Questions to Ponder:

1. How does it make you feel when the discussion turns to the topic of "religion and politics”? Why do these two topics create such a volatile mixture?

2. Where do you see the combination of “religion and politics” creating problems in our world today?

3. What was the relationship between “religion and politics” for the Jewish people of Jesus’s day?

4. When Jesus used words like “kingdom,” “gospel,” and “Son of God,” he was borrowing from the Roman political vocabulary. Was this intentional? Why did he use these words?’

5. In Jesus’ speech in Luke 4:18-21 he clarifies his political and religious platform. What was the essence of Jesus’ speech?

6. How did the crowd initially react to Jesus’ speech? What caused them to change their reaction?

7. How can followers of Jesus today live according to Jesus’s kingdom values?

8. How can we allow our Christian “religion” to affect our “politics” to create something beautiful, not destructive?

Closing Prayer:
Loving God, open our ears to hear your word and draw us closer to you, that the whole world may be one with you as you are one with us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.