Day 1 (Monday)
Exodus 40:1-33
Last time we read in chapter 35 about how the people of Israel made offerings of various materials to make the tabernacle and everything in it. Chapters 36-39 narrate the actual making of everything, and then in Chapter 40, which is what we will read here, they put it together, and dedicate it to God, and the God enters into it and dwells with them.
The Tabernacle Erected and Its Equipment Installed
40 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 You shall put in it the ark of the covenant, and you shall screen the ark with the curtain. 4 You shall bring in the table, and arrange its setting; and you shall bring in the lampstand, and set up its lamps. 5 You shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the covenant, and set up the screen for the entrance of the tabernacle. 6 You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, 7 and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 You shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.
9 Then you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it shall become holy. 10 You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, so that the altar shall be most holy. 11 You shall also anoint the basin with its stand, and consecrate it. 12 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and shall wash them with water, 13 and put on Aaron the sacred vestments, and you shall anoint him and consecrate him, so that he may serve me as priest. 14 You shall bring his sons also and put tunics on them, 15 and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests: and their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout all generations to come.
16 Moses did everything just as the Lord had commanded him. 17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was set up.
(This next section can be skipped – it effectively repeats everything above, saying that Moses did everything that God commanded him to do)
18 Moses set up the tabernacle; he laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars; 19 and he spread the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent over it; as the Lord had commanded Moses. 20 He took the covenant and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark, and set the mercy seat above the ark; 21 and he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the curtain for screening, and screened the ark of the covenant; as the Lord had commanded Moses. 22 He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the curtain, 23 and set the bread in order on it before the Lord; as the Lord had commanded Moses. 24 He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, 25 and set up the lamps before the Lord; as the Lord had commanded Moses.
26 He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the curtain, 27 and offered fragrant incense on it; as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28 He also put in place the screen for the entrance of the tabernacle. 29 He set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering as the Lord had commanded Moses. 30 He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, 31 with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. 32 When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed; as the Lord had commanded Moses.
33 He set up the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and put up the screen at the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
The Cloud and the Glory
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 Whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on each stage of their journey; 37 but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, before the eyes of all the house of Israel at each stage of their journey.
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note the fact that once the Tabernacle was set up, God Himself came and remained with His people. Through everything that follows for them, we need to remember that God was visibly present with them, and all of them knew that this was the case. This is important because God remained present with them for a long time, and accept the Temple in Jerusalem that Solomon built as a dwelling place, and remained with them there…but at a certain point, God leaves the Temple, and He does not return until Jesus is brought into the Temple on the 40th Day after His birth. So this story connects directly with the feasts of the Lord's Incarnation, Annunciation, Christmas, Theophany, the Meeting, and of course Palm Sunday and Pascha. And we ourselves come into the presence of God every time we enter the Church, and every time we receive Holy Communion.)
2) What do we learn about God in this story?
3) What do we learn about human beings in this story?
4) What do you find difficult about this story? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this story make you think that you need to change anything in your life?
Day 2 (Wednesday)
Didache (Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) -2
Last time we read the beginning of the Didache, the earliest text from the life of the Church outside of the New Testament. What we read last week talked about the two essential commandments of the way of life, to love God, and to love our neighbor. It made the point that the way in which we love God is by loving our neighbor, and set a high standard of what we need to do, giving generously, accepting insults and attacks without fighting back, and even loving our enemies. This time we will see how the Didache continues with commandments of what NOT to do to our neighbor.
The Second Commandment of the Way of Life
The second commandment of the teaching is: You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not corrupt children; you shall not be sexually immoral; you shall not steal; you shall not practice magic; you shall not engage in sorcery; you shall not abort a child or commit infanticide. You shall not covet your neighbor’s possessions; you shall not commit perjury; you shall not give false testimony; you shall not speak evil; you shall not hold a grudge.
You shall not be double-minded or double-tongued, for the double tongue is a deadly snare. Your word must not be false or meaningless, but confirmed by action. You shall not be greedy or avaricious, or a hypocrite or malicious or arrogant. You shall not hatch evil plots against your neighbor. You shall not hate any one; instead you shall reprove some, and pray for some, and some you shall love more than your own life.
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should note how these commandments extend and explain the Ten Commandments; it may be helpful to connect these instructions to the Ten Commandments, to see how each Commandment is further explained and expanded here. For instance, it makes the point that not just technical adultery, but all sexual immorality, is forbidden, it connects magic and sorcery with the worship of false gods, clarifies that abortion and infanticide count as murder, etc. The final point, about how we SHOULD treat people, with prayer, with correction, and with selfless love, is a good point to end on. The main point of the Commandments, and the main point of the Gospel, is positive, not negative, about what we are supposed to do that is good and draws us closer to God, and not just what is bad and separates us from Him. Even so, the Didache is making sure we don’t “hide” behind technicalities when it comes to the Ten Commandments, and that we understand that we really do have to live in a radically different way if we intend to follow Jesus)
2) What do we learn about God in this story?
3) What do we learn about human beings in this story?
4) What do you find difficult about this story? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this story make you think that you need to change anything in your life?
Day 3 (Friday)
Luke 11:29-54
Last time we saw Jesus teach His disciples to pray, and show them that He had the power over demons and evil spirits that only God Himself could have. This time He will begin to speak in a clear judgment of the people of the day, both the people at large, and especially those with power and authority. Things are beginning to move toward His Passion and death in Jerusalem.
The Sign of Jonah
29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is here! 32 The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here!
The Light of the Body
33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar, but on the lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light; but if it is not healthy, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore consider whether the light in you is not darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays.”
Jesus Denounces Pharisees and Lawyers
37 While he was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to dine with him; so he went in and took his place at the table. 38 The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41 So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you.
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it.”
45 One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us too.” 46 And he said, “Woe also to you lawyers! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. 48 So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your ancestors; for they killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50 so that this generation may be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation. 52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”
53 When he went outside, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile toward him and to cross-examine him about many things, 54 lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.
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 way that Jesus is speaking makes clear that something has changed. There were hints as He was sending out the 12 and the 70 in the last few chapters that the preaching of the Gospel was a moment of crisis, presenting everyone who heard with a choice of whether to receive Him or reject Him. Now, He is speaking directly to both the people and to their religious leaders, making clear that this is the last chance before judgment will come. Reading this together with the Old Testament, we see that God has been patient with His people since He first revealed Himself to them on Mt. Sinai, but with the approach of His Passion, the opportunity for them to repent and avoid disaster is coming to an end. Ultimately, the disaster comes some 40 years after the Crucifixion, when the Temple is destroyed after a Jewish rebellion against the Romans. Those who embrace the Lord are saved, and the Church survives and thrives. But with the destruction of the Temple, everything changes for those who reject Him.)
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? (This reading should make us think long and hard about ourselves, and whether we are responding to the preaching of the Gospel and following the Lord as we should. He is patient and forgiving and loving, but it is very possible for us to harden our hearts and destroy completely our desire to receive His grace. If we become so hardened that we no longer want what God gives to us, then at a certain point it will not matter that God is loving and forgiving, because we will have destroyed the ability in ourselves to receive His love. For us, this reading is a call to beware, and to repent.)