1. We always confess with Peter that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. In fact we tend to think of “Christ” as his last name. But what do we do with all the talk about suffering obedience that Jesus’ vision of messiahship seems to imply? And what about suffering in the lives of those who follow him? Is that a metaphor for the occasional readjustment of priorities, or something tougher—and if so, what?
2. Who is the “other” in your community, and how do you understand the obligation to love the neighbor as it relates to that person?
3. In the story of Mary and Martha, why in the world does Martha get the blame for being just the sort of faithful person we have always assumed we are supposed to be?