In Matthew 8:21-22, Jesus orders a disciple to “let the dead bury their own dead” in response to a request from the disciple to go and bury his father. The full passage reads: “Another of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ 22But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead’” (Mt. 8:21-22). Although most theologians agree that Jesus is asking for a more loyal discipleship in this passage, there are other contended details and implications within this passage: Is Jesus too harsh in his response? Why does Jesus deny the disciple the opportunity to fulfill a commitment to Old Testament law? Why should discipleship be prioritized here? With all these questions, many theologians contest with one another over different conflicts. Taking all of these arguments into account, I assert that Jesus utilizes very radical language here merely in order to demonstrate the equally …show more content…
For example, the renowned pre-modern theologian, Origen, asserts “This statement ‘Let the dead bury their dead’ implies spiritually: Waste no more time on dead things. You are to ‘put to death therefore what is earthly in you: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry.’” In connecting Jesus’ commandment in Matthew 8:21-22 to a statement on sin in Colossians 3:5, Origen believes that Jesus’ words here do not speak to a conflict between discipleship and Old Law or any other issues of the sort. Instead, Jesus speaks to a greater issue of abandoning earthly commitments and desires. As Origen puts it “As for burying the body, there were many people who could have done this.” The concern with burial practices are not the main point of Jesus in my focus verses according to
“But you must admit, Pastor, that not every decree in the Bible makes sense in this day and age.” “Only because you [Moretti] are taking the verses out of historical context-“ “Mr. Lincoln,” Angela Moretti says flatly. “You did first.” (Sing You Home p.388)
Furthermore, Jesus says that those who do not hate their mothers and fathers cannot be disciples of him (Thomas 42:25-27). Likewise, in Luke, Jesus says that whomever comes to him and does not hate their family and life itself cannot be a disciple of his (Luke 14:26). In similar fashion, the gospel of Matthew recalls that Jesus said whoever loves their father, mother, son or daughter more than him is not worthy of him (Matthew 10:37). As discussed before, the language of each gospel is vastly different. While this is true, the message of each has the same point, Jesus wants to be the most loved by his disciples, even if that means that his followers hate their own families and lives. Again, it can be concluded that Jesus of Nazareth made this statement, as he felt his followers should love him most and have unwavering faith in him. If they did this, then they one could be granted access into the
Matthew chapter five is a sermon by Jesus. It tells us what perspective we ought to have in dealings with each other and with our attitude. Those who are weak shall be strong, and those who mourn shall be comforted tell of positive actions or humility being rewarded. Jesus goes through a list of these, exalting the poor and the weak. Mt. 5:17-20 is between the first section of what actions are righteous and before the section of what seem to be his own version of commandments relative to the law. It says that all shall be done and judged through and by him. So he gave a perspective on the humble and then judged the law. He tells people to be righteous and then tells them the manner in which to achieve righteousness. It included removing anything from your life that brought you away from Christ. If your eyes were causing you temptation to sin, poke them out. All you do ought to be done in Christ and to glorify God the Father, so whatever didn't achieve those things were not to be done and one should do whatever necessary to stop them.
"But this too is true," Tim O 'Brien 's narrator insists in the first line of the chapter that concludes The Things They Carried: "Stories can save us" (224). Entitled "The Lives of the Dead," this final chapter thus begins with a promise not only of healing, but of redemption as well. Stories, the narrator suggests, can heal the traumatized veteran of the Vietnam War and provoke an amnesiac nation into "working through" its troubled past. If, as John Hellemann has written, "the legacy of Vietnam is the disruption of our story, of our explanation of the past and vision of the future" (x), then O 'Brien 's narrator apparently points "the disrupted story" and the nation toward a narrative cure. Such a reading of The Things They Carried, however,
Jesus, however, has many different beliefs. He believes there is a certain way to live in order to achieve the greater things in the afterlife. For doing the right thing for god is the way we all need to live. At times it can seem very radical. For example, Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount "Whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery," and "If you say, 'You fool, ' you will be liable to the hell of
The Gospel of Matthew is an eyewitness story written for an audience of believers, under great stress, and persecution. Matthew develops a theological plot incorporating genealogy, speeches, parables, inter and intra textual references, common vocabulary, and fulfillment quotations, with a tension that builds as we are invited into the story. The crucifixion and resurrection bring us to a Christological climax that symbolically points beyond its conclusion to God’s Kingdom, bringing atonement, salvation and the ushering in the Eschaton. The extraordinary events surrounding the crucifixion act as commentary, adding important details concerning the death of Jesus.1
Hall, Gerald. "Jesus' Crucifixon and Death." Academics' Web Pages. School of Theology at McAuley Campus. Web. 26 Feb. 2012.
It’s one long humid Sunday, and your sitting there listing to the Pastor drone on and on about sin. But his argument seems empty, so you open up your bible out of boredom. Turning to First John chapter three verse 3 and 4 you read, “Everyone who has this hope before him purifies himself, as Messiah (Christ) is pure. To commit sin is to break God’s law: sin, in fact, is lawlessness” (The New English Bible). The question forms in your mind burring to be asked and answered. Finally you get the Pastor’s ear and ask “What does this mean, here in First John 3:3-4? What law is John Talking about”? The Pastor pulls out a pat answer, “The Law of Christ”, he explains, is what the text is referring to. His answer is just as empty as the other responses he’s given you about many other subjects. You might be asking yourself some of these very good questions yourself, but do you ever find a satisfying answer? Did you ever get a logical answer? Has it always been some sort of an explaining away of your question? I can show you how man’s traditions, have blinded us like a set of rose colored glasses do, to what the scriptures say plainly.
The gospels explain Jesus’ life and death including His identity but also his activities, works, leadership and his suffering. Jesus is seen as a manifestation of God’s relationship with humans. An important fact about Jesus is the humility and modesty associated with his birth, upbringing and death. The fact that such a person ...
Matthew directed this passage toward the Matthean reader for it supplies instruction and a sense of warning to those who wish to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. “Matthew uses tension and surprise, in both form and content, to address this situation, while affirming that Jesus Christ, “God is with us,” is the defining figure around which the community’s self-understanding, imagination, and social relations are to be formed” (Saunders 871). By presenting the text in the form of a parable, the message of God’s will is omitted in a historical and cultural context that enables society to comprehend the meaning behind the words chosen by Matthew.
In Northeast Philadelphia on February 25,1957, an unidentified 4-6 year old was found beat up and vulnerable wrapped in a flannel and stuffed in a cardboard box dead. After being featured on “America’s Most Wanted” his identity remains unknown. The only name this little boy has is Boy in the Box (Pegg).
Robert Frost’s “Home Burial” is a very well written poem about a husband’s and a wife’s loss. Their first born child has died recently. Amy and her husband deal with their loss in two very different ways, which cause problems. Amy seems like she confines their child to the grave. She never seems to le go of the fact she has lost her first child. Amy’s husband buried their child himself. This allowed him to let go and live a normal life. Amy does not understand how he could do what he did. Therefore, she wants to have nothing to do with him, especially talk to him. He doesn’t understand why she can’t let go, and why she won’t talk to him. He tries to get her to tell him why, but she just wants to go to someone else. She will not talk to him or let him talk to her because he always speaks offensively. This lack of communication was there before the death, which I think will be the downfall of their marriage. Frost’s use of imagery and tone allow the reader to see and feel what Amy and her husband are going through.
...lled me to submit to that supervisor. Jesus empowered his disciples to perform tasks and go out and fulfill their calling.
When Jesus called His disciples, His invitation was simple. He invited them to follow Him. The same is true today. In Matthew 28, Jesus gave His last charge to His disciples, and the charge was simple. He called his followers to go and make disciples. Much effort has been placed by Christians to fulfill this charge, commonly referred to as the Great Commission. Jesus chose to fulfill the implementation of the New Covenant through 12 men who He called, appointed, and commissioned, and he only had a few short years to prepare them for the task (Willson, 1990). His methods were unconventional and were revolutionary for that time. His disciples were to be trained extensively by Jesus, living with Him for three years prior to His ascension. He taught about servant leadership and its meaning for both the leader and follower Matt. 20:25-28). From the beginning, Jesus put in place a careful plan, and an examination of His actions in the Gospels showed that Jesus left behind the pattern to be replicated. His methods, which included the incorporation of three different levels of discipleship, included His interaction with Peter, His closest three (Peter, James, and John), and finally the group of 12. This paper identified and analyzed the three levels of discipleship Jesus modeled, these discipleship methods were then measured against modern leadership theories, and Jesus’s level of involvement and interaction with his disciples were critiqued in light of these modern theories in an effort to determine the effectiveness of this approach.
...merciful, for they will be shown mercy" and "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" (Holy Bible, Matthew 5:3-11). These scriptures say a lot to us reinstating what Matthew has written in how we should live our lives and follow the laws stated by Jesus in The Greatest Commandment so that we can obtain our peace of heart and give our love, ourselves selflessly to God. For when Jesus answered this question, the religious leaders and the Pharisees knew that he had answered well. After this question was answered Jesus also asked and answered a question about his son ship to God and from then on his answers showed his wisdom and those that questioned him never dared to ask Jesus any more questions. They knew that he was the son of the Lord. All knew and understood that these two Greatest Commandments were to be the law and the prophecies to live by.