Genesis 15:1-18
This is not Abram’s first encounter with God, nor is it the first time God promises to make a great nation of Abram. It is the first (of two) covenants God makes with Abram. This odd (and bloody) ceremony cements the deal, but notice that only God makes the promise and completes the agreement while Abram is asleep! How do you imagine this covenant would impact Abram’s decisions and plans? Is there a God-given promise that you depend upon that makes a difference in your life? What does God promise us?
The promise to Abram will not be fulfilled in Abram’s lifetime, a fact that may or may not be obvious to Abram just yet. Like Abram, have you ever had the sense of being part of something bigger than yourself? What difference does that bigger picture make in your hopes, plans, or decisions?
Abram has to trust in God’s timing not his own for the fulfillment (or even the beginning of fulfillment) of these promises. When have you walked by faith, like Abram does? What keeps your faith strong even in tough times? Notice that even as he walks by faith, Abram questions God and hedges his bets, naming a foreigner as his heir. How do you deal with the questions that arise in your faith journey? What role do you think doubt plays in faith?
Luke 13:31-35
Jesus’ use of a feminine metaphor to describe his feelings may be surprising, although it is not unheard of in the Biblical story. The prophet Isaiah describes God as a mother in both childbirth and nurturing. Other metaphors for the divine include animals (lion, lamb, eagle), objects of nature (rock, wind) as well as the masculine ones we use most often. How do you imagine God’s presence? What metaphors or names do you find most meaningful in prayer? Consider how you might expand the images you use–you might look to the hymnal or the Psalms for inspiration. What new insights do these new images give you?
If you have ever had the experience of loving someone who is engaged is self-destructive behavior, you can relate to Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem. Notice how Jesus holds out both hope and judgment for the city. What does this tell us about God’s mercy and judgment? How could this apply to our own lives?
Jerusalem is the holy city, the sacred center of God’s people. Yet, Jesus also sees that it is also the center of rebellion, where God’s word is actively and violently opposed. Can you see parallels here between the vocation and reality of the holy city of Jesus’ day, and that sacred and flawed reality of our own day–the church? What might Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem have to say about our own experiences of Church and our own vocation as a community?
Jesus’ response to the Pharisees’ warning is to basically assert his control over the situation. He will not be killed here, in Galilee, by Herod–he will go in his own time to Jerusalem and die there. What do you think this says about the connection between Jesus’ death and the rest of his ministry? Why do you think Jesus had to die?