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.