Sept. Studies



Light on the Lessons

Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Matthew 22:34-46

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 25, Lectionary 30); Cycle A; October 25, 2020

Participant Guide

I Getting Started

1. What does the word “justice” mean to you?

2. What does it mean to “give yourself to another”?

3. In a brief sentence, state the thought or idea that you consider most important to encourage good relationships with others.

II Check the Texts

1. Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18

The lesson is part of the Holiness Code (chapters 17-26), describing how Israel should live since they are covenanted with a holy God.

A. Consider what being a “holy people” means. Read verse 2, along with 18:1-5 and 19:36. What did God do for the people, the basis of their relationship? How would you describe this new style of life? If Israel followed this style of life faithfully, how would they look to the other peoples around them?

B. How is justice defined in verse 15? What word starting with “f” could be a synonym for justice?

C. Verse 16 is obscure in Hebrew, especially 16b. The NRSV is least clear; the NIV, TEV, even RSV are more clear. To interpret the verse, think of court proceedings and testimonies in court. What, then, might “profit by the blood of your neighbor” mean? Or simply check other translations!

D. In verse 18, how is love defined? To whom does this injunction apply? How do verses 33-34 extend the scope of this commandment?

2. 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

A. Read Acts 16:11-40 for the hardships Paul and his companions suffered at Philippi, mentioned in verse 2. Read Acts 17:1-10 for Paul’s subsequent visit to Thessalonica.

B. Paul was opposed by some who objected to his approach to the Gospel. What was the nature of this opposition? (Clue: Read Acts 17:1-5) What do verses 3, 5, and 6 tell us about the accusations brought against Paul?

C. What do you think Paul means, in verse 4, when he says that God “tests the heart’? (Clue: See Proverbs 17:3)

D. How would you describe Paul’s approach to his mission work as described in verses 5-8? Read 2 Corinthians 4:1-6. In what way does that passage reinforce this lesson? Why do you think the theme of Paul’s self-defense is so prominent in so many letters?

E. What do you think Paul means by his reference, in verse 6, to sharing “our own selves”?

3. Matthew 22:34-46

A. See Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 for the two citations in verses 37 and 39. Why do you think the First Lesson was chosen to accompany this Gospel? Read the version of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1-17. What do verses 2-11 refer? To what do verses 12-17 refer? How do these two commandments each summarize one of the “tables” of the Law?

B. Why is “as yourself” included in the second great commandment? What does it mean to say all the law and prophets “hang” on these two commandments?

C. Read Psalm 110:1, part of a royal psalm about the king. Which “Lord” refers to God? Which to the king? Now consider the way Matthew uses it. He assumes David wrote the psalm as tradition dictated. How then does he understand the second “lord”? (The word is capitalized in the NT but not in the Psalms. See Acts 2:32-36, Peter’s Pentecost sermon, for an interpretation.)

D. Does it seem to you that verse 45 appears to suggest that Matthew does not think of the Messiah as David’s son, or descendent? What does Matthew 1:1-17 say about Jesus’ ancestry?

E. Read Romans 1:1-6. How does Paul handle the issue of Jesus being both a descendant of David and the Messiah? (Clue: Check verses 3-4.)

III What Does It All Mean?

1. How have you experienced God’s activity in your life this week?

2. Leviticus says that justice forbids being partial to the poor, as well as deferring to the great. (A principle of fairness not always followed; see Isaiah 3:13-15.) Yet Jesus seems to have a bias in favor of the poor and oppressed; see Luke 4:16-21. What do you think about this seeming conflict?

3. To what extent do you think the definition of justice in Leviticus 19:15 provides an adequate guide for our courts and legislatures? Should they, or should they not, be “partial to the poor”? To what extent do you think they “defer to the great”?

4. Share a time when you took a stand or pursued an action based on your own inner conviction although many around you discouraged you from doing so. How did it feel? Was it better that you listened to your inner integrity, or would it have been better to have listened to others?

5. Paul speaks of proclaiming the Gospel with boldness, letting the chips fall where they may. In contrast, we try to avoid offense in our witnessing. What do you think about this issue?

6. What are limits on our love? In order to love fully and richly, what do we need by way of inner resources?

7. Edna was so depressed that she was on the verge of killing herself. Each morning, friends would wake her up and be with her until she set off for work. They would repeat this in the evening, seeing her into bed. They did not want her to be alone. She was very hostile and obnoxious to those who helped her. How would you explain Edna’s behavior?

8. We talk a lot about “self-love” and “self-image.” The idea is that we need a certain level of confidence in our self in order to love another person. How do you think this concept relates to what Jesus might have meant by “as yourself” in the love commandment?

IV Into the Week

1. You go home and someone asks, “What did you learn today?” What do you reply?

2. Do you know someone who is feeling low? How can you offer them encouragement this week?

3. Take time in your prayers to affirm God’s power at work in you to increase your capacity for outgoing love.

Copyright © 2020, Lutheran Bible Ministries. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to make photocopies for use in church-related study groups.

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