HOPEful girl

  CHAPTER 15 This week, I’ve placed my commentary after the answer to each question in italics.  Be blessed! Questions What is the danger of focusing our attention on traditions? Why did Jesus want the crowds to hear His teaching as well as the scribes and Pharisees? What lesson can we learn from this woman about our prayer life? What lesson can we take from the sheer number of people Jesus healed on this mountain? Why did Jesus miraculously feed this large crowd in addition to feeding the larger crowd earlier? And just like that we are already in the Lenten season. I grew up in the Catholic Church and the season of Lent is was a special time of preparing for Easter.  This time would commence with Ash Wednesday, which was just this past Wednesday on Feb 22. This is  a ceremony of spreading ashes on the forehead.  It is a reminder of our mortality and need for repentance and reconciliation.  I believe it originates from Genesis 3:19, just after the fall when...

  CHAPTER 13:53-14 Why did the neighbors among whom Jesus grew up reject Him? (Ch 13v.53-58) Why did Herod think that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead? What lesson was Jesus teaching His disciples by this miracle? How does this event show the disciples were growing in faith and understanding? What is significant about Jesus healing people who touched the fringe of His clothing? Here we have another part of Matthew where an idea starts at the end of one chapter then continues on to the next.  That is why I repeated the question from chapter 13 verses 53-58.  In these verses we see an opposition to Jesus that starts in his own hometown and continues with Herod the tetrarch.  What we really get to see is two pictures of unbelief AND belief.  In Jesus’ home town, they heard his words and saw what he did but denied Him worship. Herod's unbelief led to John’s beheading and Jesus’ crucifixion.  Then there are two pictures of belief.  The story ...

  READ MATTHEW CHAPTER 13 Questions What is the point of this agricultural parable? Why did Jesus speak in parables instead of speaking plainly? How did the people hearing Jesus reflect these four different types of ground? What question does the parable of the weeds answer? What is the point of the mustard and leaven parables? What was Jesus speaking about in these parables? (v.34-35)  What was the parable of the weeds speaking about? What is the hidden treasure or the pearl of great value? What is Jesus speaking about in the parable of the net? What is Jesus talking about in the parable of old and new treasures? Why did the neighbors among whom Jesus grew up reject Him? This is the chapter of the parables!  The first and most obvious question to me is what is a parable and why did Jesus use them?  Ok that’s two questions.  But seriously, why didn’t Jesus just give us the answer?  Well he actually explains this in the first few verses of the chapter. ...

  CHAPTER 12 Questions for chapter 12. Again , read the chapter, meditate on it, then try answering the questions on your own before going to the answers. This week, I’ve left my commentary at the end.  What were the Pharisees getting wrong about the Sabbath? What lesson did Jesus teach through His hypothetical question about a Pharisee’s sheep? Looking back at Jesus’ answers to the Pharisees in verses 1–8, how did Jesus avoid quarreling or crying out in anger? What is the sin against the Holy Spirit? Who was Jesus addressing in these verses, and why did He call them a “brood of vipers”? What is the sign of Jonah Jesus spoke of? What is Jesus describing as He talks about a demon returning to a person from whom it was driven? Wasn’t Jesus sinning against His mother and family when He rejected them for His hearers? The Pharisees charge Jesus’ disciples with breaking the Sabbath laws. Read 12:1–8. Q 58: A 58: What were the Pharisees getting wrong about the Sabbath? Their focus wa...