July 1, 2018

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for July 1st: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27; Psalm 130; 2 Corinthians 8:7-15; Mark 5:21-43: Theme: Jesus Heals Mark: Jesus continues to demonstrate what it means to be the messiah. He continues to heal, and to change conditions not just people. This is a story of a double healing, a healing of two people that the authorities would not have touched. First he heals the daughter of a soldier. Even though Jairus is not a believer, he still believes that Jesus can help his daughter. And next a woman dares to approach a man with a bleeding issue. Jesus does not walk away, even though he knows that society will gossip about it. After it is over, Jesus debriefs with his disciples, saying to tell no one, he does not even tell the women to tell the priest what has happened. But the people see what he is doing and he is starting to get a reputation for making a difference. What does the church have a reputation for doing? Corinthians: This is a stewardship message. Paul wants us to know that the way in which we live out our membership vows does truly make a difference. It shows how much faith we have in God. Paul is collecting money for the widows of Jerusalem. He lifts up Macedonia as a church which does not have a lot of money, but is very willing to help others. This is the passage where Paul says that God loves a cheerful giver. Give out of what we have, not what we don’t. That the way in which we give and receive gifts says a lot about our faith. Giving to help others in needs is a big part of our faith. When we give, we always get something in return. Questions: Who are the people that society is afraid to touch today? How does Jesus tell us to treat those people? Have you ever been healed of a condition that made others shy away from you? What is your attitude toward giving to help others? What does it mean to give to help others?