The Authority of the Son

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting December 8 to study Luke 20:1-19.  This is the first second day described by Luke.  He never actually says it's the second day, he doesn't number them as such.  This is simply the next account of Jesus in Jerusalem leading up to His death.

Read through the question and parable a few times.  I believe they are connected in a very important way.  Be sure to jot down questions and observations to bring to the group.  It may help to read an old and new translation as well, though the differences should be slight.  Once you have your own notes, go back through with a commentary or two.  After you have revised your notes and questions, go back through with the questions below:

• Three groups are mentioned in verse one: Scribes, chief priests, and elders.  Why do you think the chief priests are "plural"?  Who do you think the elders are as opposed to the priests and scribes?
• The authority of Jesus is questioned.  In other Gospels, this is done in response to Jesus casting out the money-changers.  What do you think is being questioned here, His authority to do what?
• Their question has two parts, "what authority" and "who gave you authority".  What do you think they meant by the difference, and why do you think they are asking Him?
• Jesus responds with a question about the baptism of John.  Their lack of response is based on their fear that the people will stone them.  What do you think of that fear?  Why do you think the "elders" and "chief priests" would fear such a thing?  If their fear is valid, what does that tell you about the relationship of the elders and chief priests with the people?
• Jesus also refuses to tell them.  What do you think of the possibility that He won't for some of the same reasons they won't?
• Read Isaiah 5:1-7.  Now re-read the parable in 9 through 16.  Considering Isaiah 5, what does the vineyard represent?
• Considering how the characters line up, who do you think the "farmers" represent?
• Who do you think the "servants" represent in the parable?
• The "son" is now obvious.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke all connect this parable with the questioning of Jesus' authority.  So how might this parable actually answer the scribes, chief priests, and elders question about Jesus' authority?
• If it does answer the leaders question, how likely do you think it is that the crowd of people understood it that way?  
• What are some reasons Jesus would say He would not tell the leaders what His authority was or Who it came from, and then tell this parable which serves both purposes?
• Look up Psalm 118 and read through the whole thing.  In what way do you think this line about the corner stone is used in the psalm?
• As Jesus uses it, it refers to Him.  Who do you think are the "builders" in this psalm?  Who are the "builders" in Jesus' day?
• Jesus then adds the line about being crushed and pulverized.  What do you think is the difference between falling on the stone and the stone falling on someone?
• Only Luke and Matthew have the line about crushing and scattering.  Why do you think this was important to them?
• Again the fear of the people keep the leaders from seizing Jesus.  What do you think this says about their authority?  

That should be plenty to chew on for our time together.  Remember to look for lessons for your own life in this passage.  Be asking how you are like the religious and political leaders, how are you like the people, and so on.  What lessons were they supposed to learn, and what are the lessons for you?

A Tale Of Two Masters

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting January 21 to study Luke 7:1-10.  This is one of the many accounts involving Roman Centurions.  These characters are almost always portrayed in a positive light by Luke and the other Gospel writers.  Follow the link above to read two short articles on them.

Read through these short verses a few times.  If you can dig below the familiarity, you may remember questions you had the first time you read or heard it.  Try and put yourself alternatively in the sandals of the Centurion, the Jewish elders, Jesus, and then perhaps the sick slave.  From each perspective, ask yourself about the others involved in this story, including the "friends".

Commentators don't spend a lot of time here primarily because the surface meaning really is the primary meaning.  The point in going any deeper is to try and remove the cultural filters so we can get a deeper, more meaningful sense of this obvious meaning.  The point remains the point.  We're only trying to make the point more pragmatic or for our lives, not change the point to fit our culture.

After reading through, making notes, and coming up with questions, go back through with the questions below:

• With all that this particular centurion has done for the Jewish people in Capernaum it's not surprising that he had heard of Jesus.  But having heard, why do you think he would send those who seemed to be turning against Jesus?
• There no explicit answer, but from the rest of his character we learn from this passage, why do you think this centurion was so concerned about a slave?
•  Neither the slave nor the centurion are named.  But the slave is referenced as "some slave" with an indefinite pronoun.  Linguistically, that's not a "flag" for an important or valuable character.  Yet, he is important to this centurion.  What does that tell you about this slave in general? What does that mean for your appraisal of the centurion specifically?
• The centurion isn't a high-ranking officer in the Roman army.  He's more like a "Senior NCO" if we were to use more modern military terms.  In other words, he's not likely to be a landed gentry or noble.  Why do you think a person of such rank has enough influence among the "occupied" people to have their elders do his bidding?
• The elders of the Jews go to Jesus and tell Him that this centurion is "worthy" to have Jesus heal his slave.  Besides the building of the synagogue, what else do the elders use to support this claim?  What does that tell you about this centurion's character?
• Jesus goes with them, but then the "friends" of the centurion come and explain further what the centurion intends.  Why do you think the elders didn't convey this element to the message?
• The friends were likely more Gentiles, like the centurion.  What do you think they thought of being sent to Jesus?  What do you think they thought of the "message" they conveyed?
• The point of the centurion is his understanding of Jesus' authority.  But Jesus focuses on his faith.  What do you think is the relationship between the two characteristics?
• Jesus "marvels" at the centurion.  That essentially means that He "gazes with admiration" or "stopped in His tracks to look at something"; think , "WOW!".  He's still God, so how can that be?  What does that tell you about the centurion?
• The centurion's slave is healed by the time the friends return.  What did Jesus do or say to heal the slave?  If nothing, why do you think He finds it necessary or expedient to do or say stuff in other circumstances?

The application or AHA here I think fits best when we ask ourselves whether Jesus would "marvel" at our faith.  Think through that.  Why or why not, and what "action" needs to accompany what you discover from the "honest" answer?