July 9, 2017 Proper 9 Semicontinuous Gen. 24:34 38, 42 49, 58 67 Ps. 45:10 17 Complementary Zech. 9:9 12 Ps. 145:8 14 Rom. 7:15 25a Matt. 11:16 19, 25 30 Taking on the Goal for the Session Adults will explore the meaning of taking on the yoke of Jesus and commit to his vision of discipleship. n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION Focus on Matthew 11:16 19, 25 30 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective by Eugene Eung-Chun Park The parable itself (vv. 16b 17) has been a subject of much debate concerning which characters in the parable correspond to whom in reality, which should not concern us here. More important is the function this parable serves in the current pericope, which is to demonstrate the complete lack of proper response on the part of the people in general and especially the opponents of John the Baptist and Jesus. The interpretation part (vv. 18 19) sarcastically contrasts John and Jesus, in terms of both their lifestyles and the accusations they receive, but the point is the common absurdity of the slanders directed against each of them, not the contrast. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective by Emilie M. Townes We must remain mindful that discipleship involves living our lives with integrity and faithfulness to God. As we come to a greater sense of self, finding our identity in God, we realize that we are developing the markers of our faith as we deepen our theological understanding of discipleship in ways great and small in our daily living. The discipleship to which Jesus calls us not only offers us rest but also guarantees us persecution. So we must live with the conviction that we are being called to live into a new vision of who we are to be and what we are to proclaim from what we have learned from Jesus teachings. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective by William Goettler That may well be the pastoral key to our reading this text: How does it speak to the hurting who are close by in our lives, and to the hurting who are far away? How are we engaged with those whose struggles are profound and whose needs are overwhelming? If Jesus is in fact insisting that his blessing is known, not by the mighty and the powerful, but by the infants and the lowly, then this is a time for us too to identify with the plight of those who live on the fringes of our society and the fringes of our lives. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective by Lance Pape There is the weariness that comes from having nothing at all to do that truly matters. The easy yoke means having something to do: a purpose that demands your all and summons forth your best. It means work that is motivated by a passionate desire to see God s kingdom realized. It means work toward a certain future in which all of God s dreams will finally come true. To accept the yoke of the gentle and humble Lord is to embrace the worthy task that puts the soul at ease. 1
Taking on the FOCUS SCRIPTURE Matthew 11:16 19, 25 30 Focus on Your Teaching Most adults who call themselves Christians understand themselves to be disciples of Christ, but how many of us think about the full implications of that claim? The distractions of dayto-day living tend to mute much reflection about the rewards of following Jesus, let alone the risks. Deepening the experience calls for stepping back and examining the ways we can live out our identity as disciples. For some adults, confronting the risks of discipleship may be a bit threatening. But others will welcome an opportunity to claim what is risky in Christian faith. Guide my words and my actions, O God. Shape them according to your intentions as I lead these adults. Amen. YOU WILL NEED 4-foot-long sturdy curtain rods or dowels newsprint or board marker Bibles copies of Resource Sheet 1 copies of Resource Sheet 2 copies of Resource Sheet 1 for July 16, 2017 For Responding option 1: Resource Sheets 1 and 2, newsprint or board, marker, pens, paper option 2: plain fabric, scissors, colorful permanent markers option 3: recording of the Messiah and equipment to play it, Bibles, paper, pens or colored markers n LEADING THE SESSION GATHERING Before the session, obtain one curtain rod or wooden dowel, about 4 feet long, for each pair of adults. The rod or dowel should be strong enough to place across their shoulders and not break, but light enough to carry easily. For option 2 in Responding, cut one 6" x 48" piece of light-colored or white plain fabric for each person. (It s fine to use an old sheet.) For option 3, locate a recording of He Shall Feed His Flock from Handel s Messiah and plan to play it. You may find a recording on YouTube. Bring the lyrics of this piece. Welcome participants. During the summer, your group may include some adults who have attended less regularly and some newcomers. If so, allow extra time for introductions. Have participants form pairs. As they are able, invite partners to hold a curtain rod or dowel across their shoulders, as a yoke, and experiment with walking around. Ask: P How does it feel to try to walk around yoked? Tell the group that today s session discusses a teaching that is both comforting and challenging. They will explore the metaphor Jesus used when he said his yoke was light. Pray the following or a prayer of your choosing: Almighty God, be present among us as we seek to encounter the words of Jesus in a fresh way. In the name of the one to whom you revealed yourself fully, Jesus Christ your Son,. Amen. 2
Taking on the EXPLORING Tell participants that in Matthew 11, just before today s focus scripture, John has sent a message from prison asking Jesus if he is the one to come. Jesus gives an answer and then begins talking to the crowd about John, of which these verses 16 19 are the conclusion. Ask one volunteer to read Matthew 11:16 19 aloud. Distribute Resource Sheet 1 (Focus on Matthew 11:16 19, 25 30). Have someone else read the What? excerpt. Explain that a pericope is a literary unit from a book. Jesus is speaking about the complete lack of response of his generation to John s message, and to his. Discuss the following: P How would you feel if you were among the crowd hearing Jesus words? Challenged? Confused? P If you were going to translate Jesus little parable in verses 16b 17 into contemporary terms, what would you say? How did Jesus and John the Baptist play the flute and wail? Ask someone to read aloud Matthew 11:25 27. In this prayer Jesus seems to be speaking of the small minority who hear and heed his words, perhaps his disciples. Discuss briefly what insights arise from these verses about the nature of discipleship and those who respond to Jesus message. Ask a volunteer to read aloud Matthew 11:28 30. Distribute Resource Sheet 2 (Concerning Yokes), and invite the group to read it silently. Ask: P What is a yoke and how does it function? P What does Jesus mean when he says his yoke is easy? Then ask them to read the Where? and Now What? excerpts from Resource Sheet 1. Discuss how these excerpts expand their understanding of Jesus words. Consider together two observations from the excerpts: The discipleship to which Jesus calls us not only offers us rest but also guarantees us persecution. To accept the yoke of the gentle and humble Lord is to embrace the worthy task that puts the soul at ease. Ask: P What do these two statements say about the nature of discipleship? P If they are contradictory in any way, how does one reconcile or hold in tension what they say? As a transition to Responding, invite participants to read the So What? excerpt and reflect on the following: P As disciples of Jesus, we are called to... Invite those who would like to respond aloud to complete the sentence. 3
Taking on the EASY PREP RESPONDING Choose one or more of these activities depending on the length of your session: 1. Contemporary Metaphors Generating contemporary metaphors for Jesus words can be a springboard for a new vision of what it means to be a disciple. Invite participants to revisit the information in the excerpts and in Resource Sheet 2 and think about what they now understand about Jesus yoke. On newsprint or a board, jot down insights about yokes and how they function. Distribute paper and pens and ask adults to reflect on what experiences in their own lives could be metaphors for discipleship that express the same understanding of what being a disciple entails. Remind them that Jesus used many metaphors, such as light and salt, to explain his teachings. After allowing a few minutes, ask volunteers to tell about the metaphor they chose. Ask adults to think about the following: P What new understandings about what it means to follow Jesus are not part of my life as a disciple at present? P How might I deepen and extend the way I live my life with integrity and faithfulness? Ask each person to choose one or two practices or steps they will take to extend their lives as disciples, and record those on their papers. 2. Discipleship Stoles Liturgical stoles that rest across the shoulders of the wearer can be a symbol and a reminder of what it means to take on the yoke of service to Jesus. While stoles customarily are worn by ordained clergy, they also can serve as a symbolic reminder of how each of us assumes the yoke of Jesus Christ. Give each participant a 6" x 48" piece of plain fabric. Ask participants to think about symbols, words, or pictures that could remind them of a commitment to deepening and broadening their discipleship. Provide colorful permanent markers to draw the symbols and print the words on their stoles. Encourage participants to wear their stoles to worship and to hang them at home in a place where they can remind them of discipleship. 3. Musical Rendition of Scripture Invite adults to read the posted words and listen to a recording of He Shall Feed His Flock from the oratorio Messiah by Handel. After listening, have a volunteer read Isaiah 40:11. Discuss the effect of coupling this passage with the Scripture from Matthew. How does it influence how one views taking the yoke of Jesus? Invite adults to draw an image of their life under Jesus yoke and post it where they can see it daily. For next week s session, obtain three vegetable seed packets or small starter plants. CLOSING Close with a litany. Read verses 25b 30, pausing after each verse for participants to say the response, My yoke is easy and my burden is light. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 1 for July 16, 2017 or e-mail it to the participants during the week. Encourage participants to read the focus scripture and Resource Sheet 1 before the next session. 4
July 9, 2017 Taking on the Adult Resource Sheet 1 Focus on Matthew 11:16 19; 25 30 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective by Eugene Eung-Chun Park The parable itself (vv. 16b 17) has been a subject of much debate concerning which characters in the parable correspond to whom in reality, which should not concern us here. More important is the function this parable serves in the current pericope, which is to demonstrate the complete lack of proper response on the part of the people in general and especially the opponents of John the Baptist and Jesus. The interpretation part (vv. 18 19) sarcastically contrasts John and Jesus, in terms of both their lifestyles and the accusations they receive, but the point is the common absurdity of the slanders directed against each of them, not the contrast. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective by Emilie M. Townes We must remain mindful that discipleship involves living our lives with integrity and faithfulness to God. As we come to a greater sense of self, finding our identity in God, we realize that we are developing the markers of our faith as we deepen our theological understanding of discipleship in ways great and small in our daily living. The discipleship to which Jesus calls us not only offers us rest but also guarantees us persecution. So we must live with the conviction that we are being called to live into a new vision of who we are to be and what we are to proclaim from what we have learned from Jesus teachings. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective by William Goettler That may well be the pastoral key to our reading this text: How does it speak to the hurting who are close by in our lives, and to the hurting who are far away? How are we engaged with those whose struggles are profound and whose needs are overwhelming? If Jesus is in fact insisting that his blessing is known, not by the mighty and the powerful, but by the infants and the lowly, then this is a time for us too to identify with the plight of those who live on the fringes of our society and the fringes of our lives. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective by Lance Pape There is the weariness that comes from having nothing at all to do that truly matters. The easy yoke means having something to do: a purpose that demands your all and summons forth your best. It means work that is motivated by a passionate desire to see God s kingdom realized. It means work toward a certain future in which all of God s dreams will finally come true. To accept the yoke of the gentle and humble Lord is to embrace the worthy task that puts the soul at ease. 2017 Westminster John Knox Press
July 9, 2017 Taking on the Adult Resource Sheet 2 Concerning Yokes The yoke to which Jesus was referring in Matthew 11:28 30 consisted of a wooden frame or collar that was placed around the necks of work animals to enable them to pull in tandem. Common in Jesus day and for perhaps thousands of years before, yokes continued to be used until mechanized implements replaced work animals on the farm. In the Bible, the word yoke is usually a metaphor for subjection and tyranny. After the death of King Solomon, the leaders of Judah asked his son, Rehoboam, to be more lenient than his father. They said, Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the burdensome service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you (1 Kings 12:4). But the new king s response was even more ruthless: Whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke (1 Kings 12:11). This heavy yoke of dictatorship eventually split the kingdom, with the northern ten tribes forming the nation of Israel. Elsewhere in the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah talked about the yoke of injustice and oppression (58:6, 9) and Jeremiah warned his people that they would fall under the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (27:2, 6 7). Jesus characterized the yoke, not as a symbol of subjection, but as a symbol of partnership. He is referring to a relationship in which two companions walk side by side in tandem covering the same ground, overcoming the same obstacles, and traveling at the same speed. By inviting us to submit to his yoke, Jesus invites us to come alongside him in partnership. In the time of Jesus, yokes were fashioned of wood. Oxen would be brought to the carpenter, who took measurements and built a yoke custom-made to fit those particular animals. After the yoke was rough cut, the oxen would be brought back to the carpenter to have the yoke tried on. The yoke was carefully adjusted to fit each animal so as not to chafe or bruise. 2017 Westminster John Knox Press