{"id":881803,"date":"2023-02-05T16:35:39","date_gmt":"2023-02-05T21:35:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.episcopalchurch.org\/?post_type=bible_study&#038;p=281803"},"modified":"2026-06-23T18:17:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T22:17:45","slug":"bible-study-lent-4-a-march-19-2023","status":"publish","type":"bible_study","link":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/bible_study\/bible-study-lent-4-a-march-19-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Bible Study: Lent 4 (A) \u2013 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/lectionary\/lent-4a\/\"><strong>[RCL]<\/strong> <strong>1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/L4-2023-Bible-Study-Graphic-1024x536.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-281813\" style=\"width:512px;height:268px\" width=\"512\" height=\"268\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1 Samuel 16:1-13<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This story places us in a precarious moment in the history of the Israelites. After much badgering, God has agreed to give the people a king and Saul had been elevated to the role. But the novice monarch has already disappointed God and Samuel is sent out to discover his successor. Sent to Jesse the Bethlehemite, seven strapping sons are paraded in front of Samuel, but none are them are God\u2019s chosen. It is only when Samuel asks that they bring David, the youngest, from minding the sheep. And it turns out that this young child, an afterthought, is God\u2019s anointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout Scripture, we are reminded of God\u2019s solidarity with the weak and oppressed, and this passage from 1 Samuel is a perfect example of that. Whatever David became\u2014warrior, king, tyrant\u2014he started out as a small, weak little boy, not considered worth the attention of the great prophet Samuel. This is the surprise of God; God does not \u201csee as mortals see.\u201d We are enamored with the outward trappings of appearance\u2014fine clothes, expensive cars, etc.\u2014but God \u201clooks on the heart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is also worth noting the similarities between David\u2019s anointing and the baptism of Jesus. \u201cThe spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David,\u201d just as \u201cthe Spirit descend[ed] like a dove upon [Jesus].\u201d The title \u201cMessiah\u201d and its Greek counterpart, \u201cChrist,\u201d mean \u201canointed one,\u201d and the parallels between David and Jesus are not a coincidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Where has God surprised you in your life?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How have people you might have overlooked or underestimated proven to be God\u2019s anointed?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Psalm 23<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Honestly, what is there to say about Psalm 23 that has not been said? These are some of the best-known words in all of Scripture and have spawned countless cultural references, both secular and religious. As we meditate on these words in the context of Lent, verse 4\u2014 \u201cThough I walk through the valley of the shadow of death\u201d\u2014holds particular resonance. The trials and temptations of the wilderness are many and it is easy to think we are walking the road alone. But as this comforting psalm reminds us, even in the darkest depths, God is at our side; our shepherd will never abandon us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How has God been your shepherd?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What \u201cright pathways\u201d might God be leading you toward?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ephesians 5:8-14<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This passage from Ephesians fits into a broader theme of the letter: God\u2019s lordship over all creation and our duty, as Christians, to walk in the light of God. Paul is concerned with the malevolent forces of this world and the human tendency to be drawn into \u201cdarkness,\u201d but he assures his readers that following Christ will keep us in the light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The danger of this passage is how easily interpreters can claim the title \u201cchildren of light\u201d for themselves, how tempting it is to judge and assert that others are living in \u201cdarkness.\u201d This presumption is tempered by verse 10: \u201cTry to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.\u201d The humility of this phrase is beautiful and subtle. Ultimately, we cannot fully know who God is or what God wants\u2014we can make educated inferences based on Scripture, but on this side of the veil, God remains a mystery. So let us <em>try<\/em> to walk in the light and hope that God is pleased with our efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Where might darkness be in your life? And what might God\u2019s call to the light be?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is a \u201cchild of light\u201d and how might you claim that title?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>John 9:1-41<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This passage from John\u2019s gospel dwells on an essential theme of the evangelist, rich with symbolic meaning. On its surface, the story is of Jesus healing a blind man and its confusing, almost silly, aftermath. As readers, we are bemused by the obstinate refusal of the Pharisees to see what has plainly occurred in front of them. Even as the formerly blind man attests to Jesus\u2019s healing power, they cannot accept the facts of the story. No number of witnesses will open their eyes to the reality of what has occurred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet this story is about so much more than an act of healing. Blindness and sight, darkness and light, ignorance and understanding\u2014all of these dichotomies are at play and remind us of John\u2019s overarching vision in this gospel. Jesus is \u201cthe light of the world\u201d and it is through Christ that we come to know God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nevertheless, it is important to remember that we have the advantage of John\u2019s narrative voice pointing out the stubborn blindness of the Pharisees. It is easy to see that Jesus is Lord with the benefit of hindsight, and it is easy to laugh at the Pharisees for missing what was plain to see. But are we so different? Are we not sometimes Pharisees too\u2014so confident in our worldview that we fail to see what is evident to someone else?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Where in your life might you be blind to God\u2019s work?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-4bba7a0c-55be-43bd-a695-c0ae1a869e8e\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Bible-Study-Lent-4-English.docx\">Word \u2013 Lent 4 (A) Bible Study<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Bible-Study-Lent-4-English.docx\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-4bba7a0c-55be-43bd-a695-c0ae1a869e8e\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-cad647ae-54f1-48a9-9c5f-bfc8888308ad\" href=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Bible-Study-Lent-4-English.pdf\">PDF \u2013 Lent 4 (A) Bible Study<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Bible-Study-Lent-4-English.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-cad647ae-54f1-48a9-9c5f-bfc8888308ad\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[RCL] 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41 1 Samuel 16:1-13 This story places us in a precarious moment in the history of the Israelites. After much badgering, God has agreed to give the people a king and Saul had been elevated to the role. But the novice monarch has already disappointed God&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":201221,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[23,1963,52,1953],"tags":[143],"class_list":["post-881803","bible_study","type-bible_study","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bible-studies","category-lent","category-sermons-that-work","category-worship-and-prayer-menu","tag-lent-4a"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":23,"label":"Bible Studies"},{"value":1963,"label":"Lent"},{"value":52,"label":"Sermons That Work"},{"value":1953,"label":"worship_and_prayer_menu"}],"post_tag":[{"value":143,"label":"Lent 4A"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":[],"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study\/881803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bible_study"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study\/881803\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":951953,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study\/881803\/revisions\/951953"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=881803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=881803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=881803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}