Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 6
Jesus does not go to the woman; he “called her to him” and made her visible. The speaker suggests Jesus was (1) dignifying her personhood, (2) drawing out her response, and (3) reintroducing her into social/religious life. Which of those possibilities most challenges how your church treats people with obvious weakness (disability, trauma, social awkwardness, shameful past), and what would it cost to change?
Another way to ask: Why might Jesus have called her forward instead of going to her—was it to honor her, invite her response, or bring her back into the community? Which reason most challenges how your church treats people with obvious weakness, and what would changing that cost?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Based on the speaker’s suggestions, the most challenging implication is that Jesus publicly reintegrates the marginalized rather than leaving them on the fringes. Doing that in a church setting could cost comfort, time, and a willingness to adjust social patterns so the “obvious” person is treated as fully belonging.
- He notes the surprise: “Jesus didn’t go to her… he called her to come… Why would he make her so obvious?”
- Possibility (1): he was “recognizing her as a person… somebody… depersonalized, invisibilized… dignifying her with attention.”
- Possibility (2): he was calling for response: “If you want help, come… you can respond.”
- Possibility (3): he was calling her “to re-enter the social and religious world… back into full fellowship… no longer… marginalized.”
- He ties it to identity: Jesus later names her “a daughter of Abraham,” signaling belonging.