Bible Study: Proper 13 (B) – 2024

Note: During the 2024 Season after Pentecost, Sermons That Work will use Track 2 readings for sermons and Bible studies. Please consult our archives for many additional Track 1 resources from prior years.

RCL: Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15; Psalm 78:23-29; Ephesians 4:1-16; Mark 6:24-35

Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15

Today’s Old Testament lesson offers insights into our relationship with God. God has liberated the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, from a life of constant labor and oppression. The Israelites complain and imagine that things were better in the past, reminding us of our tendency to fail to appreciate God’s gifts and blessings in our lives. They also remind us of our tendency to be anxious that God will suddenly abandon us.

Despite their miraculous rescue, the Israelites began to wonder where the next meal would come from. They doubt God’s faithfulness. They worry that he delivered them out of slavery only to let them starve in the wilderness. However, God proves over and over to be faithful. Despite their lack of faith, God has mercy on them and provides food for them. He gives them quail in the evening and then manna, a mysterious bread-like substance, in the morning.

God continues to keep the promise that God made with their ancestors, the promise to bless this people and to bless the world through them. God is faithful, and God has provided what they need. Like us, the Israelites are growing in their faith; they must learn to trust in God’s goodness and faithfulness. When we are unsure of what tomorrow will bring, this story is a reminder that God’s faithfulness is everlasting; God keeps God’s promises. In spite of our doubts, God will not abandon us.

• Have there been times in your life when you could relate to the Israelites’ worries about being abandoned by God?
• It is easy to be distracted by worries about tomorrow. What are some ways to practice gratitude so that we can stay focused on God’s faithfulness to us?

Psalm 78:23-29

Today’s segment from Psalm 78 directly refers to today’s passage from Exodus. This segment of the psalm focuses on God’s power, faithfulness, and provision. Verse 25 in particular stands out. It begins, “So mortals ate the bread of angels.” The term “bread of angels” reminds us of the unearthly quality of manna. It is like bread, but not quite bread, like frost, but not frost. It is bread raining down from the opened “doors of heaven,” sustenance from God’s kingdom entering into our earthly realm, nourishing God’s people.

The second half of verse 25 tells us that “he provided for them food enough.” God satisfies their needs in an unexpected way, a way they had never imagined, by scraping this mysterious substance off the ground. Physical nourishment is accompanied by spiritual nourishment, as God offers the Israelites the opportunity to learn to trust in God’s faithfulness and provision.

• Can you think of a time when God met a need that you had in a way that you had never imagined?

Ephesians 4:1-16

Today’s epistle passage details a major theme of the books of the New Testament, and that is unity. God has called us to be one with our brothers and sisters, to come together in Christ as one body, to function as one body. The Christian life is both individual and corporate. God gives people individual gifts and callings to build up the community.

We are called to the difficult work of trying to find common ground with those who are different from us, those who come from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds, different ages, different social classes, and different political points of view. The early church had to come together across social barriers in order to survive. Sometimes, unity among Christians may seem like an impossible goal; taking small steps toward reconciliation and understanding can help it seem less daunting.

Paul also calls Christians into growth in faith, another important New Testament theme, especially in the epistles. Christians are called to continually mature in their faith through study and service, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us into people who resemble Jesus more each day.

• How do you see your church community as working toward unity among Christians? In other words, what kinds of diversity are present in your community?
• How are you nourishing your Christian faith these days, or how would you like to grow in faith?

Mark 6:24-35

In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus teaches that “Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” Jesus teaches that his miraculous feeding of the crowd was a physical sign designed to point to a deeper, spiritual truth. This shows that God works through the real world in order to reach us. Jesus also teaches that manna, given by God to his people in the wilderness, was a physical sign that offered a spiritual meaning. Like the manna that rained down from heaven, Jesus has come down from heaven; God’s kingdom is bursting forth into our own world. Only through Jesus can our most profound longings for meaning, truth, and unity with God be satisfied.

• Feeding is a theme that runs through the Old and New Testaments. How do food and faith connect in your life? How do you feed others, and how do others feed you, both physically and spiritually?
• When you take communion, do you ever think about the manna in the wilderness, or Jesus feeding the crowds?

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