GodSpeak for the Week of May 14
“Rememb-HER”
This week, we follow Mother’s Day by considering the stories of faithful moms in Scripture; among them: Hannah, Mary and the Syro-Phoenician woman.
Day 1…
Read 1 Samuel 1:1-28
- Answer this – how would you have felt had you been in Hannah’s “shoes”
- Answer this – could you have given your one and only, long-desired for son to God’s service, as Hannah did?
- How do you think she was able to do so?
Day 2…
Read 1 Samuel 2:12-20 (focus esp. on v. 19)
- Answer this – what did Hannah do for Samuel every year?
- Answer this – what does it say about Hannah’s motherly love that she would do this?
Day 3…
Read Acts 1:12-14
- Consider this – when this passage takes place, it at that time between when Jesus had been crucified/risen and just before Pentecost.
- Answer this – who are the primary subjects of this passage (i.e., who does Luke draw attention to the most, here)?
- Answer this – yet, who else is there?
Day 4…
Read Acts 1:12-14, again
- Answer this – what does it say about Mary (her character, etc.) that she’s still with the disciples between the death/resurrection of her Son and Pentecost?
- Answer this – where could Mary have been, instead? What could she have been doing, instead?
Day 5…
Read Mark 7:24-30
- Answer this – Mark notes that the woman was “Greek.” Why does that matter? What does that say about her? How should Jesus have treated her?
Day 6…
Read Mark 7:24-30
- Answer this – in v. 27, Jesus appears to respond to this mom quite harshly…why would He answer her in that way?
- Note this – how this mother responds: “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” (v. 28)
- Answer this – what does it say about this mother’s character that she has the apparent audacity to answer Jesus in this way?