Breaking Ground
What did you do during the snow day? What will you remember the most about this past week?
The Dig
This Sunday, we continued our series Jesus the Christ by exploring the story of Jesus healing a group of lepers from the Gospel of Luke.
Begin by reflecting on the nature of healing. What do you think it means to be healed? What does healing often require?
Next, read Luke 17:11-19. There are a number of fascinating details buried within this brief healing story.
- Leprosy was considered ceremonially unclean, meaning that lepers were prohibited from coming into God’s Presence at the Temple.
- Due to their infectious condition, lepers were separated from others & made to live in isolation. They were also prohibited from touching others.
- Leviticus provided strict rules for lepers to follow when approaching others (wear torn clothes, cover their mouths, & yell “unclean” if anyone approached).
- One of the lepers is a Samaritan, one of Israel’s most hated enemies.
What stands out to you the most from this healing story? Why?
Why do you think the Samaritan is the only person to come back & thank Jesus for healing him? What does this reveal about him?
What do you think holds the others back from thanking Jesus for what he’s done?
Close by reflecting on your own stories of healing. Before you do so, consider some of these ideas about what it means to share a story of being healed mentally, emotionally, physically, or spiritually.
- Healing stories require transformation & always include three components: Who was I? What happened? Who am I now?
- We share our healing stories because doing so practices self-honesty, openness, authenticity, & trust; which are critical ingredients for continued growth.
- We share our healing stories to let others know that they aren’t alone & potentially help them if they’re currently struggling with similar issues.
- We share our healing stories in a way that humbly points others towards something bigger than ourselves (i.e., God) rather than just glorifying ourselves.
How do these ideas appear within Luke’s story? Which of them do you resonate with the most?
To close, invite your group to share their own healing stories. Who were you? What happened? Who are you now? NOTE: please remind them that they don’t have to share anything that they aren’t ready to share publicly yet.
Getting Out of the Hole
In this series, take time each week to reflect upon the story from the story & how you can find yourself within it during this season of your life.
- Read Luke 17:11-19. First, break this story or teaching down into pieces. What is Jesus doing or saying? How are people responding to him? What changes by the end of the story?
- Next, close your eyes & reflect upon the story. Imagine yourself in it. Put yourself into the space of the various characters & imagine what it would be like to encounter Jesus in the story.
- What images, teachings, or ideas speak to you the most in this story? What intrigues or confuses you? What feelings arose as you thought about being in the story? How can this story impact your life & your relationship with Jesus in this next season?
Additional Resources*
TheBibleProject.com
Simply Jesus by NT Wright
The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
Coming Up This Week:*
Sunday, February 2nd: Join us next Sunday as we continue our series Jesus the Christ! * Please see mye3.org for details.