A Withered Tree

This Sunday we continue in Matthew with some of the hardest teachings Jesus spoke.  Too often we can assume we are followers of Jesus because we identify as followers or Jesus, or even because we just associate with followers of Jesus.  When we do that, we fall right in line with the way much of Israel was living in the 1st Century.  But in this passage, Jesus challenges us on what it really is to be a part of God’s people, and he reveals that he is able and willing to replace would-be followers to remake a people out of those who truly follow.

Discussion Questions

1. What were your impressions from the sermon?
2. What is the significance of Jesus withering the fig tree?  What does it mean to bear fruit?
3. In the sermon, Mike talked about how sometimes Jesus needs us to save us from our goodness, meaning that self-righteousness over our goodness can be just as dangerous as really visible sin.  In what ways does our self-righteousness make us far from God and from others?  How does the Gospel address our self-righteousness?
4. Jesus said the tax collectors and prostitutes went ahead of the chief priests and elders into the Kingdom.  How does that effect our mission?  Are there people in your life that you have written off as too far gone for the Kingdom?
5. What does it look like for us to be a community built on Jesus?  Are there ways we’ve built our community group on something else (moralism, socializing, etc.)?
6. Spend time praying that you and your group would increasingly bear fruit for the Lord.  Confess sins that have gone unaddressed.  Remind each other of the forgiveness of God.