Matthew 21

We now dive into Matthew's 21st chapter, which begins with Jesus formally entering Jerusalem to cries of praise. Here are a few questions to stir the pot:

1. Did the two blind men, now healed, follow Jesus into Jerusalem?
2. Had Jesus entered Jerusalem on other occasions, prior to this? Did he shake up the city?
3. Did Jesus previously teach the Twelve about giving up their possessions?
4. Did the owner of the ass and the colt make a complaint when giving up his property?
5. When do we sing the Jerusalem greeting, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" at Mass? Why then?
6. It pleased Jesus to hear the little ones singing words of praise for him. Would it have encouraged the Twelve to hear the little children singing out to the Son of David?

OK, let's get ready for the Jerusalem events here at the end of Matthew's gospel.

In the vineyard

With chapter 20, we dive back into a parable about the first and the last, the famous parable of the vineyard workers. Here are a few questions we can use to think over the meaning of God's message here:

1. What would a rabbi of Jesus' day identify as "the vineyard" -- a real farming operation or something other than that?
2. Jesus populates the parables with sets of workers, grateful for a day's work. If the parable is meant for every age, including 2011, who should we consider to be the workers of the parable?
3. Who is the master of the household, making the decisions about work and pay?
4. Which sacrament of today has its origin in a vineyard?
5. How does a vineyard worker relate to the next words of Jesus, that he must go up to Jerusalem and pass through the crucifixion?

This chapter is loaded, and we will spend most of our time tomorrow morning in vv. 1-19. Be ready.

The eye of the needle

My Lord and my God, take from me everything that distances me from you.
My Lord and my God, give me everything that brings me closer to you
My Lord and my God, detach me from myself to give my all to you.

- St. Nicholas of Flüe
CCC 226

Here are some questions with which to prepare for Thursday morning's look into Matthew 19:

1. In verses 17 and 21, Jesus unfolds a double reply to the rich young man. How is keeping the Commandments related to following the Messiah?
2. St. Nicholas of Flüe left a beautiful prayer for totally giving himself to God. Does it weaken a person if God takes these things away that Nicholas prays about?
3. Did Mary ever experience this unburdening, this taking away of things?
4. Did Elijah ever experience this unburdening, this taking away of things?

That is a short set of four good questions for tomorrow morning, plenty to think over. We will begin with these early tomorrow morning.

19

Here are some questions to tackle while warming up your grey matter for chapter 19 of Matthew's gospel.

1. A camel can get through the narrow gate, so an unladen poor man should matriculate through there handily. Is that how the Twelve see it?
2. Why do the Pharisees come back for more punishment, asking another question of Jesus and hoping to trap Him? Is there a "make my day" type of situation ahead for them... again?
3. Hardness of heart and divorce lie on one side of marriage, and on the opposite side is holding oneself unmarried. To hold oneself unmarried is not from hardness of heart -- but what property must the heart have in order to remain unmarried?

These are three large questions. We will work on them and a few others early tomorrow morning.

Little ones and their safety

About the little ones, to whose safety Jesus assigns us, St. John Chrysostom wrote an analogy with soldiers in battle:

Straightway as we come out of our house, let us have this one object in view, this earnest care above all, to rescue him that is in danger...For in a war too, and in an engagement, the soldier who is looking to this only how he may save himself by flight, destroys the rest also with himself; much as on the other hand the noble-minded one, and he who stands in arms in defense of the others, with the others preserves himself also.

Questions for Thursday morning in Matthew 18

We continue our look into the Lord's teaching, as recorded my Matthew in his 18th chapter. A few questions to consider are:

1. Why is it significant to Jesus that a set of angels are able to look upon the face of God the Father? Why does the seeing of God's face by angels inspire you not to despise the little ones?
2. When Jesus speaks about cutting off a hand, he is actually using a figure of speech, to instruct us about something other than a hand. What is he talking about?
3. Jesus says we can gain after bringing a dispute to a brother. Why is it considered a profit? What goes in the profit column?
4. Is it eye-for-eye vengeance if the church executes the punishment, instead of the wronged individual?
5. Are the IRS tax collectors of that day beyond redemption? Can you think of one who was eventually redeemed by the Lord?
6. 70×7 = 490. Does God throw the book at you after #490?

The 18th chapter is also loaded with useful guidance for the man who would be a doer of the Word. Let's dig into it for more wisdom in the morning.

Comments on greatness, Oct. 27th

Here are a few insights from the men this past Thursday.

1. Is there something, perhaps several things, that a little child has but the greatest in our earthly kingdoms does not have?
   1. Joe: purity of heart, guileless. [This also is consonant with the beatitudes.]
   2. sinless
   3. Len: they look to parents for guidance.
2. v. 10, "...their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father."
   1. Len: A child looks upon parents as the angels look upon God.

Next Thursday we will carry over question 8 for starters:

8. Why does Jesus immediately follow his warning and lament about these men, in v. 7, by an admonition to the Twelve about their own conduct in vv. 8-9?

And more questions will be available midweek.

Greatness

We now dip forward to chapter 18 of Matthew's gospel and get some of the Lord's teaching on greatness. Here are a few questions to prime the pump and get the brainwaves moving:

1. When the disciples ask about who is the greatest? are they asking in general or are they asking about Peter?
2. Who is the greatest in the earthly "kingdoms" in which we currently live?
3. Is there something, perhaps several things, that a little child has but the greatest in our earthly kingdoms does not have?
4. When Jesus foretells that such things must come that cause little ones to sin, is He the cause of those things?
5. Why do these men exist, who cause such harms even to little ones?
6. If these things must come, are the men guiltless who cause harms to little ones?
7. Can the crime of abortion be compared to this kind of harm caused to little ones?
8. Why does Jesus immediately follow his warning and lament about these men, in v. 7, by an admonition to the Twelve about their own conduct in vv. 8-9?

We say that the Lord's Word is the perfect Torah of freedom and that we must be doers of this Word. In this section of Matthew's gospel, there is a lot to consider for those of us who desire to be doers.

More questions on Big Sixteen

We have only begun to look at this chapter. Here are some more questions to direct our study.

1. When was the last time your checking account was overdrawn?
2. How do you define a transaction at the store as
   1. a "bargain"
   2. a "ripoff"
   3. out of the question?
3. How would the Lord reward you when He comes with His angels?

Let's think these things over and see if they can help us become more effective doers of the Word.

Blessed God, who feedest me from my youth up,
who givest food to all flesh;
fill our hearts with joy and gladness,
that always having all sufficiency
we may abound unto every good work in Christ Jesus our Lord;
with whom be unto You glory, honor and might,
with the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.
Glory to You, O Lord,
glory to You, O Holy One,
glory to You, O King,
that You have given us meat to make us glad.
Fill us with the Holy Ghost,
that we may be found well-pleasing before You, not being ashamed,
when You render to every man according to his works.

- hermit's hymn from early church

More about Big Sixteen

I call this chapter Big Sixteen, because it is loaded with apostolic concepts. Here are a few more questions that can help us understand what Jesus teaches here and what he draws out of his Twelve.

6. After seeing Jesus and Peter walking on water during the tempest, the Twelve confess that Jesus is the Son of God. Also, in John's gospel, Nathaniel confesses Jesus as Son of God, King of Israel. How are these two earlier confessions different from Peter's confession here in ch. 16 that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God?
7. Why is it significant that Jesus mention's Peter's father?
8. Is it a sign of weakness that Jesus will suffer? How would Blessed Sal answer this question?
9. Jesus rebukes Peter. Then he challenges the Twelve to take up their own crosses. How is this challenge connected to the rebuke?

Many concepts emerge that can help us become doers of the Word, and we will sort it out early tomorrow morning.

Big Sixteen, continued

We had some excellent questions last week about seeking signs, but two questions remain for discussion. Here they are, with a few new ones, to stir up the grey matter and get us meditating on this perfect Torah of freedom in Matthew 16:

1. When Jesus asks the Twelve. "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" what is remarkable about what he finds? Is it a sign? [From last week]
2. Does seeing a true sign with accuracy help one to become a doer of the Word? [Also from last week]
3. Which of the beatitudes does Peter display in his answer?
4. Jesus begins explaining his suffering, death and resurrection here for the first time. Why is it necessary for an apostle to first see and learn the working of miracles and the teaching of the gospel before learning about the crucifixion event?
5. We recite the creed at Mass, including our faith that our Church is apostolic. What does Matthew 16 teach about an apostolic church?

We have a slough of questions and concepts to discuss in Big Sixteen, but these questions will get us jump started for tomorrow morning.

Big Sixteen

The 16th chapter of Matthew's gospel is loaded with useful, wise information. Here are a few questions to start the study of this big sixteenth chapter.

1. In Matt. 13:58, Jesus does not work many wonders when his townsmen reject his actions and teachings. Is that episode similar to the beginning of Matthew 16, where Jesus leaves them looking for the sign of Jonah?
2. Does asking for a sign tell you anything about the faith of the Pharisees and Sadducees?
3. Is there a time when Jesus has appeared or shall appear with great signs from Heaven? Why aren't signs kosher now, at this point in the walk of Jesus?
4. Jesus had just fed multitudes twice with miraculous provision of regular food. Was that a sign?
5. Would the Pharisees and Sadducees have understood what the sign of Jonah was?
6. Uh oh. In v. 5, the Twelve discover that, once again, they do not have bread. What is it with these guys that they have such bread troubles? How many bread troubles are there in this gospel, anyway?
7. Jesus figures that the multiplications of loaves should have been fresh in their minds, but they could not comprehend the meaning of it. How does Jesus' multiplication of loaves relate to the false teaching of the Pharisees and Saducees, as Jesus implies?
8. When Jesus asks the Twelve. "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" what is remarkable about what he finds? Is it a sign?
9. Does seeing a true sign with accuracy help one to become a doer of the Word?

Let's gaze into God's perfect Torah of freedom tomorrow morning and see what can be made of this business of the signs.

Matthew 15: God looks at the heart.

Some of the comments from the men this past Thursday morning, early.

Fulfill or deny?

Jesus was faithful to the Torah and supported it. Yet the Pharisees in Matthew Ch. 15 accuse Jesus of ignoring or denying the Torah. Here are a few questions to consider for this part of the gospel.

1. Dip backwards to the beatitudes in Ch. 5. Which one is Jesus reinforcing in this controversy with the Pharisees?
2. Where does God the Father really want to see the Torah enacted?
   1. in the design of a temple with plenty of handwashing stations or
   2. in the heart of His people?
3. Were the Canaanites a clean people who followed the Torah?
4. How does the Canaanite woman compare to the centurion with the grievously ill slave earlier in the gospel?
5. How does the Canaanite woman compare to the Pharisees in this chapter?
6. Where was Jesus, geographically, before and during this second miraculous feeding of another great crowd?

Feeding many with a few loaves and a few fishes

Here are a few more questions concerning this unusual miracle, the feeding of the multitude by distribution of a few fishes and a few loaves of bread.

1. Was this one of Jesus' "Make my day" kind of miracles?
2. Why did Jesus have the Twelve give out the food to the crowds?
3. Have you ever been in a crowd of five or ten thousand people? Where was it?
4. How are the ordinary items of food, regular bread and regular fish, like the body of Jesus?
5. When did the Twelve get to have some food?
6. What was it like for that little kid who actually had the loaves and fishes?
7. From Aug. 18th, another question: Why is it that Jesus
   1. teaches the Twelve about feeding the many, or actually DOES feed them,
   2. in association with the Twelve being in boats on the Sea of Galilee, even in danger on the sea?
8. Which is more important, walking on liquid H₂O water or walking toward the Messiah?

OK, let's get after it this morning with these and other questions concerning God's wisdom in the gospel of Matthew.

About Jesus teaching amid troubles

We finish Matthew 13 and dip forward into Matthew 14. With the following questions, perhaps we can make sense of God's Torah of freedom in this gospel we study.

1. Jesus describes a head of household, a master of the house, with a full storeroom. Where would an Israelite get things to fill a storeroom?
2. Does Jesus see the scribes, in v. 52, as enemies?
3. People got upset with Jesus' miracles, like healing a leper. Now what are they mad at, in v. 57?
4. Apparently, being the son of the carpenter is not that impressive to the townfolk of Nazareth. WHat other great figures from the Old Testament had humble parentage?
5. Why were the townfolk of Nazareth so riled up? What motivated them? Would it make it easier to accept someone if you know their family?
6. Could one consider it a kindness that Jesus worked no miracles there?
7. Now in chapter 14, we begin the story of John's beheading. It seems awkward to introduce it here, though. How does this side story, the beheading of John the Baptist, strengthen Matthew's central gospel message of Jesus?
8. Immediately after hearing about John's death, Jesus headed out for a deserted place apart. What effect would this have had on the Twelve? What did it teach them?
9. Who fed the crowd?
10. Have you ever caught a fish as big as a basket?

Let's dive into Chapter 14 tomorrow, first thing.

Additional questions

We can ask additional questions in chapter 11 before we dip forward into chapter 12 of Matthew's gospel:

1. Jesus rejoices that children can savvy what fancy bigshots cannot, v. 25. How did St. Paul echo this in his teaching
   1. about obedience, which he wrote about in his letter to the Romans, and
   2. about humility and wisdom in his first letter to the Corinthians?
2. The disciples were off preaching and healing in various towns of Israel, but they definitely learned about Jesus giving thanks to the Father for revealing the kingdom to little ones. How would this have affected their attitude toward preaching, to know that little kids could get it but fancy bigshot Pharisees could not?
3. Jesus declares that no man knows the Father other than the Son. Does that remind you of anything in John's gospel? (Hint)
4. Last week we spoke of the heavy burden of legislative regulation from the Pharisees and the relatively light yoke of simplicity of the Messiah's teaching about the two great commandments. Now dip backwards to figure out what Deuteronomy says -- what is God's meaning of rest?
5. Jesus challenges his disciples to forsake all earthly wealth and attachment and to carry a cross. How can that possibly be considered a light burden, to embrace foreclosure and tortuous death?

And what about chapter 12? Warm up your I.Q. level with a few more questions:

1. Jesus and his disciples walked through a field of grain on the Sabbath. What is one's main job on a Sabbath?
2. Is this healing the first time that the Pharisee's plot his death?
3. Was there any "Make my day" going on in this synagogue event?

We will consider these and other questions this Thursday morning and pray that God endues us with wisdom and insight.

Comments from the men concerning Jesus' offer of two laws to follow and carry out, vs. a huge pile of religious laws piled on top of God's Torah.

Chapter 11 questions

The 11th chapter of Matthew has a great amount about John the Baptist. Here are some questions that might get you to thinking:

1. What was the motive of the disciples of John the Baptist, when they questioned the identity of Jesus? Are there any hints in chapter 9?
2. What was John the Baptist's motive in sending his disciples to Jesus?
3. Jesus replied to the disciples of John the Baptist, but was it an answer to their question?
4. Why does Jesus admonish the crowds about John the Baptist and about Himself?

Let's tart with these questions and dive into Chapter 11 of Matthew's gospel, early tomorrow morning.

Signs

Whilst discussing Matthew's tenth chapter,

...do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

we discussed examples of God sending a word via a human being. It brings to mind the writing of St. Teresa of Avila, who wrote about three signs that a word is from God:

1. Sense of power and authority in the word
2. Great tranquility in the soul
3. the word does not vanish quickly from the memory.

Yesterday, Deacon Al had occasion to describe this third sign, viz.

Chapter 10 in Matthew

Here are some questions to consider for the study of the first mission of the Twelve:

1. Jesus gives them their list of objectives, and then says, "Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give." What is it that they have received in the preceding days with Jesus?
2. Did Jesus ever shake the dust off from his feet after being rejected?
3. Had Jesus, up to this point, been given up to councils or scourged?
4. Does Jesus have good advice that an apostle can follow while being scourged?
5. How can it be that the Holy Spirit can speak through an apostle?
6. This time of trouble seems hard: brother handing over brother and so forth. What evidence in the text is there to show that Jesus was not talking about the next few weeks but about the end of time?
7. In vv. 40-42, Jesus describes the experience of being received and of being given a cup of cold water. In the next few days and week or so of their first mission, would the Twelve present Israelites with the opportunity to receive them and to give them a cold cup of water?
8. What is the meaning of a cup of cold water in time of trouble?

Tomorrow morning with coffee and a prayer, we will dive into the beautiful teaching that the Holy Spirit caused to be sent to us in this gospel. Be ready to think.

Image: Blue Spring, Florida

Sea of Galilee and chapter 9

We have still not finished tackling some of the chapter 8 questions concerning the Sea of Galilee.

8. The scribe and the disciple in vv. 19 - 22 got different lessons from the Messiah -- different but similar, too. How were they similar? How was Jesus using his word like a scalpel to differentiate each individual from other things?
9. Is the Sea of Galilee dangerous? How does it figure into the story of the men crossing in the boat and into the story of the two demon possessed men?
10. How does this sea figure into Jesus' teaching? Does it relate to the previous stories of healing and freedom from possession?

This is OK, because we have some Sea of Galilee information in chapter 9, which we will also discuss tomorrow. Here are some questions to use for reading ahead.

1. In verse 1, we see that Jesus embarked in ship again and came to his own city. How long was He over in the Gadarene side of the Sea of Galilee, five minutes or so?
2. How is the story of the paralytic a model for prayer for us who are not paralytics?
3. Did Jesus challenge the paralytic to get up and follow as a disciple?
4. At the banquet with the IRS men, the Pharisees make an inquiry with the disciples. Why didn't they inquire with Jesus?
5. How is Matthew the tax man connected to the paralytic?
6. Does Barack Obama do his own mending of worn out clothes? How many household chores does he handle each day?
7. What is the relation between the idea of "new wine" and the Bridegroom Jesus?
8. Consider the centurion in chapter 8 and the ruler in chapter 9 -- two very different men, yet there are some similarities in their stories. What similarities can you see?
9. How is the woman cured of hemorrhage connected to the ruler's daughter whom Jesus raises back to life?

There is a lot to learn, and it will be good to gaze carefully into this section of God's message tomorrow morning. Be ready and expect the unexpected.

Follow up questions

Last Thursday, we tackled four question from chapter 8, but we still have a few more to look over, plus a few new ones to follow up on that discussion:

11. How many times in this chapter does Matthew use the verb, to follow?
12. If you follow Jesus for healing, is that the same as following him for obedience, as a disciple?
13. How do you, as an individual, follow Jesus or not follow him?
    1. like the crowds?
    2. like a disciple?
    3. like the two men from the tombs?
    4. like the centurion?
    5. like the swineherds?
    6. like the town's people

Let's tackle these questions tomorrow, gazing into the perfect Torah of freedom, as we work harder and harder at becoming doers of the Word.

Comments

Some of the comments from the men last Thursday:

1. Leprosy is an illness, a difficult kind of bacterial infection, but it is also a figure for a specific spiritual state. What spiritual state is that?
   1. Dave: confession is the antibiotic.
2. What is the command structure in which the centurion lives and operates? How does the centurion's experience of authority affect his ability to see Jesus accurately and his readiness to believe?
   1. Joe: the centurion understood God's "command" structure, i.e., that Jesus is obedient to the Father.
   2. Al: The centurion puts himself under Jesus' command structure.
   3. Scott: You have to ask yourself, why does the centurion speak up for his lowest "man" -- actually it was a boy -- and does not ask anything for himself?
   4. Dave: All good commanders consider all their men.
   5. Joe: The example in the centurion of God's compassion for all in Jesus' command.

Some study questions for chapter 8.

There is a lot of action and danger in Mattthew's 8th chapter. Let's look into it by asking a few questions:

1. Why does Jesus instruct the leper to follow the commandment from Moses as to his healing but to refrain from telling anyone about himself, Jesus?
2. Leprosy is an illness, a difficult kind of bacterial infection, but it is also a figure for a specific spiritual state. What spiritual state is that?
3. What is the command structure in which the centurion lives and operates?
4. How does the centurion's experience of authority affect his ability to see Jesus accurately and his readiness to believe?
5. Where did Roman centurions come from? Were they Jewish or Gentile?
6. How does Matthew know that the centurion's servant was healed that very moment?
7. How do the people react to Jesus, those whom He healed: the leper, the centurion's servant, Peter's mother-in-law, the two demon possessed men in the tombs?
8. The scribe and the disciple in vv. 19 - 22 got different lessons from the Messiah -- different but similar, too. How were they similar? How was Jesus using his word like a scalpel to differentiate each individual from other things?
9. Is the Sea of Galilee dangerous? How does it figure into the story of the men crossing in the boat and into the story of the two demon possessed men?
10. How does this sea figure into Jesus' teaching? Does it relate to the previous stories of healing and freedom from possession?

We have a million more questions we could dive into, but let's start with these tomorrow morning at 7 AM.

Finish Chapter 6

On May 19, we will finish up chapter 6 of Matthew's gospel, from verse 14 to verse 34. The humility factor is powerful, and one might look into the this part of the Sermon on the Mount with a few questions:

1. What happens to a piece of steel subjected to frequent immersion in salt water?
2. How does one prevent insects from invading the bag lunch you bring to work?
3. The Greek words in v. 19 have it as thieves who dig through and steal. What kind of treasure is reachable by digging?
4. What kind of thievery, verminization and corruption is one's heart vulnerable to?
5. Jesus refers to the eye as the LUXNOS (λυχνοσ in Greek), the lamp of the body and that it be sound. But the Greek word is απλουσ, which means single, simple, plain, straightforward. How does simplicity of eye spice up the meaning of vv. 19-24?
6. If a person serves a master, one might presume that loving that master will be easily visible in that person's service. What if the person hates that master? Will it show in that person's service?
7. Where do the lilies of the field store up their fabric and dry goods, and where is the factory in which they manufacture their clothes?
8. Tomorrow is a secret. Who has strong enough eyes to see it?

To this part of the perfect Torah of freedom we will cast our gaze on Thursday, May 19th. Be ready.

Lord's Prayer

The study guide for the Lord's Prayer in chapter 6 of Matthew can begin in a simple meditation: Read the Lord’s Prayer. Meditate on it and be ready to discuss the following:

1. Our Father who art in heaven
2. Hallowed be your name
3. your kingdom come
4. your will be done on earth as well as heaven
5. Give us this day our daily bread
6. Forgive use our debts as we forgive our debtors
7. And do not subject us to the final test but deliver us from the evil one.

Dip into Chapter 6 of Matthew

Will you dip forward into Ch. 6 of Matthew's Gospel? We may begin with the following questions:

1. Pop culture, which actor turned politician said "Who is your Daddy and what does he do?"
2. Starting with Genesis, read the Old Testament – when is God first identified as Father. Hint; if you read past Exodus 4:22 you went to far.
3. What will be your recompense for following Jesus’ teaching on alms giving, prayer and fasting?
4. Read the Lord’s prayer; meditate on the following and come ready to discuss:
   1. Our Father in heaven
   2. Hallowed be your name
   3. your kingdom come
   4. your will be done
   5. Give us this day our daily bread
   6. Forgive use our debts
   7. Do not subject use to the final test
5. What is the petition said by the priest after the Lord’s Prayer and before the Doxology? How is this relevant to Jesus’ teaching on Dependence on God?

Further

A sample of some concepts that we will cover for Matthew Ch. 5 tomorrow:

1. Finish this sentence: Salt is to a meal as the Beatitudes are to___________.
2. Why do you suppose Jesus talks of salt right after teaching the Beatitudes?
3. How righteous does one need to be to enter Heaven?
4. Is the punishment for angry behavior hell? Why?
5. What teaching on purgatory can be drawn from verse 22?

Additional concepts in relation to beatitude

Here are some questions to ponder in preparation for Thursday's discussion of Matthew chapter 5.

1. Which two commandments are the foci of the Beatitudes?
   Hint: Read
   Matthew 22:37-39
2. Which short prayer are you reminded of when you hear the 5th
   Beatitude?
3. Read Galatians 6:1-8. What does this say about mercy?
4. Do you suppose Thomas, called Didymus, is a good example of "clean of heart"? Why?
5. The old saw, "The apple does not fall far from the tree," can be applied to which Beatitude?
6. What parallels can be drawn between the 1st and 8th Beatitudes?

As Mary did, ponder these in your heart and do whatever Jesus tells you, and in the morning we will use these questions for additional discussion.

Last 4 beatitudes

For Holy Thursday, we will have 4 additional beatitudes to study. Be ready and expect the unexpected.

Beatitudes

In Chapter 5 of Matthew's gospel we find the Sermon on the Mount, the first part of which is the Beatitudes. Here are some questions engineered by Kenneth to ponder in preparation to Thursday’s discussion of Matthew chapter 5:

1. What does it mean to be blessed?
2. Which Old Testament list is often compared to the Beatitudes and why?
3. What do you suppose Pope John Paul II meant when he referred to the Sermon on the Mount as “the Magna Charta of Gospel morality?
4. Why is it appropriate that the Beatitudes follow so close to the Temptations?
5. Pop Culture: What insight into the Beatitudes can be had by the quote, "A man’s got to know his limitations" from the film Dirty Harry?
   1. Extra credit: Why was Harry called Dirty.
   2. Hint – think of the 3rd Beatitude.
6. What parallels can be drawn from the 1st and 8th Beatitude?

Blessed Maximilian Kolbe once said, "I must become a saint, and a great saint!" This part of Matthew's gospel is all about that process, as we will discuss on Thursday morning this week.

More of chapter 4

Here are some repeat and some fresh questions, concerning chapter 4 of Matthew's Gospel:

1. In the temptation tests of chapter 4, the enemy keeps saying, "If you are the Son of God..." and Jesus dumps the enemy's test by calling on actions
   1. obedient life by God's word
   2. obediently avoiding show and displays of power
   Was Jesus the only person who could fulfill those actions?
2. Who was intended by God to become ruler over the nations? Why was this a test for Jesus?
3. Was the enemy paying Jesus due respect to use the phrase "Son of God" in these temptations?
4. Was there a legitimate reason for Jesus to
   1. obtain bread
   2. cast himself off a parapet of the temple
   3. bow to the enemy?
5. In this triple testing, who was the hunter? Who was the prey?
6. Will angels minister to us or only to Jesus?
7. The enemy eggs Jesus on for food, safety and riches, but God the Father has a plan for Jesus and for us that starts way differently: chastisement, suffering and death. Can this be kosher?
8. What does the calling of Peter and Andrew in
   1. John 1:35 and following, plus
   2. Matthew 4:18 and following
   tell you about Jesus' skill as a fisher of men?

OK, that is a full plate. See you tomorrow morning for a cup of coffee and some prayer over the 4th chapter of Matthew's gospel.

More to think about

We will finish our stroll through Matthew 3 tomorrow, with some of the following questions, and then dip forward into the fourth chapter.

1. What does it mean to bear a winnowing fan by the threshing floor?
2. What does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit?
3. What does it mean to baptized with fire?
4. What does Jesus' statement in v. 15 tell you about his relationship to John the Baptist and his relationship to the Torah?
5. How does John's reluctance to baptize compare to Peter's reluctance to have his feet washed?
6. Should the people have believed after hearing God's voice from on high? Why didn't they?
7. In the temptation tests of chapter 4, the enemy keeps saying, "If you are the Son of God..." and Jesus dumps the enemy's test by calling on actions
   1. obedient life by God's word
   2. obediently avoiding show and displays of power
   Was Jesus the only person who could fulfill those actions?
8. Who was intended by God to become ruler over the nations? Why was this a test for Jesus?

There is a fair start for tomorrow. We are heading deeper into God's message, the gospel of Matthew.

Questions for this Thursday

We will go into a few questions from last week, viz.

1. How is the intention of the magi, to worship the newborn king (verses 2, 11), different from Herod's similarly stated intention?
2. In v. 13, Herod sets out a plan to destroy the innocent children near Bethlehem, but re-read Rev. 9:1-11, where another king has the name of Destroyer. How did people suffer when that destroyer in Revelation went to work? Was its intention similar to Herod's?

...because we have hardly talked about Herod yet.

Also, we will probably dip into chapter 3 this week, for which a few extra questions might be reasonable:

1. John the Baptist had a diet of locusts and honey. It is a curious menus and a curious symbolism in that the Bible uses honey and locusts in very different ways. What does honey signify in the scriptures, usually? What do locusts usually signify in the scriptures?
2. What does John the Baptist look for in his flock of Israelites?
3. When was the last time God raised up a human being from a stone?
4. What does it mean to the people flocking to the Jordan that the axe is laid to the root of the tree?
5. What does it mean to bear a winnowing fan by the threshing floor?
6. What does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit?
7. What does it mean to baptized with fire?
8. What does Jesus' statement in v. 15 tell you about his relationship to John the Baptist and his relationship to the Torah?

As you can see, there are some big ideas in this part of Matthew's gospel, and this is just a short list, but we will start here on Thursday morning!

Matthew 2, a few findings

On Thursday past, we spent a lot of time talking about the magi, the Gentile priestly visitors to the newborn Messiah. One question generated a lot of discussion and insights:

1. What is the significance for us in the worship offered by the magi?
   Some of the men offered insights that are profitable to remember:
   1. Len: The magi were a bit like apostles, except that they were called inwards, to Jerusalem.
   2. Scott: The magi were like the first Christians.

It is interesting to consider how the Lord used the astrologer concepts of the magi to draw them to the Messiah. Len suggested that this is similar to Paul's famous speech to the smart Athenians, where he started form their religious activity and led them to the message of Jesus the Messiah. Each man's life is like that -- called from outside to come in toward the center, Jesus.

Matthew, second chapter

Some things pop out of one's reading in chapter two of Matthew's gospel.

1. How is the intention of the magi, to worship the newborn king (verses 2, 11), different from Herod's similarly stated intention?
2. Herod and the entire city were troubled. What kind of trouble was it?
3. How many dreams from God are there in chapters 1 and 2?
4. What is the significance for us in the worship offered by the magi?
5. What relationship exists between the good magi and Father Abraham?
6. In v. 13, Herod sets out a plan to destroy the innocent children near Bethlehem, but re-read Rev. 9:1-11, where another king has the name of Destroyer. How did people suffer when that destroyer in Revelation went to work? Was its intention similar to Herod's?

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, when teaching about Matthew 2, the birth of the Messiah is described in this way: Mary is the burning bush of the definitive revelation of God. So I guess one could say that we have a lot to talk about tomorrow morning. Be ready, and expect the unexpected.

Questions to make a beginning.

There are a zillion questions we could ask of this first chapter in Matthew's gospel, but here are a few that will suffice for now:

1. Was Mary a virgin at the time of conception?


2. Why were Abraham and David specially mentioned in the genealogy?


3. What does Matthew mention the exile to Babylon but not the slavery in Egypt?


4. In the birth of the Messiah,
   
   • the Infinite is in a womb,
     
   • He that contains all things is carried, as unborn, by a woman;
     
   • the Virgin bears, and continues a virgin.
   How did the Spirit frame that Temple?


5. Did Joseph exhibit out of control behaviors in this time period, which many suppose to be a grievous predicament for an unmarried man?


6. Why didn't the angel appear to Joseph in a dream earlier, just as Gabriel had come to Mary before conception?


7. Where in the New Testament is Mary again commended into a new home, as the angel does in v. 20?

Let's begin here on Thursday morning.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.

This Thursday we begin the gospel of Matthew, starting with chapter 1, which "is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about."

It is the longest gospel account, and the leadoff hitter in the New Testament. Lots of intense action. Be ready. Be alert. No napping.

Study questions will be ready on Wednesday evening.

Lessons from Nahum, Amos and Obadiah

For the past few months we have been reading and seeking the Lord's message in the prophetic messages of His great prophets Nahum, Amos and Obadiah. These three prophets seems to hold together as a subgroup. Here are some of the conclusions and findings in the matter:

1. From Amos, we see the word "breaches" in a wall. What would be breaches in the Church?
   1. Bob: like protestant denominations;
   2. Joe: pride;
   3. Bob: sins, disobedience, bitterness, hatred;
   4. Len: it reminds me of the prophecy that Jesus would rebuild the temple in three days.

2. How is the prophecy of Amos applicable to our present situation?
   1. Len: We are still obligated to spread the Word.
3. Can you think of a modern day example of violence, one nation to another, similar to the violence that Red Edom did to Israel?
   1. Len: In the decapitation of European Jews by Nazis, the neighboring countries were like Edom, e.g., the Vichy government in France.
   2. Ken: Herod mocking Jesus. In fact, Herod actually was an Edomite!
   3. Bob: taunting someone, which we did as kids but we grew out of it.
   4. Scott: For instance, when you take the side of the "cool" kid at school who bullies the uncool kid.
   5. Ken: the Edom betrayal in the day of Israel's calamity is a good comparison to the beatitudes, especially the first and the last, which show how we should behave instead of doing like Edom did.
4. Why does Obadiah's prophetic message affect our mission as doers of the Word?
   1. TO BE ANSWERED FORTHWITH

Image: UPI/Kevin Dietsch. A Haitian who was badly burned when a gas station exploded following recent earthquake is treated onboard the USS Bataan, off the coast of Haiti, January 23, 2010.

Obadiah, where do we begin?

To begin and end in the same day, we will use the following questions for the study of the prophecy of Obadiah.

1. Where is Edom, in relation to Jerusalem?
2. Who was Esau?
3. According to Amos, what was the violence that Edom did to Israel?
4. Can you think of a modern day example of similar violence, one nation to another?
5. Esau is likened to stubble in v. 18. How and when is stubble made?
6. Why does this prophetic message affect our mission as doers of the Word?

With a cup of coffee and some mental elbow grease, we will tackle this message and develop our muscles to follow the perfect Torah of freedom.
Image: a threshing sledge from Cyprus.

They have threshed Gilead.

We finish Amos, and I think back now to the beginning of his message:

They have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges made of iron.

It is somber.

And Amos' message concludes with another vision from the threshing floor, this time with some consolation:

For lo, I am commanding, and I have shaken among all the nations the house of Israel, as one doth shake with a sieve, and there falleth not a grain to the earth.

Come soon, Lord Jesus.

We conclude Amos.

In Amos' 9th chapter, we still have a few questions to settle, viz.

1. From last time: Which is the greater trouble, earthquake or famine of God's word?
2. The LORD denied the promised land an entire generation of Israelites after they exited Egypt. How does Israel's murmuring in Amos 9:10 compare to their attitude in Exodus?
3. In v. 11, we see the word "breaches" in a wall. What would be the breaches in the Church?
4. Is the nation of Israel doomed?
5. How is the prophecy of Amos applicable to our present situation?

Let's sort these out and dive into the perfect Law of freedom this morning.

Amos 8 requires some questions.

When you read the 8th chapter of Amos, you will be faced with some interesting questions:

1. Does the fruit mentioned here stand for the northern kingdom of Israel?
2. Compare the nature of songs mentioned in Amos with Psalm 119:54. How would you describe the difference?
3. In present day Israel, where is Dan in relation to Beer-Sheba?
4. After reading v. 7, one has to ask, does God ever forget our sins? Is this good or bad?
5. Which is the greater trouble, earthquake or famine of God's word?

Amos proclaims a message concerning Israel's fidelity to the perfect law of freedom. It is a deep river and wide, but these questions get us at least to dip our toes into the stream.

Earthquake, forest fire, volcano, trouble.

Which is the greater trouble?

1. Earthquake, fire, volcano in Amos 8:8-9, or
2. famine of God's word, v. 11?

One question

This chapter has a slough of familiar things: locusts, bargaining, fire. We can all think back into the Old Testament and forward into the New Testament to recall famous instances of locusts, bargaining with God and fire.

But there is one study question that is all we need to think about, because it is God's question to Amos.

1. "What do you see, Amos?" And we can ask ourselves the same thing, what is the plumb line that God is setting up in the midst of His people?

That should occupy us for at least an hour on Thursday morning!

Findings

In our examination of Amos chapter 6, we had a slough of insights from the men, especially concerning this question:

5. Why would God use a shepherd -- as opposed to a Levite, for example -- to prophesy to these people?

Some of the comments showed excellent insight.

1. Joe: God likes to use the lowly.
2. Len: The lowly are closer to the victims of injustice.
3. Bob: Jesus lowered Himself to wash feet etc.
4. German: If you listen to the rich and powerful, it might be from envy of riches or the compulsion by power. If you listen to the lowly, however, it is a true response from the heart.

I especially like the answer from German.

Study questions for Amos, chapter 6

There are several streams of meaning in this part of the message of Amos. Here are some questions to help you dip into it.

1. What is the evil day that Israel would like to postpone? What is it that they fear?
2. In chapter 3, Amos wrote some questions of the type we refer to as "Is the pope Catholic?" Here in chapter 6, he uses the opposite type of rhetorical question, an oxymoron, e.g., "Can a horse run across a cliff?" What contradiction in terms does Amos see in Israel?
3. Count the number of references to housing of various types. What kind of housing would a shepherd like Amos have?
4. Count the number of references to luxury furnishings and provisions. What kind of provision would a shepherd like Amos have?
5. Why would God use a shepherd -- as opposed to a Levite, for example -- to prophesy to these people?
6. What is the word you would use to identify the sin of Israel that God condemns in this prophecy?
7. What would God's prescription be for countering that sin?

Let's be ready to gaze into this message and let the Holy Ghost work it down into our bones where it will do some good.

Origins

Where does evil come from? The Church teaches a simple, unusual answer:

We must therefore approach the question of the origin of evil by fixing the eyes of our faith on him who alone is its conqueror.
CCC 385

Calneh to Hamath to Gath

Archaeologists are not 100% certain of the locations of Calneh, Hamath and Philistine Gath. But they figure these three cities were, respectively,

1. somewhere near Azaz in Syria, by the border with Turkey;
2. near the foot of Mt. Hermon, maybe near Bet Jen, Syria;
3. Tell es-Safi, near the Revadim kibbutz in Israel, in the foothills above Ashkelon.

The following images click out to show the approximate crow-flying path from Calneh to Hamath and then on to Gath.

This also means Calneh was about 340 miles due west from Nineveh, for which the ruins are just outside Mosul, Iraq.

What the Lord says and why.

Last Thursday, we had the question, Why does the Creator of the universe instill woes for those who cast justice to the ground?

One of the men had a fine answer. Len answered, "It is because God made us in His image. He expects us to be just."

Mosul and Jerusalem in Amos 5

We have a gamut of questions for looking into Amos 5:

1. Where in the New Testament do we find a lament over a city likened to a woman who has fallen, never to rise again?
2. What are Pleiades? Can you find archaeological traces of them somewhere near Israel today?
3. Why does the Creator of the universe instill woes for those who cast justice to the ground?
4. How does one travel today from Jerusalem to Mosul in Iraq, being as how the ruins of Nineveh are just near Mosul?

(Click image for larger view of map from Jerusalem to Mosul.)

Let's gaze into God's word today, in the 5th chapter of Amos, and see whether it leads us deeper into God's freedom.

Some queries, chapter 4 of Amos

Amos the prophet recorded his message, that came in visions, concerning Israel. In chapter 4 we will look into some rough words. Here are some questions we can use to think over this part of God's Word:

1. How is it that Amos saw this message in a vision? What did Amos see?
2. When will your wife agree to transportation, from point A to point B, by being dragged with fish hooks?
3. What did Jesus say about proclaiming one's free will offereings out loud in public?
4. What famous droughts and famines do you recall from the Bible?
5. What about stricken crops and trees and vineyards in the Bible?
6. How does this slough of calamity compare to the garden in Genesis 2?
7. How does God use calamities like drought, famine and blight?
8. Which sacrament would provide someone with a good recourse in times like this calamity in Israel?

Let's start with these questions, and see how we can make it part of our actions tomorrow.

Holy Lord

Turn to me and be safe, all you ends of the earth, for I am God; there is no other!

By myself I swear, uttering my just decree and my unalterable word:

To me every knee shall bend; by me every tongue shall swear, saying, "Only in the LORD are just deeds and power. Before him in shame shall come all who vent their anger against him. In the LORD shall be the vindication and the glory of all the descendants of Israel." (Isaiah 45:22-25)

A few more questions

Here are a few more questions for studying Amos' prophecy in its 3rd chapter:

1. How is it that Amos saw this message in a vision? What did Amos see?
2. Why does the Lord promise extra punishment to Israel instead of the nations?
3. Where are the mountains of Samaria, in relation to Jerusalem?
4. Where is the city of Ashdod?
5. Why does the Lord have a mini-proclamation to Egypt and Ashdod, in verses 9 - 11?
6. What were Israel's sins in vv. 9 - 11?
7. What are the "horns" on an altar?
8. Why does the Lord promise to break the altar apart in Bethel based on the actions of Israelites outside the altar area?
9. Do we have an altar like this one mentioned by Amos?
10. Do you have a summer home?

Let's dig into chapter 3 with these questions and some help from the Lord for our minds.

Amos 2

It behooves us to work with some of these questions during our walk through the 2nd chapter of Amos this morning:

1. How is it that Amos saw this message in a vision? What did Amos see?
2. What is the relationship between Israel and Judah?
3. How does the Church relate to Abraham's people, Israel?
4. Think of the three faithful Israelites whose words of praise we repeat every day: Zechariah, Mary and >Simeon. What would Amos have said about a nation made of Zechariahs, Marys and Simeons?
5. What is a nazirite?
6. What is the common property of the weapons and fighting men mentioned in vv. 15 and 16?
7. What was the view of Amos concerning the corporal works of mercy?

Let's have a cup of coffee and start here as we see into this wisdom from our God, the perfect Torah of freedom.

Images: (1) BBC, Mark Ormrod with fellow Gumpathon runner, marine Jamie Jobson, in Maryland; (2) Air Force Times, Marine Corps Marathon, 2009.