december16

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Monday, December 16, Advent III

MATTHEW 21:23-27
Purify Your Thinking

Prayerthoughts

a. The religious leaders in Jesus’s time were jealous of Jesus, and so they wanted to discredit him as much as they could. Is there anyone that I am jealous of in my acquaintance? If yes, how does it come out in my actions?

b. Jesus knew what they were doing. The Lord knows what our innermost thoughts are. I know that those thoughts should be purified in some way. I should pray to purify my own thoughts, especially about others.

c. Jesus goes right to the religious leaders’ thinking, and they should have realized what Jesus was saying to them, but they did not. Are there some behaviors in my life that I should correct, but have chosen not to correct?

d. The subject that Jesus uses to engage the religious leaders’ thinking is Baptism, namely the whole thought of repentance. Do I ask for repentance often enough?

e. My prayerthoughts….

Today, I will read the Book of Numbers, chapter 24 and

write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

JOHN THE BAPTIST’S JOB

+ Balaam was one of the prophets of the Torah, the Hebrew Scriptures who is part of the literature of the book of Numbers

- here he prophesied that a star shall advance from the family of Jacob and a staff shall rise from Israel

- prophesying about Jesus, of course, who was from the house of Judah, one of the sons of Jacob

+ The immediate forerunner of Jesus, namely John the Baptist, is one of the concentrations of the Advent season

- John is the person who pointed to Jesus, telling others that he was the Messiah to come

- Jesus here refers to the fact that John was truly regarded as a prophet by all the people except the religious leaders of the time

- probably because John was so direct with them, telling them exactly what their problem was

+ As we listen to Jesus extol what John did, it might be good to look at two of the main characteristics of John’s character, and learn from them in our own lives

- one, he was a man who was able to recognize the problems and address them as best he could

- he knew that the spiritual life of the people of his time was not what it should have been, and so he addressed the problem

- he told the crowds that followed him that they had to change their ways, that they had to repent and begin again

- one of the approaches to our spiritual life must be that we recognize that our spiritual lives are not what they should be

- and we should move ourselves to do something about it—more time for prayer, more time for God

+ Secondly, John knew his place

- he knew that even though he was very popular among the people, his popularity meant nothing in the scheme of things

- what was important was Jesus and his message

- and so he tells the people to follow Jesus

- you and I must listen to his words

- Jesus must be a true force in our lives, something that should be very clear especially at this time of year

- we do a lot of preparation for Christmas in the natural realm

- perhaps we need to progress more in the spiritual realm, listening to the words of the Advent and Christmas readings, and learning from them

+ Jesus had great respect for John with good reason

- John knew what he had to do to accomplish his goal in life.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "Leave No Trace" -- final session
KINDNESS MAY BE A CURE

The Gospel 5

JOHN 5:5-9a

JOHN 5:5-9a

One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat and walk.” Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked.

Gospelthink: I searched out the man who was ill. Do I trust that the Lord will be with me when I have difficulties?

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is defined by The American Psychiatric Association to be a "mental disorder that can develop after a person is exposed to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions or other threats on a person's life." For Will in the movie "Leave No Trace" it was warfare. He came home with very little hope of living a normal life. He chose to be homeless and withdrawn from society. Even when very good people tried to help him, he deliberately would not respond to them. What complicated matters for him was the fact that his teenage daughter Tom had no one who could care for her except him. He loved her and at the same time understood that it was not totally favorable to his daughter. She tried to help him also, but he resisted every attempt to help him. The point must be made that he could have responded to the help, but it was much too difficult to face what he had become.

The blind and disabled in Jerusalem where Jesus was ministering knew about the Sheep Pool. They believed that when the waters bubbled up, it was an angel of the Lord who was present, and the first one to get into the pool would be healed of whatever sickness they had. Most could never reach the Pool in time when the waters were stirred, and so they were doomed to lie in the place forever with no one caring for them. Jesus, always aware of those who were most in need, knew about the Pool as well. And so, in time, he came to the Pool to help and care for the ones who needed it. Without being asked, John the evangelist records that Jesus went directly to a man in need.

Why did Jesus choose that particular man? Were there others there that needed his healing touch? The evangelist chooses not to answer those questions. He simply makes it obvious that Jesus knew what that man needed. The man wanted to be healed, but perhaps more than anything, the man needed someone who cared for him, and would take the time to help him. Jesus was open to the man and took care of his illness.

In the movie "Leave No Trace," Will had PTSD with very little hope for a cure, mainly because he was incapable of asking for it. The point must be made that he could have been cured. It may have taken time and his own effort, but he could have been healed. Just as the person who had been ill for a long time in John's Gospel, the grace of the Lord was present in such a way, that he could have been made free of his ailment.

But it would take time, a lot of time. Will was not able to accomplish that in his understanding of things. Perhaps the lesson to learn here is that we are all called to help people who seem to have given up. In the movie, Tom was not able to bring it about, but she kept trying. The movie closes with that thought in mind.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, there are many people who will never be cured here on this earth. We will run into them from time to time. Give us the grace to truly love them and care for them in whatever way we can. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDELINES FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: People with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and other serious illnesses can be treated with kindness.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 51 minutes)
1. What scene during this session Is most striking to you and why?
2. What does the movie “Leave No Trace" teach young people today?
3. Why is it so difficult to treat anyone with PTSD?
4. In your opinion, could young people help their parents who have something like PTSD?
5. From what you know, what is the best way to treat PTSD?
6. Every one who is seriously ill can be treated with kindness. In what areas of sickness in our world in particular can young people help with their kindness?