week of August 30
Song of Songs 2:8-13; Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9;
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23; James 1:12-27
1. The Song of Songs is also known as the Song of Solomon. From the Jewish perspective, the Song is a religious allegory about God’s love forIsraeland their historical relationship. For Christians, it is an allegory of Christ’s love for the church. The Song is based on sacred marriage liturgy derived from a Mesopotamian ritual of marriage between two gods.
2. If viewed as an allegory of Christ’s love for the church, what is Christ saying to the church? Do you ever feel as though Christ is watching your every move, calling to you not to get hurt or to hurt someone else? If the church, and therefore us, are to come away with Christ, what does that say about where the church and we might be located literally and allegorically. Do you think God’s love is limited?
3. How would you describe Psalm 45—perhaps wedding liturgy? When you think of a wedding, what does it imply in today’s culture about the two people? Were marriages of ancient times based on love (v. 9)?
4. How does the psalmist describe God in verses 6 and 7a? To who is the second part of verse 7 directed and what does it mean about that person? What does it mean to be righteous? If love is not part of a marriage, what is the purpose of the marriage? Do people ever say they are followers of Christ but love is not really a part of that relationship? If love is not a part of your relationship with God, what is the purpose of your relationship?
5. Why were the Pharisees and scribes giving Jesus a hard time (vv. 1-3)? What was expected of the disciples (vv. 3-4)? Who created these rules or traditions (vv. 4-5)? Can a tradition become a law or considered so important that it violates the commandments of God (vv. 6-8)? Is it possible to take some of the ancient traditions written about into the Bible and make them rules of culture today?
6. What does Jesus say about food eaten with unclean hands (vv. 14-15)? What defiles a person (v. 15)? Is the defiling limited to words? According to Jesus, where do evil thoughts and actions originate (vv. 21-23)? What are the three properties of the lizard brain; match those to the evils that come from within us. How do we overcome this evil within us?
7. Who does James say is blessed (v. 12)? Who are we not to say is tempting us (v. 13)? How is a person tempted and what does it lead to (vv. 14-15)? Instead, what does God provide us and why (vv. 17-18)?
8. What excellent advice does James give us in verse 19? What does anger do to relationships (v. 20)? How do we get past anger (v. 21)? According to James, what speaks louder –our words or our actions (vv. 22-25)? Does James say we are not to share the Good News verbally (vv. 22-25)? What is religion and how is the Christian religion to act (vv. 26-27)?
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 6, 2015