Compassion and
Grace
1 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He
prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this
what I said, Lord, when I was
still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew
that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in
love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is
better for me to die than to live.”
4 But the Lord
replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city.
There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would
happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord
God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his
head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But
at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it
withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east
wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to
die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”
9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry
about the plant?”
“It
is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”
10 But the Lord
said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or
make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And
should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are
more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand
from their left—and also many animals?”
Why did Jonah
become angry (verse 1)?
What did Jonah
know about God (verse 2)?
In your opinion,
why did Jonah think it was better “to die
than to live” (verse 3)?
What question did
the Lord ask Jonah (verse 4)?
Where did Jonah
sit and wait to “see what would happen to
the city” (verse 5)?
What did the Lord
God do that Jonah was very happy about (verse 6)?
In your opinion,
why does the Scripture say that “God
provided a worm” (verse 7)?
After “God provided a scorching east wind,
and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint” what did Jonah
say (verse 8)?
What did God ask
Jonah (verse 9)?
How did Jonah
respond to God (verse 10)?
In your opinion,
what point is the Lord making with the statement “you have been concerned about the plant, though you did not tend it or
make it grow” (verse 11)?
How would you
answer the Lord’s question to Jonah, “And should I
not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a
hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their
left—and also many animals” (verse 23)?
In your opinion, what is the basic
message of this passage?
John 18:7-11 - New
International Version (NIV)
7 Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”
“Jesus
of Nazareth,” they said.
8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking
for me, then let these men go.” 9 This happened so that the
words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave
me.”
10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the
high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was
Malchus.)
11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not
drink the cup the Father has given me?”
What did Jesus ask
(verse 7)?
How did they answer (verse 7)?
What was Jesus’
response (verse 8)?
Why did Jesus
respond this way (verse 9)?
In your opinion,
why did Simon Peter draw his sword and cut off the right ear of the high
priest’s servant (verse 10)?
What did Jesus
tell Peter to do (verse 11)?
In your opinion,
what did Jesus mean by “shall I not drink
the cup the Father has given me” (verse 11)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In your opinion, how are the motivations
of Jonah in his anger against Nineveh in Jonah 4:1-11 and Peter in John 18:7-11
drawing his sword and attacking the high priest’s servant similar?
Ephesians 4:17-24
- New International Version (NIV)
17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you
must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They
are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because
of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having
lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to
indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when
you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that
is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way
of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful
desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and
to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and
holiness.
How does Paul say the Gentiles live (verse
17)?
What separates them from the “life of God” (verse 18)?
In your opinion, what does Paul mean when
he says “having lost all sensitivity”
(verse 19)?
What happens when the Gentiles have lost
all sensitivity (verse 19)?
When did the people Paul is writing to learn
a different way of life (verses 20
and 21)?
What were they taught about their former
way of life (verse 22)?
Where were they to be made new (verse 23)?
How was the new self they were to put on created
(verse 24)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In your opinion, which verses in Ephesians
4:17-24 describe Peter’s behavior in John 18:7-11?
In your opinion, which verses in Ephesians
4:17-24 describe Jonah’s behavior and anger in Jonah 4:1-11?
1 Peter 5:12-14 – New
International Version (NIV)
12 With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother,
I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the
true grace of God. Stand fast in it.
13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you
her greetings, and so does my son Mark. 14 Greet one another
with a kiss of love.
Peace
to all of you who are in Christ.
Who helped Peter write the letter (verse 12)?
What did Peter instruct the readers to “stand fast in” (verse 12)?
How are “she who is in Babylon” similar to the readers (verse 13)?
How were the readers to “greet one another” (verse 14)?
What blessing does Peter give to “all of you who are in Christ” (verse 14)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In your opinion, what
do you think Paul, who discussed the “attitude”
of the mind of the old self and the new self in Ephesians 4:17-24, would
think about the “attitude” of Peter’s
mind as revealed by the three verses from 1 Peter 5:12-14?
In your opinion, how is it possible that
the same person who pulled the sword and attacked the high priest’s servant in
John 18:7-11 also encourages people to stand fast in the true grace of God,
greet with the kiss of love, and be blessed with peace in Christ in 1 Peter
5:12-14?
In your opinion, how
is the grace and compassion of God that Jonah was angry about in Jonah 4:1-11 expressed
by Peter in his words from 1 Peter 5:12-14?
In your opinion, what do these passages
from Jonah, John, Ephesians and 1 Peter tell us about our old and new selves?
In your opinion, how should we apply these
passages to ourselves today?
Next, back to 2 Peter 1:1 –
(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)
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