Questions

Scriptural Reflection
Matthew 4:12–17

1.  John the Baptist was to prepare the way of the Messiah. Can you recall what his main message to the people was?

2. Why did he feel compelled to denounce the sin of adultery of a foreign ruler? (King Herod seduced the wife of his brother and after putting away his own wife, he married his brother’s wife.)

3. What was the result of his public denouncement and what can we learn from his action?

4. In this short passage, Matthew highlighted an important juncture of salvation history, as it marked the end of John the Baptist’s ministry (he was the last of the prophets, see 11:13), and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. How effective do you think John’s ministry had been in being the preparer of the way for the Messiah?

5. Now Jesus began his ministry in, of all places, Galilee:

a. According to Matthew, why did Jesus begin His ministry in Galilee?

b. From the following information, what other reasons might Jesus have in beginning His ministry in Galilee?

Galilee:

• the most northerly district of Palestine
• small, but densely populated — according to Josephus, there were 204 villages with no fewer than 15,000 people each [do your own math]
• most fertile region of Palestine
• from 8th until 2nd century B.C., it was mostly in Gentile hands
• an area with the most Gentile influence

6. Matthew used the term “proclamation” to describe Jesus’ preaching, and it is the term used of the proclamation of a king’s edict. As such Barclay opines that the message so proclaimed had to be “certain”, “with authority” and with its sources “from the King”. How may this be applied to Jesus’ message?

7. What was His message? What might it mean to the listeners of Galilee?

8. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Matthew 4:18–25

1. This was not the first time Jesus met these four young men; take a look at John 1:35-42 and get a sense of what preceded this calling by Jesus.

2. Can you imagine what might have happened to Peter and Andrew after their first encounter with Jesus in John 1?

3. Why did they respond to Jesus’s calling now and so readily?

4. How much might they have understood by being fishers of men?

5. Is using “fishers of men” an appropriate analogy of their calling by Jesus? How so?

6. What had the four given up in following Christ? What might be the toughest thing to give up?

7. What about you?

8. Matthew goes on to tell us the ministries of Jesus which were very effective and that His name grew rapidly. What did His ministries entail and why? What can we emulate of Jesus as we seek to minister to our world today?

9. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Matthew 5:1–12

This section marks the beginning of the famous Sermon on the Mount, and it begins with the Beatitudes:

1. How does the world define blessedness? How do you define blessedness?

2. The first reason for being blessed is because “theirs is the kingdom of God”:

a.  Why is one blessed because the kingdom is his or hers?

b. Is being “poor in the spirit” a must for one to be in the kingdom of God? Why or why not?

3. The second reason for being blessed is because “they will be comforted”:

a. Why do people consider that mourning is a loss and not a blessing? What might be the loss that would cause a person to mourn the most?

b. Will all who mourn necessarily be comforted? How then will a mourner not be comforted? On what basis will a mourner be willing to receive comfort and thus be blessed?

4. The third reason for being blessed is because “they will inherit the earth”:

a. What is the meaning of “inherit”? What does “inherit” not mean?

b. Who then does Jesus say will inherit the land/earth? Why? (You may want to look up Ps. 37, the theme of which is “inherit the land”.)

5. The fourth reason for being blessed is because “they will be filled”:

a. What do people go after in order to fill or satisfy their inner hunger?

b. Can they be filled? Why or why not?

c. What then is meant by hungering and thirsting after righteousness?

d. How can Jesus “guarantee” that they will be filled?

6. The fifth reason for being blessed is because “they will be shown mercy”:

a. To whom does the world like to extend mercy?

b. According to your personal experience, how different is the basis of God’s mercy from that of the world’s?

c. Do you still extend mercy to only those whom you think deserve it?

7. The sixth reason for being blessed is because “they will see God”:

a. What makes a heart impure?

b. How can one have a pure heart?

c. How does this particular beatitude speak to us concerning our daily time of seeking God?

8. The seventh reason for being blessed is because “they will be called sons of God”:

a. What does it mean to be called a “son of God”?

b. In what way does being a peacemaker resemble Jesus, the Son of God? What “peace” does Jesus make?

c. What then is the true meaning of being “peace- maker”?

9. The eighth reason for being blessed is again because “theirs is the kingdom of God”:

a. Why would one be persecuted “because of righteousness” (v.10)?

b. In v.11, whom does Jesus substitute for “righteousness” (v.10)? What is the message He is sending to these first audiences about who He is?

10. It is obvious that no one can, by themselves, live out the beatitudes, therefore the eight beatitudes as a whole, are not the “conditions” based on which one belongs to the kingdom of God. What then are the beatitudes in relation to the Kingdom of God?

11. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Matthew 5:13–20

1. As we read of the analogies of us being salt and light of the world, how do these analogies relate to the beatitudes?

2. To what aspects of the analogy of the salt is Jesus referring?  How does exhibiting the beatitudes by Christians serve the function of the salt?

3. To what aspects of the analogy of the light is Jesus referring? How does exhibiting the beatitudes by Christians serve the function of light?

4. What then would you say is the responsibility of Christians in this secular world?

From v. 17 through v. 48, Jesus is talking about the Law and true righteousness (i.e. a right relationship with God) and He opens with vv. 17-20:

5. Vv.17-18: affirming the validity of the Law

a. Why can’t the law be changed in any way?

b. But why does it need to be fulfilled and how would Jesus fulfill it?

6. Vv. 19-20: The Law and righteousness
Read v. 19 carefully as it talks about two kinds of people (and one’s attitude toward the Law): There are those who break the Law and those who keep the Law.

a. Which kind of person did the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law think they belonged to and why?

b. According to Jesus, would they be able to enter into the Kingdom of heaven?  Why or why not?

c. Would those who break the Law and even teach others to do the same be like the Pharisees — i.e. they will not be able to enter into the Kingdom of heaven?  Why or why not?

7. How then can one’s righteousness surpass that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law? (See Gal. 3:9-11.)

8. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Matthew 5:21–32

1. From vv. 21-48, Jesus uses a “formula” to highlight the futility of gaining righteousness by keeping the letter of the Law.  Can you detect the “formula” in vv. 21, 27, 33, 38 and v.43?

2. From the use of this “formula”, what is the error highlighted by Jesus?  Is this error common today to Christians, including yourself?

3. Vv. 21-26: On Anger

a. Refer to Exodus 20. To which commandment was Jesus referring?

b. What is the letter of this Law and what is the spirit of this Law?

c. What sin is it when we call someone Raca (literally an idiot) or a fool?

d. In OT times, when one was offering a sacrifice (to atone for one’s sin), what was he or she trying to mend?  But Jesus points out that effective atonement needs to be mended at two levels. What are they?

e. Jesus then offers very practical advice in v.25.  How did He apply the same principle to our relationship with God in v.26?

4. Vv. 27-32: On Adultery

a. Refer to Exodus 20. To which commandment was Jesus referring?

b. What is the letter of this Law and what is the spirit of this Law?

c. Jesus often uses exaggeration to hammer His point across. What is His point in vv. 29-30?  How can you apply this in your life?

d. The Jews of His time, had developed a practice called “Divorce for Any Cause”; it was commonly used by the men.  How did Jesus address their wrong in this area?

e. If divorce is only permitted based on adultery, then what would the wife be turned into (or labeled) by the husband who divorced her (even though she had not committed adultery)?

5. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Matthew 5:33–48

1. Vv. 33-37: On Taking an Oath

a. Refer to Numbers 30:2, and see what the letter of this Law is and what the spirit of this Law is.

b. What normally was the reason for their swearing, especially by pointing to heaven, earth, or Jerusalem?

c. Why then is swearing itself something that “comes from the evil one”?

d. What does it teach us when we need to impress others of our innocence or truthful words or deeds?

2. Vv. 38-42: On True Humility

a. Refer to Exodus 21:22-25: Whom does the Law address?  The victim or the judge?

b. Is the Law aimed to exact retribution or to restrict excessive retribution?

Jesus explains in vv. 39-42 the spirit of the Law:

c. Why did Jesus use the example of striking one’s cheek and not the cutting of one’s hand?

d. Why did Jesus use the example of taking one’s tunic and not the seizing of one’s children?

e. How long will it take for you to walk one mile?  Why did Jesus use the example of one mile, not ten?

3. How would you define a person who can overlook the hurt of bearable physical pain, the loss of material possession and the involuntary doing of something extra within one’s ability?  Behind all these, what might the toughest to overcome - the hurt, the loss, the inconvenience or one’s pride?

4. Vv. 43-48: On Our Enemies

a. Refer to Leviticus 19:18, and see what the letter of this Law is and what already the spirit of this Law is.

b. Jesus gives several reasons that loving one’s neighbor only is not God’s kind of love.  How does each of His reasons speak to you:

1. Being sons of God;
2. Not being better than tax collectors and pagans;
3. Being perfect as our heavenly Father is.

c. What then should you do?

5. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Matthew 6:1–15

Almsgiving, prayer and fasting were the three great cardinal works of the religious life. Through these, the Jews thought they would be OK with God if they devoted themselves to these “acts of righteousness” (6:1).

1. Vv. 2-4: Almsgiving

a. What was the intention (i.e. the desired outcome) of their public act of almsgiving, according to Jesus?

b. While such an act would not draw reward from the Father in heaven, yet Jesus said they “have received their reward in full”.  What have they received as a reward?

c. What is meant by “the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing”?  Is it possible?  (Have you noticed that you have done something so natural and habitual to you that you are not even aware that you are doing it?)

2. Vv. 5-8: On the Wrong Prayer

a. Again, what was the intention (i.e. the desired outcome) of their public act of praying, according to Jesus?

b. While such an act would not draw reward from the Father in heaven, yet Jesus said they “have received their reward in full”.  What have they received as a reward?

c. Vv. 6-8 spells out the proper attitude of prayer which includes:

1. Being behind closed doors (what does it mean?)
2. Prayer is being spoken to the unseen Father (and so?)
3. Not being like the pagans (what is the purpose of saying many words in their prayers?)
4. Recognizing that our Father knows our need. How important is this to prayer?
5. How should the above affect your prayer life?

3. Vv. 9-15:  On the Right Prayer

Having talked about what prayer is not, Jesus now gives us a “model” prayer.  Let’s reflect on this familiar prayer afresh and the significance of its contents:

a. Address: who is our object of prayer and where is He?

b. Why should we begin our prayer not with supplication, but with acknowledging the holiness of His name, and about His kingdom?  How would you define “adoration” within this context?

c. In supplication, why would Jesus begin with such earthly request?  How would it affect the prayer that follows?

d. Confession:  How important is it that our prayer needs to include not only confession, but having our forgiveness tied to our forgiveness of others?  Have you taken this seriously in your confession?

e. In further supplication, the focus is on sin and temptation:  How practical is this prayer of asking God to “not lead us into temptation”?  Are we not trying to pass the buck?  Why or why not?

f. Some manuscripts end with a doxology (“for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever”).  Why did Jesus teach us to end our prayer with a doxology?

g. How different is this prayer from that of the pagan to their gods?

4. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?