Irmela

5. How does the widow demonstrate the principle of faith-filled giving? Is this the same kind of faith you and I exhibit in our giving? Why or why not? She gave all that she had and possibly did not know where her next meal would come from. I guess at times it is like that. I have experienced where I gave the last monies i had and within a short period God gave more than a hundred-fold. I serve a faithful living God

4. How does the widow demonstrate the principle of sacrificial giving? What did that mean for her? What would sacrificial giving mean for you? The widow gave more than she humanly speaking could afford. She probably would have to skimp on her meals or do without something by having given as she did. Doing without something which one would normally have, to enjoy. It is best to know that God sees what is given/done in secret.

3. How does the widow demonstrate the principle of proportional giving? How large are your gifts to God in proportion to your income? How large are your gifts in proportion to how much you have left after the bills are paid? She gave from what she had to live on. In spite of it not being much, she still gave. Thought provoking questions and makes me look afresh to truly trusting God with all that i have. It is real the Lord does bless. Many times He has shown it to be so. As with the widows mite. To give even from the little I had. He blessed. I thank Him for it.

2. How does Jesus compare the gifts of the rich verse the poor in 21:1-4? Who put in the most? It is compared in proportion of what they have. (In proportion of their means) The rich gave out of their surplus whereas the widow gave from what she actually needed. In this instance Jesus pointed out that she gave the most.

1. In what way are church leaders, both clergy and laity, susceptible to the sins of the "teachers of the law" that Jesus criticizes in 20:45-47? How can a leader walk in humility? What are the keys you've discovered? It is not with pointing at the persons with jealousy, or something similar in my heart that mention is made of what I see to so often be true. Just as in Jesus' day, so often the leaders are seen to be dressed in designer clothes or clothes that stand out to be recognized by all and sundry as being the best. Not only clothes but everything about them is a show to be seen/recognized by all. The teachers of the law were seen as walking around in long flowing robes. Titles are another thing that many want to be known by. To be known as being learned and having been to the best schools, colleges or universities. That seems to make a good impression. Sitting in important seats at meetings. Like that they are seen and recognized by all, as being very important. They often want to be in the spotlight. Or on the platform where they cannot but be noticed. Of course not all are like that. They recognize that with their calling comes these kind of things. This being in the spotlight and would like to squirm their way out of it. Often widows are abused by these people in high positions. Because of their need (financial, emotinal, social) they are prone to "attach" themselves to someone who they believe will help them in their need. Unfortunately for the widow it is often not a very good choice that is made. Often leaders have a tendancy to take much more than is necessary. Out of guilt and gratiitude the widow gives in. Another thing that is prone to be seen is that long prayers are offered. To walk in humility and not give in to these flaws the leaders are to rather do as Jesus did. Do all for Him not so others can take note. Key to not be like that is, look to Jesus for support and not a leader. Try from one's side not to put a leader on a pedestal but to leave Jesus in the most important position. Look to Him for guidance.

2. What can be the result in a person's heart if he feels there will be no reckoning in the life to come for the things he or she has done during this life? A person has no need to worry about consequences for his deeds. He can live a life without reckoning. It is rather a selfish kind of existance then. Totally the opposite to what our Lord ascribed us to lead. The heart would then be callous. 3. What was "levirate marriage" and what was its purpose in Israelite society? The purpose of the leverite marriage was to leave children to continue the "name" of the deceased if he had died childless. The oldest child in the new marriage would then by law be taken to be the deceased persons child and heir. An example of this is Obed the offspring of Ruth and Boaz. Naomi is taken to be the real grandmother. 4. In what way does Jesus' reply destroy the Sadducees' carefully constructed objection? The Sadducees had hoped their question would pose a dilemma as to who would then have the woman as wife in the after-life, seeing all had had her as their wife. There was no need for this to pose a problem as there was no marriage nor anyone being given in marriage, in the after-life. In this way there was no argument they could pose further. In the life we live now there is need for reproduction because of death, whereas in the life to come there will be no death. So there is no need to reproduce. Jesus also mentions a happening we read about. Moses and the burning bush. Moses calls the Lord "The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." God is the God of the LIVING. not the dead. So that means Abraham, Isaac ans Jacob are Living not dead. So there was proved there was life after death, just not as we know it now. 5. What effect does Jesus' question about the son of David being David's Lord have? Of whom did he ask the question? Why? The people that were surrounding Him. The scribes and the Pharisees. The son of David as spoken about in the Scriptures was taken to be the Messiah. It was understood that the Messiah would be greater than David. David acknowledges Him as greater than Himself. The people are shown by this question, that they need not look down on the Saducees as they themselves did not know or understand much more than the Saducees did. 6. What things should we be doing to be able to live both in the present age and be ready for the age to come? What should we cease doing? Things that are important in this day and age are not important in the age to come. We ought now already to totally live for God. In this way we are storing up treasure in heaven. Selfish living is actually a no-no. We ought to stop living as though life as we know it continues forever. Money, sex, fame and power will be obsolete in the life to come.

1. What did the Sadducees believe about the resurrection? What did Jesus believe? What did the Pharisees believe? They Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. Jesus was resurrected from the dead. (The body is then incorruptible.) He then went to be at the right hand of the Father. Jesus also said there is no marriage in the after life. Marriage is temporal not eternal. Those who experience the resurrection to life must be considered worthy. The Pharisees do believe that the souls of the good people will enter into other bodies but those of the bad will be subject to eternal punishment.

Q21. (Luke 2:36-38) Why is it hard for us to value the time we spend in meditation and prayer. Which of the times of our day do you think the Lord values most? How does listening to the Lord propel Anna's ministry? We seem to think it is important to stay busy. If we are not seen to be busy the stigma comes, they're lazy. Meanwhile calming down, reading the Word and talking to the Lord is the best BUSY there can be. If in our work we include the Lord and continue talking with Him, I think He is there at all times, ready to listen and answer our prayers in His way. Motivating us, guiding us. So I think if we include Him in our 'busy time' and in our quiet time. He values being part of our lives.

6. What does Jesus mean when he says to render to God what is God's? How do we do that? How do we live that out? When we have given our life to God, then we no longer belong to this world but to God. In actual fact we are giving back to God what is actually His. We are His temple and ought to look after the body that is lent to us for use in this present time. So whatever we do we ought actually to do it for Him. To serve and honor Him

5. How does Jesus' answer affect our attitude in paying taxes? Are we ever to resist civil government? We too should pay what is required of us and not resist what is not against God. If the government requests something that is not in line with what God requires, yes, then we are to resist that rule /law.

4. Why did Jesus ask his opponents for the coin? Why would they have in their possession a coin that carried blasphemous inscriptions? They were the ones with the question. The fact that they had the coin was proof enough that they were part of the "system". (The system required that taxes be paid.) The coin had nothing on it pertaing to God.

3. Can flattery ever be used to accomplish righteous purposes? Why or why not? Flattery seeks to manipulate. By manipulating someone you are not allowing that person freedom to speak his mind. You are trying to get him to say or do what you want not what he has on his mind. It mighr be the same but because of your manipulation it is tarnished and no longer pure. That is why it cannot be used to accomplish righteous purposes.

2. In what way did the "spies" act as hypocrites, that is, pretending they were something that they were not? They came pretending to be on Jesus' side. They acted as if they approved of Him 100%. Their motive was to trap Him.

1. What was the strategy of the scribes and chief priests that involved trick questions? What did they seek to accomplish? The scribes and chief priests sought a way that would not point to them directly as being the ones that wanted Jesus killed (because of jealousy /because of His forthrightness and showing them out to be false) but by trick questions have Him pointed out as a traitor to either the Roman Government or to Israel. They started with flattery. Then came the question which answer could point Him out to be a traitor to either party. If His answer was not to pay taxes then it showed He was against the Romans. If it was to pay the hated taxes then it showed He was against the people and they could possibly turn the people against Him. So flattery was used and then it would have been manipulation. They wanted a reason to have Him killed.

5. How can we detect when our hearts are rebellious against God? What should we do when we are angry at God? How can we prevent "a root of bitterness" against God to grow in our heart? Is this only hypothetical or is there any danger of the Stone crushing us to powder? When there is no peace and we can no longer have fellowship with Him then the warning is there to examine ourselves. Often we find we are then angry about the way things went (they didn't turn out to go our way.) We should immediately ask God to remove rebellion, bitterness or anger in our hearts and to replace it with peace and submission to His will and direction. Yes, as Mr Hanks has mentioned Rom 8:28, that truly allows us to accept situations as they come our way, much easier. For 50 yrs, that verse has been my saving in many a situation and enabled me to hold on and see or look towards the end of the dark tunnel i was in. If we do not accept God's way we are bound to be crushed and not stand with Him in victory.

4. In what ways did the Pharisees and Chief Priests stumble on the stone and were broken to pieces? In what ways are they crushed by the "falling stone"? They were loosing face. The way of life that they were used to was fast falling away and changing. They were no longer being held in awe by the people. They were recognized for who they were and being rejected. In this way they were stumbling and being broken. The end result of Jeshuah's enemies will be that they will be crushed to powder. (At the second coming) No longer will they have any say. Messiah will rule.

3. In 20:17 who is the stone? Who are the builders? In your opinion, why did they ultimately reject Jesus after studying him carefully? The stone = Jeshuah The builders = the religious leaders He did not fit their description of the Messiah King Who was to rule over His people. Also they were jealous of His "popularity". They stood to loose their "followers" who blindly did what they, the religious leaders expected of them, thus filling their pockets with filthy lucre. They would no longer be looked to for guidance.

2. What does the vineyard itself represent? The owner? The tenants? The servants who are sent to collect the owner's portion? Who is the son? Historically, how did God destroy the "tenants"? (20:9-16) The vineyard = Israel The owner= God The tenants= the current rulers The servants sent to collect the owner's portion = prophets, apostles The son = The Messiah, Jeshuah Himself, the Son of God The destruction : In 70AD the Fall of Jerusalem by General Titus

1. How did tenant farming work in Jesus' day? In our day? What did the owner of the vineyard expect of his tenants? It seems very much the same. Tenants or contract workers keep a percentage of the yield of the harvest and a fixed portion is paid to the owner.

6. Why does righteous indignation tend to be shallow when it is not accompanied by tears? When Jesus gave vent to righteous indignation, He had already cried over Jerusalem, as He could see what was coming her way. To the guilty and the innocent. Then when He saw the trade that was going on in the temple, He lashed out at part of the cause for this coming destruction. Righteous anger is accompanied by tears because the final scene it is leading to, is seen, which is caused by the wrong action which one is angry about.

Q13. (Isaiah 11:6-10) Where is love most at home -- in times of strife or in times of peace? In times of peace. True love is the bringer/keeper of peace. What does our passage say about the emptiness of winning as our ultimate value? Depending on the "winning". It can so easily be the negative side and bring about lifelong bitterness and estrangement. "Winning" should be peace on both sides. How can you bring peace from Jesus in your world? Living fairly. Living by the Word. Truly living as God requires. Not just here and there. But in every way. Who will it bless? Peace blesses both the bringer and the one to whom peace is brought.

Q12. (Isaiah 11:3-5) Why do you think God has a special place in his heart for the poor and disadvantaged? God does not see as we see. God sees the heart. The real 'poor and disadvantaged' have often tried again and again and have not been able to overcome their problems. They seem to be genuine and these you find willing to cry to God for help and they too will be thankful for much or little, which is shared with them. Just reading the book again "Hey! Preach you're coming through!", by David Wilkerson, verifies the fact that sometimes we are in a bad situation because of choice. Some come from good homes, loving parents, and yet because of stubbornness and refusal to "bow" to authority are living on the streets or dismal situations. Who are the unloved, overlooked, and looked-down-upon in your city? I think very much those who refuse to work when work is offered (the loiterers). The beggars who day after day stand at street corners begging and then using the gains for drugs. I think often these are misunderstood individuals who have been put off by authority so often that trust of other people is nil. Only way of survival in their minds is then the begging and immediate hunger satisfaction. Be it with alcohol or drugs or whichever means. The old people too seem to be very lonely. They are often a forgotten group. What are you doing to demonstrate Messiah's love and justice to them? To be honest I don't really like answering this kind of question. It either makes one squirm and places one on a guilt trip or seems like one blows ones own trumpet. I do find that i have gone into debt trying to help from my side in different ways. Kindness and acceptance is one way of showing love to them. Accepting the hospitality they have to offer (accepting a glass of water offered by them). A stop and sit in the cool shade of a tree and a short chat is also important.

Q11. (Isaiah 11:1-3). Why do we resist letting the Messiah govern our own lives? Why don't we seek his counsel more often? Why is surrender to his wise leadership so difficult for us? What can we do about this hardness we find in ourselves? For me the answers to the above questions are very much entertwined. Our resistance to Him taking complete control of our life, I believe is because there is still some kind of hidden sin that we are guarding and not letting go of. This too makes us resist total surrender to His leadership as it would mean exposing the hidden sin and totally surrendering to Him. He does not reign with sin. The answer to victory is full surrender and letting go of the reins as it were. (Letting go of the steering wheel.) Allowing Messiah full governorship and control in our life. Once this is so it is much easier to seek His counsel because nothing is hidden anymore and we don't need to fear He will expect us to expose a hidden secret sin for it is already dealt with.

5. The chief priests are prejudiced toward Jesus because they have corrupted themselves with proceeds from temple sales and Jesus threatens their revenue. How can tithing serve to challenge the shallowness of our Christianity? How can we Christians be corrupted by money? Tithing is a big time very important theme in many churches. Almost seems to overpower the redemptive work of Christ. It becomes so that many give because of guilt and fear and not at all out of a desire to do as God requests. Money can be what binds the giver as well as the receiver. To both it can be an idol. We need to truly look at our lives and make sure that money is not corrupting our lives.

How does Jesus' action to cleanse the temple make his crucifixion more inevitable? (Hint: At whose home was his mock trial held?) John 18:13 states that they brought Jesus to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest, that yr. Annas questioned Him. Then in v24 we read that Anns sent Him bound to the high priest, Caiaphas. From there into the judgement hall of the governor. Both Annas and Caiaphas had grown rich because of the trade at the temple. Jesus' action to cleanse the temple was a step to stopping easy money from being paid to them. They were thus ready to have Jesus taken out of the way, so their pockets could further be filled as they were serving mammon and not GOD. AS Jesus had mentioned before, His crucifixion was now imminent.