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Gospel according to matthew essay
Gospel according to matthew essay
Study of the gospel of Matthew
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What happens in this Gospel reading? What is it about?
In this Gospel reading, Jesus tells his disciples about a rich man who has a steward who squandered his property. When the master finds out, he tells the untrustworthy steward he cannot work for him anymore and to hand in a full account of his stewardship. At first, the steward does not know what he will do after he loses his job. He then decides to call in all of his master’s debtors and secretly reduce their dues so they would hold him in high favor and offer him shelter when he loses his position. His master commends him for acting prudently.
Jesus then says that the children of the world (nonbelievers) are more prudent in their dealings in the world than the children of light (believers)
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Conversely, those who are dishonest with little wealth will also be untrustworthy with much wealth. He asks his disciples how those who fail to be honest with earthly wealth can ever be trusted with true wealth in heaven. He tells us we cannot serve God and mammon (material wealth). No one can have two masters because they will either hate or despise one and love or be devoted to the other.
How does it connect to Reading I, the Responsorial Psalm, & Reading II?
Reading I is a call to those who trample upon the needy and the poor. Those who despise the poor disgrace God. In the Gospel reading, we are called to be generous with our material wealth and donate to the needy. God loves both the rich and the poor equally and He will remember all those who oppress the poor. The Responsorial Psalm explains that God takes the poor and lifts them up to sit with the princes of his chosen people. God looks upon the poor highly because they are not corrupted by material wealth, however, they are still in great need, which is why we are to share in our goods. Finally, Reading II asks that the followers of Christ be prayerful, holy, and honest. These qualities must all be practiced and carried out together. If one is not honest, they cannot truly be holy or prayerful, therefore they cannot fully serve God. Similarly, if one fails to be holy and prayerful, one cannot be honest. As stated
In this teaching, Jesus is telling us that the treasures on earth is not the same as the treasures in heaven. We should be saying don’t waste your time on the so call riches of the earth that does not provide anything that will be useful when we leave this place. God says that if your treasures are stored on earth they can be broken and stolen from thieves. However, we must also allow ourselves to be humbled, teach and help others and ourselves on the path to
Douglass points out how St. Michael’s religious masters would rather see slave spend Sabbath “engaged in degrading sports” rather than “trying to learn to read the will of God.” The slaveholders clearly did not finish reading the Bible because Mark 16:15 states, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” With complete disregard of that verse, slaveholder and the law condemns slaves for trying to read. Despite that, Douglass, out the kindness of his heart, tries to teach a group of slaves in a small Sabbath church to read the Bible. Douglass’s charitable act should be a role model, a perfect example for Christian everywhere; however, Wright Fairbanks and Garrison West “rushed in upon them with sticks and stones.” Slaveholders would rather hold weapons to steer slave away from God instead toward God “with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people” (Revelation
In the article “God’s Heart for the Poor,” Dr. Jay W. Richards, a famous author, claims that Christians should have both heart and mind in order to help the poor and become a true, good neighbor. He uses some Bible verses to teach the readers about the importance of being a good neighbor and uses The Piety Myth to explain how Christians should “exercise prudence” and connects this concept to the economics.
However, when it comes to some of the lower members within their society; true actions are shown. 16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. 17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. 18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
In observation throughout history society seems to have a common denominator, Psalm 49 addresses the common denominator, our misplaced trust in wealth and how our choices regarding wealth impact our relationship with God. Throughout our humankind history our preoccupation with wealth has become our nemesis. Our preoccupation with greed and wealth is established in how we sustain and account for our breaking our covenant and commandment to not have other Gods before our God, in our embracing other idols, and in our covetousness in seeking what our neighbor possesses. Our misplaced trust in wealth is the basis for the problems and choices we encounter within our lifetime in our observations as it plays out daily within society while undoing the moral constructs present within our daily existence. It is the slow unraveling and undermining of a society who chooses to misplace trust in wealth.
... What it really means is that your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body are where the dispossessed are. Your mind, soul, and heart need to be reconciled to God.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, and to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.(Biblegateway)” Reading this passage, I have felt that this verse calls out to God’s people to be His hands and feet. In the book, “Good News About Injustice,” it states it well, “The great miracle and mystery of God is that he calls me and you to be a part of what he is doing in history. He could, of course, with no help from us proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ with lifeless stones, feed the entire world with five loaves and two fish, heal the sick with the hem of his garment, and release
For instance, Leviticus 25:35 states, “’if your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you” (ESV). As a Christian, a person is called to help those who are struggling, and speaks of giving everything a person has to help those around him or her. According to the Jacob Riis film, citizens turned a blind eye to all those suffering, without a home or food. It also states in Proverbs 22:2, “…the rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all” (ESV). God created everyone on the Earth, and did not create one group to feel superior over another. The last passage that represents the other half is Proverbs 28:6, “ Better is poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways” (ESV). A man can be as poor as can be, but wealth does not make you better in the eyes of God.
His message takes on the position by asking the question, “Perhaps the reason of salvation appearing more difficult to the rich than to the poor men, is not single but manifold”. (Wogaman 34) This question of manifold concerning the rich was illustrated “that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven”. (Wogaman 34) He explains that one’s life experiences shape both the rich and the poor, shaping how one may process of one’s salvation. Clement of Alexandria makes no exception of one’s economic status but he does share what the varied differences were of the rich and poor. He expresses to the poor, “cringe to them for their own avaricious ends, must first by the word relieve them of their groundless despair, and show with the requisite explanation of the oracles of the Lord that the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven it not quite cut off from them if they obey the commandants…” (Wogaman 34). He goes on to explain to the rich, “the man that has been invested with worldly wealth proclaim himself excluded at the outset from Savior’s list, provided he is a believer and one who contemplates the greatness of God’s philanthropy; nor let him, on the other hand, expect to grasp the crowns of immortality without struggle” … (Wogaman 34) Clement of Alexandria writing clearing gives clear and concise
In today’s society, Christianity is plagued with many disagreements about how to deal with current issues in society. These problems arise from the fact that Christians have the same fundamental beliefs, but they often disagree on the details. This is the reason why there is a panoply of denominations in the Christian faith. The way that many of the factions in Christianity interpret the word of God can be categorized into different styles of gospel, such as evangelicalism and fundamentalism. One such category that is beginning to gain popularity in today’s society, often taught in megachurches, is Prosperity Gospel. Prosperity Gospel, also called the “Health and Wealth Gospel” by Scot McKnight’s internet article “The Problem for the Prosperity Gospel,” is the belief that if humans adhere to God’s will, then He will in turn bless them with prosperous lives (McKnight). This prosperity often comes in the form of health and wealth according to many megachurches that preach this gospel. In times of economic strife, the prosperity gospel offers comfort in the hopes of having a prosperous future. It is also suspected that Prosperity Gospel has also become an outlet for the people who have a considerable amount of money as a means to justify their wealth. Whatever the reason for believing this gospel, it is important to remember that Prosperity Gospel is just one of the many ways that we can interpret the teachings of the Bible.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the first Beatitude. It tells us that we should accept people for who they are and not the material things they have. You should not treat a person who lives in a nice house and drives a nice car any different then someone who lives in a less desirable house and drives an old car. You should treat everyone how you would like to be treated.
The Gospel itself was most likely written to a mostly Gentile, urban audience and consistently shows a preferential option for the poor. Readers see numerous instances where the author depicts Jesus as claiming the poor as those who will receive the blessings of Heaven and instructing his followers about the dangers of possessions and wealth. It is obvious that the evangelist was concerned with how his or her local community was responding to the poor and how they were gaining and using their wealth.
In Luke, we see that Jesus’ purpose in ministry is to “proclaim good news to the poor.” At many points throughout the gospels, Jesus instructs his disciples and followers to care for the poor. One such passage appears in Matthew 19. In this passage we see a young man questioning Jesus on the way to gain eternal life. Jesus responds with, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” Here, we see a direct example of what can be done to care for the poor. We see that a person’s attachment to their possessions leads to blocked generosity to the poor. Jesus’ example certainly portrays a concern for, and responsibility to the
Christianity and Wealth 'Jesus said to the rich young man, "Go, sell all that you have and