March 24

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Monday, March 24, Lent III

LUKE 4:24-30

The people of my hometown rejected me.

Prayerthoughts
a. Jesus senses that there is jealousy involved as people speak about him. In my thoughts are there people of whom I am jealous? What can I do about it?

b. Do I tend to follow the people who are around me in the spiritual life? Without judging them, how can I try harder to grow in my own spiritual life?

c. Jesus refers to Elijah and Elisha who cured the widow and Naaman. They were also prophets who were working with their own people just as Jesus was. The people who did not agree with Jesus were merely making up reasons to dislike him. Our task is to help those around us if they need it. Is there anyone in my acquaintance I should pay more attention to?

d. The people of Nazareth rejected Jesus. I obviously do not reject him, but which of his teachings should I listen to more?

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

f. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read 2 Kings, chapter 5, and write
an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

A TRUE PROPHET

+ In the Gospel today, Jesus spoke the truth to his neighbors in Nazareth of Galilee

- they probably had come to the conclusion that even though he was different, he would fit into the pattern that they wanted him to follow

- suddenly, he was speaking about other people being just as important as they were: the widow in Sidon and Naaman, the subject of the first reading, were non-Jews

- and Jesus was accepting them, even implying that they would be more acceptable than the Jews

- once it became clear to them that he would not fit their mold, they were filled with fury and wanted to kill him

+ Jesus did not fit the mold of the religious leaders of Israel because he had an agenda that would be defined in terms of love and acceptance of everyone

- using a similar thought, Elisha in the first reading did not fit the role of a prophet and Naaman expected Elisha to behave in a certain way, and was ready to forget his cure even

+ Jesus and Elisha were prophets

- the classic definition of a prophet is someone who comforts the disturbed, and disturbs the comfortable

- both sides of the definition are important to us who want to improve our spiritual lives

+ Our primary message must be to comfort the disturbed, that is, the Christian idea of caring about others

- for us, it is the message of Jesus, the message of love—everyone is important

+ And secondly, we who want to improve our spiritual lives are called to disturb the comfortable

- and we do that by our example

- we are saying to people: look at us—we believe in God, and we are proving it by our lives, and our cry to them is: “so should you”

+ A prophet is someone who comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comfortable

- part of a growing spiritual life is the idea of being a prophet.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Song: "Birds of a Feather” – Billie Eilish

ARE YOU SURE?

The Gospel

MATTHEW 19:3-6

MATTHEW 19:3-6

Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?” He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”

Gospelthink: Married couples should keep their word and live together forever.

“I want you to stay 'til I'm in the grave 'til I rot away, dead and buried, ‘til I'm in the casket you carry. If you go, I'm goin' too 'cause it was always you and if I'm turnin' blue, please don't save me. Nothin' left to lose without my baby. Birds of a feather we should stick together. And I don't know what I'm cryin' for; I don't think I could love you more. It might not be long, but I'll love you 'til the day that I die, ‘til the light leaves my eyes, ‘til the day that I die.”

Sarah and Wayne will never forget their wedding day for several reasons, but especially how it started with the Church ceremony. They had asked a friend of Sarah’s mother to be the minister of their wedding in the local Methodist church. Everything was going as planned up until their answer to the question, “Will you love and honor each other as long as you both shall live.” They had answered as they had been instructed with the words “We will.” It was after that that things became different from anything they had ever expected.

The minister was supposed to say to them to join their hands for the vows as they had practiced, but he let everything become quiet. He didn’t say a word, almost like he forgot what he was to say. Then, after about 30 seconds—it seemed like 30 minutes to them and everyone in church—the minister looked at both of them directly and said “Are you sure?” And he went on to say that this was their last chance before they died to make a choice of a partner for life. “You’d better be certain,” he said, “or your life will be miserable.”

Jesus did not have the occasion to offer a lesson as the minister did, but He meant the same. If you are going to be married, you have one choice to make and that is all you get. There is no such thing as divorce. Billie Eilish’s song “Birds of a Feather” is the statement of the choice that the person in song is making, and it is exactly what Jesus commanded in his words. Speaking the choice, they say, “I’ll love you til the day that I die.”

One is not certain of the setting of the words of the song, but it sounds like wedding vows. And if both of them mean it, the choice is made forever. Perhaps if more weddings were celebrated with the words inserted in the ceremony, “Are you sure,” the word “forever” might mean more than it does in every marriage ceremony.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, we pray for people who are married. May they live and love as true partners for life. Be with them, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: The word “forever” must mean something.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What does the song "Birds of a Feather" teach young people?

2. In today’s custom, is the church service the most important part of a wedding day?

3. What is most needed to make a marriage happy and why?

4. If a person chooses to have a divorce, what is most needed for the person?

5. In the song, it is presumed that both people agree on the thought “til I die.” Is it possible that one of the couples might not think that way? Yes or no and why?

6. In your opinion, does getting a divorce affect a person’s attitude toward life? Yes or no and why?

7. What can be done to help a person who has gone through a recent divorce?