don't

March 11

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Wednesday, March 11, Lent III

MATTHEW 5:17-19

I tell you to keep all the commandments.

Prayerthoughts
a. The law of Jesus fulfills the Ten Commandments given to Moses. Therefore, I should know the Commandments and what they mean in light of Jesus’s words.

b. We should recognize the law of Jesus to be of paramount importance. List three statements of Jesus that I should pay most attention to.

c. Most scholars would say that the law of Jesus was primarily the law of love. How do I rate my life right now in terms of love of God and others?

d. The Lord refers to scandal as he talks of how people obey his law. Is there any time in my life in which I scandalize others?

e. The two parts of being “great” in Jesus’s eyes are a person who “obeys” the law and “teaches” the law. Do I see myself as doing these two directives?

f. My prayerthoughts:

Today I will read Deuteronomy 4:1,5-9 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

THE LAW OF JESUS

+ The Hebrew law has been looked on in various ways in the Old and New Testaments

- Moses looked at it with the highest reverence—as God’s word, taking the place of God here on earth

- Paul was to look at it as necessary for a while, but unnecessary now

- Matthew as he wrote his Gospel, looked upon it as Moses did with the addition that it now is totally fulfilled with the law of Jesus Christ

- the Hebrew law now is to be looked on only as a “helper” to the Christian vision

+ The history of the Law and its importance is interesting enough,

- now in our Christian spirituality, we concentrate on the new law, the law of Jesus Christ, contained in the Gospels

- and as we do that, we can concentrate on the way the Hebrew Law was understood by the Hebrew people, only considering their words and ideas now to be applied to the law of Jesus:

+ As can be seen from the Deuteronomy reading:

- the law of Jesus must first of all be heard

- we have to know what it says

- once again, the importance of reading the Word of God and concentrating on what it says

- and it must be taught

- the importance of education, both of our children, and probably more importantly, our adults

- adults must understand as completely as possible what Jesus said so that families can be formed in light of it

- incidentally, in my opinion, this is the most crying need in the Church today

+ According to the Sermon on the Mount of Matthew’s Gospel (from which today’s Gospel is taken), the law of Jesus is absolutely paramount

- it is the final word, that which is referred to as the absolute answer

- primarily that law is written with the idea of love

- love of God and love of neighbor

- saying therefore that the absolute ethical standard for living

- the final reference, the guide for everything that we do must be true love of God and neighbor

- therefore: every action of our day today

- every word that we say

- every thought that we think

- if we are to be Christian, must be governed completely by love of God and neighbor

+ Knowing and keeping the law of Jesus is necessary if we really want to follow Jesus.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Don't Wanna Know" -- Maroon 5 featuring
Kendrick Lamar

PRETENDING AND REALITY

The Gospel

MARK 12:38-40

In the course of Jesus's teaching he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation."

Gospelthink: There is evil in the world, and I condemn it. Do I give in to some of the evil around me?

"I don’t wanna know who’s taking you home and loving you so, the way I used to love you." He’s spending his time drinking and he’s wondering whether she is thinking of him and whether she is happy. But he continues to say that he does not want to know.

Jesus knew well what "pretending to be something that one is not" would do. He realized that the religious leaders of his day, the Scribes, were doing exactly that--they were pretending that they were holy, reciting "lengthy prayers", and actually they were cheating the people who were poor. They were not searching their consciences to discover what they were really doing, thus bringing about evil in their actions.

Such is why pretending is wrong. One does not face a relatively obvious truth and therefore there will be some type of pain, either their own or someone else's. Denial of reality is an easy avenue to choose because we sense that it is difficult to choose to know the truth.

In Maroon 5 and Kendrick Lamar's song "Don't Wanna Know," the man in the relationship is choosing the easy way out of a painful situation, namely pretending that there is nothing wrong. But in the end, revelation of the truth will cause more pain because it will be clear that the lady in the relationship has no interest in pretending the way the man wants.

Knowledge of the truth is paramount in any relationship, no matter how difficult it may be to listen to it. Our human natures are often into temporary relief of pain by denying the obvious, but the pain that this causes is not temporary. It will continue and the only way that we will find relief is to face exactly what is happening, namely the truth. Pretending that something is not so only causes more pain.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Son knew that the religious leaders of his day were only pretending to be holy. Give us the grace to desire to know the truth, no matter how difficult it may be to accept it. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Pretending that everything is just fine when it is not will never solve a problem..

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Who in our world are most like the Scribes described in the Gospel? Why?
2. What are the principal reasons why "drinking alcohol" will not solve a problem?
3. In your opinion, do many people honestly "search their consciences" to discover why they are doing certain things? Yes or no and why?
4. In your opinion, do you think that many people simply "deny" the truth? Yes or no and why?
5. In love relationships, in your opinion, do many couples "pretend" in their relationship? Yes or no and why?
6. Are there instances in which "telling the truth" is not advised? Yes or no and why?
7. In general, what is the fundamental reason why people do not tell the truth?
8. What does the song "Don't Wanna Know" teach young people?