Here are the passages for June 28th, 2009, the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B). All links are to the TNIV via BibleGateway.com, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead (either with your own Bible, or via the drop-down menu at BibleGateway.com).
2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
- In the past few weeks, we've seen how God removed favor from Saul, and how Saul's relationship with David was contentious, at best. Why should David have written this lament for Saul?
- Do we learn anything about Saul from David's lament?
- I notice that the lament really doesn't say anything about how Saul died. Why not?
- As is obvious from reading the account of Saul's death, Saul had other sons besides Jonathan. Why aren't they included?
2 Corinthians 8:7-15
- Paul applies a bit of pressure on the Corinthians to "excel in (the) grace of giving." Why does he seem to find it necessary to do so? How do you think the Corinthians felt at having this pressure applied?
- Paul explicitly says that his "desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality." How might this be applied to exhortations to give today? Should Christians give sacrificially? If so, how does that measure up to this word of Paul's?
- There are conflicting teachings (in our modern world) on what the result would be if all of the world's wealth were evenly distributed. What do you think? Would anyone, or everyone, have "enough" if true equality were reached? (And, indeed, if it were true equality, those are the only two choices) What kind of a lifestyle would people have to live?
- This is a story of two miracles, one performed while Jesus was on the way to perform the other. Do you think this kind of thing was common in Jesus' ministry, what with so many people eager to see him and all?
- How do you imagine Jairus felt while Jesus was interrupted by the woman, and then stopped to see who had touched him?
- Jesus says the child is not dead. Was she, or wasn't she, at that point? Did Jesus lie? If not, why is the crowd so convinced that the child is dead?
- Why does Mark share with us the words of Jesus here in the original language (which necessitated that he then also provide a translation)? Why not just give us the words in the language in which Mark was already writing, as he has done for most other conversations? (Or, alternatively, did Jesus switch languages when speaking to Jairus' daughter? If so, why?)
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