Study Guide for Seriously:

“Gouge Your Eye Out”

January 4, 2009

Open Up

(1) Tell your group about the craziest tabloid headline you’ve ever seen. Was there anything about the headline that made you briefly wonder if some part of the article might be true? TRANSITION: Sometimes Jesus said the strangest things - tabloid headline shockers like “Gouge your eye out” or

“Hate your mom.” The people listening to Jesus might have reacted the way we do today when we hear Jesus say, “Sell everything” and “You must be perfect” -- “Seriously?!”

Dig In

(1) Read John 6:53-69. No matter what Jesus meant by “eat my flesh” and “drink my blood,” many of his followers reacted with a variation on “Seriously?!” Jesus might be foreshadowing Communion when he talks about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. He also might be using figurative language to describe whole-hearted obedience. What are the two reactions from Jesus’ followers? Which reaction is more like your own?

(2) Read Matthew 5:27-30. Jesus is not recommending self-mutilation. Instead he uses deliberately shocking figurative language to make his followers understand how seriously they should avoid sin. In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus refers to several other Jewish laws as he talks about the more demanding standard that God’s people should follow. Today there are life threatening diseases that medicine treats seriously enough to consider removal of the affected organ. Share with your group an example of a medical treatment that seems harsh but necessary. How is that similar to Jesus prescription for sin?

(3) Read 1 Peter 5:8-11. Peter uses picturesque speech to describe our deadly serious spiritual enemy, but what practical actions does he recommend to fight the devil? What incentives does he mention to encourage us in our struggle?

Work On

Discuss with your group examples of our current culture’s unserious attitude towards specific sins. Are there sins which God considers serious that some Christians consider less serious? Are there sins you are not taking seriously? What can your group do to help?

Lift Up

Read Galatians 6:1-2 as a reminder of the seriousness of sin. Pray for someone in need of restoration, and pray about resisting a particular sin with which you struggle.

Another Step

What are some sins or some moral issues our current culture takes seriously? Do we Christians have common ground with culture on some of these crises? What practical ways can we work alongside sincere not-yet-believers in handling these crises? What cautions should we keep in mind? Read Acts 17:16-34 and / or Acts 19:23-41 for examples of early Christians interacting with their culture