#1. Read Nehemiah 5:1-13 and share with each other what is going on in the passage.
#2. How were the nobles and officials acting unjustly? How did that reflect the way they felt about God?
#3. How did Nehemiah address the situation?
#4. How do most of us view issues of justice (i.e. social justice, racial justice, poverty, marginalized, oppressed, immigrants)?
We view justice in four ways
Impersonal--We see this as societal, institutional, cultural problems that are addressed by groups to meet needs of affected groups.
Political--We see this as government’s responsibility
Subjective--We engage or avoid dealing with justice issues based on felt needs
Preservation--We look out for our needs, maintain our success, look down on others
#5. How should a follower of Jesus address justice issues? (In response to the work of Christ in us. It should be personal to us--the way we treat others should reflect the gospel, God’s love, mercy and grace).
#6. How can we reflect Jesus in our relationships?
#7. In what ways can we personally engage in the brokenness of other people?
#8. How can we leverage our positions of influence to reflect the gospel?
#9. What are some challenges to empathizing with others? How does our relationship with Jesus help us empathize with others?
#10. Pray
