11. “Lessons in discipleship”                                                                        Mark 12:13-17

                                                                                                                                        28-34

                                                                                                                                         38-44

LEARNING INTEGRITY

 

1. Integrity is in short supply

 

            - Integrity means being true, genuine, honest, sincere

 

a) Pharisees and Herodians failed right here (13)

    Pharisees : see vs. 38-40; Luke 11:39, 42, 43, 45, 46

    Herodians: see 3:6; Luke 13:32

 

b) There’s little integrity today

 

2. Integrity holds to the truth

 

a) That was true of Jesus (14)

            - He spoke the truth (John 8:31, 32, 34-40; 14:6; 18:37,38)

            - His life backed it up (Luke 13:23; 23:8, 9) see Luke 19:1-10

 

b) Being true in word and action is of prime importance - Eph. 4:15,25

 

3. People of integrity have obligations (14c-17)

 

a) We have obligations to society (Rom. 13:1,6,7,8-10)

            - to respect authority (11)

            - to obey the law (6,7)

            - to relationships within society (8-10; Mark 12:31)

 

b) We have obligations to God (17b; 30)

            - see 1 Cor. 10:31; Mark 12:30, 41-44

TALKING POINTS

 

11.  LEARNING INTEGRITY                                                                     Mark 12:13-17;

                                                                                                                                         28-34;

                                                                                                                                         38-44

 

 

1.  How would you define integrity?

 

2.  Who in our reading from Mark 12 are people of integrity, and who are without integrity?

 

How do you tell them apart?  What makes the difference?

 

3.  Why is integrity especially needed today?

 

How is our integrity challenged?  Think about common practices in business, commerce and in office life which are affected.  Are there other spheres of activity where problems exist?

 

4.  How is the first commandment, quoted in v. 30, related to `giving to God what is God’s’?

 

How was the poor widow conforming to this command (41-44)?  Obviously, God is not expecting that all of us should put our entire income or financial resources into the church offering bag.  But how does God want us to handle our money and possessions?  Extend the discussion to the use of time, abilities, etc.

 

What are some of the implications - in terms of the practical effect on our lives - of loving God totally?  Also, in this connection think about the implications of 1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:23-25.

 

5.  Read Eph. 4:25-32.  How do these instructions first, relate to being a person of integrity and second, help toward fulfilling the second commandment (Mark 12:31)?

 

6.  What happens if the principles of `giving to Caesar what is Caesar’s’ and `giving to God what is God’s’ come into conflict?  Note the situation in Acts 5:27-29.  What situations today can you envisage where this dilemma might be faced.  How would you in practice resolve them?