Soul Food series (part five)
“Testimony”
Small group devotion
The purpose of this discussion is share your testimonies with one another, and commit to an ongoing culture of sharing testimony.
Start up a meaty conversation on the virtues and vices of socialising online compared with face-to-face socialising. The aim of the conversation is to get people thinking critically about how we relate to others and share in each other’s lives.
Read Luke 18:35-42 and then Mark 10:46-52. As you read both passages, listen for differences. At the end draw up a chart with the key differences.
What are the key differences between the two tellings of this story?
What do you think Mark and Luke are emphasising in their particularly retelling?
What might Mark and Luke each have to say about the purpose of testimony? See Leader’s notes for more info.
Why is it important for Christians to share their testimonies? See Leader’s notes for more info.
Would you feel comfortable sharing your testimony in front of others? Why/why not?
If the atmosphere is right, spend time sharing testimonies. Even for those who aren’t feeling close to God, encourage them to express that loneliness and distance. Don’t force anyone to share — testimonies are deeply personal.
What would a culture of testimony-sharing look like in your growth group? Is there a way to do this on a regular basis?
Leader’s notes:
1. Luke is much more anonymous in his telling (he doesn’t mention the blind man’s name, nor the drama of throwing off his cloak). In some ways, it’s almost like the anonymity of socialising online — Luke isn’t concerned about the person so much as the message being conveyed. Testimony is less about the achievements or failures of the person and more on the one we testify to — that is, Jesus Christ.
Mark, by contrast, is more direct, more intense — perhaps more like face-to-face conversation. He is much more concerned with Bartimaeus as a risk-taker, a follower of Jesus. The emphasis is on discipleship rather than the person of the Lord Jesus. There is no testimony in Mark’s telling (v. 52), whereas there is in Luke (v. 43).
2. Regarding testimony, I wonder if Luke would emphasise that anonymity is not a bad thing when it comes to sharing testimony. The intention is never to point to ourselves but to Jesus Christ, through the witness of our lives. Consider John the Baptist — his whole ministry was to point away from himself to Christ.
I wonder if Mark would place a slightly different emphasis on testimony. Testimony is intended to encourage and challenge Christians in their walk of discipleship. In this sense, the testimony-giver is more front and centre.
The language of socialising online vs. face-to-face may or may not be helpful to explore this conversation. However, as Christians it is a natural flow-on conversation. How do we communicate our faith with each other? If we’re socialising increasingly online, is this necessarily a bad thing? How do we do so in a way that is real, intimate, and that comprehensible?
3. It is also worth considering the testimony of Jesus — the ultimate living testimony of God. Consider last week’s reflection “Show and Tell” as a starting point. Our individual testimonies find expression in God’s big testimony of love for the world and salvation in Christ.