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.