Monday, July 30, 2012

The Vineyard- July 29, 2012


The Vineyard
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:5

Matthew 26:17-30
- Why do you think Jesus allowed Judas, the one who would betray him, to share the meal with him and the other disciples? 
- Judas wasn’t the only failure present for the meal that night.  The other disciples may not have betrayed Jesus, but they did abandon him.  What does it mean to you to know that Jesus’ welcomes us to his table despite our failures, and our shortcomings?
Judas sees Jesus’ as a good teacher, a rabbi, the others see him as Lord.  Why is it important for us to see Jesus’ not only as a good teacher, but also as the Lord of our life, and indeed all of creation?
- Jesus takes the meal that began as a memorial to Israel’s liberation from Egypt, and turns it into a memorial to our liberation from sin and death.  How does partaking of this meal remind you of that liberation?

Psalm 113:
- This psalm confirms that God is both transcendent (living in the heavens), as well as immanent (dwelling among us).  How is that possible?
- The psalm begins and ends in praise to God (“Hallelujah!”).  What can we learn from this about when to praise God?
- Why would God be especially attentive to the concerns of the poor and the barren?  What does this tell us?

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