arrival1

July 31

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Friday, July 31

MATTHEW 13:54-58

The people of Nazareth thought they knew Jesus but they were too familiar with him.

Prayerthoughts
a. The people were wondering about Jesus’s wisdom. Where do I look for the most wisdom in today’s world?

b. The people of Nazareth knew Jesus too well, and therefore they could not see him as anyone important. In my thoughts, do I consider others less important than I am?

c. The people of Nazareth rejected Jesus. I obviously do not reject Jesus, but there may be some teachings that I am not listening to.

d. Jesus did not “punish” the people in Nazareth. Do I tend to hold grudges against people who do not agree with me?

e. Jesus only helped a couple of people because in general, their faith was lacking. Perhaps this is a good time to make an act of faith.

f. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read Jeremiah 26:1-9 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

LISTENING TO WHAT WE SHOULD LISTEN TO

+ Both readings today depict what happens when you say difficult words to people

- from Jeremiah—“Kill the messenger”: “You must be put to death.”

- from Matthew—they closed their minds to him:

They took offense at him.

+ It might be good to dwell for a few minutes on what the people listened to in the readings and what they did not listen to

- in Jeremiah, they listened to the threat of destruction

- the people did not want to listen to Jeremiah/Yahweh talk about obeying the law and listening to the prophets

- but they heard that they would be destroyed, and they could argue with that

- this is a familiar situation for human nature

- we don’t want to listen to personal improvements that have to be made

- instead: we concentrate on whether it is fair that we be punished

+ In Matthew’s story of Jesus, the people listened to him as one that they knew well

- rather than listen to him talk about the kingdom and personal improvements

- they pay attention to the fact that they know him well

- again: people do not want to listen to anything that had to do with personal improvements

+ There is one very big lesson for the spiritual life here

- we don’t like to listen to someone suggesting that we change some of our personal behaviors

- we don’t like it when people say: you really should do this, this is the way you should give your time or your money

- our human natures rebel against personal direction when we don’t ask for it

- but that is the very thing we should be listening to

+ We must listen to the difficult things in the Scriptures and from others,

- the ones that suggest we change some things in our lives.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "Arrival" -- beginning session

HOW ABOUT WE JUST TALK

The Gospel

MARK 10:46-52

They came to Jericho. And as Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, son of David, have pity on me." And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me." Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage, get up, he is calling you." He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied to him, "Master I want to see." Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

Gospelthink: Faith is what matters in life. Is my faith in Jesus evident by the way I live?

Twelve spaceships had landed in various places on the earth. Everyone knew about them because the media instantly reported it. The military of the countries immediately took over, trying to determine what they wanted and why. Likewise immediately, they determined that their presence was hostile. In the United States, a ship had landed in Montana. The military called upon linguist Dr. Louise Banks and theoretical physicist Dr. Ian Donnelly to help them. They began the task to communicate with the aliens. As they did, the military machine of each of the regions of the earth decided to destroy the aliens. Banks and Donnelly discovered that the aliens were interested in communication and not in military advantage.

The blind man in Mark's Gospel wanted to communicate his woes to Jesus. He knew no other way than to cry out for help. His request was direct and to the point. There was no mistaking it. He wanted to see, and had been hoping to have that privilege for a long time. No matter what others may have thought, his faith in Jesus was the determining factor. As usual, the Lord rewarded such direct communication.

In the movie "Arrival," the visitors from another world wanted to convey to the people of earth the need that they had for some future help. They were willing to trade by giving to the people of the earth something first. Their intentions were not at all understood by many of the earth's populace because our thinking much of the time revolves around the threats that others give to our way of life. Dr. Louise Banks and Dr. Ian Donnelly were among the few who finally discovered that all the aliens wanted to do was talk and give us a gift.

The mind of a person entrenched in the human condition often looks to something sinister when we do not understand something. Dr. Banks in the movie says that perhaps we should start with simply talking to someone to see what they want before we jump to any other conclusions. One of the faults that may be ours is the automatic one to protect ourselves and leave alone the basic task of communicating with people that we do not know.

There is little doubt that communication is the first necessity for people to get along and exist together.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Son responded to the direct request of people because You as God always want to communicate with us. Help us understand the importance of direct communication in our different dealings with others. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: The first thing that we must learn is communication.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 52 minutes)
1. What scene during this session is most striking and why?
2. Analysis: the blind man "sprang up" to encounter Jesus even before he was cured. Do you think most Christians are anxious to hear the word of God in their lives? Yes or no and why?
3. Analysis: Viewed in a more extensive way, the words to Jesus, "I want to see," may have a deeper meaning. What should we "see" or understand most in our world?
4. Dialogue: "Your faith has saved you." In the context of the Gospel, what does the statement mean?
5. What would be your first reaction if the sighting of an UFO was confirmed? Why?
6. In general, why do we make the initial judgment that others are out to "hurt" us?
7. Dialogue analysis: Louise: "How about we just talk to them before throwing math problems at them?" This is the dialogue referred to in the meditation. What are the prerequisites to good communication?
8. In general, why is communication necessary for good existence?