Day 1 (Monday)
Tobit 1:1-22 (Tobit’s Introduction)
As we move into the summer, we will read one of the books from the so-called Apocrypha, books that we don’t read aloud in the Church, and which aren’t included in many English-language Bibles, but which have always been understood to be a part of the Old Testament in the Orthodox Church. The book of Tobit lets us see what happens to a family that is faithful to God in the northern nation of Israel, even after the sins of the kings and majority of the people result in God giving them into the hands of the Assyrian Empire. The nation of Israel no longer exists as we begin the book of Tobit, but God is still faithful to those who hold fast to Him.
Book of Tobit – Chapter 1
1 The book of the acts of Tobit the son of To′biel, son of Anan′iel, son of Ad′uel, son of Gab′ael, of the descendants of As′iel and the tribe of Naph′tali, 2 who in the days of Shalmane′ser, king of the Assyrians, was taken into captivity from Thisbe, which is to the south of Kedesh Naph′tali in Galilee above Asher.
Tobit’s Youth and Virtuous Life
3 I, Tobit, walked in the ways of truth and righteousness all the days of my life, and I performed many acts of charity to my brethren and countrymen who went with me into the land of the Assyrians, to Nin′eveh. 4 Now when I was in my own country, in the land of Israel, while I was still a young man, the whole tribe of Naph′tali my forefather deserted the house of Jerusalem. This was the place which had been chosen from among all the tribes of Israel, where all the tribes should sacrifice and where the temple of the dwelling of the Most High was consecrated and established for all generations for ever.
5 All the tribes that joined in apostasy used to sacrifice to the calf Ba′al, and so did the house of Naph′tali my forefather. 6 But I alone went often to Jerusalem for the feasts, as it is ordained for all Israel by an everlasting decree. Taking the first fruits and the tithes of my produce and the first shearings, I would give these to the priests, the sons of Aaron, at the altar. 7 Of all my produce I would give a tenth to the sons of Levi who ministered at Jerusalem; a second tenth I would sell, and I would go and spend the proceeds each year at Jerusalem; 8 the third tenth I would give to those to whom it was my duty, as Deb′orah my father’s mother had commanded me, for I was left an orphan by my father. 9 When I became a man I married Anna, a member of our family, and by her I became the father of Tobi′as.
Taken Captive to Nineveh
10 Now when I was carried away captive to Nin′eveh, all my brethren and my relatives ate the food of the Gentiles; 11 but I kept myself from eating it, 12 because I remembered God with all my heart. 13 Then the Most High gave me favor and good appearance in the sight of Shalmane′ser, and I was his buyer of provisions. 14 So I used to go into Media, and once at Rages in Media I left ten talents of silver in trust with Gab′ael, the brother of Gabri′as. 15 But when Shalmane′ser died, Sennach′erib his son reigned in his place; and under him the highways were unsafe, so that I could no longer go into Media.
Courage in Burying the Dead
16 In the days of Shalmane′ser I performed many acts of charity to my brethren. 17 I would give my bread to the hungry and my clothing to the naked; and if I saw any one of my people dead and thrown out behind the wall of Nin′eveh, I would bury him. 18 And if Sennach′erib the king put to death any who came fleeing from Judea, I buried them secretly. For in his anger he put many to death. When the bodies were sought by the king, they were not found. 19 Then one of the men of Nin′eveh went and informed the king about me, that I was burying them; so I hid myself. When I learned that I was being searched for, to be put to death, I left home in fear. 20 Then all my property was confiscated and nothing was left to me except my wife Anna and my son Tobi′as.
21 But not fifty days passed before two of Sennach′erib’s sons killed him, and they fled to the mountains of Ar′arat. Then Esarhad′don, his son, reigned in his place; and he appointed Ahi′kar, the son of my brother An′ael, over all the accounts of his kingdom and over the entire administration. 22 Ahi′kar interceded for me, and I returned to Nin′eveh. Now Ahi′kar was cupbearer, keeper of the signet, and in charge of administration of the accounts, for Esarhad′don had appointed him second to himself. He was my nephew.
752 words
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that we are seeing Tobit sum up the final result of the sins that Ahab and Jezebel led the nation of Israel into; the kingdom was conquered by the surrounding nations, bit by bit, until the Assyrian Empire completely overthrew the Hebrew kings of Israel, and led them into captivity. The Assyrians conquered many people, and what they did to pacify those peoples was a series of population exchanges, so that half of the people from any given region would be resettled elsewhere, throughout the Assyrian Empire, and replaced with people similarly displaced from other conquered areas. This is how, for instance, Tobit ends up in Ninevah, but Gabael ends up in Rages in Media. The other thing to point out is what Tobit does that shows his faithfulness. While he is still in Israel, he does not worship Jereboam’s golden calves, but instead goes to the Temple in Jerusalem, and gives three tithes of all his produce as commanded in the Law. After he goes into exile, he does not eat the food sacrificed to idols, and he cares for poor and needy Jews, and he buries those who are denied burial, at the risk of his own life and freedom and prosperity. In short – he remains faithful to God, even in exile.)
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?
6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the highest level, the anagogical reading (in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, opening up to us the grand scope of God’s great work of salvation in and for us) sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)
Day 2 (Wednesday)
Letter of St. Ignatius to the Ephesians – 5
Last time, Ignatius urged the Christians in Ephesus to devote themselves above all to the giving of thanks together, which is to say, to the celebration of the Eucharist (which means thanksgiving) as one body of Faithful. He said that this action, as often as possible, was the best and most appropriate response to evil in the world, and that the peace He gave to them, which they would receive within themselves and amongst themselves as they celebrated the Eucharist, would bring an end to all warfare. In short, he tells them not to try to fight the brokenness of the world, but to offer themselves to the Lord in thanksgiving, and to be reconciled to Him themselves, and that in so doing, they will become vessels of the Lord’s grace and action in the world to heal all that is broken. In these paragraphs that follow, he continues to develop this point.
Words versus Actions
None of these things escapes your notice, if you have perfect faith and love toward Jesus Christ. For these are the beginning and the end of life: faith is the beginning and love is the end, and the two, when they exist in unity, are God. Everything else that contributes to excellence follows from them. No one professing faith sins, nor does anyone possessing love hate. The tree is known by its fruit; thus those who profess to be Christ’s will be recognized by their actions. For the work is a matter not of what one promises now, but of persevering to the end in the power of faith.
It is better to be silent and be real than to talk and not be real. It is good to teach, if one does what one says. Now there is one Teacher, who spoke and it happened; indeed, even the things that He has done in silence are worthy of the Father. The one who truly possesses the word of Jesus is also able to hear His silence, so that he may be perfect, so that he may act through what he says and be known through his silence. Nothing is hidden from the Lord; even our secrets are close to Him. Therefore let us do everything with the knowledge that He dwells in us, in order that we may be His temples, and He may be in us as our God – as, in fact, He really is, as will be made clear in our sight by the love that we justly have for Him.
The Stench of Evil Teaching
Do not be misled, my brothers and sisters: those who adulterously corrupt households will not inherit the kingdom of God. Now if those who do such things physically are put to death, how much more if by evil teaching someone corrupts faith in God, for which Jesus Christ was crucified! Such a person, having polluted himself, will go to the unquenchable fire, as will also the one who listens to him.
The Lord accepted the ointment upon his head for this reason: that he might breathe incorruptibility upon the church. Do not be anointed with the stench of the teaching of the ruler of this age, lest he take you captive and rob you of the life set before you. Why do we not all become wise by receiving God’s knowledge, which is Jesus Christ? Why do we foolishly perish, ignoring the gracious gift that the Lord has truly sent?
442 words
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note that in this passage, we see Ignatius further developing the point that their life, and our life, as Christians, is not about what we do, but rather is about God’s action and life within us. The fruit that will be seen in our lives, then, is not something that we seek to take credit for; it is the fruit that the Lord will bring forth in us and through us when we offer ourselves truly to Him. We can see this difference more clearly if we notice what Ignatius is NOT saying. He’s not telling them to raise a ruckus, to knock on doors, to write letters or organize demonstrations or plan revolts or rally the oppressed. He’s telling them to devote themselves to worship, to faith, to love, to be silent and real, and to offer themselves to God in thanksgiving, and to then see what the Lord will accomplish. The point is God’s action, not ours; what we need to do is surrender ourselves to God.
Leader should also note that the evil teaching to which Ignatius refers may be either false teaching about God, what we might refer to as theological heresy, or false moral teaching, the sort of lax and permissive idea that we can partake of the pleasures and values of this world and still be faithful to God. It is important to hold fast to the essential truths of the Christian Faith, that Jesus is truly both God and Man, that He both died and rose, and that He calls us to holiness and transformation. It is also important to not be led astray by the many temptations of the world, the “teaching of the ruler of this age,” which tells us that we can follow our “natural” desires to happiness and fulfillment and self-actualization, rather than following Christ and taking up our cross. He is making the firm point that the Christian life and the “fulfillment” the world offers are mutually exclusive.)
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)
Luke 12:35-59 (Watchful Slaves, Faithfulness, Other Teachings)
Last time we saw the Lord talk to His disciples about the many things that the world thinks are important (the good opinion of others, safety, and possessions), and how what is truly important is the Kingdom of God, because all of the things of this world do not last; so He urged them to be faithful to Him, and to seek first His kingdom in all things. This time, He will continue to teach them (and us) how to live, being watchful and ready, and not being led astray by the many temptations of this world.
Watchful Slaves
35 “Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would have been awake and[e] would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
The Faithful or the Unfaithful Slave
41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing. 44 Truly, I tell you, he will set him over all his possessions.”
45 “But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will punish him, and put him with the unfaithful.”
47 “And that servant who knew his master’s will, but did not make ready or act according to his will, shall receive a severe beating. 48 But he who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, shall receive a light beating. Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more.
Jesus the Cause of Division
49 “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; 52 for henceforth in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three; 53 they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against her mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Interpreting the Time
54 He also said to the multitudes, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky; but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
Settling with Your Opponent
57 “And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. 59 I tell you, you will never get out till you have paid the very last copper.”
Reading 29
624 words
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 Jesus is warning them that even though He is coming to preach and establish reconciliation between God and humanity, the result of this is not going to be peace within humanity. Rather, every one of us has to choose whether we are on the Lord’s side or not; and when we choose to be faithful to God, there will be many people who object, who think we should care more about them and their priorities than about the things of God. This is what creates division. The world at large cares about money, and power, and popularity, and pleasure, and any number of other things; and anyone who doesn’t care about these things, and hopes rather in God, is a threat and a disruption. So we need to be faithful to God, and we also need to understand that this will be difficult, that we will suffer for this…and also we need to understand that it is both the only right thing to do, and that God will not abandon us when we are faithful to Him, and that the Kingdom of God is worth losing the things of this world.)
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?
6) “What is the a) literal, b) allegorical, c) moral/ethical, d) anagogical/eschatological meaning of this text? (Think of these questions as a mountain which we can ascend, or as layers of meaning upon which we can reflect. Oftentimes, as we reflect upon a text in this way, we may find that the anagogical reading, in which we see the text as revealing the glory of God and His kingdom in a deeper manner, sheds new insights on the lower levels of interpretation.)
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