How Do We Love? (Bible Study)
Service link to come
Questions:
Readings: Luke 10:25-37, 38-42, Psalm 100
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A25-37%2C+38-42%2C+Psalm+100&version=NRSVA
Luke 10:25-37
Vs. 25 What does it mean to be an expert in the law? How would it change your understanding of the law if you were told that the stories and the poetry were also considered God’s law?
How important is eternal life and why?
Vs. 26 Why is the law an important place to turn to for these questions?
Vs. 27-28 Why are these the ways to inherit eternal life? Look at both individually and together.
These commands are quotes from first five books of the bible (many bibles will show this in footnotes). Can you think of any biblical stories that also show these truths?
What question would you want to ask Jesus in this moment?
Vs. 29 What does it mean that he wanted to justify himself? Why does this very question show that he is not listening to either of those commandments?
Vs. 30 Why does Jesus give us this context for the man’s need? Would the three that passed by have this context? Do we know the context of people we pass? How does this challenge our response?
Vs. 31-32 What is a priest’s role? What is a Levite’s role? In the roles and closeness to God, how could they pass this man by?
Vs. 33 A Samaritan is a Jewish person from Samaria who has a different version of the Pentateuch and a different place of worship. They often were considered unclean by orthodox Jews. What does it mean that Jesus chooses him as an example of neighborly behavior?
What does it mean to have pity on someone? Is that a good thing?
Vs. 34-35 The Samaritan man travelling on this journey wouldn’t likely have had much, unless he was a merchant. Even if he was, what does it mean that he did all of this for the robbed man? Could he have done more?
Why does he bring him to an inn? What could the inn do that he couldn’t? What does this tell us about love?
Vs. 36-37 What does it mean to show mercy?
How is this a way of showing our love for God?
Luke 10:38-42
What does it mean for something to be better? Does this mean what Martha was doing was wrong?
Why was Mary’s the better way and Martha’s not as good?
How does this relate to the two most important commandments?
What does this tell you about the message in the good Samaritan?
Extra:
How do these passages relate to one another and the passages surrounding them? When you read them in context does it add anything to your understanding or perspective?
Psalm 100
How does coming before God relate to joy, gladness, thanksgiving, and praise? Why is this something we are meant to do?
How does this relate to our love for God and his love for us?
Why is being in God’s presence so important?
What does it mean to be God’s people or to have him as our shepherd?
