Bible Study: Proper 25 (B) – 2024

RCL: Jeremiah 31:7-9; Psalm 126; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 10:46-52

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.

Jeremiah 31:7-9

In today’s Old Testament passage from Jeremiah, the prophet offers a message of hope and redemption to the Israelites, who have had their lives torn apart by war, terror, and trauma. The book of Jeremiah addresses the Babylonian exile of the Israelites. As hopeless as this situation must have seemed, God will keep promises made to God’s people. God will restore the exiles to the promised land. God is still the same God who saved the Hebrew people from their slavery in Egypt.

The people who will be saved are not the strong and the healthy; they are a vulnerable people, blind and lame, possibly due to mistreatment at the hands of their captors. They are also those who are vulnerable because they are pregnant and in labor. At the same time, they represent renewal and the promise of future generations. This group of blind, disabled, and pregnant people seem unlikely to survive, but in God’s economy, it is not the strong who survive but those who turn to God for help.

The people come weeping. These people have been through generations of trauma. God promises to console their mental anguish and to care for them. He promises to be both their shepherd, leading them “by brooks of water,” and their father.

• Jeremiah reminds us that, when we cry out to God for help, God can enter even situations that seem hopeless. Can you think of a time in your life when you felt God’s presence in a situation that seemed hopeless?
• When situations seem hopeless, do you think that it is more difficult or easier to ask God for help?

Psalm 126

Today’s psalm poetically describes the same topic as the passage of Jeremiah, the return of Israel from their captivity in Babylon. The impossible has occurred. They have become “like those who dream.” The restoration seems surreal. This is a psalm of thanksgiving and praise; God has turned the people’s sorrow into joy. The term “joy” appears three times. Their exhilaration is uncontainable.

• Children shout for joy. People at sports events often shout for joy. In what situations have you ever shouted for joy? In the context of worship, do you think there is a place for shouts of joy?
• What other ways do you express joy to God?

Hebrews 7:23-28

The letter to the Hebrews is distinctive for its description of Jesus as our great high priest. It promises that Jesus lives to make intercession for those who approach God through him. Jesus is continually working to save us, praying for us and with us. When we pray the psalms, we pray not only with the communion of saints but also with Jesus.

The events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection occurred so long ago that they can seem remote, but the Book of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus’ love for us is active in the present moment. Similarly, salvation sometimes seems like a future event, but it is also an action that is occurring in the present. Jesus is saving us now, as well as in the past and in the future.

• The role of a priest is to mediate between people and God. Is the image of Jesus as a great high priest one that normally comes to mind when you think about Jesus? Does contemplating this image expand your understanding of Jesus?
• In his human lifetime, Jesus prayed often. Does the idea of Jesus continuing to make intercession for us seem surprising?

Mark 10:46-52

In our Gospel passage today, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar asks for and receives his sight from Jesus. The physical healing that Jesus performed points us to the spiritual healing that he offers for all. Jesus announces to Bartimaeus that his faith has made him well. His life is transformed, and he immediately follows Jesus.

It is ironic that Bartimaeus, despite his lack of physical sight, seems to have a better understanding of who Jesus is than his disciples do at this point in Jesus’ life. Bartimaeus also reminds us of the vulnerable people who will be rescued by God in today’s passage from Jeremiah.

All of today’s passages point to healing and reconciliation out of pain and suffering. They also all remind us of the importance of crying out to God for what we need, turning to God through life’s difficulties, and trusting in God’s ability to restore us.

Finally, it is so interesting that Jesus asks Bartimaeus what he wants him to do. It seems obvious that Bartimaeus would want to be healed. Jesus’ question implies that people do not always want to be healed, that they do not always want his help to “see” more clearly.

• What do you think Jesus would like you to see more clearly?
• Why do you think this blind beggar seemed to understand Jesus’ nature better than Jesus’ own disciples did?

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