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For study and reflection, personally or with family, friends, or your small group:
To help get you started…talk a little about the term “morality”. What does it mean to be a
“moral person”? From where does your sense of morality (good/bad, right /wrong) come? How do you know what the right thing is in a given situation?
“moral person”? From where does your sense of morality (good/bad, right /wrong) come? How do you know what the right thing is in a given situation?
Read Matthew 15 in three sections- vv 1-20, vv 21-28, and vv 29-39.
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- For vv 1-20:
- What is the “orientation” of the Pharisees and teachers of religious law towards “being clean”?
- How does Jesus’ teaching “disorient” them?
- Based on this text, what is “being clean” really about (re-orientation)?
- For vv 21-28:
- What is the orientation of the Gentile woman? How does she see herself? How do the disciples see her?
- How does Jesus disorient them?
- Based on this text, how is Jesus re-orienting (transforming them into God’s new order) the woman and the disciples?
- For vv 29-39:
- What is the orientation of the people? What is the orientation of the disciples?
- How does Jesus disorient them?
- What is being “re-oriented” here?
- For vv 1-20:
Matthew 15 deals with the larger picture of, “Who is God’s Kingdom for?” Based on what you’ve read, how would you answer this question? How do these verses challenge your understanding of who “belongs” in God’s Kingdom? What needs to change in your life and group in order that you are more open to others? How are your relationships making disciples?