Day 1 (Monday)

Joshua 8 (Ai Captured, Covenant Renewed)

Last time we saw what happened when one of the Israelites desired the fruit of the life lived in Jericho, and took some precious things from the city and hid them. We saw how this choice of the fruits of evil and rebellion corrupted the entire camp, and brought evil and defeat upon them, and how they removed the wickedness from their midst. This time, we will see them go up to attack the city of Ai once again, but this time with the guidance of the Lord.

Ai Captured by a Stratagem and Destroyed

8 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear or be dismayed; take all the fighting men with you, and go up now to Ai. See, I have handed over to you the king of Ai with his people, his city, and his land. 2 You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king; only its spoil and its livestock you may take as booty for yourselves. Set an ambush against the city, behind it.”

3 So Joshua and all the fighting men set out to go up against Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand warriors and sent them out by night 4 with the command, “You shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it; do not go very far from the city, but all of you stay alert. 5 I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. When they come out against us, as before, we shall flee from them. 6 They will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, ‘They are fleeing from us, as before.’ While we flee from them, 7 you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city; for the Lord your God will give it into your hand. 8 And when you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire, doing as the Lord has ordered; see, I have commanded you.” 9 So Joshua sent them out; and they went to the place of ambush, and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai; but Joshua spent that night in the camp.

10 In the morning Joshua rose early and mustered the people, and went up, with the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11 All the fighting men who were with him went up, and drew near before the city, and camped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai. 12 Taking about five thousand men, he set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. 13 So they stationed the forces, the main encampment that was north of the city and its rear guard west of the city. But Joshua spent that night in the valley.

14 When the king of Ai saw this, he and all his people, the inhabitants of the city, hurried out early in the morning to the meeting place facing the Arabah to meet Israel in battle; but he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. 15 And Joshua and all Israel made a pretense of being beaten before them, and fled in the direction of the wilderness. 16 So all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn away from the city. 17 There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel; they left the city open, and pursued Israel.

18 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the sword that is in your hand toward Ai; for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the sword that was in his hand toward the city. 19 As soon as he stretched out his hand, the troops in ambush rose quickly out of their place and rushed forward. They entered the city, took it, and at once set the city on fire. 20 So when the men of Ai looked back, the smoke of the city was rising to the sky. They had no power to flee this way or that, for the people who fled to the wilderness turned back against the pursuers.

21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city was rising, then they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. 22 And the others came out from the city against them; so they were surrounded by Israelites, some on one side, and some on the other; and Israel struck them down until no one was left who survived or escaped. 23 But the king of Ai was taken alive and brought to Joshua.

24 When Israel had finished slaughtering all the inhabitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them, and when all of them to the very last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai, and attacked it with the edge of the sword. 25 The total of those who fell that day, both men and women, was twelve thousand—all the people of Ai. 26 For Joshua did not draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the sword, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

27 Only the livestock and the spoil of that city Israel took as their booty, according to the word of the Lord that he had issued to Joshua. 28 So Joshua burned Ai, and made it forever a heap of ruins, as it is to this day. 29 And he hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening; and at sunset Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree, threw it down at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised over it a great heap of stones, which stands there to this day.

Joshua Renews the Covenant

30 Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, 31 just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the Israelites, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, “an altar of unhewn stones, on which no iron tool has been used”; and they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord, and sacrificed offerings of well-being. 32 And there, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.

33 All Israel, alien as well as citizen, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark in front of the levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, blessings and curses, according to all that is written in the book of the law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the aliens who resided among them.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that the people of Israel have to work much harder for this victory than they did at Jericho. It is also worth noting that, while normally they were required to destroy everything, even the animals and the precious things, in the cities of the Amorites, in this specific case Yahweh gives them the spoils. We aren’t told why this is the case, but it is worth noticing and considering why it might be. One possibility is that Ai and Bethel are the spot where Jacob had received the promise that God would give him the land he was sleeping on in Genesis 28, so perhaps God is giving the people the spoils of the city in this place as a sign of that promise’s fulfillment. We can be assured, however, that the cities of Ai and Bethel were participating fully in the sins of the Amorites for which God was destroying them. The Leader should also note that what Joshua does at the end of this chapter, in reading the entirety of the Law to the people, was commanded explicitly to be done at this place by the Lord through Moses in Deuteronomy 27. In proclaiming God’s Law to the people as they come into their inheritance, and actually possess land that was promised to them, Joshua and the people proclaim that they are not an independent people, but are precisely dependent upon and faithful to Yahweh, the God of Israel.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

First Apology of Justin Martyr – 2: 16-17

Last time we saw Justin begin to quote from the words of our Lord Jesus Christ to the emperors, to show what kind of teaching He had given to His people. This time, we will see him continue in this vein; it is worth noting what teachings of the Lord he chooses to highlight as most important and distinctive to the emperors.

Chapter 16

With the following words He taught us that we should be patient, and be willing to submit to everyone, and never give way to anger: ‘To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also; and hinder not him who takes away your cloak or coat. Whoever is given to anger is subject to the fire of hell. And everyone who forces you to go with him a mile, go with him two. Let your good deeds shine before men, that they, seeing them, may glorify your Heavenly Father.’

We should not be contentious, nor does He want us to imitate the wicked, but He rather urges us to draw all men from dishonor and desire of evil by our own patience and mildness. We can show that this has happened in the case of many of those who were of your side and turned from a life of violence and tyranny, because they were conquered either by the constancy of their neighbors’ lives, or by the strange patience they noticed in their injured associates, or by experiencing their honesty in business matters.

With these words He commanded us never to swear, but always to tell the truth: ‘Do not swear at all, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no; for whatever is beyond these comes from the evil one.’ He convinced us that only God is to be worshipped, when He said: ‘The greatest commandment is this: “Thou shalt adore the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve, with all thy heart, and with all thy strength, the Lord God who made thee,” ’6 and when a certain man came to Him and said: ‘Good Master,’ He replied: ‘There is none good but God alone who made all things.’

May they who are not found living according to His teachings know that they are not Christians, even though they profess with their tongues the teaching of Christ, for He said that not those who only profess His doctrines, but those who put them into practice, shall be saved. Indeed, He said: ‘Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven. For whosoever hears Me and does what I say, hears Him who sent Me. And many will say to Me, “Lord, Lord, have we not eaten and drunk, and done wonders in your name?” And then will I say to them: “Depart from Me, you workers of evil.” Then there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when the just shall shine as the sun, and the wicked are sent into everlasting fire. For many shall come in My name, dressed outwardly in sheep’s clothing, but who inwardly are ravenous wolves. By their works you shall know them. Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit, shall be cut down and cast into the fire.’ And we ask that you also punish all those who call themselves Christians, but are not living according to His teachings.

Chapter 17

As we have been instructed by Him, we, before all others, try everywhere to pay your appointed officials the ordinary and special taxes. For in His time some people came to Him and asked if it were necessary to pay tribute to Caesar, and He replied: ‘Tell Me, whose likeness does this coin bear?’ They said: ‘Caesar’s.’ And He again replied: ‘Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God, the things that are God’s.’

Wherefore, only God do we worship, but in other things we joyfully obey you, acknowledging you as the kings and rulers of men, and praying that you may be found to have, besides royal power, sound judgment. If you do not heed us, though we beseech you and clearly explain our position, it will by no means harm us, for we believe (rather, we are absolutely sure) that every man will pay the penalty of his misdeeds in the everlasting fire, and that every one will give an account in proportion to the powers he received from God, as Christ made known to us when He said: ‘To whom God has given more, of him more shall be required.’

Thomas B. Falls with Justin Martyr, The First Apology, The Second Apology, Dialogue with Trypho, Exhortation to the Greeks, Discourse to the Greeks, The Monarchy or The Rule of God, vol. 6, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1948), 50–52.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that the teachings Justin presents here are precisely those that the emperors would have seen exhibited by the Christians in the course of their persecutions, with the mild and gentle demeanor, the turning of the cheek, the refusal of anger, the refusal to swear oaths, etc. He points out further that there are so-called Christians who DO do these things, and by so doing escape punishment, and suggests that they are the ones who should be punished still more, because they are in truth faithful neither to Christ NOR to the emperors, to whom they feign obedience only out of fear. He therefore concludes by pointing out that the Christians are the most obedient and faithful of subjects to the emperors in all things except that they cannot give them worship. Thus all of these virtues are connected to the way Christians face persecution, and Justin is explaining to the emperors the cause of what otherwise might look like insanity of insolence.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

Mark 13:1-13

For the last couple weeks, we have seen Jesus preaching inside the Temple, and fielding challenges from the priests, the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the scribes. This week we will see Him leave the Temple with His disciples and explain to them that He is NOT, in fact, establishing an earthly empire based in Jerusalem at that time, even though they REALLY want Him to do so.

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold

13 As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” 2 Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”

3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

Persecution Foretold

9 “As for yourselves, beware; for they will hand you over to councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them. 10 And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11 When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 13 and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that Jesus is explaining to His disciples that, while He is indeed coming to establish His Kingdom over all, it is not going to happen in the way that they think. As He says, “this is only the beginning of the birth pangs” of the Kingdom. He explains further to all of them that their part in this is NOT going to be to be officers and governors and warriors, but rather that they are going to be beaten and humiliated and killed, in precisely the same way that He has told them He is going to be, and that it will be in THIS way that His Kingdom will be established.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 1 (Monday)

Joshua 7 (Achan’s Sin & Punishment)

Last time, we saw the people of Israel actively waiting upon the Lord, marching around the city of Jericho without trying to take it themselves, and how on the seventh day, the Lord knocked down the wall and opened the city to them. We saw God command them to not take any loot for themselves, but to destroy the city completely, because it was under the ban, dedicated to destruction because of the evil that its people had committed and their unwillingness to repent. This time, we will see one of the people break that commandment, and what the consequences are.

The Sin of Achan and Its Punishment

7 But the Israelites broke faith in regard to the devoted things: Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things; and the anger of the Lord burned against the Israelites.

2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai. 3 Then they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Not all the people need go up; about two or three thousand men should go up and attack Ai. Since they are so few, do not make the whole people toil up there.” 4 So about three thousand of the people went up there; and they fled before the men of Ai. 5 The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them, chasing them from outside the gate as far as Shebarim and killing them on the slope. The hearts of the people melted and turned to water.

6 Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the ground on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. 7 Joshua said, “Ah, Lord God! Why have you brought this people across the Jordan at all, to hand us over to the Amorites so as to destroy us? Would that we had been content to settle beyond the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned their backs to their enemies! 9 The Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will you do for your great name?”

10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why have you fallen upon your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I imposed on them. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have acted deceitfully, and they have put them among their own belongings. 12 Therefore the Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they turn their backs to their enemies, because they have become a thing devoted for destruction themselves. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.

13 Proceed to sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “There are devoted things among you, O Israel; you will be unable to stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.” 14 In the morning therefore you shall come forward tribe by tribe. The tribe that the Lord takes shall come near by clans, the clan that the Lord takes shall come near by households, and the household that the Lord takes shall come near one by one. 15 And the one who is taken as having the devoted things shall be burned with fire, together with all that he has, for having transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and for having done an outrageous thing in Israel.’”

16 So Joshua rose early in the morning, and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17 He brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was taken; and he brought near the clan of the Zerahites, family by family, and Zabdi was taken. 18 And he brought near his household one by one, and Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession to him. Tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”

20 And Achan answered Joshua, “It is true; I am the one who sinned against the Lord God of Israel. This is what I did: 21 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them and took them. They now lie hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. 23 They took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites; and they spread them out before the Lord. 24 Then Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan son of Zerah, with the silver, the mantle, and the bar of gold, with his sons and daughters, with his oxen, donkeys, and sheep, and his tent and all that he had; and they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord is bringing trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him to death; they burned them with fire, cast stones on them, 26 and raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore that place to this day is called the Valley of Achor.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that the key to this passage is the term “devoted” and what it means. It means literally “what was set apart,” and refers to the fact that Jericho and everything in it was under ban, dedicated for destruction. We see this indicated in verse 12, when the Lord says: “Therefore the Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they turn their backs to their enemies, because they have become a thing devoted for destruction themselves.” The sense here is like what we see in the New Testament, with the discussion of the separation of the wheat from the chaff. The chaff is not good for anything, and is separated out to be disposed of by burning, while the wheat is what is good. Jericho, and everything that is in it, has been weighed by the Lord and found to have nothing to be saved left in it. Those who could be saved, Rahab and her family, have been delivered, even as Lot and his family were delivered from Sodom; the rest of the city is separated out from the living, dedicated to destruction. Aachan, in choosing to save something from Jericho, has brought that corruption and evil into the camp of Israel; unless that corruption is cut out, it will poison even God’s people. The point of this, then, is that we cannot play with fire, we cannot pretend that we can hold onto a little bit of sin and evil in our own lives, and not be corrupted by them. Sin destroys; we must abandon all of those things that lead to destruction.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

First Apology of Justin Martyr – 7: 15

Last time, St. Justin promised the emperors that he would provide some examples of the teaching of Jesus Christ, and of how it had changed the lives of Christian people. This time, he will offer the example of Christian chastity, Christian brotherly love, and Christian generosity as proofs of the transformative power of the Gospel.

Chapter 15

Thus did He speak concerning chastity: ‘Whoever looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart before God.’ And, ‘If thy right eye is an occasion of sin to thee, pluck it out for it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of Heaven with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into everlasting fire.’ And, ‘Whosoever marries her who has been divorced from another husband, commits adultery.’ And, ‘There are eunuchs who were born so; and there are eunuchs who were made so by men; and there are eunuchs who have made themselves so for the kingdom of Heaven’s sake; not all however can receive this saying.’

As all who, according to the human law, contract a second marriage are sinners in the eyes of our Master, so are those who look upon a woman with lustful eyes. Not only he who actually does commit adultery, but also he who wishes to do so, is repudiated by God, since not only our actions, but even our inner thoughts, are manifest to Him.

Many men and women who were disciples of Christ from childhood remain pure at sixty or seventy years of age; I am proud to say that I can cite examples from every nation. Why should we mention here the countless throng of those who turned from intemperance to learn our teaching? Christ came, indeed, to call to repentance not the just or the pure, but the impious, the incontinent, and the unjust, for He said: ‘I came not to call the just, but the sinners to repentance.’ The Heavenly Father wishes the repentance of a sinner, rather than his punishment.

Concerning the love we should have for all, Christ thus taught: ‘If you love those who love you, what new thing do you do? For even the fornicators do this. But I say unto you, pray for your enemies, love them that hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them who insult you.’ He taught to share our goods with the needy and to do nothing for our own personal glory, when He said: ‘Give to everyone who asks of you, and do not turn your back on him who would borrow; for if you lend to them who you hope will repay you, what new thing do you do? Even the publicans do this.  Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where rust and moth consume, and where thieves break in; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither rust nor moth consumes. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Store up treasures, therefore, in heaven, where neither rust nor moth consumes.’

And, ‘Be kind and merciful as your Heavenly Father also is kind and merciful, who makes His sun to rise on sinners, and on the just and the wicked. Be not anxious about what you shall eat, or how you shall dress; for are you not better than the birds and the beasts? And yet God feeds them. Therefore be not anxious about what you shall eat, or how you shall dress, for your Heavenly Father knows that you have need of these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you. For where the treasure is, there also is the mind of man.’ And, ‘Do not these things to be gazed at by men; otherwise you shall have no reward from your Father who is in Heaven.’

Thomas B. Falls with Justin Martyr, The First Apology, The Second Apology, Dialogue with Trypho, Exhortation to the Greeks, Discourse to the Greeks, The Monarchy or The Rule of God, vol. 6, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1948), 47–50.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that St. Justin’s first proof is that the truth of the Gospel has delivered even those who had been slaves to sexual sin into purity, and had kept those who had been disciples from their childhood chaste and temperate throughout their entire life. This is a proof because the willingness to limit one’s physical desires was almost unheard of in the Greek and Roman world, and even those who agreed to it in theory struggled in practice. But for those who follow Christ with their whole heart, the miracle is accomplished. For the rest of the passage, Justin is talking about the way Christians treat one another, in accordance with the Lord’s commandments. We see him actually abandon his own argument here, and simply begin to quote the words of the Lord here; he clearly believes that the Lord’s words need no interpretation here, and is eager to share the wonder of the truth of the Lord’s teaching with the emperors.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

Mark 12:28-44 (First Commandment, David's Son, Widow's Mite)

Last time we read about Jesus preaching in the Temple, embarrassing both the Pharisees and the Sadducees as they came to test him. This time we will see the Lord speak to one of the scribes, those who spent their time in copying the Scripture, and teaching him what is truly important.

The First Commandment

28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

32 Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; 33 and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.

The Question about David’s Son

35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David? 36 David himself, by the Holy Spirit, declared,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet.”’

37 David himself calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.

Jesus Denounces the Scribes

38 As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40 They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

The Widow’s Offering

41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44 For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out there here, as before the Lord arrives in Jerusalem, He returns to His basic point that the true religion He is proclaiming turns everything else upside down. The focus of true worship should be to love God and our neighbor, rather than to offer all the sacrifices correctly; and as an example, the Lord presents the poor widow, and proclaims that she has given more than anyone else, because she has given all that she has. Along with that, He highlights the faithlessness of the religious leaders, and how they are pretending to be holy for the sake simply of accumulating wealth from the poor and downtrodden who come under their control, and how they will receive true justice for this from God.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 1 (Monday)

Joshua 6 (Jericho Taken & Destroyed)

Last time, we saw the people of God set up camp within the Promised Land at Gilgal, where Joshua circumcised all the adult males, who had not been circumcised during their time in the wilderness. After the circumcision, they celebrated the Passover, and the manna ceased at that point, and they ate the produce of the Promised Land for the first time. After this, the Lord Himself appeared to Joshua, and Joshua worshipped Him. This time, we will see them begin the conquest with the attack on the city of Jericho, where the spies had been sheltered by Rahab.

Jericho Taken and Destroyed

6 Now Jericho was shut up inside and out because of the Israelites; no one came out and no one went in. 2 The Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have handed Jericho over to you, along with its king and soldiers. 3 You shall march around the city, all the warriors circling the city once. Thus you shall do for six days, 4 with seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark.

On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and all the people shall charge straight ahead.” 6 So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and have seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.” 7 To the people he said, “Go forward and march around the city; have the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord.”

8 As Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the Lord following them. 9 And the armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets; the rear guard came after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. 10 To the people Joshua gave this command: “You shall not shout or let your voice be heard, nor shall you utter a word, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.” 11 So the ark of the Lord went around the city, circling it once; and they came into the camp, and spent the night in the camp.

12 Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord passed on, blowing the trumpets continually. The armed men went before them, and the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets blew continually. 14 On the second day they marched around the city once and then returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

15 On the seventh day they rose early, at dawn, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. 16 And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city. 17 The city and all that is in it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live because she hid the messengers we sent.

18 As for you, keep away from the things devoted to destruction, so as not to covet and take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel an object for destruction, bringing trouble upon it. 19 But all silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are sacred to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.” 20 So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpets, they raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat; so the people charged straight ahead into the city and captured it. 21 Then they devoted to destruction by the edge of the sword all in the city, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys.

22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house, and bring the woman out of it and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.” 23 So the young men who had been spies went in and brought Rahab out, along with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all who belonged to her—they brought all her kindred out—and set them outside the camp of Israel. 24 They burned down the city, and everything in it; only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. 25 But Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, Joshua spared. Her family has lived in Israel ever since. For she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

26 Joshua then pronounced this oath, saying,

“Cursed before the Lord be anyone who tries
to build this city—this Jericho!
At the cost of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation,
and at the cost of his youngest he shall set up its gates!”

27 So the Lord was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out, in summary of this story, that the Israelites do nothing to defeat Jericho except obey the Lord’s commandments, and that they gain nothing from the sack of the city. All the things that cannot be destroyed (the metal vessels, effectively) belong to the Lord, and everything else is destroyed completely. This is because Jericho, despite the warnings given, and the clear power of God, nonetheless sets itself against Yahweh, as will most of the other cities and peoples in the Promised Land, and has come under God’s curse as a result of this, as they take completely the side of the demons in their war against Yahweh. This is to demonstrate to us what God had said to Abraham when He promised the land to Him hundreds of years before, that Abraham’s descendants would not receive the land until the people who lived there had given themselves over completely to evil; that time has arrived, and there is nothing left to redeem in Canaan. Only God’s justice remains, and Israel is the instrument of that justice, to abolish the evil that has become normal in Jericho and the other Amorite cities. What we should note, as well, is that the sign of this dedication of the city to God, and of this obedience to His commandments, is for the people of Israel to process around the city. There may be a connection between this procession, which entrusts the outcome of the battle to the Lord and commits the people to obedience to God, and the many processions that we still do in the annual life of the Orthodox Church. Finally, we should note how absolute the ban on taking any loot is, to show absolutely clearly that Israel is not taking this city for the sake of the plunder, but as the instrument of God’s justice. We would hate to see what would happen if someone violated this ban and took unlawful plunder…)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

First Apology of Justin Martyr – 6: 13-14

Last time we saw St. Justin explain that Christians are righteous and moral people not because they fear the penalties that earthly rulers can impose, but because they know and fear God, and argues that this makes them far more virtuous than any others, the best possible citizens. He further suggested that, if the emperors did not desire such citizens, it could only be because their own rule was unjust and unrighteous. This time, he will explain a little bit more of what Christians actually believe, including a brief summary of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, and warn the emperors that they, and all their people who worship idols, are in fact slaves to evil demons.

Chapter 13

What sensible person will not admit that we are not atheists, since we worship the Creator of this world and assert, as we have been taught, that He has no need of bloody sacrifices, libations, and incense. But we praise Him to the best of our power by prayer and thanksgiving for all our nourishment. We have been instructed that the only worship worthy of Him is not to consume by fire those things that He created for our sustenance, but to employ them for the good of ourselves and the needy, and, with thankful voices, to offer Him solemn prayers and hymns for our own creation, for the preservation of our health, for the variety of things, and for the changes of the seasons, and to beseech Him in prayer that we may rise to life everlasting because of our faith in Him.

Our Teacher of these things is Jesus Christ, who was born for this end, and who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea, in the reign of Tiberius Caesar. We shall prove that we worship Him with reason, since we have learned that He is the Son of the living God Himself, and believe Him to be in the second place, and the Prophetic Spirit in the third. For this they accuse us of madness, saying that we attribute to a crucified man a place second to the unchanging and eternal God, the Creator of all things, but they are ignorant of the mystery which lies herein. To this mystery we entreat you to give your attention, while we explain it to you.

Chapter 14

Indeed, we warn you to be careful lest the demons, previously accused by us, should mislead you and turn you from reading and understanding thoroughly what we have said. They strive to make you their slaves and servants. They ensnare, now by apparitions in dreams, now by tricks of magic, all those who do not labor with all their strength for their own salvation—even as we, also, after our conversion by the Word have separated ourselves from those demons and have attached ourselves to the only unbegotten God, through His Son.

We who once reveled in impurities now cling to purity; we who devoted ourselves to the arts of magic now consecrate ourselves to the good and unbegotten God; we who loved above all else the ways of acquiring riches and possessions now hand over to a community fund what we possess, and share it with every needy person; we who hated and killed one another and would not share our hearth with those of another tribe because of their [different] customs, now, after the coming of Christ, live together with them, and pray for our enemies, and try to convince those who hate us unjustly, so that they who live according to the good commands of Christ may have a firm hope of receiving the same reward as ourselves from God who governs all.

But, lest we seem to quibble, we think it fitting to recall a few of the teachings of Christ, before giving our proofs; it is up to you, as mighty emperors, to consider whether we have been taught and do teach the truth. His sayings were brief and concise, for He was not a sophist, but His word was the power of God.

Thomas B. Falls with Justin Martyr, The First Apology, The Second Apology, Dialogue with Trypho, Exhortation to the Greeks, Discourse to the Greeks, The Monarchy or The Rule of God, vol. 6, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1948), 43–47.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that, in the first chapter, St. Justin is “spinning” the practices of the Christians to exhibit what good citizens they actually are, in not wasting anything, and using everything they possess for the good of those around them. We may see hidden here, as well, a more authentic expression of the inner life of Christian people, in the offering of thanksgiving to God as the primary reality of worship. Thanksgiving, of course, is Eucharist, and we will see Justin describe this more clearly toward the end of the Apology. For now, it is good to compare Justin’s description of what God wants from His people with the words of Psalm 116, which is also used as a Communion hymn in the Church: “What shall I give to the Lord (Yahweh) for all that He has given to me? I shall take the cup of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord (Yahweh). I will fulfill my vows to the Lord (Yahweh) now in the presence of all His people.” This passage may well be what Justin has in mind as he writes this.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

Mark 12:13-27 (Paying Taxes, Question about the Resurrection)

Last time we saw Jesus tell the parable of the wicked tenants, as an explanation of His relationship with the Temple authorities, and His condemnation of them as faithless shepherds of His people. This time, we will see Him continue to preach in the Temple, as the Pharisees take a turn to try to trap Him.

The Question about Paying Taxes

13 Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? 15 Should we pay them, or should we not?” But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.” 16 And they brought one. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” 17 Jesus said to them, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.

The Question about the Resurrection

18 Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, the man[b] shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first married and, when he died, left no children; 21 and the second married the widow and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise; 22 none of the seven left children. Last of all the woman herself died. 23 In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had married her.”

24 Jesus said to them, “Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong.”

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that the Lord’s statement about how we should give Caesar what has his image on it, and to God what has His image on it, would have reminded everyone hearing of the creation of man in Genesis, “in the image and likeness” of God. Thus, while avoiding the trap they had tried to set (by not telling them to stop paying Roman taxes, which would have given them a pretext to have Him arrested), He also makes clear that everyone (even Caesar himself) truly belongs to God, and that all our being is owed to God. For the second passage, we need to understand that Jesus’ answer to this corrects two mistakes. The first is the Sadducees’ denial of the Resurrection, by quoting two portions of Scripture, one of which affirms that God is the God of the living, not the dead (Psalm 38 and 115), and the other which constantly affirms throughout the Old Testament that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The second mistake is the idea they have of marriage, which is the premise for their story to disprove the Resurrection of the dead. In their understanding, the entire point of marriage is the sexual submission of the wife to the husband for the sake of bearing children, which would make for an absurd situation in the case of this woman with seven husbands. Jesus corrects them by indicating that this fixation on sexual power and perpetuating the race is not going to be the point of existence in the Resurrection, and indeed, we see this already changed immediately in the Church from the very beginning. Christian marriage is not reducible to sexual fulfillment or pleasure or power or desire, nor is it exclusively dedicated to the bearing of children, but is rather a shared journey of repentance and transformation in oneness with one another and with the Lord on the path toward salvation.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 1 (Monday)

Joshua 5

Last time we read about how Joshua and the Israelites set up twelve stones inside the Promised Land, and twelve stones on the bed of the Jordan River where the priests with the Ark of the Covenant had stood while the people passed over on dry ground, as a sign and testimony for future generations to understand how Yahweh, the God of Israel, had delivered them from slavery and brought them into the land of promise. This time, we will see what they did once they arrived in the Promised Land.

The New Generation Circumcised

5 When all the kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted, and there was no longer any spirit in them, because of the Israelites.

2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites a second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives, and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the warriors, had died during the journey through the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt.

5 Although all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people born on the journey through the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6 For the Israelites traveled forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the warriors who came out of Egypt, perished, not having listened to the voice of the Lord. To them the Lord swore that he would not let them see the land that he had sworn to their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.

8 When the circumcising of all the nation was done, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. 9 The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” And so that place is called Gilgal to this day.

The Passover at Gilgal

10 While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. 11 On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. 12 The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

Joshua’s Vision

13 Once when Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing before him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you one of us, or one of our adversaries?” 14 He replied, “Neither; but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and he said to him, “What do you command your servant, my lord?” 15 The commander of the army of the Lord said to Joshua, “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that this Person that appears to Joshua is understood clearly to be the Son of God, the 2nd Person of the Holy Trinity, and therefore a pre-incarnate revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. We can tell that this is so because He tells Joshua to take the sandals from His feet, as Yahweh tells Moses at Mt. Sinai at the Burning Bush. It is notable, too, that He appears to Joshua at this point, after the people have renewed their faithfulness to God through obeying the commandment regarding circumcision, and through the celebration of the Passover.)

2) What do we learn about God in this reading?

3) What do we learn about human beings in this reading?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

First Apology of Justin Martyr – 2: 11-12

Last time, we saw St. Justin explain why the Christians do not worship the idols of the nations, which are made by un-virtuous men, and how they worship the Most High God, and in what manner, and for what reason, they do so. This time, he will continue to explain where the loyalty of the Christian people lies, and how they are truly good citizens, even though they do not worship the gods of Greece and Rome.

Chapter 11

When you hear that we look forward to a kingdom, you rashly assume that we speak of a human kingdom, whereas we mean a kingdom which is with God. This becomes evident when, being questioned, we openly profess to be Christians, although we know well that for such a profession of faith the punishment is death. If we expected a human kingdom, we would deny that we are Christians, that we might not be put to death, and we would try to hide from you, that we might attain what we expect. But, because we do not place our hope in the present, we do not mind when men murder us, since death is inevitable anyhow.

Chapter 12

We, more than all other men, are truly your helpers and allies in fostering peace, since we believe that it is impossible for the wicked or the avaricious, or the treacherous, and the virtuous alike to hide from the sight of God, and that each man receives eternal punishment or salvation according to the merits of his actions. If everyone realized this, no one would prefer to be in sin even for a little while, knowing that he would incur the pains of eternal fire, but he would by all means control himself and adorn himself with virtue, in order to gain the favor of God and escape His punishments. It is not because of the laws and penalties you fix that men try to hide from you when they break the law, but they disobey the law knowing that it is possible to elude you, since you are mere men.

If, however, they learned and were convinced that nothing, whether in their actions or in their thoughts, can be hidden from the knowledge of God, they would live a completely orderly life, if only because of the threatened punishments, as you yourselves will admit. But you seem to dread lest all men become just and you no longer have any left to punish. Such might be the worry of public executioners, but it should not be the concern of righteous rulers.

As we said before, we believe that these things have been instigated by the evil demons who claim sacrifices and veneration even from those who do not live according to reason. But we do not presume that you who strive for piety and philosophy will act against reason. Still, if you, too, like thoughtless men, respect custom rather than truth, then do what is in your power. Rulers who prefer popular opinion to truth have as much power as robbers in the desert.

That you will not succeed is testified to by the Word, and we know no ruler more kingly or just than He except God [the Father] who begot Him. For, just as all men try to avoid inheriting the poverty, misery, and dishonor of their fathers, so will the man of reason refuse to choose whatever the Word forbids him to choose. That all these things should happen was foretold, I say, by our Teacher, Jesus Christ, who is the Son and Apostle of God, the Father and Ruler of all, and from whom we have received our name of Christians. Hence, we are convinced of the truth of all the things He taught us, because whatever He foretold would happen is actually happening; this, indeed, is the practice of God, to speak of something before it takes place and then to show it taking place just as He predicted.

We might stop here and add nothing more, since we plead for what is just and true. But, since we know how difficult it is to change over a mind trained in ignorance, we have decided to add a few observations to convince all lovers of truth, for we know that it is not impossible to dispel ignorance by setting truth against it.

Thomas B. Falls with Justin Martyr, The First Apology, The Second Apology, Dialogue with Trypho, Exhortation to the Greeks, Discourse to the Greeks, The Monarchy or The Rule of God, vol. 6, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1948), 43–47.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader might point out that Justin, in this Apology addressed to the Emperors, is also manifestly demonstrating to the Emperors that he, and all Christians, are not afraid of them, and are refusing to worship them. He gives them enough credit to tell them what he thinks good rulers ought to do, but is not catering to their ego or their power or their expectations in the slightest; there is no compromise in his articulation of the Faith.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

Mark 12:1-12

Last week, we finished chapter 10 of Mark, with the Lord and His Disciples passing through Jericho on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover. We already read Chapter 11, in which the Lord enters Jerusalem at Palm Sunday, and enters the Temple and drives out the money changers, cleansing it and claiming it as “His Father’s House.” This week we will skip forward to Chapter 12, as He is preaching in the Temple, and making the final preparations for His Passion.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

12 Then he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4 And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted. 5 Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed.

6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this scripture:

‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
11 this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is amazing in our eyes’?”

12 When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So they left him and went away.

Discussion Questions

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out that the parable of the Talents is directed, not against the entire nation of Israel, but specifically against the religious authorities, those who had been entrusted with the Vineyard of the Master, and who had abused their authority and refused to serve the Master of the Vineyard, instead claiming its increase all for themselves. This is specifically because of the way in which those who had been in charge of the Temple, who had used that authority to steal from the People of God. This is why they want to arrest Him when they hear the story. It is a good and important principle, that those who are most clearly condemned throughout Scripture are those who have abused the authority given to them by God and used it for their own gain.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?