Dr. Luke's record of the Lord's εξοδον, his Exodus

We concluded last week's discussion by looking into the question of Jesus following his interaction with IRS man Zacchaeus by the parable of the wicked king and his ten "minas." What did Jesus accomplish with this pair of teachings, side by side?

This week we will look into the answer: his mission in Jerusalem. Here are a few questions to think over:

1. 
   Jesus sees his place of torture and execution, Jerusalem, and he weeps, for Jerusalem? Not for himself? What is the subject of his sorrow in vv. 41-44?
2. Was Jesus actually in the line of David, king of Israel?
3. Has God ever raised praise from the very stones of Earth?
4. Previously many times Jesus admonished people not to blab about him, and he definitely discouraged people from proclaiming him a king... but not this time. Why is that?
5. At Mass, when do we repeat the exclamation of Jesus as Lord? What does that signify, geospatially?
6. Who was worse: the money-changing merchants in the Temple or the scribes and Pharisees everywhere else? How were the two groups similar?
7. In v. 48, Dr. Luke writes that the people hung upon Jesus' words. How does Luke back up that concept with the beginning story of Ch. 20?
8. Did Jesus ever reveal the source of his authority?
9. Does Jesus show salt in this beginning of his Jerusalem mission?

This exodus from Jerusalem is the center of all history. We do well to look into it and thereby find our feet, steady and sure, ready to become doers of the Word.

A few questions from last week plus some new ones

We have a few questions from last week, and new ones concerning chapter 28.

9. The chief priests and Pharisees caused the Messiah's tomb to be sealed against mischief from dishonest disciples. Did their action, sealing the tomb, work for their purposes or for God's?
10. What basis do the chief priests and Pharisees have for expecting the eleven to steal a dead body?

PLUS

1. 
   When was the last time in this gospel that we saw someone whose appearance was like lightning?
2. Is there mention of the women actually going into the tomb or even peeking in?
3. If the crucifixion was such a defeat (as the Enemy viewed it), then why does the angel feature it, saying "Jesus the crucified" when addressing the women?
4. What is this business about being "fearful yet overjoyed" when the women left?
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?

Well, we have a lot to learn but looking at these questions will at least get us started early this Thursday morning.

Ch. 26, Holy Thursday, Good Friday

Today is Holy Thursday.

It is good that we are digging into Ch. 26 of Matthew's gospel, and we have all of last week's questions to work on, plus a few more:

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?
   
8. Why does the gospel record the surname of Judas the betrayer?
   
9. WHy is it that Matthew even mentions the reproachful fact that Judas the betrayer is one of the Twelve? Is it necessary to the gospel message?
   
10. Oughtn't Jesus to have cut off Judas the betrayer long before this? Why didn't he do so?
    
11. Why could Jusus not have just forced the issue with Judas and turned him from the path of betrayal like He turned Paul on the way to Damascus?
    
12. Whom does the covetous man hate?

There are a lot of things to consider this morning, and it is a good thing that tomorrow is Good Friday.

 

Image: spikenard

Findings

Findings from some of the Thursday morning questions, concerning the judgement in Matthew 25:31-46.

2. Is there matching truth in the Beatitudes of Matthew ch. 5?
   Len: the King divides the sheep from the goats on the basis of pure hearts. That is, the sheep had pure hearts, and the goats did not.
   
   Ken: the persecution that comes when people mock you for serving the poor and doing the right thing.
3. BRAIN-BURNER: Is there any place in the Old Testament that correlates with the actions that the Son of Man rewards?
   Len: the 4th commandment has a reward.
4. In all the actions rewarded by th Messiah, note that there is no teaching or preaching mentioned. Why is that?
   Al: As St. Francis said, sometimes the preaching of the gospel comes in with ones actions, as the King describes the actions of the righteous.
   
   Len: It's because Jesus is THE teacher; also because the Natural Law exists.

Thursday this week we will continue with discussion of the Eucharist.

Action in Ecbatana and Rhages

We are reading in Tobit, chapter 7 this week, covering the marriage of Sarah to Tobias. A few questions:

1. Why does Raguel emphasize kinship so carefully?
2. What does the Book of Moses say about marriage?
3. Where in the scriptures, Old Testament or New Testament, is a marriage associated with spiritual warfare? This question concerns us also in the next chapter or so.

Let us prepare for action from the Holy Spirit, who will help us benefit from this part of the scriptures.

Hebrews 12 questions

We will study a bit of chapter 11 and then dip into chapter 12 this morning. Here are a few questions.

1. From chapter 11, what kind of miracle did the writer keep mentioning in the lives of so many of the old testament saints? There was one kind that was mentioned several times.
2. The cloud of witnesses: does anything about it change with the passage of years?
3. Name the top two witnesses in the cloud of witnesses, in your opinion. Why did you focus on those two?
4. How does the cloud of witnesses affect our conduct at prayer?
5. How does the cloud of witnesses affect our actions as we go about our day?
6. At Sunday Mass, how do our prayers and actions reflect the presence of the cloud of witnesses?
7. If someone works one of the ordinary works of mercy, even evangelization by hospitalization, does that action exist in isolation, unconnected with anyone else?

WHAT!? Those questions only cover verse 1! We might not get very far into chapter 12 this morning. :)