Bible Reading
Luke 19:41–4441. “And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying,
[09:02]42. ‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
[09:05]43. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side
[09:14]44. and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.’”
[09:28]Luke 19:12–2712. “He said therefore, ‘A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return.
[13:52]13. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, “Engage in business until I come.”
[14:04]14. But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, “We do not want this man to reign over us.”
[16:21]15. When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business.
[14:22]16. The first came before him, saying, “Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.”
[14:09]17. And he said to him, “Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.”
[15:15]18. And the second came, saying, “Lord, your mina has made five minas.”
[14:09]19. And he said to him, “And you are to be over five cities.”
[15:23]20. Then another came, saying, “Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief;
[17:08]21. for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.”
[17:20]22. He said to him, “I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?
[17:15]23. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?”
[17:31]24. And he said to those who stood by, “Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.”
[13:52]25. And they said to him, “Lord, he has ten minas!”
[13:52]26. “I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
[13:52]27. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”
[16:28]2 Chronicles 7:1414. “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
[34:30]Observation questions
- What does Jesus say Jerusalem failed to recognize, and what does he say the city did not know about peace? [09:05]
- In the parable of the minas, what different actions do the faithful servants and the fearful servant take with what the king entrusted to them? [14:04]
- What reason does the servant give for hiding his mina, and what does that reason reveal about how he views the king? [17:20]
- According to 2 Chronicles 7:14, what four responses are asked of God’s people before God speaks of hearing, forgiving, and healing? [34:20]
Interpretation questions
- Jesus weeps while warning Jerusalem of coming judgment. How does his grief show that God’s warnings are more than cold announcements of doom? [09:40]
- Nineveh’s response to Jonah shows that warnings of judgment can lead to repentance and mercy. How does that truth challenge the idea that a city’s future is already fixed and cannot change? [12:46]
- The fearful servant calls the king severe and then refuses to use what belongs to the king. In what ways can fear, distrust, or resentment toward God keep a believer from using gifts, money, ability, or influence for his kingdom? [17:47]
- Humility turns attention from merely blaming “the other side” to facing sin within one’s own heart and community. Why is that kind of self-examination necessary for Christians who want to pursue peace? [23:19]
Application questions
- What concern about the future of the city, the country, or the next generation most tempts you toward anxiety or fatalism? What would acting in faith rather than fear look like in that specific concern? [13:38]
- Jesus is King, and everything entrusted to us ultimately belongs to him. What is one resource God has placed in your hands—time, money, skill, relationship, influence, or opportunity—that you may be tempted to “hide”? What small act of faithfulness could put it to work for his purposes? [14:16]
- Are there places where you have quietly judged God to be harsh, distant, or untrustworthy? How might that belief be shaping your choices, your willingness to obey, or your readiness to surrender control to Jesus? [17:53]
- When news, social media, or conversations pull you into a cultural “civil war,” who do you tend to see as the problem? What might it look like to ask the Lord, “How am I part of the problem, and how can I become part of your peace?” [36:06]
- Jesus came as a humble King who identifies with the lowly, the broken, and sinners. Who is a person or group you find difficult to understand, love, or bless? What could humility look like in one real conversation, prayer, or act of kindness this week? [25:17]
- The cross gives power to die to judgmentalism, blame, and the need to control what cannot be controlled. Which of those struggles most needs to be brought to Jesus right now, and how could releasing it make room for peace? [28:12]
- If God answered your prayers from the past week, would only your own world change, or would the city and the nations be affected too? What specific people, schools, churches, leaders, or needs in the community can this group begin praying for regularly? [32:19]
