Questions for Overthrowing Cultural Mores Sections 76-85
76. Jesus heals a leper (Mark 1:40-45; Matthew 8:1-4; Luke 5:12-16)
What difficulty would the leper have had to face with such large crowds surrounding Jesus?
What do we learn from this?
What do you make of the Bible’s stating that this particular leper was “covered with leprosy”? Why the distinction?
What does bowing low and dropping to one’s knees before a person usually indicate?
Why is this odd when compared to the leper’s later actions?
Jesus’ compassion drove Him to not only respond positively to the man’s request but to reach out and touch him. What lessons should we learn from the Master’s compassionate touch?
Jesus stated “I am willing”. Is there ever a time when Jesus is NOT willing for us to be healed?
The translators interpreted “eutheos”, “immediately”, using two different forms of language. Matthew 8:3 says the man was “immediately cleansed.” Mark 1:42 says the disease left the man “at once”. Luke 5:13 says “immediately the leprosy left him.” Is there a difference? What is it and what does it say about Jesus’ power?
Why do you think Jesus directed the man to take the Mosaic cleansing sacrifice to the priest? Why not simply send the man home?
Why did Jesus give this peculiar warning to this man? He was healing thousands without this warning. What difference would it make? Why wouldn’t He want more people to come, hear the message of the Kingdom and get healed?
What do you make of the man’s disobedience?
What difficulties did the man’s disobedience impose on Jesus? What consequences did it have on the people?
77. Jesus heals a centurion's slave (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10)
Capernaum was a fishing village on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee and had a population of about 1,500 people. It was the home of the apostles Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew the tax collector. Jesus taught at the village’s synagogue (Luke 4:31-44) and performed healings there. What do you think the conversations around the village were like regarding Jesus and His synagogue services? How would people react today were there such services in their little town or village?
What do you think of a Roman centurion who considered a slave “highly regarded” or “valuable”? Do you think that was normal?
Why do you think that the centurion asked Jewish elders to speak on his behalf?
Why do you think he sent two separate groups, the first being religious leaders, the second being personal friends?
Combined with the centurion’s apparent humility, what does his willingness to ask elders and friends to speak on behalf of his slave tell us about him as a man?
What do you think of the Jewish elders’ argument as to why Jesus should heal the slave?
The centurion explained that his soldiers and slaves did his bidding. Who did he think Jesus was ordering around?
What does Jesus’ amazement tell us? If He was truly God, why would anything amaze Him?
What did Jesus’ prophecy concerning the many that would come from the east and the west to dine with the patriarchs mean? Who was He referring to? Was that prophecy fulfilled?
How could “sons of the kingdom” be thrown into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth? Isn’t salvation supposed to be permanent?
What lesson do we learn personally from Jesus’ statement “just as you believed, it will be done for you”? Is Jesus advocating “name it and claim it” theology? Do we just click our ruby slippers and wish and stuff happens?
Nain was very small in Jesus’ day, likely having only a handful of families as permanent residents. What do you think the impact of having one of its sons resurrected would have on a small community like this?
What do you think some of the effects of having a huge crowd like the one that constantly surrounded Jesus would be on small villages they traversed?
What would the consequences of a widow losing her only son be?
Surely, there were many people dying in Israel every day! There are always people dying. Why do you think Jesus chose to resurrect this young man?
Compare what Jesus said to the body of the young man and to the body of Lazarus (John 11:43).
In Matthew 9:24, Jesus stated that a young girl who had been declared dead was not “dead” but was instead “sleeping”. He said the same thing of Lazarus in John 11:11-13. What was He saying?
What would your reaction be if a dead person suddenly sat up and started speaking? What do you think a freshly resurrected person would have to say?
Note the relationship between “fear” and glorification of God. In what ways are the two related? Why is one necessary for the other to take place?
The people referred to Jesus as “a great prophet” and said that “God has come to help his people”. Which of these statements was more accurate and why?
79. The sinful woman in the house of Simon (Luke 7:36-39)
Why would a member of the religious elite, an ancient hyper-fundamentalist “Baptist” type, invite Jesus over to eat?
Why do you think Jesus would accept when He had to know what kind of man Simon was?
A Pharisee would not even allow a woman like this to stand near him in the market place! How do you think she got into the house and got away with what she was doing? Why didn’t Simon stop her?
Why is she identified as “a sinner”? Aren’t we all?
Alabaster jars and perfumed oils were expensive commodities in the day. If you compare this event to the different one described in Matthew 26:7, Mark 14:3, and John 11:13 you’ll note that greedy Judas described the spikenard as representing about a year’s wages! Why would the woman place such expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet?
When have you ever seen or experienced such repentance?
Do you think the woman was overdoing it? Why do you think she didn’t simply say “sorry” and ask for forgiveness?
The woman kneeling so close to Jesus, wetting His feet with her tears (which means her cheeks had to be touching them), and wiping them with her hair – all this could have been viewed as erotic by some. Why do you think Jesus allowed it anyway?
What does the fact that Simon would not have allowed a “sinner” to touch him reveal to us about Simon? How did he view himself?
Simon was a Pharisee, and was thus very familiar with the Old Covenant scriptures. Why did he believe a true prophet would not have allowed such intimate contact? What was his biblical basis? Did he have any or was he simply leaning on human traditions?
In the previous section Simon had entertained and rejected the idea that Jesus might be a prophet. Now he addresses Jesus as “rabbi” or “teacher”. What is the difference between a prophet and a teacher?
Why would the debtors appreciation which was in proportion to their cancelled debt be a metaphor of love? In what way is gratitude a proportional indication of love?
Take a few moments and list what God has done for you. Go ahead, write them down. How grateful should you be? How much love are you showing God by your manner of life?
The water for the feet that Jesus referred to was to wash the dust of the road off their feet when they took off their sandals and entered the house. The foot washing was a very common, very basic evidence of hospitality. What does the fact that Simon had not offered this imply?
Why would Simon have refused Jesus a kiss of greeting, which was very common at that time, rather like shaking hands today?
Did you notice that the woman already had been forgiven much and thus loved much which led to this event? Apparently, she already had a sense of having been forgiven. She was not begging FOR forgiveness; she was responding TO forgiveness. What does this tell us about her? What does it tell us about God?
If she’d already had her sins forgiven, why did Jesus say “your sins are forgiven” again?
What is the correct answer to the question posed by those around the table?
What saved the woman? In what way should we follow her example in our pursuit of salvation?
Jesus told her to “go in peace.” Had her circumstances changed? Was her reputation still there? Did she have some other means of economic support? Did Jesus tell everyone to quit gossiping about her? What then was the basis of her peace?
81. Second tour of Galilee with women followers (Luke 8:1-3)
Luke shows a marked interest in the role of women in Jesus’ life. Luke is the one who gave us the stories of Mary (the mother of Jesus), Elizabeth (Jesus’ aunt and mother of John the Baptist), and the prophetess Anna. Why would Luke be so focused on women?
Do you think that the fact that he directed his Gospel and the book of Acts toward Gentiles would have something to do with his description of women? Why or why not?
Compare this passage to Luke 23:27-28 and verse 49. What can we surmise about these women?
What do you think the dynamic of the group would have been with twelve Jewish men and these women, several of whom had had bad reputations?
Note the differing socio-economic strata. Some had lived with disabilities; some had been demon possessed; one was Herod’s household manager; and several others were financially well-off enough to help support Jesus and His crew. What does this tell us about Jesus?
What would life had been like for Joanna, being Herod’s household manager? What difficulties might she have faced by being a disciple of the Lord?
What principles should modern disciples follow when they work for Lowlander bosses and large faceless multinational corporations?
What does the fact that Jesus was willing to teach women equally with men and receive financial support from women say about His attitude towards women?
82. Jesus accused of working for Satan (Mark 3:20-27; Matthew 12:22-30, 43-45; Luke 11:14-26)
What do you think it would be like to be so constantly surrounded by a mob that at times you couldn’t even eat?
Why do you think his family reacted to the mob scene by trying to restrain Jesus and saying “He is out of his mind”?
What does this say about Mary’s status?
What was the blind/mute’s life probably like?
How do you think he felt about being dragged along by these “experts” to be a part of their test for Jesus?
Does the Bible teach that ALL disease is spiritually based? Is all mental illness spiritually based?
In Hebrew, Beelzebul is “ba’al zebub”, literally “lord of the flies.” It was a Semitic deity that was worshipped primarily by the Philistines. Apparently, this was a real force because, besides being identified as the prince of demons (Matthew 12:24, 27; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15), he is also identified with Satan (Matthew 12:26; Mark 3:23, 26; Luke 11:18). What do you think motivated the leaders to accuse Jesus of working in league with Satan?
How do you think they felt when Jesus reminded them that some of their own sons also exorcised?
By what means do you think the religious leader’s sons exorcised?
Compare Luke 11:20 to Exodus 8:19. What do you think Jesus meant by saying He cast out demons by “the finger of God”?
Since the context is spiritual warfare, particularly overthrowing the power of Satan, Jesus was referring to Satan as the “strong man” that He could attack, conquer, remove the armor, bind, and plunder. How can we put this fact to work in our own lives?
Don’t you think that last paragraph was a odd? What was the point of adding that to the end of the conversation? What’s the point?
83. The sin against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31-37; Mark 3:28-30; Luke 11:27-28)
What are other blasphemies we may utter other than the one against the Holy Spirit?
What is the difference between those blasphemies and the one against the Holy Spirit that makes the second one so bad?
Why would it be that we could speak against one member of the Trinity and get away with it but not another? Aren’t they equal?
To what is Jesus referring when He specifies that forgiveness will not be found either in this age or in the age to come; that this is an “eternal sin”?
How does one make a tree good? How does this apply to us, spiritually speaking?
What do you think of Jesus referring to the spiritual leaders as “offspring of vipers” who are unable to say anything good, and who are evil? Aren’t we always supposed to be gentle, meek, and understanding? How do we correlate Jesus’ attitude to righteousness?
What kind of “worthless words” might we speak that would bring condemnation on the Day of Judgment? How do we define or identify lashon hara?
How do we define or identify lashon hara in view of Jesus’ rather harsh words?
What does Jesus mean that when He says we will be justified or condemned by our words? Aren’t we justified by faith? (Acts 13:39; Romans 3:20, 24, 28; Galatians 2:16)
Why did Jesus not accept the compliment from the woman? What was she saying that He felt needed correction?
84. The sign of Jonah (Matthew 12:38-45, Luke 11:29-32)
Why did the increasing crowds lead the experts in the law to seek a sign from Jesus?
Jesus had just healed a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute! What other sign could they be wanting? Why do you think the signs Jesus gave were never enough for the religious leaders?
Jesus said that Jonah being in the belly of the huge fish for three days was a sign to the people of Nineveh. What was it a sign of?
So what does Jesus being dead and in the grave for three days and nights indicate to us?
If the wicked people of Nineveh could repent when Jonah preached to them, why could the people who were listening to the Son of God?
The queen of the South who came to hear Solomon would be a reference to the queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1-10). In what ways should the people of Jesus’ day have responded in a manner similar to the queen’s response to Solomon? In what ways should their response have been different?
How do you think it made the Hebrew leaders feel when Jesus compared them unfavorably to a bunch of goyim? (The Iraqi Ninevites and the Yemeni queen of Sheba)?
Again with the reference to evil spirits being kicked out and returning! We saw a similar reference in section 82. This was all one continuous running conversation. Why do you think Jesus brought the matter up a second time?
Why would the person be worse off after repossession? In what manner would their condition worsen?
Is there any hope for such a person?
When Jesus said that the generation standing before Him would struggle with a similar condition, what was He saying?
85. The true family of Jesus (Mark 3:31-35; Matthew 12:46-50; Luke 8:19-21)
How would it feel to not be able to get to speak to your own oldest son because of the crowds around him?
What was intrinsically wrong with His family “summoning” Him?
What do we do with the Catholic idea of Mary’s perpetual virginity in view of this passage?
What benefits and responsibilities come from being Jesus’ family?
If Jesus is our brother and God is our Father, what is our true nationality? What does each of the following passages say?
Isaiah 14:1
Isaiah 56:3, 6-8
Isaiah 63:16
Romans 2:28-29
Romans 9:6-8
Galatians 3:6-7
Galatians 3:29
Ephesians 2:11-19
What is the relation between “doing the will of God”, “hearing and doing the will of God” and being in Jesus’ family? Isn’t salvation by grace through faith not of works? (Ephesians 2:8-10)
