Breaking Ground
What are you most thankful for from this past Thanksgiving week? Why?
The Dig
This Sunday, we continued our series Jesus the Christ & kicked off Advent by exploring the theme of hope through two paired healing stories from the Gospel of Matthew.
What does hope mean to you? How would you define the difference between having hope vs. hopelessness? What criteria do you tend to associate with being able to remain hopeful in your life?
Next, read Matthew 9:18-26. Here, we see that Matthew intentionally intertwines these two healing stories that center on two very different characters.
- Jairus – a wealthy, honored, & well-known leader in the local synagogue.
- The Woman – an anonymous, poor, sick woman with a disease that made her perpetually unclean &, thus, likely shunned, isolated, & looked-down-upon.
Consider each character’s circumstances. Where do you think each would potentially feel hopeless? Despite this, how does each character’s actions reveal a posture of hope instead of despair?
What differences & similarities do you see in these two characters & stories? Consider their status, how Jesus approaches & engages with them, the public vs. private nature of their healings, etc.
How does Jesus heal both characters in their own unique way? How are both healings holistic for these characters, going beyond just healing the physical brokenness of those involved?
Reflect on where these two intertwined stories speak to you in this season.
Where are you struggling with feeling hopeless? Why?
How might these stories & your group’s conversation inform what it might mean to adopt a different vision of hope in this area of your life? How might this be healing for you in this hopeless area that you’ve identified?
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 9:18-26. 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, December 8th: Join us next Sunday as we continue our series Jesus the Christ!
* Please see mye3.org for details.