Jesus returns home in this week’s reading, but it is not a happy homecoming. There are several unexpected events in Chapter Six. Here are a few questions to consider:
a. It’s been said, “You can never go home again.” What does that mean to you, and have you experienced it in your life? What do you think it means for Jesus coming back to Nazareth and being rejected by his people?
b. Jesus commissions the 12 disciples to go out on their own to proclaim the message of repentance and to heal the sick. Why do you think this is an important development in the larger story?
c. We hear the gruesome tale of John the Baptist’s death at the hands of King Herod. Why do you think the ruler allowed this to happen? Does this speak to the danger of “speaking truth to power?”
d. We’ve likely heard the story of Jesus feeding 5,000 men with five loaves and two fish, and it’s easy to discount the magnitude of this miracle. What does this story say about Jesus’ love for hungry people’s souls and bodies? What is this story leading us to do today?
e. There’s an earlier account of Jesus calming the sea with the simple words, “Peace. Be still.” In this week’s reading, we hear about Jesus walking on the water. Why do you think there are so many stories on the water? Where do we turn with our fears, worries, and doubts?
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