Breaking Ground
What’s the scariest story that you can remember hearing (movie, book, campfire story, or otherwise)? What made it so scary & how did hearing it impact you in the moment?
The Dig
This Sunday, we continued our series Jesus the Christ by exploring Jesus’ encounter with a demon possessed man.
Begin by reading Mark 5:1-20. In this story, Jesus arrives in a Gentile territory & gets immediately accosted by a person who is possessed by spiritual evil. What follows is a strange back-&-forth that culminates in this evil force driving a herd of pigs to their death (destroying the pigs & itself in the process).
First, take time to reflect upon the various components of this, frankly, strange story.
What stands out to you about the demon-possessed man? How is he described? What does this reveal about the nature & purpose of evil in Mark’s worldview?
How does Jesus respond to this man? What stands out to you about his interaction with this evil force? What does this reveal about Jesus & how he sought to defeat evil in our world?
Ultimately, as Pastor Mike explored on Sunday, this story, in many ways, embodies the multifaceted, complex vision of evil that exists within the Bible. As a reminder, in Scripture, evil is understood as including:
- Observable & identifiable realities that push human beings towards self-destruction & harm (disease, trauma, mental illness, etc).
- Spiritual realities or patterns of spiritual unwellness that have more complex, unseen, or unclear causes (addiction, self-destructive habits, broken internal narratives, etc).
- Societal & social narratives & forces that lead us to confuse evil with good.
With these in mind, reflect upon this story & your own understanding of evil in the world.
Where do you see each of these forms of evil at play in this particular story? How does Jesus address, challenge, & defeat each in its own way?
How do you personally understand the concept of evil? Do you tend to see it as residing purely within the individual human or as also existing outside of us? How does this shape both how you understand evil & seek to confront it in the world?
How might this story offer us a more nuanced vision of evil, as well as how to oppose & defeat it in the world? Where do you need to embrace both this vision & path forward in your life & world today?
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 Mark 5:1-20. First, break this story down into pieces. What is Jesus doing in this story? 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?
Journal, reflect, & pray on how God might be speaking to you through each week’s teaching. Share your experience with your growth group next week!
Additional Resources*
TheBibleProject.com
Simply Jesus by NT Wright
The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
Coming Up This Week:*
Sunday, November 24th: Join us next Sunday as we continue our series Jesus the Christ!
* Please see mye3.org for details.