River Needham M.A. queeries the Tanakh reading.
Tanakh: Genesis 21:8-21
The child grew up and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
Sarah saw the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham playing.
She said to Abraham, “Cast out that slave-woman and her son, for the son of that slave shall not share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”
The matter distressed Abraham greatly, for it concerned a son of his.
But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed over the boy or your slave; whatever Sarah tells you, do as she says, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be continued for you.
As for the son of the slave-woman, I will make a nation of him, too, for he is your seed.”
Early next morning Abraham took some bread and a skin of water, and gave them to Hagar. He placed them over her shoulder, together with the child, and sent her away. And she wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
When the water was gone from the skin, she left the child under one of the bushes,
and went and sat down at a distance, a bowshot away; for she thought, “Let me not look on as the child dies.” And sitting thus afar, she burst into tears.
God heard the cry of the boy, and an angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heeded the cry of the boy where he is.
Come, lift up the boy and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him.”
Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water, and let the boy drink.
God was with the boy and he grew up; he dwelt in the wilderness and became a bowman.
He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
:
[Note: These questions are pointedly toward white people.]
How is this story important to
Islam?
Who do you
most relate to in this text? Why do you feel a connection with them?
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Gospel: Matthew 10:24-39
Jesus said:
24“A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master;
25it is enough for the disciple to be like
the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the
master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of the household!
26“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.
27What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.
28Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
30And even the hairs of your head are all counted.
31So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
32“Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven;
33but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
34“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35For I have come to set a man against his
father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law;
36and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.
37Whoever loves a parent more than
me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves an offspring more than me
is not worthy of me;
38and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
Queeries for the text:
What is the difference between teacher and
master?
What happens when people with power request
secret keeping?
How many hairs are there to count?
From where do we get our
value?
What sort of peace does Jesus resist?
What are your queeries?
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