When Jesus was in Jerusalem, he approached a man who had been blind since birth. Jesus declared that sin had not caused his blindness. Then, he proceeded to heal him, saying, “We must do the works of Him who sent me.” First, he mixed dirt with spittle and placed it on the man’s eyes. Then, he told the man to wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam. The man did this and began to see. When the man returned, people asked what happened. Later, the Pharisees questioned the man born blind.
Discussion Questions
Why do you suppose people believed that sin caused blindness? How was this healing different from Jesus’ other healings? We do not have Jesus’ power to heal, but what are some good deeds we can do as we go about our day?
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| Go, wash in the pool of Siloam |
Jesus attended the great autumn feast in Jerusalem and observed the solemn rituals. One of the rituals had to do with water. At one point, Jesus stood among the crowd of worshipers and said some startling things. He told them that he was the source of living water, which would fully satisfy their spiritual thirst. He said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.” Jesus also spoke words from scripture saying that out of him, “shall flow rivers of living water.”
Discussion Questions
We know what it is like to feel thirsty, but what is spiritual thirst? Jesus is the source of living truth. What are some truths that we are thirsty for? The people, who heard Jesus that day, did not yet know about the outpouring of the Spirit.
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| On the last day, the great day of the feast |
Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother. Jesus told him to forgive not just seven times but many more times. Then, Jesus told a parable about a servant who owed his king a large sum of money. He begged for patience in paying back the debt. The king heard this, had mercy on him, and forgave all his debt. Later, that same servant refused to forgive someone who owed him a small amount of money. When the king found out about this, he sent the servant to jail.
What can we learn about forgiveness in this story? What does it mean to have mercy on someone? We can remember that Jesus said, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” He also said, “Freely you have received, freely give.”
Matthew 18:21-35 ... Proper 19A ... Interfaith theme: Forgiveness ... Curriculum Information ... Menu
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| The Lord of that servant was moved with compassion |
Before Jesus began his ministry, he went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said, “I need to be baptized by you!” But John did as Jesus wished and baptized him with water from the Jordan. Then, Matthew’s gospel says, “The heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”
Discussion Questions
Many people came to John to be baptized. What are some things you know about baptism? In this lesson, we learn about some special things that were seen and heard during Jesus’ baptism. Why did those things happen?
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| Then Jesus came from Galilee to John |
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| When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea |
You may remember that Gabriel appeared to Mary with glad tidings. She was chosen to be the mother of baby Jesus, the savior and light of the world. Joseph received assurance of this when an angel appeared to him in a dream. Both of these experiences helped Mary and Joseph in the great task that lay ahead. Together, they journeyed to Bethlehem where Jesus was born in a stable. Imagine how Mary and Joseph felt as they gazed upon baby Jesus in the manger.
Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus are traditionally known as the Holy Family. What is the great family that we belong to? During Christmastime, we think about hope, peace, joy, and love. How do we show love at Christmastime?
Matthew 1 ... Advent 4A ... Interfaith theme: Home and Family Relations ... Curriculum Information ... Menu
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| And she shall bring forth a son |