person 490 chances but at 491, lower the boom? If not that, what do you think he means? How does forgiveness tie in with the previous issue of conflict resolution?

The story Jesus tells us has a ring of comedic irony to it. It’s possible the listeners were chuckling…right up until v 35. How do you interpret this parable? What is the major theme and the source of the conflict? If this is addressing our motives and impetus, what is our motive for forgiving others?

There is some hefty stuff to dig into this Sunday! Hope to see you there!

“When it comes to humility, I’m the BEST!”

“Really?”

“Yes, in fact, if it weren’t for my great humility I would go on.”

A conversation like that would ultimately reveal that the words don’t really represent the reality of the speaker’s attitude. Receiving an award for being most humble is sort of self-contradictory. Yet, how often do we find it difficult not to go out of our way to make sure the people around us have taken note of our gracious and humble attitudes? That’s the rub when it comes to human nature – we just want to be recognized in one way or another. We are a very lonely and insecure species.

We’re coming to a section in our study of Matthew where Jesus is going to give us some instruction as to how to handle ourselves in community. We’ll be reading Matthew 18:1-14.

The scene opens with Jesus’ disciples vying for the number one spot in terms of God’s kingdom and His fantasy team ranking. In response, Jesus puts a child in front of them and commands that we follow that example. In what ways do children embody the concept of humility on a societal level? If we think about ancient attitudes towards children, it expands that idea even further. Have you ever been upset when someone was treating you like a child? Why was that offensive?  How is Jesus’ call to intentional humility distinct from the way our normal societal patterns work? If we’re not getting our validation from our fellow humans, where will we get it from – to Whom do we look?

Jesus warns us not to put a scandalon – a stumbling block in front of someone who is a humble believer in Jesus. Given the context of not seeking to advance ourselves over each other, how do you think this translates to our community interaction? Based on what Jesus says, how important do you think this is to him?

The final section has a parable about a shepherd who leaves his ninety nine sheep to search for one lost lamb. He was pointing out how all the sheep are valuable to God. No one is unimportant, including you and I. Realizing that, what do you think Jesus’ point is concerning how we interact with each other in community? How can we better embody these traits as a church? If we could do that, what effect do you think it would have on the world around us?

Hope to see you Sunday!

Hey – late post, but hopefully you’ll still have time to take a peek at our upcoming passage.

We’ll be reading Matthew 17:22-27 this Sunday. It’s a highly unusual story. One that’s unique to Matthew’s gospel, but understandable considering his tax-collector background.

The story opens in v22-23 where Jesus once again announces his upcoming arrest and execution, as well as his resurrection. Again, the disciples are puzzled. What reason can you imagine for this repeated message to his disciples?

When they get to home to Capernaum, they are confronted by “collectors of the two-drachma tax”. This was a tax instituted in Exodus 30 as a census tax that went to support the temple operations. The priests would go to outlying areas up in Galilee and collect it from the Jewish people. When the collectors corner Peter, they assume Jesus isn’t going to pay that tax. Why do you think they would assume that? Interestingly, a sect within Israel, who was contemporary to Jesus, the Essenes, openly opposed the temple tax. As cited in the dead seas scrolls, they believed the proper application of Exodus 30 was a once in a lifetime tax, not an annual one.

Peter answers in the affirmative, but when he sits down with Jesus, he gets a different perspective. He gives a parable about the kings of earth and how they operate a tax. Who do you think the “children” are in his story? What do you think his point is concerning the temple tax?

When Jesus capitulates, he does so not to offend. Who do you think might be offended? What can we learn about Jesus’ attitude and our calling here? What do you think is worth offending people over when it comes to our faith?

The fish story at the end…that’s something, huh? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever found? The text doesn’t tell us whether Peter went and did this or if it was meant as just a story for Peter – but either way, there is a plain point being made. Who is it that provides our ability to navigate through this world of ever present cultural expectations? Let’s trust him for the wisdom to live well.

See you Sunday!

Are you familiar with the phrase “one step forward, two steps back”? Its an idiom meant to describe a difficulty in progressing. There are a variety of times in which that phrase can be employed in life, but one we don’t often like to think of is our own spiritual journey. Quite often, instead of a steady climb upward, from glory to glory, its more like slipping and sliding on a muddy hill.

This Sunday we’ll be reading Matthew 17:1-20 and we’ll get a glimpse of God’s glory revealed and then concealed as the disciples endeavor to follow Christ.

The first section, v1-8, provides the account of the “transfiguration” of Jesus. Jesus takes three of his disciples up on a mountain, and there, his appearance changes in front of them – he is glorious. Why do you think Moses and Elijah showed up? What is it that they represent?

When the voice instructs us to “listen to him“, Jesus, what do you think that means in light of who is on the mountaintop with him?

I find it intriguing that Matthew includes the detail that Jesus’ clothes started shining like white light. Why do you think that detail is there? Why would his ordinary clothes be affected like this? What can that mean for us?

When they head off the mountain in v 9-13 the disciples get a lesson about Elijah’s coming before the Messiah. Why do you think the people didn’t recognize John the Baptist as a fulfillment of the prophecy about Elijah’s appearance? What can we learn from that when it comes to our expectations about how God will manifest his glory?

After they return down from the mountaintop experience, they face a different tone in v14-20. What is the key element that Jesus says is missing, which prevented the disciples from helping the demonized boy? What do you think he means by that: they didn’t have faith that the boy would be healed or that they didn’t have faith that Jesus was working through them still, or something else? What leads you to your conclusion?

We’ll get really honest about our journey this Sunday – hope to see you there!