Opening Prayer:
Creator of all, we thank you for the opportunity to gather in study. Open our minds and hearts. By the power of the Holy Spirit, unite us in faith, hope, and love. Help us to be faithful to the gospel and to walk humbly with you. Grant us your peace as we grow in wisdom and understanding. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Matthew 9:35-10:8 (9-23) Do you believe you are a part in Jesus’ ongoing ministry? Why or why not?
The harvest is a frequent symbol for eschatological judgment, used elsewhere by Matthew and other writers in early Judaism and the New Testament. The disciples’ mission is seen as an eschatological event. As such, it is God’s act, through involving human workers rather than the angels as God’s agents. The disciples’ mission is not voluntary activity initiated by them; rather, they are chosen, authorized, and sent by God through Christ. Matthew regards Jesus’ mission as continuing in the work of the disciples, who are given the authority to speak and act in Jesus’ name, to continue doing the same deeds of power Jesus himself has done. Like the Gospel as a whole, these words of Jesus frustrate efforts to make neat distinctions between the past of Jesus’ historical ministry and the present of Jesus’ continuing ministry and presence in the work of his disciples.
Romans 5:1-8 What does living with ‘God’s peace’ mean to you?
In this letter to the Romans, Paul seems to present a benefit inherent in justification as peace with God. The concept of peace includes the idea of our human soul’s health, happiness and well-being in God. Peace with God is our status of reconciled relationship with God through Christ.
In Christ we have entered into a reconciled state of grace in which Christians rejoice in hope of the glory of God. The concept of reconciliation as a paradigm of being at peace with God is central to the Bible, primarily the action of Jesus on the Cross and restoration of divine human relationships with God. Thus in Christ, reconciliation is known as the fulfilment of God’s will, communion and harmony. This is entrance and access of God’s grace having been redeemed or sanctified. The unavoidable participation in the suffering and afflictions of life cultivates true Christian faith in patience and hope. This suffering is understood in the context of events and interactions designed to show the profit of justification. Believers therefore rejoice in suffering as a show of their love for God and participation in the justification experiences of Christ.
Closing Prayer
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God of compassion, |
Pour your love into our hearts, |