Catch up on how things have been over the past week (over drinks and snacks if possible), taking time to let any new members introduce themselves. Then ask group members:
This term, we’re exploring some of the meals Jesus shared. Not only will this help us get to know Jesus better, we’ll see how the way he shared meals can teach us a lot as we experience student life today.
Ask for a volunteer to read Luke 11:37-44 to the group, praying a short prayer that, however much they’ve come to know Jesus, they’d know him better as a result of your time together.
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What does it mean that generosity to the poor makes everything ‘clean’?
Jesus is not saying that, if we are generous enough to the poor, then we have no need for forgiveness. Jesus alone can cleanse our hearts, and he does that through his death on the cross and through pouring his Spirit into our hearts.
In verse 41, Jesus is saying that the things we do should spring from a loving heart, and not out of a desire to impress others. Self-righteousness is something Jesus came to pay for – and not a characteristic Jesus wants in his people. Real obedience comes from the inside out, from hearts that have been transformed by God’s love.
In Matthew 23:27, Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees to ‘whitewashed tombs.’ They were clean in appearance (i.e. on the outside), but inside they were full of death and decay.
Jesus’ imagery here in verse 44 is similar: they are ‘unmarked graves.’ Unmarked graves give no appearance of being places of death but, according to Jewish Law (Numbers 19:16), those who come into contact with them are made unclean. Those who follow the example and teaching of the scribes and Pharisees are being unwittingly drawn into a path of uncleanness and death.
The Pharisees were more concerned about outward appearances than inner realities. Though they did all the right religious things, the way they lived revealed hearts that were far from God.
All of us are dirty on the inside. No amount of good works can clean us. But though his death on our behalf, Jesus takes our dirt on himself. God counts us as clean and transforms us too.
Spend some time praying, thanking God that Jesus makes us clean before him.
Lots of us know that we aren’t who we’d like to be, and so it can be tempting to modify our behaviour to appear better than we feel inside. This week, we’ve seen that there are misconceptions around what it means to live for God, and ways in which we too can be tempted by the mere appearance of holiness.
Spend some time praying for friends of yours that don’t yet know Jesus.
Thank You – Thank everyone for coming, and ask someone to thank God for your time together in prayer.
Ask – Ask those who are new to reading the Bible if they’d like to explore Uncover, a set of sessions in Mark’s Gospel, allowing them to investigate one of the earliest accounts of Jesus’ life alongside one of you.
Church and CU – What does the CU have planned ahead? And what help would group members value in finding a local church?
Others – Who else could you invite to join your CU Impact Group next week? These friends don’t need to be followers of Jesus and may really appreciate being invited.
See You Soon – Tell the group where and when you’ll meet next week, and arrange who will bring snacks. (You might like to alternate healthy and less healthy weeks!). See if anyone would be up for sharing a meal or just hanging out in the meantime!
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