Bible Study – Luke. Session 5: The life’s project takes shape (Luke 5-8)

I. A few days before the session, the following text could be sent to the participants in order to better prepare and be active.

1. Luke 5-8 can be divided:

• a) 5:1-11 – The fishing;
• b) 5:12-16 – Jesus heals the man with leprosy;
• c) 5:17-26 – Healing the body and giving forgiveness;
• d) 5:27-39 – Who can be Jesus’ disciple;
• e) 6:1-11 – The man and the Sabbath;
• f) 6:12-26 – Blessings and Woes;
• g) 6:27-42 – Love and judge;
• h) 6:43-49 – Fruits and words;
• i) 7:1-17 – The faith of the centurion and the widow’s son;
• j) 7:18-30 – Jesus speaking about John;
• k) 7:31-50 – This generation;
• l) 8:1-21 – The sower; the lamp; Jesus’ mother and brothers;
• m) 8:22-39 – The wind and the demons obey him;
• n) 8:40-55 – Illness and death.

2. The title of this session of our Bible Study is “The life’s project takes shape.” Chapters 5 to 8 of the Gospel of Luke show us how Jesus begins his activity and shows us what will be the characteristic of this missionary activity. It is true that every aspect is important. But we are a group and each of us is invited to consider one aspect of Jesus’ work as it begins. The recommendation is not to read all the chapters proposed for this session, but choose only one division from the above, using only the name given to each division. Then read the text of the chosen division. Each of us will try to explain why we chose that division, which was the strong point that made us choose one or the other of the divisions. To make it easier, we can use the structure in the table below.

1. My chosen division (for example) Q)

2. Read the text of the chosen division.

3. What do you consider to be in the centre of the chosen division?

4. Why do you consider that fact, presented by text of the chosen division, is important in order to shape a good mission?

5. You are a disciple and you have to plan and give shape to a mission, how the fact presented by the text of the chosen division would help you?

6. Once you have read the text of the chosen division, do you think that division should have been called differently? How?

I look forward to meeting you.

Revd. Bernard Noghiu

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II. The following materials are intended for the group leader, in order to prepare the meeting.

The group leader must keep in mind that participants tend to say it is difficult for them to choose a division, because they consider everything to be just as important.

The leader must explain that it is not only time that does not allow this, but that it is an exercise to get used to focusing on one fragment or another, in order to understand it more deeply, without taking it out of context.

The leader should explain that keeping the text in context is done by putting together the divisions chosen by all members and by the explanations they give to the suggestions in the table above. They must consider divisions as the index of a book written by several authors, or of a story told by several witnesses.

The leader must explain why each member must choose a provision and present what is reported in that division as important for a mission.

The leader must point out that each member can be the leader of a mission, but at the same time can be a member of the mission group, led by someone else.

During the meeting, the leader will write down the important points from the explanations brought by each participant, and at the end, he will present the whole list with: the chosen divisions, the summary of the participants’ answers, the possible names they would give for the chosen division. Then the leader will read what has been written as a mission project done together.

In reality, the participants are both leaders and disciples and recipients. They need to be helped to understand how a mission is shaped.