CHECK IN

What did you sense Jesus inviting you into as you read Luke 19 and leaned into the lament practice that you engaged?

BIBLE

Read Luke 20:1-40 together. As part of this time, consider reading Luke 20:20-25 as a Lectio Divina exercise.

THIS WEEK’S READING: LUKE 20-21

The narrative is now centered on Jesus publicly engaging with people in Jerusalem. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus spent most of his days teaching in the countryside (Galilee, Capernaum, even Bethany), but now, he is teaching in the temple. Recall Jesus’s early days teaching in the temple and how all who heard him were astonished. Now, those who heard him were trying to trap him into some anti-Roman or anti-Torah sentiment that would be grounds for his arrest. Jesus is masterful as he discusses authority, taxes, resurrection – to the point that “no one asked him any more questions.” Luke continues to highlight moments that religious leaders are called out by Jesus, followed by placing those exchanges next to stories of outsiders or the marginalized being celebrated. The Widow and her offering are an example of this. Jesus calls his disciples to be ready for what the kingdom really looks like – watch for the seasons, understand the signs. It’s as if he is saying, “I’ve been showing you all this time, don’t miss it.” His urgency is building, because his days are drawing short.

GUIDING QUESTIONS:

1. “Pretending to be sincere” might be a critique the world gives Christians. In what ways do we still do this?
   

2. “Give to God what is God’s” should make us ask, “What is God’s?”
   

PRACTICE: THE IDEA AUDIT

1. IDENTIFY WHERE YOUR IDEAS COME FROM
Take a few minutes to think about where your ideas about yourself, others and the world come from. This can be social media, movies, shows, music, art, friends, books, podcasts, or something else. Write down 3-5 sources of ideas in your life, beginning with the most influential. (Hint: If you’re not sure which sources are most influential, begin with the sources that consume the most time, that evoke the most emotion, or to which your mind travels most when you’re distracted.)

2. NAME YOUR IDEAS
Choose an idea source that you think is the most influential in your life (1 of the 3-5 that you wrote down in step 1) . Then brainstorm and write down all of the ideas that you have received from that source.

Examples:
In the most recent episode of

3. REVIEW YOUR IDEAS
Review the list of ideas that you wrote down in step 2, and ask yourself: How does this idea align with the Jesus way (which we’ve discovered during our time in the Gospel of Luke), and what is it producing in me?