kings

December 6
[media presentation below] GospelThink Friday, December 6, Advent I MATTHEW 9:27-31 Spiritual Blindness Prayerthoughts a. The two blind men are a symbol of excessive blindness to spiritual realities. Do I cry out for the Lord’s help enough? b. Do I believe that the Lord can cure me of my spiritual blindness? I must answer yes and mean it if I want any spiritual help. c. The way to be cured is through faith. Do I show my faith in the way I live? d. In my words, am I too prideful by telling others of my life? e. We cannot blame the blind men for announcing what the Lord had done for them. They were so happy with the Lord that they could not contain themselves. Do I rejoice in the things that the Lord has given me? f. My prayerthoughts,,, Today, I will read Isaiah, chapter 29, and write down an important thought.
Some Thoughts on the Liturgy CURING SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS + Matthew’s account of the two blind men is one of several miracle stories in the Gospels dealing with recovery of sight - most of them told with a deeper idea than simply achieving physical sight once again - here, two of them, that is, more than the one the other Gospels who record similar incidents - therefore, with exaggerated thought, many people who need to have sight - physical blindness which is interpreted as spiritual blindness, the deeper problem—people who are blind to God’s activity in their lives - translated then, the story becomes many people are spiritually blind, that is blind to what God wants them to do + What does Jesus do for the people who do not understand the importance of God in their lives, that is, who are spiritually blind? - he allows them to see if they want to - and so Jesus’ question is very important: Do you believe that I can do this? - that is, is Jesus important to you - and if the answer is yes, then the spiritual blindness can be cured - anyone who has confidence in Jesus can cure their spiritual blindness + That confidence has certain characteristics, which are suggested here in the readings today - it will be a confidence that shows itself in patient waiting with sincere belief that things will get better— - as Isaiah promised the Israelites - he promises a “rosy” picture of what life will be like - we might not know how things will get better, and they may not be better according to my exact wants - but things will get better + Confidence in Jesus implies a willingness to allow Jesus to touch us as the blind men in the Gospel - that is, we allow his thoughts, words and actions to mean something to us - so that his life becomes the pattern - morality then finds definition in what Jesus sets up by his life - so that this attitude is much deeper than “what would Jesus do” - it is studying Jesus life’ as if he gives us the pattern for doing things - the deeply spiritual life obviously will be the place where the pattern of Jesus’s life becomes extremely important - and something that you and I should strive for— - to know the pattern of what Jesus said and did so that it becomes the measure by which we determine how well we are doing + And thirdly, we have to respond - as the blind men had to say “yes” - there must be action involved in our belief - we have to be able to see our response to Jesus - pointing to something in my life where I am deliberately living the message of Jesus right here, right now + Some of the characteristics of a person who shows confidence in Jesus given to us today: he/she is patiently believing that things will get better in some way - secondly, that we allow Jesus’ life to be a pattern for us - and thirdly, that we respond by doing something - we do that and we are well on our way to curing spiritual blindness.

MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: "Kings and Queens" -- Ava Max NO DAMSEL IN DISTRESS

The Gospel

LUKE 23:55-56;24:1,10

Luke 23:55-56;24:1,10a

The women who had come from Galilee with Nicodemus followed behind, and when they had seen the tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it, they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils. But at daybreak on the first day of the week they took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James.

Gospelthink: Among my first followers were women who were not afraid at my Resurrection and served me well. Am I serving the Lord as best I can in my life?

"If all of the kings had their queens on the throne, we would pop champagne and raise a toast to all the queens who are fighting alone. You’re not dancin’ on your own. Can’t live without me, you wanna, but you can’t. Think it’s funny, but honey, can’t run this show on your own. I’ll show you how a real queen behaves. No damsel in distress, don’t need to save me. Once I start breathin’ fire, you can’t tame me. Disobey me, then, it’s off with your head, gonna change it and make it a world you won’t forget.”

One of the characteristics of Luke's Gospel is his attention to the women who were part of Jesus' life. According to Luke, they accompanied Jesus as he ministered to the people, and they were the first to hear of the Resurrection of Jesus at his empty tomb. In the Roman society in which Jesus grew up and lived, women were not that important, but Luke's Gospel account gives the picture that Jesus's followers were both men and women. Even though there was some danger at being associated with Jesus, both men and women were willing to serve him in a way that would be helpful.

As we study the history of the human race, we easily recognize that women were often treated with little respect. They were often treated as chattel, sources of pleasure for men, and nothing more than what was necessary in order to continue our existence on earth. They were said to be part of "mankind," often not recognized as anything except to be a helpmate to man.

Thankfully, that human race is gradually coming to an understanding of not only the importance of women, but also the fact that they are equal to men. Often popular music will acknowledge women, teaching our modern minds some necessary knowledge about the sexes. Ava Max's latest song does exactly that, saying that men "can't run this show" on their own. Women are no longer damsels in distress because they are forces in their own right. Now, they can change the world into something that we won't forget, a world that is good for men and women.

Because of the way our world thinks as we move into relationships, women are too often "used" by men in order to bring about what men want in their world. We absolutely need reminders like Ava Max's song to recognize that everyone on our earth should have the respect that God has extended to all.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, thank you for making us part of this human race and for everything it means, both good and not so good. Give us the grace to recognize the importance of each of us, women and men, as we live in our world. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Sometimes women do not receive the respect they deserve.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What does the song "Kings and Queens" teach young people?
2. The women who witnessed Jesus's Resurrection were courageous as they carried out their love of the Lord. In general, do Christians show that the Lord is important to them in their actions? Yes or no and why?
3. Do you agree with the feminist movement in our world? Yes or no and why?
4. Why do you think women have not received the respect they deserve in our history?
5. In the society in which you live, do women receive the respect they deserve? Yes or no and why?
6. In the dating patterns in your locale, do women tend to be "aggressive" as the couples begin relationships? Yes or no and why?