Questions for Reflection and Group Discussion
Read Matthew 11:25-30 (ESV):
At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
- How was Jesus’ invitation to follow him different from the typical invitation of other rabbis of his time? What does this communicate for us about following Jesus?
- Read what came just prior to our passage in Matthew 11:2-15:
What was John the Baptist experiencing here, and why? What do you notice about Jesus’s response to John’s faith crisis?
- If you’ve ever had the experience of bouncing between belief that God is good, generous, kind, and caring when things are going well for you – and then wondering whether he’s good when things go wrong in your life, share about that with your group.
- When you’ve feel that way, what has helped you get out of that mindset and return to belief in God’s goodness again?
- How do you feel about being completely alone with just yourself? What is the benefit of time alone?
- In The Count of Monte Cristo, Dantes loses his faith when he’s betrayed by his best friend and imprisoned on a deserted island. He forms a friendship with a priest who can see that his life is being eaten alive with resentment. The priest says, “Vengence belongs to the Lord,” to which Dantes replies, “I don’t believe in God.” And the priest responds, “It doesn’t matter. He still believes in you.” What did he mean by that?
- What is the new “yoke” that Jesus is promising in v.28, and how do we experience it?
- What did pastor John Ortberg mean when he said we should “try softer” rather than “try harder”? Why is it sometimes difficult for us to fall into grace rather than trying harder?
- Leslie Farber talked about the realm we can control versus the realm we can’t control. He said, “You can will knowledge, but not wisdom. You can will going to bed, but not falling asleep. You can will eating, but not hunger, bravado but not courage, lust but not love. You can will religion, but not faith.” What’s his point, and how might an awareness of this truth change how you live?
- What did you sense God saying to you through this passage and this message?
