The Living Word

Bible study on the set readings widely used by various churches and chapels and a weekly storytelling video. Also at www.medium.com/the-living-word and https://thelivingword.substack.com

Powered by Genesis

Archives for January 2021

Feb 7: Our God is greater

January 27, 2021 by Ian Greig Leave a Comment

Image credit: Ian Greig

This is The Living Word Bible study for Sunday, February 7, 2021 (Epiphany 5) TLW05B. Read the Bible passages as they stand, let God speak to you through them, then dig deeper with the verse by verse notes and reflections. There is a print edition you can download at the end.

OT: Isaiah 40:21-31 — Nothing is hidden from God who is Almighty

NT gospel: Mark 1:29-39 —  Jesus reveals His authority over sickness and demons

NT letter: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 — The gospel call is uppermost for Paul 

And also read: Psalm 147:1-11, 20c

Theme: God is incomparably greater


Isaiah 40:21-31 — Nothing is hidden from God who is Almighty

A series of rhetorical questions reveal God to be all-powerful and all-knowing

21 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded?

“Do you not know” — this is within a section where God asks questions which show His unrivalled sovereignty over all nations.

“From the beginning” — emphasising God’s work as Creator (and v.28 below)

22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

“Spreads then out like a tent” —possibly the tabernacle of Moses was intended to be a miniature of God in His cosmos. 

23-24 He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

“Reduces the rulers to nothing” — God is unimpressed with political or ancestral greatness.

• God as King over all the earth: Isaiah 6:1, Psalm 6:4, 80:1, 99:1, 102:12, 113:5.

25 “To whom will you compare Me? Or who is My equal?” says the Holy One.

26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

“Who created all these?” — Belief in God as creator of heaven and earth was distinctive; the religions of Babylon and Egypt saw sun, moon and stars as gods.

27 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”?

 “Why do you complain” — despite His people’s unbelief, God is true to His covenant. See Genesis 35:9-15. 

“Why do you say… ‘My way is hidden'” — understanding God’s dealing calls for patience and relationship, v.31 below.

28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.

28-29 He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

“He will not grow tired or weary” — God doesn’t suffer setbacks, but is ready to strengthen those that do.

30-31 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

“Even youths” — the best of human strength fails (like Isaiah 30). Only God’s promise can fuel human perseverance.

“Like eagles” — known for their vigour, ascending to great height and gaining a higher perspective.

“Hope in the Lord” — also rendered “wait” and “trust”, it is an active state of confident expectation, based on knowing God’s character. He is faithful.

“Renew their strength” — from a limitless supply.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Through Isaiah, God asks questions which draw out His unrivalled sovereignty. God spoke the heavens and world into existence, naming each cosmic body and without needing any advice (v.26, also Isaiah 40:12-13). Who is His equal, v.25 also v.18? The answer to all these questions is, of course, no one. God possesses all knowledge, doesn’t defer or refer to anyone else, and cannot be compared to created objects of worship.

APPLICATION  Over 60 years ago, Bible scholar, writer and Church of England minister J. B. Phillips wrote a book entitled Your God is too small. It is still in print today. The Bible tells us that we have been created in God’s image, but sadly, man has redefined God according to our image — lacking the might, majesty, dominion, power and unconditional love of the Creator of the Universe. In Isaiah’s day, some would attempt to compare the Living God with the idol deities of other nations — a folly that this passage exposes.

QUESTION  How would you explain the greatness of God e.g. to children or grandchildren, or a friend or neighbour with no faith background?


Mark 1:29-39 —  Jesus reveals His authority over sickness and demons

Dependence on His Father in prayerful fellowship is key to His power

29-31 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. So He went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

“Went… to the home” — probably to share the main Sabbath meal which  was served immediately after the synagogue service.

“Took her hand” — Mark mentions no words in this healing, but Luke reports that Jesus spoke to the fever, and it left her. There is no conflict in the different witness accounts and their details. It was a dramatic recovery as she began to wait on them.

32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all who were ill and demon-possessed.

“After sunset” — people waited until the end of the Sabbath before carrying anything, Jeremiah 17:21-22.

“Ill and demon-possessed” — Matthew 8:16-17 brings out more distinction between those healed of sickness, and those delivered of demon oppression.

33-34 The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but He would not let the demons speak because they knew who He was.

“Would not let the demons speak” — disallowing demons to blurt things out gave Jesus opportunity to demonstrate what kind of Messiah He was, overturning popular expectations, before declaring Himself. See also Mark 8:30.

35-37 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for Him, and when they found Him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

“Solitary place” — Mark’s gospel often mentions Jesus retreating from crowds and the demands of the mission,

• For further study, see Mark 6:31-32, 46, Mark 9:30-31, also compare Mark 7:24, 9:2

“Where He prayed” — in a continuous sense. Jesus’ prayer life was a planned, private and prolonged time of fellowship and dependence on His Father.

38-39 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else — to the nearby villages — so that I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So He travelled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

“Let us go… to the nearby villages” — despite his popularity in Capernaum, Jesus is not building a following but pursuing the strategy His Father gave Him (v.35 above) of proclaiming the kingdom of God as widely as possible.

“Preaching in their synagogues” — including the only mention of Nazareth. Paul did the same thing when he visited a new place, also with mixed receptions.

• For further study, read Luke 4:16-30; Acts 13:5, 14-15; 14:1; 16:13; 17:1.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Mark describes Jesus healing what Luke describes as a “high fever”, Luke 4:38, a miraculously rapid recovery from a serious physical sickness. He also brings out Jesus’ mastery over demons, not allowing them to speak and casting them out. These are clear signs to onlookers that He is the Messiah, but He wants people to work this out by what He says and does, before He declares it. The demons both know and reject the truth of who He is and are best silenced to avoid them spreading confusion.

APPLICATION  Early in Jesus’ ministry, we see miraculous healings and, as Mark emphasises, many people set free from demons. This was a sign to people that He was more than a prophet. Some expected a David-like political leader, but Jesus showed His Messiahship by His spiritual authority. Mark relates this to His prayer habit which, unlike the recitations followed by most Jews, was private, solitary — and deeply personal. That’s something we can emulate.

QUESTION  Jesus is the Son of God. Why does He need to spend much time in prayer, seeking what His Father revealed to Him? What does it tell us?


1 Corinthians 9:16-23 — The gospel call is uppermost for Paul 

Wherever he ministers, his way is to relate to people on their own terms 

16 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!

“Compelled to preach” — Paul had not chosen mission work. God had chosen him, and the call of God is not optional.

• For further study, read Exodus 4:13-14, Acts 26:12-18.

17-18 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.

“My rights as a preacher” — food and drink, hospitality, money. Paul let go of his reasonable expectation to be supported, because he wanted the Corinthians to be free to let go of what they considered to be their entitlements.

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

“Made myself a slave” — Paul curtailed a lot of his personal freedoms, ‘enslaving’ himself to self-support, to better relate to his less privileged hearers and lead them to Christ.

20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 

“I became like a Jew” — in Jerusalem he made a Nazirite vow in the Temple to better relate to Jews there.

21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.

“To those not having the law” — among Gentiles, he did not follow Jewish customs. Jesus had nullified the most distinctively Jewish parts of the Mosaic law, and now in Christ a newly-defined people had arisen with no distinction between Jew and Gentile, Acts 15:9, Romans 3:22, 10:12, 1 Cor. 10:32.

• The law redefined in Christ, Matt. 15:11; Mark 7:19; Romans 14:14; 1 Cor. 7:19; Gal. 2:11-14; Gal. 6:2; Eph. 2:14-15.

22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.

“To the weak” —not just those of weak conscience but less privileged. Paul was modelling how he wanted Christians in Corinth, especially those who boasted superior ‘knowledge’, to relate to the ones they considered ‘weak’.

23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

“I do all this” — avoiding a know-all approach, finding common ground, making people feel accepted, understanding their concerns — and seeking opportunities to tell them about Christ.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Paul went out of his way to meet people where they were, observing some Jewish customs among Jews but refusing to be defined by his ethnicity and taking a non-religious position with non-Jews. Although Jesus had clearly said that His workers were worthy of support, here in Corinth a lot of converts were not in that position themselves. Paul knows his call from the Lord, and everything else takes a lower priority. God is so much greater than man’s artificial distinctions, and the mission of God is of so much greater importance than anyuthing else — his status and comfort included.

APPLICATION We talk about going out of our comfort zone. Paul, it appears, didn’t have one. He was so singleminded about his mission to share the good news of Jesus, by any means possible, he went to extraordinary lengths to get alongside people. The greatest apostle was, at the same time, the most unassuming and disinterested in rewards for his labours. Where we cling to ideas of hierarchy and position, Paul seems to want to tell us to consider Jesus, and those He wants to reach.

QUESTION   Do we want to reach people for Jesus as much as Jesus does? How much are we prepared to hold our culture and preferences lightly, to get alongside people on their own terms?

PRAYER  Lord God Almighty, I consider the work of Your hands, creating not just my world but the cosmos and more than we can imagine.
I am sorry for the way we try to contain You within the form of a service or the familiarity of our life and routine. And when we are faced with a complex and threatening situation, as in this pandemic, we are wrong to treat You as a slightly wiser version of ourselves.
You are mighty, majestic, all-powerful and all-knowing — and compassionate and understanding of our failings. You can reveal the cause, the solution and the lessons You are teaching through this difficult time. Every scientific advance has its origin in You. Every medical success story reflects Your healing hand. Nothing is impossible, unknown or uncertain with You, including Your mission to reach those who do not know You.
I magnify You and seek to join You in making Jesus known to all, and I pray this in and through Him. Amen.


PRINT EDITION  You can download the print edition of TLW05B here as a PDF to print on A4 paper and produce a four-page Bible-size folder. Permission granted to copy for your own use, for a church home group or for inclusion with the church bulletin.

TLW05B-Feb-7-final-BookletDownload

Filed Under: Epiphany, Year B

Jan 31: This teaching comes with authority

January 21, 2021 by Ian Greig Leave a Comment

Image credit: Ian Greig

This is The Living Word Bible Study for January 31, 2021 (Year B) TLW04B.

The readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary which is shared by many denominations worldwide. Our approach is non-denominational and non-liturgical and we take the readings in their Bible order of progressive revelation from OT through NT gospel (pre-resurrection) to NT letter (post-resurrection) and let the story emerge. Read the passages as they stand first, let the Holy Spirit begin to speak to you about them and then dig deeper with the verse-by-verse commentary and reflection notes. There’s a print edition available to download in a couple of places, and permission to copy for yourself or for a church bulletin or church small groups.


Deuteronomy 18:15-20 — A prophet is foretold who will speak God’s words to the people

Mark 1:21-28 — Unlike the official scribes Jesus taught with divine authority

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 — Slogans bandied about in Corinth were arrogant opinions, not inspired teaching.

And also read: Psalm 111

Theme: Teaching with authority is distinct from holding opinions

• See this linked article God’s word comes through God’s words


OLD TESTAMENT READING

Deuteronomy 18:15-20 — Another prophet like Moses foretold

The Israelites at Sinai had appealed for someone to speak to them for God

15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.

“God will raise up” — a true prophet was called and equipped by God alone.

“A prophet like me” — In the context (and v.16) this points to a line of prophets who, like Moses, bring divine revelation to the people. But its second meaning is an expectation for a Messianic ‘new Moses’ which Jesus uniquely fulfilled.

• For further study, see Deut. 34:10-11; John 1:21, 25, 45, John 5:46, John 6:14, John 7:40; Acts 3:22-26, Acts 7:37.

16 For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire any more, or we will die.”

“You asked… at Horeb” — or Sinai, where “the people… trembled… and said…”Do not have God speak to us or we will die”, when the law was given, Exodus 20:18-21; Hebrews 12:18-21.

17-18 The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put My words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.

“Like you from among their fellow Israelites” — Moses will be succeeded by prophets who will continue to reveal God’s purpose.

“I will put My words in His mouth” — prophets speak what God gives them to say, His will. It may include a future bearing because God is outside our idea of a timeline. Peter counts this as fulfilled in Jesus Christ in his Pentecost sermon, Acts 3:22-23.

19-20 “I Myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to My words that the prophet speaks in My name. But a prophet who presumes to speak in My name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.”

“Anyone who does not listen” — not to heed the the person sent by God is not to listen to the sender.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Moses reflects on the terrifying experience of the law being given at Sinai, and the people’s plea that they should have a prophet to be an intermediary to speak God’s words to them.They are fearful of another encounter like Sinai. Moses assures them that a prophet will be raised up to speak for God to the next generation — and so on. Over time, there was a growing Jewish belief that this word foretold a particular Messianic leader, which it did — Jesus, whose role was that of prophet, priest and king. 

APPLICATION  A prophet seems to have been raised up by God in every generation, but there were gaps. When Samuel heard God’s voice in the tabernacle, this was an unfamiliar experience to people of that time, when national faith in God had sunk to a low ebb, and the tabernacle itself was mired in sin. Much later, following Malachi but before Jesus, faith in God was conflicted. Some of the apocrypha writings reflect this, which is why they are not part of the canon of Scripture. There had been a gap of about 400 years when John the Baptist started to minister. The word that comes with God’s anointing, authority and clarity, as contrasted with the opinions of the scribes, was badly needed.

QUESTION  Who can you think in our time that God has raised up to speak for His justice and change?


NEW TESTAMENT GOSPEL READING

Mark 1:21-28 — Jesus delivers a demonised man in Capernaum synagogue

People were amazed how Jesus taught with authority, unlike the official scribes

21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.

“Capernaum” — a prosperous fishing town on the north-west corner of the Sea of Galilee, it was home to some of the disciples and Jesus’ base during the time of His Galilean ministry. By contrast, Nazareth is only mentioned once in the gospels.

“Went into the synagogue and began to teach” — visiting teachers were often invited to take part of the worship service. During the exile, synagogues arose as village centres where Jews could worship and study the Scriptures.

22 The people were amazed at His teaching, because He taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

“Teachers of the law” — professional scholars who copied the Scriptures, teaching and interpreting them for the people. Many, like Nicodemus, John 3:1-21, were associated with the Pharisee group.

“One who had authority” — His own forceful and personal teaching. The scribes relied on quoting other teachers.

23-24 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who You are – the Holy One of God!”

“Possessed by an impure spirit” — the demon was speaking through the man. Demonic influence and deception is a common battle in our thoughts, but possession is where the stronghold has taken over the person’s life. Like all demons, it is terrified by Jesus.

25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!”

“Be quiet” — Jesus could rebuke the demon directly. If we are sure of our new identity in Him, we may command in His name.

26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching – and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey Him.”

“Orders to impure spirits” — or demons, a hallmark of Jesus’ ministry, also showing His authority to teach.

28 News about Him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

“News about Him spread” — Mark contrasts people who responded gladly to the good news with the religious establishment who worked against Jesus.

• For further study, see Mark 1:32,34,39; Mark 3:11,22; Mark 5:1-20; Mark 7:24-30; Mark 9:14-27.

Reflection

SUMMARY Jews received teaching in their synagogues week by week, mainly from from scribes. These were professional scholars of the law, what we call the OT, qualified by serving a formal apprenticeship under an established rabbi. Most belonged to the Pharisee group, and their teaching would have been a legalistic and moralistic kind of homily. Jesus, did not put people under law, but released them into the reality of knowing God. He said that the truth would set them free and He wanted to see them released from the demands of Scripture treated as a rulebook.

APPLICATION Do we teach like Jesus or reduce the Bible to rules and rituals? The key, surely, is having the authority that Jesus had through close relationship with Him and the Father and being open to the Holy Spirit’s leading. The people of Jesus time were amazed at the kind of teaching that healed, delivered and changed lives. People of our time are similarly wary of a religion that is acted out, but hungry for what is life-giving and hope-imparting.

QUESTION Some churches struggle for members and money, while others start building projects to accommodate more people. What does this passage tell us about the difference?


NEW TESTAMENT LETTER READING

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 — A question of conscience about pagan feasts

The slogans bandied about by some in Corinth betrayed a spiritual arrogance

1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: we know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.

“Now about” — this was an answer to a question the Corinthian Christians had written in a letter to him (now lost).

“Food sacrificed to idols” — temples sacrificed parts of animals and doubled as meat markets, and public meeting places where people gathered for feasts. Christians in Corinth were inclined to compromise their Christian values by continuing to socialise in this way.

“We all possess knowledge” — an arrogant disregard of those who were more conscientious.

2-3 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God.

 “Do not yet know as they ought” — or “Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much” (NLT). On one level pagan idolatry was just custom, but on another it invited demonic interference.

“Whoever loves God” — probing whether they really had a relationship with God and the witness of the Spirit about what was right and wrong. Their dogmatic statements called this into question.

4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: we know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.”

“An idol is nothing” — Paul agrees that the slogan is true but takes issue with the spirit in which it is repeated.

5-6 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

“Many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’ — there may be so-called gods (NLT, TPT); some were outright fakes and some were manifestations of demons (MacArthur).

“One God, the Father… one Lord, Jesus Christ” — clear affirmation of the essential equality of the Father and the Son.

7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.

“Still… accustomed to idols” — former pagans used to appeasing deities still carried a fear of the consequences of rejecting them. Placing their trust in Christ and His grace alone, was a struggle.

8-10 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling-block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?

“No worse… no better” — food is spiritually neutral. Those who supposed that they possessed the superior “knowledge” of v.1 and v.4 that gave them leave to participate in pagan temple dinners, did not have the special standing with God they assumed.

“If someone… sees you… eating in an idol’s temple” — it was the wrong example and encouragement to give to others in the fellowship.

11-13 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

“When you sin against them in this way” — a strong warning to keep away from questionable things that could cause others to stumble.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Paul is replying to a letter which we do not have, but we have the answers and so we can work out the questions it contained. This section deals with whether or not a Christian should participate in the festival meals at pagan temples, or buy their meat there. Some Christians in Corinth saw themselves as being spiritually a bit superior, and thought staying away from pagan practices, and modelling good Christian living to others, didn’t apply to them. Paul debunks this arrogant attitude and points out that we all have responsibility to set an example and to build up the faith of the fellowship as a whole.

APPLICATION  This young church in Corinth had grown, but its success seems to have produced a breed of know-alls who weren’t encouragers to the others in the body. We can tell from Paul’s letters how the church was hampered by the lack of mature leadership, in a culture where strong opinions ruled. This attitude brought into the church was crowding out godly wisdom and anointed biblical teaching. It happens today. We can all think of church buildings, once full of saints and their singing, now repurposed as pubs, bookshops or furniture warehouses.

QUESTION  How do we accommodate folk religion and traditions with pagan roots, without compromising our values or alienating the very people we want to reach?

PRAYER  Father God, thank You for Jesus. Build us up in Him and set us more and more free by the message that comes with the authority of the Holy Spirit and the simplicity His lakeside teaching. Give us each, in our own way, the ability to speak for You and be part of a revival of new life in Jesus. To His glory we pray, Amen.

And also read: Psalm 111

Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

2 Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.

3 Glorious and majestic are His deeds, and His righteousness endures for ever.

4 He has caused His wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.

5 He provides food for those who fear Him; He remembers His covenant for ever.

6 He has shown His people the power of His works, giving them the lands of other nations.

7 The works of His hands are faithful and just; all His precepts are trustworthy.

8 They are established for ever and ever, enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.

9 He provided redemption for His people; He ordained His covenant for ever — holy and awesome is His name.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise.


TLW04B Jan 31 PRINT EDITION  Download the PDF here to print on A4 paper and produce a four-page Bible-size handout. Permission given to copy for your own use, your home group or for giving out with a church bulletin (week in advance).

TLW04B-Jan-31-final-BookletDownload

Filed Under: Epiphany, Year B

Jan 24: Called to come — and also go

January 21, 2021 by Ian Greig Leave a Comment

People by Llangorsty Lake, Powys
Image credit: Ian Greig

The Living Word Bible study for Sunday, January 24, 2021 (Year B) – TLW03B

This interdenominational Bible study is based on the set readings for Jan 24 from the Revised Standard Lectionary shared by many denominations. It isn’t influenced by any liturgical format but draws out the Bible story in the order of the progressive revelation of OT, NT Gospel and NT letter to find the theme of the message. It’s best to read the Bible passages in their entirety first, asking the Holy Spirit to speak to you about them. Then dig deeper with the help of the commentary and reflection notes.

OT: Jonah 3:1-5, 10 — Jonah, called as a prophet and sent to Nineveh, sees the city turn to God in repentance

NT gospel: Mark 1:14-20 — Jesus appeals to people to repent and receive the kingdom of God and calls His first disciples

NT letter: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 — The call of the last days is the mission to prepare people for Jesus’ return

And also: Psalm 62:5-12 

Theme: From being called to being sent

• See also linked article on this page


Jonah 3:1-5, 10 — Jonah, called as a prophet, is sent to Nineveh

A second chance to preach the Assyrian city’s need to turn to God in repentance

1-2 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

“The word of the Lord came” — the book started with this phrase, Jonah 1:1. The repetition is God offering Jonah a fresh start. It was the same commission, but this time Jonah accepts it.

“Proclaim.. The message I give you” — we think of prophets as foretelling, but the fundamental call of the prophet is to speak out the message God gives them and (as in this case) sometimes act on it.

3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it.

“Jonah obeyed” — but with mixed feelings; he still wanted the city to be destroyed, Jonah 4:1-5.

“A very large city” — more than 120,000 inhabitants, Jonah 4:11, then the capital of Assyria. Greater Nineveh covered a bigger area. The “three days to go through it” might have meant Jonah getting his message heard, rather than simply walking in to the centre.

4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”

“Forty… days” — often in the Bible a period of testing or judgment. Here, it is a grace period, to give people time to repent. The message sounds unconditional from that headline, but Jonah knew that a condition was implied, and the king of Nineveh hoped that it was.

• For further study, see Jeremiah 18:7-8; Jonah 3:9, 4:2.

5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

“The Ninevites believed” — “believed” is the first word of the Hebrew text, underscoring the immediacy of the change. The Holy Spirit is not mentioned, but surely present — it is His work to bring repentance and this was a miraculous act of God.

“Sackcloth” — the customary sign of humbling oneself and repenting.

10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He relented and did not bring on them the destruction He had threatened.

“When God saw… how they turned — He relented” — in God’s mind, this was not a change to his intention, because His compassionate and merciful disposition always includes that possibility. God knows the future, and nothing in this account contradicts that.

• For further study, read Psalm 139:4; Isaiah 46:10; Daniel 2:28-29; Matthew 24:36.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Jonah was called as a prophet, with the ability to perceive what was on God’s heart, and to speak it out. God gave him the task of going to Nineveh and preaching its destruction unless they turned to the living God. Revival in Assyrian Nineveh — what an awesome responsibility. The problem was, this was going into a centre of influence of Israel’s most bitter enemy. Jonah, as we know, was more than a little hesitant. He took ship, to go as far in the opposite direction as it would take him. God, in His mercy, spared him from being drowned — and brought him back to Nineveh, now with a story to get their attention.

APPLICATION  This is a story of a prophet’s call to speak what God gave Him to say on a difficult mission. Or what he thought was a difficult mission. The difficult part of it was his mind-set about the ungodly people he was sent to, to bring to repentance. In the event “all of them… put on sackcloth”, the sign of a wholehearted change in their orientation, “from their evil ways”. In some ways it goes with the Messiah being “light to the world” and not just the Jewish nation, and Jesus’ parable about a despised and outsider Samaritan being the person who showed love to his “neighbour”. For us, it speaks to our need to go beyond our natural boundaries and be willing to answer a call that will take us to people who do not share our values, let alone beliefs .

QUESTION  To what extent do we think about what is on God’s heart, and speaking it out? Who may be called to do this in the church under the New Covenant? 


Mark 1:14-20 — The call of the gospel and the first disciples

 Jesus’ message is to repent and receive the kingdom of God He brings 

14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.

“After John was put in prison” —John had spoken out against Herod’s acquisition of his brother’s wife. As a consequence, she nursed a grudge against him.

• For further study, see Mark 6:14-29, also Matthew 4:12, 14:3 and Luke 3:20.

15 “The time has come,” He said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

“Time has come… has come near ” — reflects the fulfilment of Daniel 7:22, where God made a promise of His people inheriting His kingdom, but especially the many passages in Isaiah which announce a new kind of exodus.

“Kingdom of God” — the presence of God bringing the just order of God. Jewish groups understood it in various ways, of which a restored monarchy patterned on David’s, a rebuilt temple and a reclaimed land were more about Jewish nationalism; on the other hand, a new deliverance and living in peace under a new covenant were spiritual realities that Jesus inaugurated.

“Believe the good news” —which in its essence is in this statement that the kingdom rule of God is now up close and personal in Jesus, who is received by a change of heart and a new trust in God’s purposes.

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

“Sea of Galilee” — also called Tiberius, Gennesaret, and Kinnereth because it is shaped like a harp. Many of Mark’s early stories are around this location, where Simon and Andrew, James and John earned their living, and (like Matthew and Luke) skips Jesus’ ministry before this in Judea.

• For further study, the early ministry of Jesus, John 2:13-4:4. 

17-18 “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed Him.

“Come, follow Me” — God requires of us three basic responses to His gracious offer of salvation: to repent (have a fundamental change of heart and will), believe (trust that God is who He is and does what He says) and as a consequence, want to follow the Way of Jesus. See v.15 above.

“Fish for people” — the apostles were called to evangelism, and it remains the central mission of every disciple.

19 When He had gone a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.

“James… and his brother John” — their mother might have been a sister of Mary, making them cousins of Jesus, Mark 15:40; Matthew 27:55-56; John 19:25.

“Preparing their nets” — with the detail about Simon and Andrew casting a net, this is the story of an eyewitness, probably Simon Peter, whose preaching in the early church was probably the main source of Mark’s gospel account.

20 Without delay He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.

“Left their father… with the hired men” — a picture of a prospering family business, which they were leaving. Mark is showing the extraordinary authority of Jesus, who calls disciples and they immediately respond.

• For further study on the kingdom of God foretold (v.15), read Exodus 15:18; Psalm 24:8-10; Psalm 47:2; Isaiah 24:21-23; Isaiah 52:7.

Reflection

SUMMARY  After telling the story of John the Baptist in the context of Isaiah’s word about one preparing the Lord’s way with a call to repentance, Mark relates the story of Jesus’ baptism and testing in the wilderness of Judea. But he wants to connect this with what Jesus said it was all about! Jesus was now back in Galilee, proclaiming a message of repentance and faith, in order to be able to see with new eyes what God’s new domain looked like. He was also calling the first of His disciples to leave their families and businesses, and follow Him in an itinerant ministry.

APPLICATION  With the message of the coming of the kingdom of God ringing like a church peal, here by the lakeside four of the first disciples are called by Jesus, to be sent by Jesus to be “fishers of men”. This speaks to us about our awareness of God’s call on our lives, and our personal sense of what the mission of Jesus looks like for us.

QUESTION  How do we tell people that the time has come to change our minds about God, believe the good news and see how the kingdom of God has come near? 


1 Corinthians 7:29-31 — Called to live in the urgency of the last days

Disciples must focus on their mission to prepare people for Jesus’ return

29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not;

“The time is short” — Jesus could return at any time. Paul writes as if it could be during the Corinthians’ lifetime. Equally, it could be during our lifetime.

“From now on” — there is an urgency. Believers need to live with Christ as their source, not for marriage or for feelings or for possessions. These may be realities but not ones carrying eternal significance.

30 … those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep;

“Those who mourn… who are happy… who buy something” — for this time of urgency. not letting things of the world be their dominant concerns.

31 … those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

“This world… is passing away” — the world as we know it will come to an end at the time of Jesus’ return, and Christians live in the constant anticipation of that event, 1 John 2:17, Romans 13:11. Like all the NT writers, Paul considers all time from Jesus’ resurrection onwards to be the “last days” and Christians are to live for His certain return, but at an uncertain moment.

• For further study about last days, Acts 2:17, Hebrews 1:2. For Christ’s sudden return, 1 Cor. 3:13 and 15:52; also Matthew 24:44 and 25:13; Mark 13:32-37; Luke 21:24-36; Romans 13:11-14; 1 Thess. 5:1-9.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Paul uses examples of the everyday tensions of marriage and bereavement, celebrations and achievements, not to say that these things are wrong, but in a situation where everything in the world is set to change, to illustrate how our priorities must become different, too.

APPLICATION  No one, not even Jesus Himself, knew the timing of His return and Paul fully expected it to be imminent — or at least, believers must learn to live in the expectation of His sudden return. That’s a challenge for us, 2,000 years down the line. It’s difficult not to be complacent. But the broader message is about being Christ-focused in all our activities. What is He doing? He never intended faith to be institutionalised in vast and competing church organisations and their formalities, each claiming a degree of exclusivity. Whether on earth in person, or in our lives as the Holy Spirit, He is on mission, reaching others with His love, provoking us to leave the security of what is familiar (like the first disciples) and be available to Him to go with His message of the kingdom of God.

QUESTION  How can we balance all the priorities of life a busy world, with a sense of urgency and expectation that Jesus could return at any time?

PRAYER  Almighty God, we confess to You that we are too much like Jonah. We are surrounded by unbelieving people who are without hope, and yet we make Jonah’s mistake in viewing them as adversaries, rather than those You want to reach with Your message of merciful love.

Forgive us for wanting to go in another direction, and for being preoccupied with life’s achievements and tensions, at a time when You are calling us all to readiness for the return of Christ Jesus.

Lord, as Your present disciples, we hear Your call to follow and we pledge our availability to learn as You teach us, and enabled by Your Holy Spirit, to share Your good news with others where you send us. For Your glory and honour, Amen.


And also: Psalm 62:5-12 

5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him.

6 Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I shall not be shaken.

7 My salvation and my honour depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.

8 Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.

9 Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.

10 Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

11-12 One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: ‘Power belongs to you, God, and with You, Lord, is unfailing love’; and, ‘You reward everyone according to what they have done.’


Filed Under: Epiphany, Year B

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

Search TLW

RECENT POSTS

  • March 19: Spiritual Discernment — What Is False, What Is True March 18, 2023
  • March 12: God’s sheer goodness to undeserving people March 12, 2023
  • March 5: Knowing God’s Good Promises — by Faith March 4, 2023
  • Feb. 26: Jesus’ Integrity and Victory overcomes Adam’s Sin February 27, 2023
  • Feb. 19: Mountain-top encounters are a powerful testimony to others February 17, 2023
  • Feb. 12: Loving God is living a transformed life in Jesus February 11, 2023
  • Feb 5: What a True Worshipper and Disciple Looks Like January 31, 2023
  • Jan 29: What the Lord Really Requires from Us January 28, 2023
  • Jan 22: Light in a dark place — the kingdom of God revealed January 22, 2023
  • Jan.15: God’s Grace of Renewal in Jesus January 13, 2023

Categories

Pages

  • ‘Cancel culture’ has ancient roots
  • Jesus tells us to exercise our lazy faith
  • A short prayer to receive Jesus as Saviour and Lord
  • A story of three ‘opposites’
  • Apprentice — You’re chosen!
  • Are You a Disciple on Mission with Jesus — or a Church Club Devotee?
  • Be prepared! God’s plan of salvation is going ahead!
  • Be Real, Be Attentive, Be Ready In Faith…
  • Being Authentic — God loves relationships that are real
  • Blessing others with God’s wisdom, not our opinions
  • Bringers of God’s Glorious Presence
  • Called and then sent
  • Called to respect God’s way
  • Choose Life
  • Choosing God’s Way
  • Does God Really Have My Heart?
  • Don’t let spiritual pride become your downfall!
  • Encountering God for ourselves
  • Explaining… Salvation. Who chooses who?
  • Explaining…. How we experience God
  • Faith on Trial
  • Falsehood vs Faithfulness and How To Know The Difference
  • For All of us Trapped by Historic Sin, God Has a Way Out
  • From Mistakes to Mission
  • Getting Better at Faith — Learning to Live in Partnership with God
  • God Is Always Doing a New Thing
  • God Is Calling Others To Walk With Him
  • God Says Those Who Seek Me Find Me
  • God’s Gracious Exchange — New Life for Old
  • God’s heart and ours
  • God’s presence comes with heaven’s brilliance
  • God’s Word — Catalyst for Change
  • God’s Heart of Love for Those Who Are Distant from Him
  • God’s word comes through God’s words
  • Growing in Hearing and Trusting God
  • Having God’s Heart — the Heart of the Gospel
  • Help! Learning to trust God in sticky situations
  • Holy Dissatisfaction Gets Us Reaching for God’s Freedom
  • How big is your God?
  • How Can God Change My Life?
  • How Do we Understand God’s Grace?
  • How Does Revival Come? It’s Not About Us
  • How entering God’s kingdom is the way to find His righteousness
  • How faith comes: by hearing and believing what God says
  • How God calls the imperfect to achieve the impossible
  • How God Gave Us His Nature To Live His Way
  • How God Guides Us In His Way
  • How God helps us to know Him personally (May 17)
  • How God is glorified
  • How God lights up our dark places with His presence
  • How God Offers Us the Gift of Being Made Right with Him
  • How God Works His Purpose In Our Lives
  • How God’s repeated works of salvation give us confidence
  • How salvation comes
  • How the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit is gained — and lost
  • How the Holy Spirit Restores God’s Order
  • How to be in the flow of God’s love and compassion
  • How to Keep an Eternal Perspective Amid Life’s Urgencies
  • How to speak life into dry bones
  • How We See God’s Glory
  • Jesus — sight unseen
  • Jesus is Lord for all who turn to Him
  • Jesus, The Inclusive Saviour
  • Keeping a true course
  • Knowing Jesus and making Him known
  • Knowing the Good Shepherd — it’s personal
  • Learn What Being Spiritual Really Means
  • Learning to be impartial
  • Learning to honour God in His gifts to us
  • Love and joy that transforms
  • Loving God also means loving others
  • Made new and still being renewed
  • One thing that sets us apart
  • Our Faith in God Shines Through How We Live
  • Partners in Mission
  • Partnership, God and Us
  • Pictures of heaven’s future purpose
  • Removing three barriers to God in our lives
  • Renewal — How Jesus Enables Us to Live the Best Version of Ourselves
  • Renewed and restored
  • Right and wrong sources of power
  • Seeing through the Pain to the Promise
  • So, who is this Jesus?
  • Spiritual Confidence is Yours with a Little Practice
  • The Big Story
  • The call to kingdom life and values
  • The Grace and Glory of God Appear — and Our Part In It
  • The Great Realisation
  • The Jesus Prayer
  • The reality of Jesus’ lordship
  • The spiritual battle: truth and deception in the church
  • The tests of life and God’s justice
  • The Tests of the Heart
  • Three Common Pitfalls to Avoid
  • To know Jesus is to have fellowship in Him
  • Trust, believe and honour
  • Understanding God’s grace + our faith = new life in salvation 
  • Understanding God’s gracious generosity
  • Understanding the kingdom of God
  • Understanding the new covenant in Jesus
  • Understanding… How we learn to see where Jesus is present
  • Unexpected — The King Who Serves
  • Watchmen of God’s way
  • We Celebrate God Made Man — How Much Do We Trust Him?
  • What God speaks, endures
  • When Jesus Comes Near It Changes Everything
  • Who Has Your Heart?
  • Who is Jesus? Where is Jesus? How Mystery Leads Us to Revelation
  • Who Is The Jesus We Know?
  • Why as Christians We Never Get to Stand Down
  • Why God’s Grace Is Too Good To Be Untrue
  • Willing to change?
  • Wisdom with humility is the path to true greatness
  • About…
    • The pros and cons of the lectionary format
    • A personal guide through the maze of Bible versions
  • About TLW print edition
  • Explaining…
    • Explaining… Christmas: the call to worship
    • Explaining… God’s call to all
    • Explaining… How God works beyond our boundaries
    • Explaining… How God’s grace doesn’t work by our rules
    • Explaining… How to see ourselves as God sees us
    • Explaining… How too easily we can be frustrating God’s plan
    • Explaining… Our assurance in the kingdom of God
    • Explaining… Revitalisation — God’s kingdom vs our control
    • Explaining… the ‘review and renew’ that God is doing
    • Explaining… Why the good news is good
    • Understanding… The danger in our complacency
    • Explaining the kingdom of God 1
    • Explaining conflicts that arise as a result of our faith
    • Explaining Pentecost
    • Explaining the Trinity
    • Explaining our identity as Christians — royal priesthood
    • What Jesus’ mountain top encounter with God means for us
    • Explaining the covenant with Abraham
  • Understanding…
    • Understanding… Holiness and the Great Commandment
    • Understanding… how deception undermines God’s truth
    • Understanding… How we raise our expectation
    • Understanding… Revival
    • Understanding… Stepping out in faith
    • Understanding… the difference between reacting and responding to God
    • Understanding… The freedom that is ours in Christ
    • Understanding… the generosity of God
    • Understanding… The invitation we must respond to
    • Understanding… The need to be ready for the Lord’s return
    • Understanding… The way agreement and conflict play out in the kingdom of God
    • Understanding the Good News – God’s grace
    • Inexpressible and glorious joy
    • The need to be reborn from above
    • Understanding the Trinity of God
    • First-century gnosticism

PREVIOUS POSTS

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017

Download TLW in A4/A5 booklet form

TLW49A-Dec-11.final-Booklet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to The Living Word

You get a lot more out of the Sunday service readings if they are already speaking to you. TLW is about reading and re-reading these Scriptures with some commentary to bring out what is hidden and make connections with cross references. This is different from liturgy because it is a Bible study, putting the Bible passages in sequence from OT, through the NT gospel era, and then through the lens of the post-resurrection, early church in the power of the Spirit. Enabling this progressive revelation points to a theme.  The translation used is the readable and widely-used 2011 edition of the New International Version (NIV) Bible. Commentary is drawn from a wide range of sources and is Bible-centric and theologically neutral. As we read and reflect and allow the Holy Spirit to help us hear God through His word during the week, we prepare ourselves to hear afresh and receive the Sunday sermon in church or chapel.

For convenience, use the ‘Subscribe’ box below to receive a short email with the Bible passage and notes for each weekday (and that’s all!).

Unsubscribing is just as easy.

A little about me and my vision for The Living Word

I live in the Marches, a green and beautiful expanse of hills between England and Wales where churches and chapels share duty to the Christian faithful in every valley, and churchgoing is still part of the community life. However, there are few Bibles to be seen in these buildings, and home-based groups for fellowship and Bible study are rare.

I want to encourage Sunday worshippers in churches and chapels to enjoy reading the Bible during the week, to get used to hearing God for themselves through His word, and to be  spiritually prepared for the message they will hear on Sunday from the lectionary readings they all share. It is no substitute for meeting and worshipping together, nor for Holy Spirit-inspired preaching. It supports both by encouraging the personal growth of church and chapel members of any denomination. It offers faith encouragement for those no longer able to, or no longer wanting to take part in, formal physical church.

My background is not in churches that use the lectionary and I bring a breadth of tradition and spiritual understanding to the writing.  I have pastored a number of churches and been involved in a variety of other missional initiatives with a ‘kingdom of God’ agenda.

As well as The Living Word and its weekly video I also post regularly on www.freshbread.today and www.thelivingword.substack.com with a podcast as well as video and written content. There is also a Facebook page at fb.com/TLWbiblestudy

Revd Ian Greig BD (Hons), DPS

SEE ALSO other Living Word Publications

Substack newsletter and podcast (free subscription) — audio podcast, video and written content all in one place

Fresh Bread Today — the freshest bake, with a bit of a tang, unpackaged and uncut. His word to live by, today.

Believe the Good News – finding the good news and encouragement all through the Bible

GLOW – God’s Love Over Weobley, encouraging prayer and spiritual fellowship. With a local flavour for this NW Herefordshire village.

 

 

 

 

Loading Comments...