Saturday, February 28, 2009
Discussion
Do you think Jesus did the right thing by kicking the traders out the temple?
What do you think would have happened if Jesus reacted differently or not at all?
Is there a time when anger is completely justified?
What would you do if you were in Jesus' position?
What do you think would have happened if Jesus reacted differently or not at all?
Is there a time when anger is completely justified?
What would you do if you were in Jesus' position?
Chapter 14 (second half)
Jesus was made a public figure only after he made the traders leave the courtyard. He did not have direct authority like the police did, but he was very angered that the traders were using the temple for something other than worship. After he ordered everyone to leave, Jesus and his disciples went into hiding and were “on the run” shortly after the temple incident. This undoubtedly changed their whole lives because now Jesus was important and his disciples were wanted people; everyone seemed to be after them.
Apart from this, the chapter talks about a usual pattern that Jesus used for preaching in Jerusalem. First, he had an urgent request for immediate change. Second, he would issue a warning about he disastrous consequences of not changing. Lastly, he promised a new temple or community if there was to be an immediate change. This format can be compared to a mother telling her child to clean his room. (Example: First, the mother asks her son to clean his room. Secondly, if he didn't clean his room, he would not be able to play outside that day. Lastly, If he did clean his room, he could play outside with his friends.) Jesus' preachings were very influential on the community. Overall, chapter 14 mostly deals with Jesus’ reputation post temple incident and how people were starting to recognize him and listen to what he had to say.
Apart from this, the chapter talks about a usual pattern that Jesus used for preaching in Jerusalem. First, he had an urgent request for immediate change. Second, he would issue a warning about he disastrous consequences of not changing. Lastly, he promised a new temple or community if there was to be an immediate change. This format can be compared to a mother telling her child to clean his room. (Example: First, the mother asks her son to clean his room. Secondly, if he didn't clean his room, he would not be able to play outside that day. Lastly, If he did clean his room, he could play outside with his friends.) Jesus' preachings were very influential on the community. Overall, chapter 14 mostly deals with Jesus’ reputation post temple incident and how people were starting to recognize him and listen to what he had to say.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Pink Floyd- Money
Money, get away.
Get a good job with good pay and youre okay.
Money, its a gas.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think Ill buy me a football team
Money, get back.
Im all right jack keep your hands off of my stack.
Money, its a hit.Dont give me that do goody good bullshit.
Im in the high-fidelity first class traveling set
And I think I need a lear jet
Money, its a crime.
Share it fairly but dont take a slice of my pie.
Money, so they sayIs the root of all evil today.
But if you ask for a raise its no surprise that theyre
Giving none away.
Huhuh! I was in the right!
Yes, absolutely in the right!
I certainly was in the right!
You was definitely in the right. that geezer was cruising for a
Bruising!Yeah!Why does anyone do anything?
I dont know, I was really drunk at the time!
I was just telling him, he couldnt get into number 2. he was asking
Why he wasnt coming up on freely, after I was yelling and
Screaming and telling him why he wasnt coming up on freely.I
t came as a heavy blow, but we sorted the matter out
Get a good job with good pay and youre okay.
Money, its a gas.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think Ill buy me a football team
Money, get back.
Im all right jack keep your hands off of my stack.
Money, its a hit.Dont give me that do goody good bullshit.
Im in the high-fidelity first class traveling set
And I think I need a lear jet
Money, its a crime.
Share it fairly but dont take a slice of my pie.
Money, so they sayIs the root of all evil today.
But if you ask for a raise its no surprise that theyre
Giving none away.
Huhuh! I was in the right!
Yes, absolutely in the right!
I certainly was in the right!
You was definitely in the right. that geezer was cruising for a
Bruising!Yeah!Why does anyone do anything?
I dont know, I was really drunk at the time!
I was just telling him, he couldnt get into number 2. he was asking
Why he wasnt coming up on freely, after I was yelling and
Screaming and telling him why he wasnt coming up on freely.I
t came as a heavy blow, but we sorted the matter out
Chapter 7 Questions
How do you feel about the parable of the loaves and fishes not being an actual miracle, does this make you look at Jesus any differently?
Does it worry you that Jesus implied that all rich people are going to hell, will this make you go about your daily life any differently?
Would you or anyone else you know give up everything they owned, in order to life a purer life, void of material possessions?
Would you be willing to give up everything you owned in order to automatically be admitted into the kingdom of heavan?
Does it worry you that Jesus implied that all rich people are going to hell, will this make you go about your daily life any differently?
Would you or anyone else you know give up everything they owned, in order to life a purer life, void of material possessions?
Would you be willing to give up everything you owned in order to automatically be admitted into the kingdom of heavan?
Chapter 7 Analysis
The lessons the parables in chapter seven teaches might be a tough pill to swallow, especially for rich people living on the north shore of Chicago. The chapter basically says that if you are rich, you will not be granted access into the kingdom of heaven. It says the kingdom of heaven and money are “diametrically opposed” to one another, meaning you cannot one without the other. It implies money does not equal happiness, God does.
The chapter also says the kingdom of God is one for the poor, and that Heaven has nothing to do with money, social status or power, but the actions that have defined a person throughout the course of there life. The bible basically says the only way for a rich person to enter heaven is to give up all there possessions and live a life that is not defined by wealth or possessions. Jesus expected all of his followers to give up everything they owned to follow him, something very few people today would be willing to do.
It would also be difficult for many Catholics to accept there was no physical miracle in relation to the loaves and fishes parable. Instead the real miracle was that so many people were willing to share, something not generally done back then. Also not very many people would be willing to talk to the homeless, let alone invite them into a party in their house instead of there friends.
Also living in the first Christian community would be a difficult idea to accept for most people. Living in a community where people give up everything they have, and everyone is equal. No person is more important or has more material possessions. In most peoples minds, if this society were to exist today it would be considered communist.
Most of the stuff in this chapter would be very difficult to accept, let alone do. It seems for the most part the only people who give up everything they have for God are priests. The reason so little people would be willing to do this is they do not fully understand or grasp what the Kingdom of God or God’s love is. That is why faith is so important, people who have a genuine faith have a stronger sense of who God is and are willing to do the near impossible stuff that God asks of us.
The chapter also says the kingdom of God is one for the poor, and that Heaven has nothing to do with money, social status or power, but the actions that have defined a person throughout the course of there life. The bible basically says the only way for a rich person to enter heaven is to give up all there possessions and live a life that is not defined by wealth or possessions. Jesus expected all of his followers to give up everything they owned to follow him, something very few people today would be willing to do.
It would also be difficult for many Catholics to accept there was no physical miracle in relation to the loaves and fishes parable. Instead the real miracle was that so many people were willing to share, something not generally done back then. Also not very many people would be willing to talk to the homeless, let alone invite them into a party in their house instead of there friends.
Also living in the first Christian community would be a difficult idea to accept for most people. Living in a community where people give up everything they have, and everyone is equal. No person is more important or has more material possessions. In most peoples minds, if this society were to exist today it would be considered communist.
Most of the stuff in this chapter would be very difficult to accept, let alone do. It seems for the most part the only people who give up everything they have for God are priests. The reason so little people would be willing to do this is they do not fully understand or grasp what the Kingdom of God or God’s love is. That is why faith is so important, people who have a genuine faith have a stronger sense of who God is and are willing to do the near impossible stuff that God asks of us.
Chapter 7 Summary
The major theme of chapter seven is money, especially problems the rich will have if they continue to live there excessive lives. The chapter starts off by saying that money and the kingdom are “diametrically opposed” to one another. You cannot serve one while continuing to serve the other, it has to be a God filled life or a money obsessed life.
Some of the toughest stuff to accept in the gospels are money related. Especially the fact that the kingdom of God is a “kingdom of the poor.” This implies that the kingdom of God is not a kingdom for the rich. Jesus even said, “it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle then a rich person to enter heaven.” This quote basically says if you are rich, you will not get into heaven, even the disciples were astounded at this statement.
According to biblical passage, the only way for a person to gain access into heaven is to give up all there riches and cease to live a life of excess. Such is the case with parable of the rich man in the bible, he said to Jesus that he had followed all his laws and commandments and asked what else he could do to gain access into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus told the man to give up all his possessions and to live with him, “the man sadly walked away, for he had many possessions.”
The chapter then takes a shift to sharing. Matthew 6:19-21 is brought up, this verse talks about how Jesus expected his disciples to leave all there worldly possessions to follow him. The material things the disciples were expected to give up were not important to Jesus, things live caring for the poor and sharing were. Luke 14 13-14 is also brought up. In it Jesus say if a rich man is to have a party, to invite the poor, beggars and cripples and not the rich. He said that even though these people cannot pay you back, that you should be happy with what you have and not take it for granite. This parable relates to Jesus’ quote, “whatsoever you do for the least of my people, that you do onto me.” Jesus is not concerned with the rich or his place in society, but caring for the poor and sick and catering to their needs.
The focus of the chapter then turns to the loaves and fishes parable. It is said that the actual miracle of multiplying fourteen loaves and fishes might have never happened. The real miracle might have been that everybody was willing to share, something people were not necessarily willing to do back then, and the lesson is that even though people shared in the end there were still fourteen baskets of food leftover. The first Christian community is then brought up. It was said in Acts 2: 44-46, that “the faithful owned everything in common; they sold there goods and possessions and shared the proceeds among themselves according to what others needed… they shared food generously and graciously. Anyone that owned land would sell it and give the money to the apostles who would redistribute the money to anyone in need.” These people lived how Jesus wanted them to, selfless and worrying about the needs of others over their own.
This is not to say Jesus was in favor of poverty. He just did not want people to care too much about worldly possessions, but instead to care about the important things like other people. Jesus hoped one day for a “kingdom” of world-wide community with no rich or poor, where everyone was equal.
Some of the toughest stuff to accept in the gospels are money related. Especially the fact that the kingdom of God is a “kingdom of the poor.” This implies that the kingdom of God is not a kingdom for the rich. Jesus even said, “it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle then a rich person to enter heaven.” This quote basically says if you are rich, you will not get into heaven, even the disciples were astounded at this statement.
According to biblical passage, the only way for a person to gain access into heaven is to give up all there riches and cease to live a life of excess. Such is the case with parable of the rich man in the bible, he said to Jesus that he had followed all his laws and commandments and asked what else he could do to gain access into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus told the man to give up all his possessions and to live with him, “the man sadly walked away, for he had many possessions.”
The chapter then takes a shift to sharing. Matthew 6:19-21 is brought up, this verse talks about how Jesus expected his disciples to leave all there worldly possessions to follow him. The material things the disciples were expected to give up were not important to Jesus, things live caring for the poor and sharing were. Luke 14 13-14 is also brought up. In it Jesus say if a rich man is to have a party, to invite the poor, beggars and cripples and not the rich. He said that even though these people cannot pay you back, that you should be happy with what you have and not take it for granite. This parable relates to Jesus’ quote, “whatsoever you do for the least of my people, that you do onto me.” Jesus is not concerned with the rich or his place in society, but caring for the poor and sick and catering to their needs.
The focus of the chapter then turns to the loaves and fishes parable. It is said that the actual miracle of multiplying fourteen loaves and fishes might have never happened. The real miracle might have been that everybody was willing to share, something people were not necessarily willing to do back then, and the lesson is that even though people shared in the end there were still fourteen baskets of food leftover. The first Christian community is then brought up. It was said in Acts 2: 44-46, that “the faithful owned everything in common; they sold there goods and possessions and shared the proceeds among themselves according to what others needed… they shared food generously and graciously. Anyone that owned land would sell it and give the money to the apostles who would redistribute the money to anyone in need.” These people lived how Jesus wanted them to, selfless and worrying about the needs of others over their own.
This is not to say Jesus was in favor of poverty. He just did not want people to care too much about worldly possessions, but instead to care about the important things like other people. Jesus hoped one day for a “kingdom” of world-wide community with no rich or poor, where everyone was equal.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)