We finish, we begin

This Thursday, we finish studying the gospel of Matthew, closing out with these remaining questions:

5. Fear thou not! Why does everybody keep telling the women not to be afraid?
6. What were the women doing there, anyway?
7. Just curious: When was the last time you hugged the feet of anyone?
8. What is the significance of Jesus rising on that particular day of the week?
9. Review the end of John's gospel for comparison. Matthew's account emphasizes something a bit more than John does. What is it?
10. Is baptism important for a Christian?

Though we finish Matthew's gospelthis Thursday morning, we also begin something new, if we desire to be a doer of the Word. Good.

Findings about curious events in the Crucifixion

Here are some of the conclusions of the men last Thursday morning, concerning some of the questions:

1. Why would this silence be so stunning, so curious, to Pontius Pilate? What does it tell us?
   1. Bob: When Jesus stands mute, he is making no excuses, not making a cop out, volunteering nothing that can be twisted.
2. What was the factor that made Judas change his mind and throw the blood money back into the Temple?
   1. Jim: Perhaps Judas realized, "They have Jesus in deeper trouble than I thought it'd be."
3. What should be the true currency of the Church?
   1. Bob: Look at Matthew the crooked but wealthy tax collector. Matthew gave himself to Jesus.

The conclusion of the matter, the example that Matthew presents, is a great example of doing the Word.

We will dive deeper into chapter 27 this Thursday.

Forward to chapter 26

We will continue working on last week's questions, #9 - #14,

9. How does it help the King to make the positive judgement first, for those on his right, and after that, to make his negative judgement?
   
10. What is the significance of the word inherit, compared to, for instance, in Ch. 9, where Jesus commands the healed man to take up his mat?
    
11. If a person does more than just to visit a prisoner, more than just to feed a hungry family, more than just to put a roof over a man's head, if a person does more than that, what kind of person is that? How would you describe that person?
    
12. For whom was the kingdom prepared? For whom was the eternal fire prepared?
    
13. Have you ever known someone who helped an enemy, someone who was down, even though under normal circumstances they would be persona non grata?
    
14. What does it tell you that Jesus left this last direct prophetic message as the last one before the events of crucifixion, starting in Ch. 26?
    

then push forward into the passion of the Messiah, chapter 26. For starters, here are a few questions to work with:

1. Matthew writes, "When Jesus finished all these words..." and then Jesus points out that in two days will be a celebration, the Passover. How is the last part of "all these words" -- the last judgement of Matthew 25:31-46 -- related to the escape from Egyptland?
   
2. Why do these goombahs have to plot in secrecy?
   
3. Does the high priest Caiaphas fear the Lord more than the people of Jerusalem?
   
4. Jesus is a son of Abraham, a son of David. Who was it in the story of the Exodus that wanted to kill off the sons of Abraham?
   
5. 
   Does the woman with the jar of perfumed oil have a malady of some kind?
   
6. When Moses died, did he have a public burial, with all the rituals, for all to see?
   
7. How would it come about that this woman acquires enduring fame, even though she is nameless?

Let's start with these questions today, maybe have some coffee, too, and ask the Holy Spirit to help us see into the perfect law of freedom, God's Word!

Finish ch. 24, dip forward to ch. 25 of Matthew's gospel.

We will take one more look into chapter 24 of Matthew's gospel early this Thursday morning, and then we will dip forward to chapter 25. Here are a few questions to use for studying and thinking ahead:

1. Is the fig tree here in chapter 24 a parable or something else?
   
2. Does this sprouting of the fig tree occur before, during or after the destruction of Jerusalem?
   
3. What would it be like, to be in the Lord's summertime?
   
4. Do fig trees always behave in this manner, sprouting leaves and so forth? How does that help Jesus form the Twelve?
   
5. Jesus is the Lord, the Alpha and the Omega. All time and all the ages belong to Him. Yet how is it that Jesus does not know the hour and day of His coming to the gates?
   
6. "A person who is damned to hell is damned because of the entire history of his entire family." ←← True or false?
   
7. "A person who is damned to hell can actually be damned accidentally, through no fault of their own." ←← True or false?
   
8. "Hell is temporary." ←← True or false?
   
9. In America, we hold that all men are created equal. Does this apply to the talents that each man has?
   
10. Why does God give talents in the way that He does?
    
11. When you enter God's joy, what will you be placed in charge of?
    
    
    

We can look into the perfect Torah of freedom, God's word, by thinking over these questions and discussing it all early on Thursday morning.

Continue in Ch. 24

We will continue to look into Ch. 24 of Matthew's Gospel today, starting with one leftover question from last week.

1. What is the abomination of desolation?
Now some new questions...
2. How will the Twelve prevail in the time of trouble? What trait will see them to victory?
   
3. What does it mean to preach as a witness, instead of preaching for belief?
   
4. True or false? The Roman army and the government of Rome was very hospitable and accommodating to the Twelve and other early apostles.
   
5. If the people of Jerusalem could be expected to return safely, would they be asked to take their clothes and other belongings when escaping? What does Jesus communicate in this direction, to drop everything?
6. Why does God allow grievous destruction of Jerusalem but not a total wipe out of the people of Jerusalem?
7. Side question: WHy doesn't Blessed John mention the destruction of Jerusalem in his gospel account?
8. Does Jesus skip a beat when describing the destruction of Jerusalem, THEN the signs of His coming?
9. When Jesus was born, it was fitting that a herald should precede Him, known as John the Baptizer. At His second coming, will that be necessary?
   

We will get to work with these and a few other questions, asking the Holy Spirit to help us, this early morning.

Woe and the beginning of sorrows

Woe to the Pharisees, sayeth the Lord (Matthew 23). But would any of us escape the same scrutiny? Here are a few questions we could usefully ask:

1. Can one make a useful set of questions, an examination of conscience, from these words of the Lord, as a preparation for the sacrament of confession?
   

   ---

   Now some questions about Matthew 24:
2. Did the Twelve expect to escape trouble?
3. What is the nature of the trouble that is coming? Who is it that comes against Jerusalem and the Church?
4. WHo has love, that their love maybe can go cold?
5. Will love exist in those who preach this gospel of the kingdom perseveringly?
6. What is the abomination of desolation?
   

It is an interesting admonition to persevere. As St. John Chrysostom wrote:

O strange and wonderful facts! Countless myriads of Jews did the Romans then subdue, and they did not prevail over twelve men fighting against them naked and unarmed. What language can set forth this miracle?

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Questions for the race

The 12th chapter of Hebrews uses several metaphors for Christian life. Let's use these questions to gaze into the meaning of those words.

1. Endurance is mentioned several times in the context of a race or combat. What is it that we must endure in our race, our combat?
2. Jesus, Author and Perfecter of Faith. A lovely title. In what way can the faith be perfected?
3. Jesus endured opposition from sinners. What did sinners do to generate this opposition?
4. What scourged Jesus?
5. What scourged Israel?
6. What scourges us?
7. Jesus had disciples, Peter, James and all the rest. But what disciplined Jesus?
8. What forms discipline in a military unit?
9. Verse 12 exhorts us to strengthen weary hands and paralyzed knees. What? Why not strengthen spine or some big muscle? In this race of endurance, why strengthen hands?
10. In this epistle, Jesus gets the name, Author and Finisher. What is the famous name of Him in the heavenly Jerusalem that has a similar ring to it?
11. From Revelation, what do you recall as the main activity of all the creatures in heaven, men and angels, strange looking beasts and powerful Cherubim?

Now we have a set of questions to guide us through chapter 12 to its last verse! It is a good morning to gaze into the Perfect Law of Freedom.

The betrayal event

This morning, we discussed the emphasis on the cup of salvation in Mark 14:22-25, and how Mark devotes so many more words to it than he devotes to the one bread. After looking through Psalms 116 and 118, and re-examining the passages before and after Mark 14:22-25, we decided that Mark was emphasizing the cup in the middle of the betrayal event, all the betrayal and abandoning and the difficult prayer in Gethsemane.

It is curious that Jesus can sing the psalms of praise, the Hallel psalms, Psalms 113-118, in the midst of such a trap. Yet that is exactly what he does, the sacrifice of praise. The stone that was rejected became the cornerstone.

German describes an example in the life of St. Vincent de Paul, concerning a similar sacrifice in the midst of abandonment and betrayal.

Questions for next time

At our next meeting, we will read the message in Mark 12:18-48. This part of the message is loaded with meaning for the mission of the Twelve and for our mission.

1. To disprove the resurrection of the body, the Sadducees try to trip up Jesus with a contrived example based on the Torah. Does Jesus answer by saying Moses and the Torah are wrong?
2. The wise scribe went toe-to-toe with Jesus about the heart of the Torah. Who won, Jesus or the wise scribe?
3. What else does Psalm 110 say about the Messiah?
4. Jesus and the Twelve observe a widow as she drops some coins into the treasury of the temple, for alms. How does her example jibe with the the message of the fig tree, the parable of the vineyard owner's son, and the overall message that the Twelve must eventually publish far and wide?

We will tackle the Temple activity of this part of Mark's gospel and consider our own actions through these and other questions on Thursday morning before sunrise.

A few questions for next time

We will continue through the 9th chapter of Mark's gospel, looking especially at the lessons Jesus presents to the Twelve. Here are a few questions to think over if you want to read ahead.

1. Search your knowledge of history. Who is the greatest evangelist of all time?
2. Which of the great saints of God is famous for his or her humility?
3. A scientist defines salt as a chemical compound of two elements, explosive sodium and toxic chlorine. How does Jesus define salt?

We will get after these and a few other questions early this Thursday morning.