Going Deeper – 02.02.2025


Breaking Ground

What was your favorite game as a kid (childhood game, video game, or anything else)? Who did you play it with? Do you remember why you liked it so much? 

The Dig

This Sunday, we continued our series Jesus the Christ by exploring two of Jesus’ teachings from the Gospel of Matthew.

Begin by reading Matthew 18:1-5 & 19:13-15. In these two texts, Jesus instructs his disciples to adopt the posture of a child & declares that His Kingdom belongs to those who do. 

What attributes & characteristics do you most immediately identify with children? Why? 

On Sunday, Pastor Mike passed along several different interpretations for this metaphor for us to consider as we seek to unpack it:

  1. In Jesus’ day, children resided at the bottom of the social hierarchy (which is why the disciples rebuked them for approaching a respected Rabbi without permission). They had no power or rights &, thus, were a symbol for the most powerless & marginalized people of their society. 
  2. As is still the case now, children were often viewed as possessing greater levels of open-mindedness, curiosity, & receptivity to new & unknown things/people. 
  3. Some argue that, above all, Jesus uses this analogy to convey how God sees & relates to us (depicting our relationship with God as being fundamentally loving & paternal in nature). 
  4. As seen in the second story, children have less inhibition & are more willing to act without considering social norms, judgments, or biases before doing so.

With all this in mind, take time to unpack how these teachings speak to you in this season. 

What do you personally think Jesus means when he instructs us to become like little children & why does he claim that the Kingdom belongs to people like them? How do your own experiences with children inform this interpretation? 

Where do you find it easiest & hardest to maintain a childlike faith? What seems to help you maintain this posture? 

What most easily seems to get in the way of you maintaining this posture? Why?

Where are you currently struggling with maintaining the posture that you think Jesus is describing in these teachings? Why do you think that is? What would it look like & require for you to better do so in this next season of life? 

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 Matthew 18:1-15 & 19:13-15. 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 9th: Join us next Sunday as we continue our series Jesus the Christ

* Please see mye3.org for details.

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