may 13

May 13

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Wednesday, May 13, Easter Weekday

JOHN 16:12-15

The Spirit that I will send will instruct you.

Prayerthoughts
a. The apostles were not ready to hear the complete message of Jesus. I have the advantage of having the whole message. As I study the Christian message, what are the most important messages and how do they apply to me?

b. The Holy Spirit will guide us to truth, meaning the truth of Jesus. But speaking in general of truth, am I a truthful person always? What are the times when I am not truthful and honest?

c. The Holy Spirit will guide us to the message of Jesus. What are the different guides to my life right now? The Christian message should be the most important guide, but is it truly? Who or what do I truly follow?

d. Once we have received the Christian message, we will be part of the Trinity—God, Son and Spirit. Do my actions, say yesterday, show that I am truly part of God’s direction?

e. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will read Acts of the Apostles 17:15,22–18,1 and write an important thought from it.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH

+ Paul, in a beautiful sermon in the city of Athens during the second missionary journey

- speaks of the God that Paul now makes known to the Athenians

- it is the God in whom we move and have our being

- that God was the God that Jesus talked about, his “Father” as he calls him in John’s Gospel

- it is that same God who together with Jesus sends the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, as Jesus describes it in the Gospel

+ If we really believe in this God, we can expect many things

- one of them would be guidance

- specifically, Jesus says in the Last Supper discourse, guidance to the truth

- Jesus saying that

The Spirit of truth will guide you to all truth.

+ Our Christian mind will lead us to the question of just what is that truth that that Spirit will guide us to?

- Paul gives the fundamental theological truth in the sermon to the Athenians

- we must turn to the God who is now known to us, the God who is not made by human hands

+ Such a truth is not only “theological,” but it leads to something quite practical

- Paul also gives that in his sermon to the Athenians

- we must repent, that is, reform our lives according to the teachings of that God in whom we live and have our being

+ As believers, we have accepted the truth—the God of the universe, as Paul describes him

- we have accepted Jesus and the Holy Spirit as Jesus describes it during the Last Supper discourse

- acceptance of theology is not our problem

- our problem comes in the practical side of theology

- repenting

- acknowledging that we are sinners, and then attacking the sources of sinfulness that are part of our lives

- the anger, the words, the judgment of others, the bitterness, etc.

+ We are privileged to have the truth, and believe it

- now we are called to live out that truth in practical spiritual lives.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "Jason Bourne" -- final session

A DIFFICULT LESSON

Gospel

MARK 15:6-15

MARK 15:6-15

Now on the occasion of the feast he used to release to them one prisoner whom they requested. A man called Barabbas was then in prison along with the rebels who had committed murder in a rebellion. The crowd came forward and began to ask him to do for them as he was accustomed. Pilate answered, “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” For he knew that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate again said to them in reply, “Then what do you want me to do with the man you call the king of the Jews.” They shouted again “Crucify him.” Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” They only shouted the louder, “Crucify him.” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them and, after he had Jesus scourged, handed him over to be crucified.

Gospelthink: I suffered greatly because of other people's selfishness. Am I too selfish in the way I act and speak?

David Webb discovered that he was made into the operative Jason Bourne to work with the CIA, but he did not know the circumstances behind the action. Through the help of others, he discovered that Robert Dewey, the CIA Director, was responsible for his father's death. He decided to search him out, presumably prepared to take his revenge out on the Director. Meanwhile the agent called The Asset who was the real killer of his father as ordered by Dewey, was trying to kill Webb because Webb had discovered the truth. When David found out he allowed himself to be overcome with revenge.

The classic case of revenge in the Gospels is given to us in the Passion accounts of the evangelists. Mark in his account specifically mentions that it was out of "envy" or revenge that the chief priests stirred up the crowd to shout for the release of Barabbas and the death of Jesus. The chief priests felt that Jesus had treated them wrongly, and they wanted to "get back at him" in some way. They caused his death.

Too often we see exactly that--death because of revenge--portrayed in the media of our day. We want to see "justice" done, even if people must take it into their own hands, and bring about someone's death. The feeling is even stronger when revenge will take the life of someone who had tried to kill them in the first place. Such is the case with the movie "Jason Bourne." Bourne had been treated unfairly from the very beginning of his association of the CIA, and when he had a chance to get back at the people responsible, he took it.

Our human natures react to injustice very strongly, especially when it is a personal thing. We do not like to be treated unfairly, and when we are, we want to "get back at" the other in some way. Jesus addressed that feeling in his life, telling us that there is to be no revenge, no matter what. Then he lived it out as he suffered at the end of his life. It is a difficult lesson, but one that every follower of Jesus must learn.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Son showed us the very difficult lesson of not showing revenge on those who mistreated Him. Give us the grace to learn His lesson especially when our human feelings tell us to be revengeful. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDELINES FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: The revenge that is presented by the media does not help us be better people.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 61 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking? Why?
2. In general, why is "jealousy" and "envy" wrong?
3. Is it true that "most people" act at times "out of revenge"? Yes or no and why?
4. The meditation identifies "envy" with "revenge." What is the difference between the two?
5. Certainly the most difficult time not to show revenge is a time when we or someone close to us have been hurt by another. In that situation, do you think that most Christians refrain from revenge? Yes or no and why?
6. In general, do Christians want to follow Jesus's direction and example not to show revenge? Yes or no and why?
7. What are good points of social media? What are the bad points?
8. Scene analysis: In your opinion, was Heather Lee honestly wanting to help Bourne? Yes or no and why?
9. Instead of killing The Asset or Dewey, was there another option for Bourne? Yes or no and why?
10. In your opinion, does the desire to go higher in an organization always occupy the mind of people in authority in that organization? Yes or no and why?
11. What does the movie "Jason Bourne" teach young people?