tgimmcheap

July 30

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Thursday, July 30

MATTHEW 13:47-53

I tell you the story of the net thrown into the sea.

Prayerthoughts
a. Jesus continues his parables, using a story that fishermen can easily understand. What is my profession right now? Am I doing my best to make the Lord part of it, that is, to do everything that I do with the Lord's directives in mind, primarily, love?

b. The conclusion to the Lord's story about the net is that at the final judgment, the evil will be punished. What evils influence me the most, and have I completely resisted them?

c. Do I completely understand what the Lord wants for me? Formulate a directive that I would like to follow for the rest of my life.

d. What are the three or four most practical Christian directives that Jesus has given to me?

e. My prayerthoughts...

Today I will read Jeremiah 18:1-6 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

HOW GOD WORKS IN OUR LIVES

+ Jesus’s parable of the dragnet is very similar to the parable of the weeds

- its main point is at the end of the world, there will be wicked and just, the worthwhile and the useless

- God will separate the two and there will be punishment and reward

+ And Jeremiah’s every day experience parable adds an important thought that is also clear from Jesus’ teachings in the New Testament

- that is the fact that while we are here

- if we use the grace that we have, we will change our lives

- in Jeremiah’s language—give yourselves over to the hand of God “like clay in the hand of the potter,” and you will be in God’s hand

- in New Testament language—if we use the gifts of grace that we have, we will find ourselves in the hands of God

+ We learn to do that and we will truly understand God in our lives

- one of the marks of a good disciple in Matthew’s Gospel for Matthew the teacher

- is that he/she truly understands what God is saying

Do you understand all these things? -- Yes

- then the final parable sums up the whole thought of parables here in this special section of Matthew’s Gospel:

Every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven

- will recognize that good behavior is directed by both the old and the new, that is, the Old Testament and what Jesus is teaching

+ Studying the stories and parables of Jesus and the stories of the Old Testament as well is the way we grow in the spiritual life

- with each story, we automatically place ourselves into the situation

- trying to see where we fit, how we act, etc.

- and as Matthew’s good disciple, we continually try to understand.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Cheap Thrills" -- Sia

I GOT ALL I NEED

The Gospel

LUKE 12:31-34

Jesus said: “Seek his kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides. Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”

Gospelthink: I tell you to seek the Kingdom that our God gives us. Am I following the laws of the Kingdom in my life?

"Come on, turn the radio on. It’s Friday night and I won’t be long. Gotta do my hair, I put my make-up on. I won’t be long till I hit the dance floor. I got all I need. No, I ain’t got no cash. I don’t need dollar bills to have fun tonight. I love cheap thrills. I don’t need no money as long as I keep dancing.”

Using Jesus's words, "Sell your belongings and give alms," together with Sia's words, "I got all I need," one produces a pattern for a true Christian. Jesus is exhorting his followers to stay away from too many material things and give them to those in need; Sia is giving the reason to give them up, namely, because we have all we need to have a happy life.

Granted, they are speaking of different things altogether, but the overall message is a good one. Even something as enjoyable as dancing which can be done without too much money, is part of a simple formula for happiness. Material wealth does not play a major role in dancing. As we think of what is truly important in life, material goods and money should play a minor part; our real treasure must lie in the realm of treasure in heaven, that is, a good life. At the same time, celebrating a good life must include a time to relax, and often dancing can supply such a moment.

Dancing, the subject of Sia's song "Cheap Thrills," usually has nothing to do with money, but it is a means of enjoying life. Spiritual happiness interestingly enough has nothing to do with money either. In fact, Jesus knew that too much money could easily block the path to the real treasure that we should be working toward, namely eternal life. Consequently, he tells his followers not to worry about material goods as they seek their treasure--"Sell your belongings." He also gave what might be called the essence of the spiritual life--namely to "give" to others.

If one adopts the attitude of "having all we need" and therefore giving away the things that are "more than we need," we are well on our way to the true treasure in life.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Son knew that too many belongings were not good for us, and so he told us to give them away and help those in need. Help us spend our time here on earth always seeking the real treasure of eternal life. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: We do not need money to enjoy life.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us to "seek the kingdom." What is the meaning of his directive?
2. Why is "money" such an important part of life?
3. In your opinion, do people in general seek too much money? Yes or no and why?
4. Why is "dancing" an important part of having fun?
5. Jesus obviously does not mean that we should give away all of our belongings. To live a happy life, what are the things that we really need?
6. In your opinion, what are the principal parts of the treasure that Jesus is referring to?
7. In general, why does "too much money" block the pathway to eternal life?
8. Why is "giving to others" so important as one seeks the spiritual life?
9. What does the song “Cheap Thrills” teach young people?