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Bible Study for 18th Sunday after Pentecost - September 26th |
Read Mark 9:38-50
The disciples have been arguing about who among them is the greatest. (Mark 9:33-37) That argument is followed by complaints about “others” who cast out demons in the name of Jesus. The disciples had tried to stop what they perceived as inappropriate healing by those outside the circle of Jesus’ followers. At this point in the Gospel of Mark, the disciples sound like young children who want to be first and not let anyone else in the game.
Jesus instructs the disciples not to interrupt such healings performed in his name for he knows there is something that happens to the healer in the process of healing the afflicted. The healer who uses the name of Jesus to bring healing and wholeness can no longer speak evil against Jesus.
Jesus is quite clear. People are either for the mission of Jesus or against it. The opposite is also true. “Whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:40 NRSV) Jesus places a positive slant on the situation. There is no room for maybe, undecided, or uncertainty. Even as people experiment with the power of Jesus for healing, Jesus prevails. Lives are changed. Healing occurs. The implication is people can be involved in ministry with Jesus without full knowledge about him. Ultimately, it is not about human effort or understanding but about God.
Jesus is probably holding a child used as an example during the previous discussion with his disciples. (Mark 9:33-37) The visual image is striking.
As opportunities arise to nurture and mentor someone who believes or is beginning to believe, Jesus explains there is a responsibility that comes with being a disciple of Jesus. He warns the disciples of becoming a stumbling block or placing a block in the way of others. Despite the good intentions of the disciples to do the right thing, they may have become a stumbling block in dealing with those who healed in the name of Jesus.
Jesus concludes with a reference to being “salted with fire.” This is feisty language, yet the teaching ends with a call to have peace with one another.
Prayer
Great Healer of wounds, heal our wounds and help us commit to following you. Amen
The disciples have been arguing about who among them is the greatest. (Mark 9:33-37) That argument is followed by complaints about “others” who cast out demons in the name of Jesus. The disciples had tried to stop what they perceived as inappropriate healing by those outside the circle of Jesus’ followers. At this point in the Gospel of Mark, the disciples sound like young children who want to be first and not let anyone else in the game.
- How do you explain the attitudes of the disciples?
- What is preventing the disciples from seeing the bigger picture of the mission of Jesus?
- What reaction might the disciples have expected from Jesus?
Jesus instructs the disciples not to interrupt such healings performed in his name for he knows there is something that happens to the healer in the process of healing the afflicted. The healer who uses the name of Jesus to bring healing and wholeness can no longer speak evil against Jesus.
- How do you explain this instruction from Jesus?
Jesus is quite clear. People are either for the mission of Jesus or against it. The opposite is also true. “Whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:40 NRSV) Jesus places a positive slant on the situation. There is no room for maybe, undecided, or uncertainty. Even as people experiment with the power of Jesus for healing, Jesus prevails. Lives are changed. Healing occurs. The implication is people can be involved in ministry with Jesus without full knowledge about him. Ultimately, it is not about human effort or understanding but about God.
- At this point, what might have been the reaction from the disciples to the words of Jesus?
- How can Jesus make such a claim concerning those for and against him?
Jesus is probably holding a child used as an example during the previous discussion with his disciples. (Mark 9:33-37) The visual image is striking.
As opportunities arise to nurture and mentor someone who believes or is beginning to believe, Jesus explains there is a responsibility that comes with being a disciple of Jesus. He warns the disciples of becoming a stumbling block or placing a block in the way of others. Despite the good intentions of the disciples to do the right thing, they may have become a stumbling block in dealing with those who healed in the name of Jesus.
- What examples does Jesus give about becoming a stumbling block?
- What are ways hands, feet and eyes can become stumbling blocks?
Jesus concludes with a reference to being “salted with fire.” This is feisty language, yet the teaching ends with a call to have peace with one another.
- What does it mean to be “salted with fire”?
- How does the call for peace fit with the disagreements among the disciples?
Prayer
Great Healer of wounds, heal our wounds and help us commit to following you. Amen
Prayer Petitions for this week
These petitions are offered as guides to prayer for the global, social and outreach ministries of the ELCA, as well as for the needs and circumstances of our neighbors, communities and world. Thank you for your continued prayers for the life and mission of this church.
-Thank God for our special relationship with the United Methodist Church, a full communion partner with the ELCA since 2009. Pray for the church, its members and its leaders, and pray that together we will find strength and new resources for the work of sharing the gospel and serving our neighbor, especially in these uncertain and challenging times.
-Matthew, apostle and evangelist “Follow me” (Matthew 9:9). With this simple invitation Matthew left his work as a tax collector and followed Jesus, not knowing how his life or work would change. Pray that when we sense God’s call, we will answer, trusting that God has something in mind for us — just as we are — and will employ our gifts, skills and passions while cultivating new gifts in us.
-Pray that, when we encounter problems in life or when everything seems to be working against us, we will trust in God to uphold our lives and deliver us — sometimes in ways we neither seek nor expect.
-Pray that our lives will manifest the wisdom of God, wisdom that “is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy” (James 3:17).
-Remember in prayer the leaders, voting members and others gathering for the Northwestern Ohio Synod Assembly, that the Spirit will strengthen, guide and encourage them in learning, choosing leaders, proclaiming the gospel, growing the church, serving our neighbor and doing God’s work in an ever-changing world.
-Pray for the well-being of health care workers who continue to labor long and hard in responding to the pandemic, preventing the spread of COVID and its variants, and equitably treating the ill and infected
-Give thanks and praise to God that, as siblings in Christ, we have a vast faith community that is caring and supportive, equips and encourages us to serve and to share the good news, and strives to do God’s work in the world together with its ministry companions and partners — locally and globally
-Thank God for our special relationship with the United Methodist Church, a full communion partner with the ELCA since 2009. Pray for the church, its members and its leaders, and pray that together we will find strength and new resources for the work of sharing the gospel and serving our neighbor, especially in these uncertain and challenging times.
-Matthew, apostle and evangelist “Follow me” (Matthew 9:9). With this simple invitation Matthew left his work as a tax collector and followed Jesus, not knowing how his life or work would change. Pray that when we sense God’s call, we will answer, trusting that God has something in mind for us — just as we are — and will employ our gifts, skills and passions while cultivating new gifts in us.
-Pray that, when we encounter problems in life or when everything seems to be working against us, we will trust in God to uphold our lives and deliver us — sometimes in ways we neither seek nor expect.
-Pray that our lives will manifest the wisdom of God, wisdom that “is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy” (James 3:17).
-Remember in prayer the leaders, voting members and others gathering for the Northwestern Ohio Synod Assembly, that the Spirit will strengthen, guide and encourage them in learning, choosing leaders, proclaiming the gospel, growing the church, serving our neighbor and doing God’s work in an ever-changing world.
-Pray for the well-being of health care workers who continue to labor long and hard in responding to the pandemic, preventing the spread of COVID and its variants, and equitably treating the ill and infected
-Give thanks and praise to God that, as siblings in Christ, we have a vast faith community that is caring and supportive, equips and encourages us to serve and to share the good news, and strives to do God’s work in the world together with its ministry companions and partners — locally and globally
Lent 2020 -
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In Jesus’ day, women were generally silent, and rarely if ever seen, and are generally nameless. We hear about the Canaanite woman, or the Samaritan woman, or they are identified by their relationship to a man such as Jairus’s daughter or Simon’s mother-in-law. So the very inclusion of women in the gospel texts is remarkable. Yet these women are a part of our history and a part of Jesus’ story. This Lenten season, we will explore a different woman’s story each week.
Introduction to Lent 2020 and Women's Encounters with Jesus Week 1 - The Canaanite Woman: Matthew 15:21-28 Week 2 - Martha and Mary: Luke 10:38-42 Week 3 - A Bent Woman, Daughter of Abraham: Luke 13:10-17 Week 4 - A Woman Accused of Adultery: John 7:53-8:11 Week 5 - A Woman anoints Jesus for Burial - Matthew 26:6-13 |
Lent 2019 -
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Jesus often taught the crowds through powerful stories that feel just as contemporary today as they did 2000 years ago. These wonderful stories allow us to see the world of the first century through the eyes of first century followers of Jesus. Join us on this journey through 5 parables from the Gospel of Luke as we peel back the layers to discover how these parables simultaneously comfort and challenge us. Dig into the culture of the original hearers of these stories that challenge our assumptions about God, the world, our neighbors, and ourselves.
Once Upon a Time: The Beauty and Challenge of Story Week 1 - Are All Samaritans Good? Week 2 - Lost Things Week 3 - A Lost Son Week 4 - A Lost Brother Week 5 - A Feast for the Ones the World Forgot Reflections on Holy Week |
Lent 2018 |
The gospel of John tells the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection in a poignant, dramatic, and unique voice. In this Lenten Bible study, you are invited to enter into John’s world and encounter those who were a part of Jesus’ final days.
Introduction to the Gospel of John Week 1 – Nicodemus: Journey from Darkness to Light Week 2 – Judas: Journey to the Dark Side Week 3 – Peter: Journey to Understanding Week 4 – Mary Magdalene: Journey to Life Week 5 – The Beloved Disciple: Our Journey to Faithfulness |
Advent 2017 |
Pastor Joanne made a series of videos with a message for each week of the Advent season. Please follow this link to see those messages
Advent videos 2017 |
