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    Matthew 25: 31-46 Observation: Jesus is depicted coming in His glory, accompanied by all the angels, and He will be sitting on Hi glorious throne, signifying the majesty and authority of Jesus as the ultimate judge. The gathering of all nations indicates that this judgement will apply to everyone; Jesus will separate people, like a shepherd with sheep and goats. Jesus will place all the righteous (the sheep) on His right and the all the unrighteous (the goats) on His left. The righteous are welcomed into the kingdom as a reward as it was prepared for them long ago. The righteous are commended for their acts of mercy and compassion. This response indicates their humility and unawareness that their actions had such eternal significance hence genuine compassion. Jesus identifies himself with the needy and marginalized, teaching that serving others is equivalent to serving Him. The judgement for the unrighteous is severe--eternal separation from God and punishment. The "eterna...

1 Samuel 24: 1-7 Observation: Saul has returned from fighting the Philistines and is informed that David is in the Desert of En Gedi. Saul takes 3,000 chosen men from all Israel to search for David. Saul enters a cave to relieve himself, not knowing that David and his men are hiding farther back in the cave. David's men interpret Saul's vulnerability as a God-given opportunity for David to kill Saul and fulfill what they believe is God's promise to deliver Saul into David's hands. David is conscience-stricken after cutting off a corner of Saul's robe. David tells his men that he would not harm Saul because Saul is the Lord's anointed. He expresses a profound conviction that it is not his place to harm the one chosen by God. David persuades his men not to attack Saul, and Saul leaves the cave unharmed. Interpretation: Providing some context, Saul, the King of Israel, has bene relentlessly pursuing David because he sees David as a threat to his throne. After a bri...

Acts 7: 54-60 Observation: Stephen was speaking to a Jewish council and after listening to Stephen's speech, the council was enraged and expressed their anger physically ("gnashed their teeth"). Stephen's state described as "full of the Holy Spirit" looks up and sees a vision of the "glory of God" and Jesus "standing at the right hand of God." Stephen then shares his vision with the Jewish council, specifically nothing "heaven open" and "the Son of Man" standing at God's right hand. The Jewish council's reaction was violent as they covered their ears refusing to hear and shouted loudly at Stephen. The Jewish council then dragged Stephen out of the city and began to stone him. Thos participating in the stoning laid their coats at Saul's feet. While Stephen was getting stoned, he prayed to Jesus, calls outs to Jesus asking Jesus to "receive my spirit." Stephen's final act was praying out loud to...

   Luke 10: 30-37 Observation: Jesus tells a parable to a lawyer (expert in the law) who asks, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus starts off with a man travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho. The man was attached by robbers and left in a vulnerable state, highlighting his dire need for assistance. The priest, a religious figure expected to exhibit compassion, chooses to ignore the wounded man, avoiding him entirely by passing on the opposite side. Similar to the priest, the Levite, another figure associated with religious duties, also chooses to avoid the injured man, demonstrating a lack of compassion. But a Samaritan showed compassion towards the ignored man by going above and beyond to care for him. The Samaritan provided immediate medical attention and ensured the man has a safe place to recover. Also, the Samaritan commits to covering the ongoing costs for the man's recovery.  Jesus turns the question back to the lawyer, prompting him to reflect on the actions of the characte...

Mark 5: 25-34 Observation: A woman had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years. Despite consulting many doctors and spending all her money, her condition only worsened. Upon hearing about Jesus, she approached Him in the crowd, believing that touching His cloak would heal her. Immediately after she touched His cloak, her bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed from her suffering. Jesus immediately sensed that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" His disciples were puzzled and pointed out the large crowd pressing against Him, implying that many people were touching Him. Despite the crowd, Jesus around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened to her, approached Jesus with fear and trembling. She fell at His feet and told Him the whole truth, acknowledging her act and healing. Jesus responded with "Daughter, your faith has healed you and go in peace, freed from yo...

  Acts 16: 25-34 Observation: Despite being in prison, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns while other prisoners were listening to them. A miraculous event suddenly occurs, a great earthquake shakes the prison, opening all the doors and unfastening everyone's bonds. The jailer, assuming that the prisoners have escaped, prepares to kill himself, as he would be held responsible for their escape and likely face severe punishment. Paul intervenes, shouting to stop the jailer from harming himself, and assures him that all the prisoners are still present. The jailer, trembling with fear, calls for lights and rushes in to find Paul and Silas, and the jailer falls before them. The jailer directly asks Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved. Paul and Silas respond with the simple but profound message of salvation that the jailer and his household must believe in Jesus. Paul and Silas share the gospel message with the jailer and his entire household, teaching them about the wor...