Assigned Scripture

Matthew 5:1-2, 6

One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,[a]
    for they will be satisfied.

Matthew 12:1-8

At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.”

Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’[a] For the Son of Man[b] is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Group Response

Following the weekly gathering, you’re invited to respond to the service by engaging in group discussion.

What are you hungry and thirsty for? And how do our cravings affect the way we live? Is it possible that the way of Jesus invites us to a hunger and a thirst that also fills… 

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus chose hunger and thirst as metaphors for righteousness? 
 
2. What things do you see the world currently hungering or thirsting for in  life? How might that differ from hungering and thirsting for righteousness?
 
3. Have you ever felt a longing for justice, peace, or healing in a situation that felt out of your control? What did you do with that longing?
 
4. Can you think of a time when you were “filled” by God—emotionally, spiritually, or physically? What led to that moment?
 
5. Where do you see a “gap” in your own community, school, church, or world  that needs someone to step in? What would standing in that gap look like?