Deuteronomy 15:7-11

To understand the passage, one has to remember the narrative setting of Deuteronomy. Here Moses addresses the people of Israel before they are to enter the promise land. The whole book has the form of a covenant so that Israel might live in the land as a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. To keep the commandments are to flourish and live long in the land; to ignore them is to accept seige, tragedy, and exile from the land. The command is given for Israel in the land on the basis of their election by God.

What is the basic commandment? Why does the text recognize that "there will never cease to be some need on the earth"? Why is that given as part of the command? How much does the command concern the actual practice of an "external good"? How much attention does it pay to "inner attitude" or avoiding an "internal evil" and making sure one experiences an "internal good"? What do you think is the relationship between the external good of supporting those in need and the internal good of doing it willingly and becoming generous? What would be the consequence of such a practice with its inner good? What would happen if the external good and the internal good become separated?

2 Corinthians 8:1-9,13-15

Paul spent much of his time in his churches collecting an offering for the church, the poor, in Jerusalem. He saw this as a fulfillment of God's word to the prophets, an indication that the Messianic age had begun in Jesus because the wealth of the nations was pouring back into Jerusalem. According to Acts, authorities in Jerusalem arrested Paul while he was delivering this offering personally back to the Temple -- using Gentile money to buy the freedom of a Jew from slavery. Paul was accused of slipping a Gentile into the Jewish section of the Temple courts.

This Corinthian passage, of course, takes place before all this. Paul here is begging on behalf of this offering for the poor. We know that the Corinthian church had some wealthier folk within it -- in distinction from some other churches. He speaks of other churches to them, trying to use the example of the saints for the encouragement of other saints.

Why does Paul begin talking about the Macedonian churches? What is it actually about them that Paul commends? What is the external good in which the Macedonians had participated? What is the internal good? What is the result of having these together? Who benefits from participation in sharing external goods with the saints who are poor? Notice that Paul's request is not merely for the local environment, but for brothers and sisters outside the local area. Why does Paul want the Corinthians to excel in this undertaking?

Why does Paul not command them? How is their participation in such activities a test of the genuineness of their love? Why does Paul refer to "the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ"? Is this "generous act" necessary for the Corinthian church to accept the practice, or is it a cheesy appeal of Paul to raise money? Why would Jesus accept voluntary poverty? Is voluntary poverty a bad thing for Christians?

Does Paul want to bring hardships on people through the voluntary re-distribution of wealth? What is the goal? How is Paul exhorting them to order the goods of the church as a whole? What is the consequence of the Corinthians engaging in the external and internal goods of the offering for the whole church and its mission in the world?

Mark 5:22-24,35b-43

The economics of the Gospel passage is very interesting in light of the other readings. Jairus is a wealthy person, a leader of the synagogues. What, however, can his wealth not provide? Does Jesus shirk away from his need because he is wealthy? For whom is Jairus appealing to Jesus for help? Why would Jesus go with him?

Why would Jesus limit the number of people after the announcement that the girl had died? What is the significance of the death while Jesus was on the way to her? What is Jesus' instruction to Jairus? Why? What is the relationship between the external good of the raising of the girl and the internal good of her father and others? What is Jesus' attitude when he arrives at the house? How is he received? How does he take into the girl's room with him? Why these? For whom does he raise the girl? Why would Jesus tell those with him not to say what had happened? What sort of relationship does Jesus have between the external good resulting from his action and the internal good for those who received this gift? How does this relate to the Deuteronomy and Corinthian passages?

All three of these passages involve the people of God in direction action in response to the poverty and need of others around them? The concern seems to be the immediate need, not the underlying causes of the needs. Why would this be so? Why is direct action important for believers in response to the needs and poverty and mortality of the world around them? How do these passages related to the works of mercy? Is the goal merely to have the works of mercy done? Who benefits from the works of mercy? What would happen if the eternal goods are abandoned? Can the internal goods really emerge without participating in the eternal goods? Because one engages in the external goods, do the internal goods automatically follow? Can engaging in the external goods damage internal goods? When is it appropriate to move from the immediate need to the underlying causes of the situations?