October 3

[media presentation below]

GospelThink

Thursday, October 3

LUKE 10:1-12
Help everyone understand the Kingdom of God.

Prayerthoughts
a. A spiritual thought with these "seventy-two" is that we are part of them sent to announce the Kingdom wherever we are. Am I fulfilling my mission well?

b. "Like lambs among wolves." In many ways, we are part of a hostile world. In my own little world, where do I see the most hostility, and besides praying for it, is there anything I can do?

c. Jesus wanted his Apostles to travel "light" because he did not want material things to hold back the message that they were to preach. As I live in the world, are there material things that are holding me back from God’s presence? What can I do about it?

d. The Lord wants the thought of peace to surround our encounter with others. As I study what I have done, am I trying to spread peace?

e. Obviously, I cannot heal the sick in my acquaintance. But do I show signs of personal concern—a card, a visit, etc.—to the people that I know who are ill?

f. Jesus tells us that if people do not receive the message, we simply let God take care of it. Do I think of revenge too much in my life?

g. My prayerthoughts…

Today, I will write a prayer for all missionaries in our world.

Some Thoughts on the Liturgy

PREPARING FOR JESUS

+ In Luke’s Gospel, the Apostles need further help to do their job

- and it is described by Luke as 72 (or 70 in some manuscripts) whose job it is to prepare the people for Jesus

- it is an interesting question as to how they would get out of their livelihood work for a while

- there must have been some type of sacrifice on their part to help Jesus and the Apostles

+ It also brings up the interesting question of how they were to prepare for Jesus’ coming into the town

- what would they say about Jesus; how would they go about it

- it brings up a pretty good meditation for us as we question how we prepare for Jesus’ coming into our own little world

- there are a couple elements/characteristics that will always be present as one prepares for the coming of Jesus into a place or into a person

- there are a number of ways really, but this Liturgy calls to mind a couple in particular

1 – Our message as we prepare for Jesus is primarily two things as Jesus tells the disciples:

- cure the sick: we must do our best to bring about physical and mental well-being in our lives

- announce the Kingdom: we must do our best to make sure people know about the presence of God in our world

2 – It is a ministry that will rely totally on God

- Jesus tells his disciples that they are to take nothing for your journey, but to trust in God

- this is one of most difficult directives for the Christian, because we would much rather rely on ourselves

- but we have to establish the attitude of Job – “I know that my Vindicator lives” in every circumstance

3 – We have to realize that there will not always be total acceptance of the Christian approach

- Jesus warns his disciples that some towns will not receive them

- if the Christian approach is real, then there will be conflict: people will not agree

- but a plus element to it: Jesus is establishing a Kingdom in which wolves will lie down with lambs, the image of Isaiah

4 – If we are turned away, and that will happen, or hurt by someone, simply leave, but make sure that they know what they are rejecting

- make sure they know that the Kingdom is still part of our world

+ Because we are spiritual people, we are called to prepare for Jesus’ coming in some way

- we may not be called to specifically announce Jesus’ coming as the Apostles and the 72 of Luke’s Gospel were

- but we are called to prepare for Jesus in our own lives that we live.

MEDIA PRESENTATION

Movie: "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, part 2" --
final session

THE GOOD THAT LOOKS LIKE EVIL

The Gospel

LUKE 11:24-26

Jesus said, “When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’ But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that person is worse than the first.”

Gospelthink: Evil is persistent and you must always be prepared to work against it. Is there some evil in my life that I have not addressed as I should?

As the special force move on the Capitol, Katniss and Gale moved toward the presidential mansion. As they approached the Capitol, the rebels arrived to fight the Peacekeepers of the Capitol. Everything turned to chaos as more bombs were dropped, seemingly by the Capitol forces of President Snow. During the exchange Katniss' sister Prim was killed and Katniss was wounded. When Katniss woke up, she was under the care of her mother; the rebellion had triumphed, and Katniss was called upon to punish President Snow for his treachery. In the meantime, the rebellion leader Coin had made herself President, and was set to take charge of the new kingdom of Panem. It was clear that she would be a tyrant leader exactly as Snow was, even having killed children, Prim among them, as the rebel forces won. Consequently, during the execution, Katniss executed Coin instead of Snow. She and Peeta were exiled to their own District Twelve, and would be exonerated after the democratic elections took place.

One of the most insidious acts of the evil one often happens after its apparent defeat. Jesus tells us that evil continues to function even when it looks like it has been overcome. In other words, when we want to conquer the evil around us or within us, we must continually be aware that the evil will not rest. The people who look for good must always work against the evil.

On a national scale, as exemplified in the movie "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, part 2," it often comes after the defeat of one tyrant. The victor will often be nothing more than another "tyrant" mainly because of the human being's incessant desire for power. President Coin would prove to be nothing more than another "President Snow" and perhaps only the "Mockingjay" was aware of the evil.

When we apply the thought of the movie to everyday life, it becomes a study of the desire for power. We are a people who gravitate toward power, and one of the temptations that we experience is the possibility of wanting more and more power even as we try to bring about good in our own little worlds. Evil will destroy everything it can, and one of the ways it works is to get into the minds of a good person, and infect it in such a way that the evil can appear to be a good.

If our world is to become better than it is, the players in it--you and I--must always be aware that we can be the instrument of bringing about evil.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, as we attempt to follow Your Son, we will try to bring about good in our lives and the lives around us, but we can become evil ourselves in the way we work for good. Give us the grace to understand our motivation. Be with us, we pray.

+++++

GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Replacing a tyrant with another tyrant remains an evil.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 64 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking and why?
2. Give an example from history of a victor becoming nothing more than a tyrant.
3. What are some ways that you can think of that will purify our motives?
4. What does the movie "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, part 2" teach young people?