A BIBLE STUDY PLAN

Holy Family Cathedral, Sokoto
1965

LESSON 1: CREATION

Read Genesis 1:1 to 2:3. Notice the description of the second day, when God separated the water which is upon the ground from the water that is above (1:6-8). People long ago thought that the blue sky which we see on a sunny day was full of water, and that from this water rain clouds mere formed. The meaning of these verses is that both the water on the earth and the furthermost sky which we can see are God's work. In other words, both the earth and all of outer space are made by God.

The separation of the dry land from, the sea on the third day (1:9-10) completes the outline of the parts of the earth and of the universe. The rest of God's work was to fill in these parts. On the land he put grass and trees (1;11-13). In the sky he made the sun, the moon, and the stars (1:14-19). Then he created animals in the sea and in the air (1:20-23) and on the land (1:24-2.5). Lastly, he made man.

You could ask how did God create light on the first day, while he did not create the sun, the moon, and the stars until the fourth day. And you could ask how could there be day and night before the sun was made. But the inspired author was not trying to describe the exact order and length of time of the events. He only used six days as a convenient framework in which to arrange the parts of the universe and samples of everything in the universe, in order to show that God created it all.

God created man in his image and likeness (1:26). Think of what God is. He is the maker and master of heaven and earth. God made man like himself by giving man command over the world. Man should develop the earth and possess all its products for his food and his use. God blessed marriage also, so that man would multiply,

On the last day God rested (2:1-3). The Jews rested on the seventh day in honor of the day when God finished his creation. But from the time of the apostles Christians have rested on the first day (See Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2), the day Jesus rose from the dead, because this day is the beginning of a greater creation, the raising of man from the death of sin to the life of grace.

LESSON 2: MAN AND WOMAN

Read Genesis 2:4-9, 15-25. This chapter is another version of the story of creation. Just as we have four gospel accounts of the life of Christ, so we have two accounts of creation, Notice (2:5,15) that, as in the first chapter, man's work is to cultivate and develop the earth. He is master of the world under God and in imitation of God. This chapter goes on to show still more closely how man is the image of God: God made man from the dust of the ground (2:7). In fact, "Adam" is the word for "man" in the Hebrew language, coming from "adamah", which means "ground". Yet man is not an image of God because his body is made from the ground, but because he is a living body with the breath of life (2:7). The "breath of life" stands for man's soul, which is the reason for his freedom and his power over the rest of creation, and the reason why he is an image of God.

In the garden grew the tree of life (2:9). It is natural for man to die. But by eating the fruit of the tree of life which God gave him, man could go on living and never die.

God forbad Adam to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (2:16-17), Here knowing good and evil means deciding for oneself independently of God what is good and what is good and what is evil. This is the same as declaring oneself equal to God and independent of his law. But to cut oneself off from God is to cut oneself off from life. If man ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil he had to die.

In the story of the creation of woman (2:18-25) we see the second reason for marriage. It is not only that man may have children, but also that he may have a companion of his own kind. Notice the words "A man shall cling to his wife." The Bible does not say several "wives", but a single "wife". If Notice also the words "They shall be one flesh." When asked about divorce, Jesus referred to these words and said, "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together man shall not separate" (Matthew 19:6; Mark 10:8-9).

LESSON 3: THE FALL AND A PROMISE

Read Genesis 3:1-24. The serpent who tempted the woman stands for the devil. Even as he does today, the devil tried to make sin attractive and hide its evil consequences, The woman did not drive away the temptation, but kept looking at the tree and thinking about it until it seemed really possible for her to know good and evil as God does, while rejecting his commandments. Having this knowledge seemed worth losing God's friendship; so she sinned, and persuaded her husband to sin too. They soon realized that they were wrong, and were ashamed of themselves. They put on clothes to make themselves seem respectable.

"God was walking in the garden in the breeze of the day" (3:8). The Bible is speaking of God as if he were a man who owned a garden in which he took a daily walk, This form of expression does not mean that God has a body or breaths air, but is a way of describing how close Adam and his wife were to God before they sinned. They could approach him just as a man stops and talks with his friend when out for a walk. But after Adam and his wife sinned, they hid from God because their clothes were not nice enough to make them seem honorable before their Lord. If they had not sinned, they would have no need of clothes to give themselves dignity.

God first blamed Adam, because he had most responsibility. Adam could not excuse himself; nevertheless he passed the blame onto his wife (3:12). His wife, in turn, passed the blame onto the serpent (3:13). In cursing the serpent, God made a very important promise (3:15):

"I will set hostility between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers.

He will crush your head, and you will lie in wait for his heel."

The woman's greatest offspring would be Jesus Christ. The devil would try to strike at his heel by bringing about his crucifixion, but in doing so his own head would be crushed. Jesus' death and resurrection overcame the power the devil had in the world through sin and death. READ the fulfillment of this promise in Apocalypse 12:7-11, and 20:8-10.

The woman's having children was not a punishment (3:16), since before she sinned God promised her children as a blessing (1:28). Her punishment was the pains connected with bearing and raising children, The woman received a second punishment: "Your desire will be for your husband." She would want to be loved in return, "but he will rule over you." It is natural for a woman to love and obey her husband, but after she sinned, the commands she received from him would often be unpleasant and seem opposed to the love she expected.

God cursed the ground because of Adam (3:17). This did not make the ground God's enemy, but made it harder for Adam to work. He worked, of course, even before he sinned (1:28; 2:5,15), but now his work would often be unpleasant. The climax of all the punishments was death (3:10.).

Saint Paul explained the consequences of Adam's sin upon all his children:

"Through one man guilt came into the world; and, since death came owing to guilt,

death was handed on to all mankind by one man. Through him all became guilty" (Romans 5:12).

All men are born with original sin, that is, the guilt of Adam's sin. But Saint Paul also shows how original sin would be overcome: "If death began its reign through one man, owing to one man's fault, more fruitful still is the grace, the gift of justification, which bids men enjoy a reign of life through one man, Jesus Christ. Well then, one man makes amends, and it brings to all justification, that is, life. Just as many became guilty through one man's disobedience, so many will become acceptable to God through one man's obedience" (Romans 5:17-19).

The name "Eve" (3: 20) comes from a Hebrew word meaning "living". She and Adam now knew what was good and evil. But their knew from having experienced sin, not from accepting God's word. Therefore they were banned from the garden of pleasure. Cherubim guarded the entrance to the garden. These are imaginary animals, half human and half lion, with wings. Here they stand for angels. The Bible commonly uses physical things to represent spiritual things. Remember that the breath of life stood for the soul (2:7), a man walking in the garden stood for God (3:8), and the serpent stood for the devil (3:1). 'The flaming sword was a stone shaped like a thunder bolt with which people long ago marked the boundaries of their land. It meant that God should strike with lightning anyone who violated their property. The cherubim and the sword guarding the entrance to the garden are symbols used to express the impossibility of men going back to the kind of life which Adam and Eve had before they sinned. The garden existed no longer after God cursed the earth (3:17).

LESSON 4: SONS OF ADAM

Read Genesis 4:1-16. In Cain's sin of envy and murder the evil begun by Adam's revolt against God spread to the fighting of men against men. But God's enduring mercy is shown in his fatherly, warning of Cain before he sinned and in protecting him from vengeance after he sinned. Verse 7 is difficult in the Hebrew. The probable meaning is: "if you are thinking of doing a good thing, shouldn't your head be lifted up (i.e. be happy), but if you are not thinking of doing a good thing, nevertheless sin is lying at the door desiring you (like a dog wanting to come in), and you must have mastery over it (i.e. not give into temptation)." Cain's insolent answer to God (4:9), compared with the embarrassed excuses of the first parents after they sinned shows how evil had grown worse over the years. The mark placed on Cain (4:15) was not a sign of disgrace, but like a tribal mark, warning that any one who killed Cain would incur a terrible vengeance from his brothers. It is evident from this verse that Cain and Abel were not Eve's immediate children, but lived many generations later when there were many people in the world.

The story of the flood is told in two interwoven accounts, each of which forms a complete story. First READ the following one: Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 7-10, 12, 16b-17, 22-23; 8:2b-3a, 6-12, 13b, 20-22. Then you can read the second account: 6:9-22; 7:6, 11, 13-16a, 18-21, 24; 8:1-2a, 3b-5, 13a, 14-19; 9:1-17. In the story of the flood, the Bible has adopted a legend in order to illustrate God's judgment upon men's sins and his mercy upon the just. The story has some historical basis in the floods of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Babylon, but since it is a legend, we should not be concerned with its historical impossibilities, such as the water covering the entire earth, and the putting of pairs of all the different animals and their food into the ark.

The story of the flood represents a return to the chaos from which the earth was formed (1:2) because of the sins of the world. We should see in this story a prefigurement of God's final judgment of the world. Jesus himself drew the comparison:

When the Son of man comes, all will be as it was in the days of Noe; in those days before the flood, they went on eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the time when Noe entered the ark, and they were taken unawares, when the flood came and drowned then all; so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man" (Matthew 24:37-39).

Notice, in the second account, the story of the origin of the rainbow (9:12-17). The rainbow was used as the symbol of an alliance because it looks like a bow used to shoot arrows. God is represented here as a warrior hanging up his bow and promising not to use it again against the world. His alliance was like a disarmament pact made with all creation.

The description of God as a warrior is based on attributing to him the powers of the pagan storm god, Baal, using the physical strength of Baal as a symbol of God's strength as pure Spirit. Psalm 17:8-16 has a fuller picture:

The underworld reeled and rocked; * the foundations of the mountains shuddered; * they reeled when his anger blazed.

Smoke rose from his nostrils, * and consuming fire from his mouth; * coals flamed forth from him.

He spread open the heavens and came down, * a storm cloud under his feet.

He mounted the Cherub and flew, * and soared on wings outstretched.

Dark grew his canopy around him, * with a heavy rain cloud his pavilion.

From his light, clouds ran before him, * with hailstones and flashes of fire.

Yahweh thundered from the heavens, * and the Most High gave forth his voice.

He forged his arrows and scattered them; * he multiplied his bolts and dispersed them.

The fountainheads of the sea were exposed, * and the world's foundations laid bare,

at your roar, Yahweh, * at the blast from your nostrils.

God who is the master of nature can create, destroy, and recreate. But his promise is not to ring disaster on the world any more by changing the ordinary course of nature until the day of final judgment comes.

READ Genesis 11:1.9. The legend of the tower of Babel originally explained the origin of different tribes and languages. In the Bible the building of a tower reaching the sky is a symbol of the sin of pride in seeking all honor for men and not for God. The confusion of languages symbolizes the misunderstanding and hostility between peoples. The nations would be reunited only in Jesus Christ, as a beginning when he sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost:

Among those who were dwelling in Jerusalem at this time were devout Jews from every country under heaven; so, when the noise of this went abroad, the crowd which gathered was in bewilderment; each man severally heard them speak in his own language, And they were all beside themselves with astonishment; Are they not all Galileans speaking? they asked, How is it that each of us hears them talking in his own native tongue? (Acts 2.5-7).

They shall do so in perfect reunion at the end of time:

Then I saw a great multitude, past all counting, taken from all nations and tribes and peoples and languages, These stood before the throne in the Lamb's presence, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and cried with a loud voice, To our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, all saving power belongs (Apocalypse 7:9-10).

LESSON 5: ABRAHAM AND HIS OFFSPRING

Read Genesis 12:1-3; 17:5, 9.19; 21:1-3; 22:1-18; 26:1-5; 28:13-16; 49:8-12. 'Thousands of years after Adam the human race had spread to all parts of the world, God's revelation to Adam and his promise of a savior were generally forgotten. Then Abraham was born, some time near the year 1890 before Christ. Before his father died, Abraham lived in Ur and then in Haran (11:31), cities in the present lands of Iraq and Syria, which were two of the most important and. prosperous trade centers of the tine. Abraham was a well to do trader himself, but God called him to leave his people and go with his wife who had borne no children into a foreign land. God promised to give him three things: 1) the land of Canaan (the present Israel) as his inheritance, 2) that his children would become a great nation, 3) that from him a blessing would come upon the whole world. Abraham accepted God's call. "He put his faith in God, and his belief was credited to him as justice" (15:6). Circumcision was the sign of God's special alliance with Abraham and his children (17:9-14), just as the rainbow was a sign of God's general alliance with Noe and all creation (9:12-17).

Abraham went to the land of Canaan, and there his faith was tested a second time when God asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac (22:1-14). Because of Abraham's obedience, God repeated his promises still more strongly (22:15-18).

Saint Paul eulogized Abraham's faith, and showed how we share in the promise made to him:

"Abraham, then, believed, hoping against hope; and thus became the father of many nations; like these, he was told, your posterity shall be. There was no wavering in his faith; he gave no thought to the want of life in his own body, though he was nearly a hundred years old at the time, nor to the deadness of Sara's womb; he showed no hesitation or doubt at God's promise, but drew strength from his faith, confessing God's power, fully convinced that God was able to perform what he had promised. This, then was credited to him as justice. The words 'It was credited to him as justice,' were not written of him only; they were written of us too. It will be credited to us as justice if we believe in God as having raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, who was handed over to death for our sins, and raised to life for our justification" (Romans 4:18-24).

Paul also explained why the promise comes to us through Christ:

"The promises were made to Abraham and his offspring. It does not say, 'to your

descendants,' as if it meant a number of people. It says, 'to your offspring,' in

the singular, meaning Christ" (Galatians 3:16).

Paul's conclusion is this:

"You must recognize, then, that Abraham's real children are the children of his faith. There is a passage in Scripture which, long beforehand, brings to Abraham the good news: 'In you all the nations shall be blessed'; and that passage looks forward to God's justification of the Gentiles by faith. It is those, then, who take their stand on faith that share the blessing Abraham's faithfulness won" (Galatians 3:7-9).

The promises made to Abraham were repeated to Isaac (26:24), and to his son Jacob (35:11-13). Notice the promise in the last prophecy, as in the one made to Abraham, of a line of kings that would arise from this family.

Me final prophecy in the book of Genesis is in Jacob's blessing of his son Judah (11,9:8-12). Jacob had twelve sons, the most famous of which was Joseph (See chapters 37 to 48), Jacob's most loved son, Judah, however, was given the promise that the savior would spring from his line. A similar situation existed among the twelve apostles; John was the most loved, but Peter was given the primacy.

In the prophecy itself, verses 8 and 9 tell the power and strength of Judah. In verse 10, the scepter is the sign of royal power. The scepter is the same as the staff, which kings at that time held between their legs when they were sitting. As a matter of fact, royal power did not come to the family of Judah until David became Icing in the year 1000 before Christ, and it disappeared in July-August of the year 587, when King Zedekiah was defeated by the Babylonians. But the royal power promised to the family of Judah had a deeper meaning; it was not fully exercised until the coming of Christ, who was the real heir of the promise. He exercised his royal power by receiving the obedience of faith from all peoples. David's political power was only an image of the spiritual power of Christ.

Verses 11 and 12 describe the prosperity to come at the time of the savior-king. Tying his donkey to the vine means that his vines would be so abundant that he could afford to let his animals eat them. This is like letting the goats loose after the rains start, to chop the new crops, The wine coming from the king's vineyards would be so abundant that he could also afford to wash his clothes in it. His eyes would be red, showing that he had so much wine to drink. And he would have so much milk to drink that his teeth would be whitened from it. This description is figurative. It tells of a material prosperity which everyone could understand, in order to give some idea of the spiritual blessings which would come upon all the world from Christ.

LESSON 6: MOSES AND THE LAMB

Read Exodus 1:1-22; 2:1-15; 3;1-15; 4:10-16; 5.1-9; 12:1-13, 21-32, 14-20. The first four chapters tell of the birth of Moses and how he was called to lead God's people out of Egypt. Notice the revelation of God's name in 3:14, "He who is". Properly, this name means "Who creates what comes into existence". The Hebrew word is "Yahweh". it This was a sacred name which later Jews did not pronounce. Whenever they came to the name "Yahweh", they read "Adonai" ("Lord") or simply "the Name". By mixing, in Hebrew, the consonants of "Yahweh", with the vowels of "Adonai", some ignorant English translators came up with the name "Jehovah."

Moses' first appeal to the Pharaoh to let the Israelites go was unsuccessful (5:1-9). Then God sent many plagues upon Egypt. After each of them, the Pharaoh promised to release the Israelites, then changed his mind. Finally, God sent the plague which moved Pharaoh to free the Israelites. An angel killed all the firstborn of the Egyptians, but passed over those of the Israelites. The Passover came to be celebrated every year in the spring. This greatest of feasts had a great deal of meaning for the future. Jesus Christ himself celebrated the Passover meal with his apostles the night before he died. By dying on the cross, he gave reason to the name given to him by John the Baptist: "Behold the lamb of God. Behold him who takes away the sins of the world." In baptism Jesus marked us with his blood to save as from the death of sin. In the Eucharist he gives us his slain but living body to eat, in order to give us life for our souls and the promise of a glorious resurrection for our bodies.
Together with the feast of the Passover was kept the feast of the Unleavened Bread (12:14-20). This feast marked the beginning of the harvest (in Israel), and was combined with the feast of the Passover. The wheat from the new harvest was not to be mixed with leaven (yeast), which was made from the old dough fermented. Saint Paul tells the meaning of this feast for Christians: "Do you not know that a little leaven ferments the whole lump? Purge out the old leaven that you may be a new dough as you are really without leaven, for Christ, our Passover has been sacrificed, Therefore let us keep festival, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).

LESSON 7: LIBERATION

Read Exodus 13:17-22; 14:1-31; 15:1-13; 16:1-36; 17:1-7. One of the most marvelous events in Jewish history, the crossing of the Red Sea (properly, 'the Sea of Suph', formerly a marshy area, now dry land, where the present Suez Canal is) is full of meaning for Christianity. Saint Paul said of these chapters: "I wish you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud (Ex 131:21); all passed through the sea (Ex 14:22); all received the baptism of Moses (that is, received him as their leader) in the cloud and in the sea; all ate the same spiritual food (manna, Ex 16:11-35), and all drank the same spiritual drink (Ex 17:5-6; Nm 20:7-11); for they drank from a spiritual rock which accompanied them, and this rock was Christ. These things happened as examples for us. (1 Corinthians 10-1-6).

The crossing of the Red Sea is a figure of our baptism. Egypt is a symbol of a sinful life. Pharaoh and. his army are Satan and his devils. The sea is the water of baptism. The cloud and the pillar of fire are the Holy Spirit. From the Lamb who was slain and the Holy Spirit baptism has its power to liberate us, while Moses, who led the people through the sea, represents Christ, as does the priest who baptizes us.

The complaints of the people (chapter 16) show that weakness and the tendency to backslide is always with us, even after baptism. But God had mercy on his people and gave them a miraculous food and drink for their journey to the promised land. On our own journey to heaven we have the body and blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, to eat and drink.

LESSON 8: THE ALLIANCE AND THE LAW

Read Exodus 19:1-25, 20:1-21; 31:12-17; Hebrews 12:18-24; Exodus 34:27-35; 2 Corinthians 3:4-18; 4:6; then read the passages printed here:

"The Lord spoke to Hoses, bidding him give the whole company of Israel this message: You must be men set apart (holy), as I am set apart, I, the Lord your God!' (Leviticus 19:1-2).

"You are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).

"Do not seek revenge, or bear a grudge against your fellow citizens, love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18).

"Listen, Israel; there is no Lord but the Lord our God. Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and your whole soul, and your whole strength" (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ).

"Today the Lord your God gives you these commands, these decrees, bidding you observe them and fulfill them, heart and soul. You have heard the Lord declare today that he will be your God; only you must follow his guidance, observe his prescriptions, laws and commandments, and obey his rule. The Lord has heard you declare today that you will be his own people, as he promised; only you must live by his precepts. His, will is to exalt you high above all other nations he has made, for his own praise and glory and renown, a people consecrated to the Lord your God, claiming his promise" (Deuteronomy 26:16-19).

"One of the scribes. came up and asked him, which is the first commandment of all? Jesus answered him, The first commandment of all is, Listen, Israel; there is no God but the Lord your God; you shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and your whole soul, and your whole mind, and your whole strength. This is the first commandment, and the second its like is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:28-31).

"I have a new commandment to give you, that you are to love one another; that your love for one another is to be like the love I have borne you. The mark by which all men will know you for my disciples will be the love you have for one another" (John 13:34-35).

"This is my commandment, that you should love one another, as I have loved you. This is the greatest love a man can show, that he should lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:12-13).

The Old Testament passages show the climax of what God was preparing from the beginning, the formation of a people knowing God and dedicated to him by an expressed alliance. This was the people promised to Abraham, whose history would be centered around faith in the Savior to spring from them, and upon announcing the Savior to the world. To show these people how to serve him "as a royal priesthood and as a consecrated nation" (Exodus 19:6), God gave them the Law. The Law embraced not only the ten commandments, but many other ordinances as well, some of which were only temporary, while others, as the two which Jesus called the greatest commandments, were of lasting value. The sign of the alliance made at Mount Sinai was not circumcision, as it was with Abraham, but the keeping of the Sabbath (Exodus 31:12-17). This was in keeping with their vocation as a royal priesthood, and also showed that they shared in the promises made to Abraham through their faith exercised in worship.

The New Testament passages show that the commandments and the way God gave them in the Old Testament were only a beginning of what would come to perfection when Jesus Christ came. First of all, the fear which the people had at Mount Sinai gave way to the confidence with which we approach God through Jesus Christ our mediator. We see the glory of God in the face of Christ, "who is the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15). Compared to the Old Testament, this is like seeing God without a veil, as Jesus said: "Who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). But compared to the glory of heaven, it is like seeing through a veil, as Saint Paul said: "At present, we are looking at a confused reflection in a mirror; then, we shall see face to face; now, I have only glimpses of knowledge; then, I shall recognize God as he has recognized me" (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Behind all God's commandments is his invitation for us to become holy and perfect, by being "molded into the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29), "who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4). Imitating Jesus Christ means not only loving our neighbor as ourselves, but also loving him as Jesus Christ loved him, that is, to the point of death (Jn 15:13).

LESSON 9: THE INHERITANCE

Read Exodus 25:10-16; 40:1-14, 32-36; Numbers 9:15-23; 33:1-36; Joshua 1:1; 2:1-24; 3:1-17; 4:10-18; 5:1. 10-12; 6:1-27. These passages describe the final stage in Israel's liberation from Egypt, the entrance into the promised land, which took place around the year 1300 before Christ. God's presence among the people during their journey was manifested in the cloud and the fire, but also in the ark containing the stone tablets. This "Ark" is a box (in Hebrew, "Aaron") and not the same as the boat which Noe entered which is also called an ark (in Hebrew, "Thebah"). The cloud and the fire were seen no more after the people entered the promised land, but the ark remained as the sign of God's presence , and marked the place where God should be offered worship and sacrifice.

The Jews' entrance into the promised land typifies our entrance into heaven. Many of the things which we are now used to will pass away. The cloud and the fire are like the confused and indistinct knowledge of God which we have in this life. But in heaven we will see God face to face. The manna is like the Eucharistic bread, which will be no more when we have visible contact with Christ's glorious body in heaven. The crossing of the Jordan river and the capture of Jericho are like our death and our taking possession of the kingdom which was prepared for us from the foundation of the world (See Matthew 25:34). The storming of Jericho has the same lesson as our Lord's words: "The kingdom of heaven suffers violence; and the violent take it by force" (Matthew 11:12). To enter heaven we must be willing to suffer, and must overcome temptations to despair and give up faith in God, especially at the time of death. Because God helped his people to conquer the land which he had promised them, he is often called by the title "Lord God of hosts." which means "Lord God of armies".

Here, read the prophecy of Balaam (Numbers 24), and the prophecy of Moses (Deuteronomy 18).

LESSON 10: AWAITING CHRIST

The conquest of the land of Canaan was the beginning of a new period in the history of the people of God, and the beginning of a new series of prophesies and prefigurements of the future. Many times the people were unfaithful to God's alliance by breaking his Law, especially by worshipping pagan idols. Each time they sinned God withdrew his protection and let them be defeated by enemy tribes. Then they repented and cried to the Lord for help, and he sent them a leader (These are the "judges" of Israel) to liberate them from oppression. READ Psalm 105:311-48, which describes this pattern.

As time went on, the pattern of sin-punishment-repentance-liberation took on a larger scale, until the liberators became permanent kings. The first of these was Saul, who was anointed king by the prophet Samuel. Saul himself sinned and was rejected by God. God then raised up David, from the tribe of Judah, to be king in the year 1000 before Christ, thus fulfilling the prophesy made by Jacob to Judah (Genesis 49:10). David was the greatest and most famous of the kings. It would be good to read the whole story of Samuel, Saul and David in 1 and 2 Samuel, but be sure to READ 2 Samuel 7:1-29, which tells how God repeated to David the promises he had made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Judah. Whether David's sons would remain on the throne depended upon their fidelity to God, but God would remain faithful to the family of David. From it Jesus Christ would be born "of whose kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke 1:33).

David's son, Solomon, was greatly blessed by God, but he sinned, and after his death the kingdom of Israel in the North separated from the kingdom of Judah in the South. The pattern of sin-punishment-repentance-liberation was repeated many times in both kingdoms, until Israel fell in the year 722, and Judah in the year 587 before Christ, to the Assyrian=Babylonian empire in the East.

As the kings failed, in faithfulness to God, God began to use the prophets as the actual spiritual leaders of the people. Some of the important prophets were Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, who lived shortly before and after the fall of Judah. After the Jews spent 70 years of exile in Babylon, Cyrus, king of Persia, conquered the empire of Babylon and allowed the Jews to return home. Persia held political power, but the Jews enjoyed religious freedom, and had their own religious authority in their priests. Even some of their own men, as Ezra and Nehemiah, could act as deputies of the Persian authority.

Through these events God was teaching his people a new idea, that their existence and organization did not require tile possession of political power. God was preparing the kingdom of Christ which would exist loyally and constructively within the kingdoms and countries of the world, but would "not belong t this world" (Jn 18:36). The prophets, especially Isaiah, foretold how Christ would reign as king. READ Isaiah 2:1-5; 7:10-17; 9:1-6; 11:1-9.

In these times so close to the coming of Christ, God showed his people not only that their lack of political power was not a punishment for their sins, but also that they would undergo persecutions and sufferings through no fault of their own. The book of Job was written to prove this point. Moreover, patience in suffering, rather than military or political triumph, was the decisive way of union with God and of saving the world from its sins. READ the prophesies of Christ as the suffering servant in Isaiah 50:4-9; 52:13- 53:12.

LESSON 11: BEHOLD, HE COMES

The Jews enjoyed a measure of peace and freedom under the Persians. In 331 before Christ, Alexander the Great of Greece defeated the last of the Persian kings, thereby taking control of the land of Israel also. The Jews were undisturbed under the successors of Alexander until Antiochus IV Epiphanes plundered the temple in Jerusalem in 167 before Christ. In the troubles under Antiochus and his successors, Judas Maccabeus and his four brothers led the Jews in rebellion against those who tried to force them to abandon their religion. With the decline of the Greek empire, they succeeded in obtaining independence and some prosperity for Israel. But the grandsons of Simon Maccabeus and their successors (beginning in 104 BC) fought among themselves and used their power for their own interests instead of the good of the country. Under them the various sects of the Jews became the rivals they were at the time of Christ: There were the Pharisees (meaning "the separated"), nationalistic and zealous for the fine points of the law and for ceremonial traditions; then the Sadducees and the temple priests, with a more secular and modern point of view. "The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection nor angel nor spirit, whereas the Pharisees believe in these" (Acts 23:8). The third sect was the Essenes, a priestly society which kept aloof from the worship and -the politics of Jerusalem and lived a life of poverty, chastity and obedience, awaiting the imminent coming of the Messiah ("Messiah" is the Hebrew word, and "Christ" is the Greek word for "the anointed', the king who was to come and save, the people, inaugurating the kingdom of God). In the year 63 before Christ, the Roman general Pompey conquered Jerusalem. The Romans ruled through the native authority, but relied heavily upon the half-Jew, Herod Antipas, as Procurator, or commissioner of Rome. In the year 40, his son, Herod the Great, was declared king of Judea by Rome. Three years later the last descendant of the Maccabees, Antigonus, was put to death. It the same time the community of the Essenes was driven from their monastery at the side of the Dead Sea and sent into exile. They returned to their monastery in the year 4 BC, the approximate year John the Baptist was born.

READ Luke 1-1—2-38; Matthew 2:1-23; Luke 2:41-51; John 1:1-14, John the Baptist was of the tribe of Aaron (Luke 1:5). Aaron was the brother of Moses, and reputedly of the tribe of Levi (one of Jacob's twelve sons), the tribe which was set aside by God for the ministry of worship and the service of the temple. While still a child, John the Baptist went out to live in the desert until the day he began to preach to Israel (Luke 1:80). The "desert" most likely refers to the monastery of the Essenes at Qumran by the Dead Sea, who boarded and taught young boys. it was natural for the priest Zachary to entrust his son to be educated by the monks of Qumran, since they too were priests, claiming descent from Aaron through Sadoq, the high priest under King David.

Mary's question to the angel, "How will this be, since I do not know man" (Luke 1:34), was not a doubting of the angel's words, as was Zachary's question (1:18). It was a statement of the fact of Mary's virginity. Perhaps Luke only put this question in Mary's mouth to preserve his pattern of telling a story by way of questions and answers, so that Mary's question would lead to the angel's explanation of how Mary would conceive. If Mary herself asked the question, it could mean that she expected to conceive in the normal way, but only later on, after she married; or it could mean that she knew that the mother of the Messiah would be a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), but wondered how she could be the mother of the Messiah, since she was about to get married.

Jesus is not the son of God because of his human birth, since God is spirit and cannot be a father the way a man is a father. In Jesus' human birth, God formed a human body with a human soul from the body of Mary, somewhat like the way he formed Eve from the body of Adam, although Mary gave birth to Jesus and is his true Mother. Jesus is the son of God because he eternally comes from the Father like a word coming from a mouth. A word and a mouth are different, even though they are shaped by one mind. So within the indivisible oneness of God, with one knowledge, one will and one power, there is a difference of persons between the Father who speaks the divine knowledge and the Son who is the Word expressing the divine knowledge.

The Magi (Matthew 2) were observers of the stars. Star reading and star worship was practiced at the time, especially in Persia. The Magi are examples of devout pagans who were led through and from their pagan practices to see Christ as the fulfillment of their desire for knowledge of God. In the Bible, Christ is seen as the star who supersedes any divinization of the stars of the sky. Balaam prophesied: "I see him, but he is not now; I look upon him, but he is not near. A star has come forth from Jacob, a comet has risen from Israel, one who shall lay low the chiefs of Moab, shall bring devastation on all the posterity of Seth" (Numbers 24:17). Jesus used these words of himself, speaking to Saint John: "I, the root, I, the offspring of David's race, I, the bright star that brings in the day" (Apocalypse 22:16). Many details of the story of the Magi seem to be added by Matthew after the Jewish manner of story telling (haggadic midrash), which was to describe events in the language and imagery of Old Testament narratives and prophecies. Not only is the star symbolic, but also are the gifts. Compare the following prophecies which are only figurative descriptions of the Messianic age: "A flood of camels shall cover you... all those of Sheba shall come; gold and frankincense shall they bring" (Isaiah 60:6); "The kings of Tarshish and the seacoasts shall bring an offering; the kings of Sheba and Seba bear gifts. May all kings bow down before him, all nations serve him" (Psalm 72:10-11).

LESSON 12: SEE HIM

Read Matthew 3:1—4:11; John 1:35-51. Like the Essenes he came from, John the Baptist did not marry, abstained from wine and ate roasted locusts, Like them too, he applied to himself the words, "the voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord," and preached the coming of the divine judgment which would separate the wheat from the chaff and destroy the wicked by fire. The Essenes called themselves penitents and practiced baptism; only their baptism was a daily affair, whereas John's was the sign of a singular conversion in a person's life. John had a mission from God to announce that the Messiah was already here and that Jesus was he, whereas the Essene community at Qumran still looked for not one Messiah, but two: one a priest, descending from Aaron, the other a king, descending from Judah through David. Since at this time only the descendents of Aaron were recognized as legitimate priests, they could not see how one Messiah could be both priest and king. The answer given by the Epistle to the Hebrews, which was written to Essenes who were becoming Christians, is that Jesus is a priest according to the order of Melchisedech, not of Aaron. READ the story of Abraham meeting Melchisedech, in Genesis 14:17-20; read also Psalm 110; and Hebrews 7:1-28. The

following is a translation of Psalm 110:

Yahweh spoke to my lord:

"Take the throne at my right. * I have made your foes a seat, * a stool for your feet."

    He forged your victorious mace; * he hammered it, Yahweh of Zion:

    your Might in fighting your foes, * your Strength on the day of your conquest.

    The Holy One appeared, your Comfort, * the Dawn of your life, * the Dew of your youth.

        Yahweh has sworn * and will not change his mind:

            "You are a priest of the Eternal * according to his pact,

        his rightful king [Melchisedech], my lord, * as your right hand attests."

    He smashed kings on the day of his wrath, * he routed nations.

    He piled up corpses * and smashed heads * over a wide terrain.

The King-Maker enthroned him; * the Supreme Being raised up his head.

The baptism given by John was a sign of repentance for the, remission of sins (Luke 3:3). Jesus received this baptism "in order to fulfill all justice" (Matthew 3:15). "Justice" here means being in accord with the law of God, basic to which is the renunciation of sin. Although Jesus had no sins of his own to renounce, he stood as a new Adam representing the whole human race with its sinfulness. he identified himself with our human nature, and in his innocence renounced its sinfulness. The baptism Jesus would offer was different from that of John. Through water and the words said, it would give the Holy Spirit, who purifies and enlivens like fire (Matthew 3:11).

The temptations during forty days in the desert following Jesus' baptism are a parallel to the temptations undergone by the Israelites during the forty years in the desert after their crossing of the Red Sea, which was a kind of baptism. The Israelites failed the test many times, but Jesus conquered Satan.

Of the first two disciples of Jesus, one was Andrew (John 1:40), the other was John the Evangelist himself who wrote the fourth Gospel. He never mentions his own name, but often refers to himself as "the disciple whom the Lord loved." Under the fig tree Nathaniel (also called Bartholomew) evidently was dreaming about the coming of the Messiah. Jesus' reading his thoughts on that occasion was the sign Nathaniel was looking for to identify the Messiah. The angels ascending and descending is a reference to an event in the life of Jacob. READ Genesis 28:10-22. Jesus identifies himself as the ladder which joins heaven and earth. He is the mediator through whom God communicates himself to men, and through whom men go to God.

LESSON 13: TESTIMONY

Read John 2-1-11; Mark 1:21-45; John 3:22-36; Luke 3:18-20; 7:18-23; John 5:31-47. Jesus worked his first miracle at the request of his Mother. His "hour," which meant the hour of his glorification by his death and resurrection, had not yet come, but was symbolically anticipated by his manifestation of power in his miracles. It was unheard of for a son to call his mother "woman." Yet Jesus used the same word with all love and respect an the cross: "Woman, behold your son" (John 19:26). The word seems to draw a comparison between Mary and Eve, who was simply called "the woman" while in the garden. If Jesus, role is one of contrast with Adam's (see Romans 5:12-19), Mary's role is in contrast with that of Eve. Eve assisted in Adam's sin; Mary assisted Jesus in his death which redeemed us from the condemnation of Adam's sin. Eve was so named because she is "the mother of all living men" (Genesis 3:20); Mary, being the mother of Jesus, has adopted John and with him all who have been reborn through her son. After the miracle at Cana Jesus made known his mercy and his power through many more miracles (Mark 1:2145).

John the Baptist clearly recognized Jesus as the Messiah (John 3:22-36). Nevertheless, after he was thrown into prison he sent a message to Jesus, asking: "Are you the one who is to come, or are we waiting for some other?" (Luke 7:19). John was not pretending to be in doubt just so that Jesus could declare himself to John's disciples. John's idea of the Messiah, it seems, was that held by most Jews of his time: The Messiah would be "mightier than myself" (Matthew 3:11), a formidable king who would judge the world by fire. Jesus answered (Luke 7:22) by calling to mind the words of Isaiah 61.1-2, which he had applied to himself before in the synagogue in Capernaum: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has anointed me, and sent me out to reach the gospel to the poor, to restore the broken-hearted, to bid the prisoners go free, and the blind have sight; to set the oppressed at liberty, to proclaim a year when men may find acceptance with the Lord" (Luke 4:18-19). On this occasion Jesus added, "Blessed is he who is not scandalized in me" (Luke 7:23), meaning that John should not be disillusioned because the Messiah's hour of judgment had not yet come, but was reserved until his second coming. "God did not send his son into the world to judge the world', but that the world might be saved through him" (John 3:17). "I testify before God and Jesus Christ, who is going to judge the living and the dead by his coming and by his kingdom" (2 Timothy 4:1).

In his answer to the Jews who criticized him for healing on the Sabbath, Jesus defended his work by pointing to the evidence for his mission from the Father: John's testimony (John 5-31-35), his own miracles (5:36-38), and the prophecies of the Old Testament (5:39-47).

LESSON 14: FAITH

Read Mark 2-1-17; 3:1-35. The house in which Jesus healed the paralytic was built with an outside staircase to the roof, which was made of removable tiles over a framework of wood. It was equally easy for Jesus to forgive sins and to cure the paralytic, since lie did both by his divine power. The faith of the paralytic and his friend contrasts with the disbelief of the Pharisees.

Levi is another name of Matthew. As a tax collector (publican), he held an unpopular position, both because he was working for the Roman occupation and because of the extra money tax collectors often extorted for their own pockets. Jesus ate with sinners who repented and had faith. Elsewhere he said to the disbelieving priests: "I assure you that the publicans and harlots are further on the road to God's kingdom than you (Matthew 21:31).

Jesus called himself "Son of man". By this he showed the he was a real man, since that is the meaning of the term. But it also points to a super-human identity, in its reference to Daniel (7:13-14):

I was gazing into the visions of the night, when I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, as it were a son of man. He came to the One most venerable and was led into his presence. On him was conferred rule, honor and kingship, and all peoples, nations and languages became his servants. His rule is an everlasting rule which will never pass away, and his kingship will never come to an end.

Levi is another name of Matthew. As a tax collector (publican), he held an unpopular position, both because he was working for the Roman occupation and because of the extra money tax collectors often extorted for their own pockets. Jesus ate with sinners who repented and had faith. Elsewhere he said to the disbelieving priests: "I assure you that the publicans and harlots are further on the road to God's kingdom than you" (Matthew 21:31).

Jesus' curing of the man whose hand was withered (3:1-6) sharpened the opposition of the Pharisees and followers of Herod, but the common people believed in him more (3:7-12).

To the scribes' charge (Mark 3:22) that his expulsions of devils were tactical moves of the Prince of the devils working in him, Jesus answered that it was perfectly obvious that Satan would never act to destroy his own kingdom. The charge of the scribes was not an ordinary blasphemy "against the son of man" (Luke 12:10) in his humanity, as when they called him "a glutton, a drunkard, a friend of publicans and sinners" (Luke 7:34), but a blasphemy against the known light of the Holy Spirit. In an ordinary sin, committed in jest, anger, passion or ignorance, a person does not directly reject the authority of God. He still has some belief and fear of God which might lead to his repentance. But a Person who has sinned against the Holy Spirit has no principle of faith by which he right turn back to God. Only a miracle of grace can bring him to conversion.

The brothers who came with Mary looking for Jesus (Mark 3:31) seem to be the same as the persons mentioned in verse 21 who thought he was mad and wanted to stop him from preaching. Saint John described them: "His brothers said to him, 'Leave this place and go to Judea, so that your disciples also may see the works which you do. Nobody is content to act in secret if he wishes to make himself known at large; if you must do these things, show yourself before the world.' For even his brothers did not believe in him" (John 7:3-5). His Mother, however, and possibly a few in the group of his brothers —These were ordinary brothers, none of them sons of Mary— did believe in him. Rather than point his finger at anyone, Jesus made a general statement that he recognized as true members of his family all and only those who did the will of God. What the will of God is, Saint John explains: "And this is his command, that we believe in the name of Jesus Christ his son, and that we love one another as he has given us the command" (I John 3:23), Jesus did not renounce completely the natural bonds of affection towards his relatives, but pointed to a higher bond than that of physical kinship, a bond which others besides his blood relatives could enjoy.

LESSON 15: THE NEW LAW

"Listen, daughter; look and turn your ear..." (Psalm 45:11a)

Read Luke 6:17-49; Mark 9:33-50. The first reading is another version of the long Sermon on Mount in Matthew, chapters 5-7. In the four beatitudes and four woes, Jesus does not condemn honestly won prosperity and freedom, but addresses himself to an unbalanced society in which some enjoy freedom and the goods of this world at the expense of others who are exploited and persecuted. While his words apply most clearly to the extremes of an unjust society, they also apply to any people of the middle class who suffer or cause injustice. Jesus first proclaims blessed those who suffer injustice innocently, and he promises them satisfaction. The least person in heaven will be more than satisfied for suffering injustices in this life. But those who suffer for reason of their belief in Christ are promised not only satisfaction, but a great reward in heaven.

To suffer innocently in every sense of the word, one must be free from hatred. But more positively, Jesus commands us to do good to those who do evil to us (6:27-28). This approach wins not only satisfaction, but also reward. (6:35). We are not forbidden, and often are bound to claim our rights in this life, but "to no one returning evil for evil" (Romans 12:17). Injustice to oneself is to be tolerated (Luke 6:29) if resistance would cause a greater evil. Yet turning the other cheek is not running away; it is a peaceful protest.

"Give to all who ask, of you" (6:30) excludes discrimination in giving, although without destroying the prior claims of those to whom one is obliged. It also implies that one should give as far as one is able. One should be liberal without looking for a return (6:30-34); this refers to expendable money, not to capital which must be reserved or invested for further production of goods. Liberality to one's enemies is the summit of love, the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:8), and makes one most perfectly an image of God (Luke 6:35). Mercy in imitation of the Father, without severity and condemnation, will win a more than proportionate reward (6:36-38). The danger of severity and condemnation is illustrated by a parable (6:39-42). Man is blind when it comes to understanding another man's state of soul and way of thinking; he is especially blind because his own way of thinking is also perverted by faults (6:41-42). Verse 40, in the position it stands, means that a disciple cannot expect to be any safer than his leader, if his leader is blind, although in Matthew 10:24 the same words refer to the disciples following and suffering with Christ. Jesus' warning against judging others does not forbid practical judgments of people based on adequate evidence and which are necessary, for instance before trusting a person with something. But it especially forbids unnecessary judgments which one is not called upon to make, and judgments made in a spirit of condemnation and spite.

The parable of the trees and the fruit (6:4,3-45) is an introduction to what follows. Producing good fruit is doing what the Lord says (6:46). A bad man is one who hears the word of the Lord and does not do it, even though he pretends to be good by calling Jesus his Lord. The parable of building a house (6:4,8-49) shows how a good or an evil person will be revealed also in time of temptation.

The reading in Mark, chapter 9, has more of Jesus' instructions on simplicity and charity. Having shamed his disciples for seeking the first places, he talks about receiving children. Saint Matthew shows the connection between these two topics: "I assure you that if you do not become as children you will not enter the kingdom of heaven, Whoever lowers himself to be as this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3-4). The "children" we are to receive because of Christ's name include also the poor and weak who as much as children need the service of others.

The words "in my name" brought up another question, how to regard those who cast out devils "in your name," but do not join the company of his apostles (Mark 9:38-40). One reason these strangers did not join Christ's band of followers may have been that the arrogance, ambition and fanatical zeal of Christ's apostles drove them away. In many respects, the Protestants are in the same situation today, remaining divided from the Catholic Church. But Jesus said, "Do not forbid them... He who is not against us is for us" (Mark 9:39-40; see also Luke 9:50). These words do not advocate indifference or neutrality, which Jesus had condemned: "Who is not with me is against me; who does not gather with me scatters" (Matthew 12:30; Luke 11:23); but they do urge acceptance and understanding of those who are not convinced they would be free to answer all the demands of Christ if they were members of the Catholic Church, or, if they are convinced, are so involved in the social structure of a Protestant community that they fear that leaving it would be a condemnation of their community and a betrayal of trust. Christ's words mean even more than that we should recognize what is good outside the Church of his apostles and their successors. Strangers to the Catholic Church who believe in Christ and have good will are already inwardly members of the Catholic Church, even though they do not realize it or show it fully by accepting the episcopal structure of the Church, based on valid apostolic succession, as Christ founded it.

The words "in my name" lead to still another topic (9:41). Kindness to those who belong to or represent Christ (the preachers of the Gospel, or the "little ones" of verses 37 and 42) will have its reward.

The next thought (6:42) is connected by the words "belong to," "believe in Christ." The "little ones," the young and those who are weak in the faith, are not to be scandalized, that is, led into sin. There follows a triple warning against self-scandal (6:43-48). which is to cling to an occasion of sin. Gehenna originally was the name of a valley next to Jerusalem where garbage was burned and where the idolatrous Israelites sacrificed their children to the pagan god Moloch by running them through the fire. Jesus used the word in a transferred sense to mean what what is elsewhere called hell. (Compare other words used in a transferred sense at the end of Lesson 3.) The eternal punishment is illustrated in words borrowed from Isaiah's description of the end of time: "They will come out and look upon the bodies of those who revolted against me. Their worm will not die; their fire will not be quenched; they will be an abomination to all the living" (Isaiah 66:24). The worms and the fire always eating but never consuming the bodies of the wicked are symbols of the cutting pain of being eternally separated from God, and of the unsatisfied craving for the enjoyment of God's creatures. The wicked in hell are deprived of the things they loved instead of God in this life, as well as of the sovereignty over the created world which God had given Adam and he does not take away from sinners in this life. The more a person was attached to the glory and pleasures of this life in opposition to God, the greater is his frustration and pain in hell.

LESSON 16: MORE ABOUT THE NEW LAW

Read Matthew 19:1-15; Luke 12:15-21; 16:19-31; Matthew 6:24-34; Mark 10:17-30. The first reading, from Matthew, is an amplification of Mark 10:1-12. Jesus' teaching regarding divorce has been noted in Lesson 2. Matthew 19:9 is literally translated: "If anyone dismisses his woman - except in the case of fornication - and marries another, he commits adultery; and he who marries the woman who was dismissed commits adultery." In Aramaic (the language Jesus spoke) and in Greek (the language Matthew is written in) there is no special word for husband or wife. The words "man" and "woman" are used. Jesus' exception refers to an invalid union of unmarried people. In this case the man may dismiss his illegitimate companion and marry another woman.

Jesus then spoke of celibacy (Matthew 19:10-12). The ordinary meaning of a eunuch is a man whose male organs cannot function and who is employed to guard women of royal status. Acts 8:26-40 tells the story of the eunuch who was treasurer of Queen Candace of Ethiopia. Jesus explains that some eunuchs have no sexual power because of a congenital defect, others because they were castrated. But he mentions a third group, those who voluntarily abstain from the use of the power they have for the sake of more effectively serving in the kingdom of heaven, whose beginning is the Church on earth. These are called celibates, from the Latin word for heaven; they are also called virgins.

In the earlier history of the Jews, abstaining from marriage was never considered good or desirable. Jeremiah took no wife, but only because the times were too evil to bring up a family (Jeremiah 16:1-2). The Essenes, however, required celibacy for full membership in their community because having wives would make their monastic life impossible, and because they thought a wife would pervert a man's freedom and moral integrity. Basic to Christ's teaching on marriage and celibacy is the idea of charity. Divorce is wrong because it is the breaking of a solemn bond of love contracted not just between a man and a woman, but also with God. Charity leads some men and women to forego marriage in order to devote themselves more freely to prayer and the works of mercy. Christ's teaching on marriage and celibacy is developed further by Saint Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:1-40, and in Ephesians 5:22-33, which will be discussed later.

After speaking once more about children (Matthew 19:13-15), Jesus spoke about poverty. Here is the place to turn to Luke 12:15-21. This parable does not condemn the man for providing for his future, but for seeking the enjoyment of this life while retiring from the service of God in his fellow men, The foolishness of his selfishness is illustrated by the parable of Lazarus and Dives (Luke 16:19-31). These parables were addressed to the rich. Jesus addresses himself to the poor in Matthew 6:24-35. Mammon (6:24) is a word for money. Money becomes a master in opposition to God when a person desires it or the things it can buy from greed or love of pleasure alone and not from charity. Charity seeks one's own needs, but also those of others, for the sake of God. Jesus adds another idea: Even our necessary material needs should not cause us worry. We should work and plan, but never, because we are not succeeding, begin to think only of our own material needs and forget what is most important, the kingdom of God, which means our love of God and neighbor. Luke adds to his account of this instruction some more words of Jesus, showing that trust in God is basic, and that God's love for us is not to be measured by how much material prosperity or poverty he lets us have: "Do not be afraid, little flock; your Father has determined to give you a kingdom. Sell what you have, and give alms. Provide yourselves with purses which do not grow old, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, no moth consumes. Where your treasure is, there also is your heart" (Luke 12:32-34). Jesus adds, in Luke 16:9: "And I say to you, win friends with base wealth (the mammon of iniquity), go that when you fail, they may receive you into their eternal dwellings." In giving to the poor, who represent Christ, a man of charity wins the gratitude of Christ. Through the same poor who have died and gone to heaven first (Remember the parable of Lazarus), Christ welcomes the man of charity to the dwellings of heaven.

The subject of poverty is continued in Mark 10:17-30. Jesus took exception to the flattering, though well meant, politeness of the young man who called him "good teacher" (19:16). Jesus' answer, however, gave his listeners to wonder whether in fact he was good in the same way God alone is good. Jesus' statement that one thing was yet lacking to the man, namely, voluntary poverty, is much stronger than his invitation to voluntary celibacy. Celibacy is strictly a counsel, whereas the practice of poverty is to some extent necessary for the following of Christ, The practice of poverty, in fact, has three forms: One is that of the wealthy who retain their sources of income, yet are "poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3), sharing their income with the poor. It is very difficult, but possible with God's help (The camel through the needle's eye is an exaggeration to state the difficulty with greater impact), for a person who has a large income to enter the kingdom of God, because he will always be tempted to take care of his luxuries first and the needs of the poor secondly, if at all. But if the man, with a large income overcomes this temptation, he can be of great help to the poor and, through his investments, to the economy and development of his country. The second form of poverty is that of those who find having a large income too great a temptation to selfishness, or who find they could be of greater service to their fellow men without having so much wealth to manage. These people give away most of their property and sources of income, keeping only what they need, for their families. The third form of poverty is indicated by the words of Jesus: "And come, follow me" (Mark 10:21). These words are an invitation to abandon one's possessions and former work entirely, in order to spend one's full time in the service of the Gospel. To Peter, Jesus explained the reward of those who follow him in this way (Mark 10:28-30). IN place of one's natural brothers, sisters, mother and father, the preacher of the gospel gains the brotherhood of all those he serves. The old are like parents to him. (Saint Paul calls the mother of Rufus his own mother, in Romans 16:13.) All, especially the young, are like sons and daughters to him. (Saint Paul says: "My children, I am again in labor until Christ takes shape within you" (Galatians 4:19). Paul adds that he is a "father" to the Corinthians through the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:15). His "fields" will be the offerings of the faithful, as Saint Paul said: "The Lord has provided that those who announce the Gospel should live from the Gospel" (1 Corinthians 9:14). They will suffer persecution, but in the next world they will have eternal life.

LESSON 17: THE OLD LAW UNDER TRADITIONS

"Forget your people and the house of your father, and the King will desire your beauty" (Psalm 45:11b-12a)

Read Luke 5:33-39; 7:24-35; 2:23-28; 7:1-23; Matthew 16:5-12; 23:1-38. The first two readings bring up the question of fasting. Throughout the Bible, fasting is represented as an expression of sorrow, either for a personal or national calamity or for one's sins. John led his disciples in fasting because they were to repent of their sins in preparation for meeting Christ. But for the followers of Christ, the joy of having the bridegroom with them outweighed their sorrow (On Christ as the bridegroom, see John 3:29-30). After Jesus' death and departure from them, the awareness of their sins would make them sorrowful, and then they would fast. Both John's fasting and Jesus' not fasting were fitting, but the Pharisees would believe in neither of these persons whose hearts and outward observances always responded to God appropriately according to the occasion (Luke 7:30-35). Holding rigorously to a fixed program (fasting Mondays and Thursdays in addition to certain special days), the Pharisees did not consider how fasting would facilitate their sorrow for sin and faith in God's free mercy; rather, they thought of fasting and their other religious exercises as absolute values, unrelated to producing movement of faith and love within the soul, and as self-achieved titles of Justification not based on accepting God's free gift of himself to men, but upon fulfilling the literal prescripts of the law and of traditions. Yet if the Pharisees would not believe, "wisdom is justified by all her own children" (7:35), that is, those to whom Christ, the Wisdom of God, has revealed himself by his grace in their souls, receive and honor him. Matthew 11:19 has "works" instead of "children". The meaning is that Christ's own miracles and deeds justify and honor him.

Besides adhering to their observances as automatic means of self-justification, the Pharisees were inflexible with regard to law, allowing no variation or relaxation in its application. Jesus answered them (Mark 2:23-28), referring to the example of David (1 Samuel 21:1-6) and pointing out that "the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (2:27). Religious observances are for the honor of God, but only through helping man to love and worship God. Religious observances should be changed or dispensed with if they become meaningless or a burden instead of lifting man's mind to God. Jesus gave one more reason why he should pronounce what might be done or not done on the Sabbath: He, the man that he is (this is the ordinary meaning of "the son of man"), is lord of the Sabbath, one to whom worship is given and whose right it is to determine the manner of worship (2:28).

Mark 7:1-23 shows more examples of the Pharisees' legalism. In their zeal for their observances they break greater commandments. For example, they declare as a gift to the temple money which they owe to their parents, thereby defrauding their parents (7:8-13). Their laws of purification, moreover, have become juju rites rather than signs of faith (7:14-23).

In Matthew 16:5-12, Jesus puts his disciples on guard against the teaching of the Pharisees which so perverted the true teaching of the Old Testament. In 23:1-3. however, he gives support to them insofar as they do teach what is true and revealed, and not their own traditions. Yet, as will be seen later, the New Testament abrogates many of even the authentic laws of Moses. After accusing them of not practicing what they preach (23:3-4), Jesus accuses them of using their observances to gain human glory (23:5-7). Then he tells his own disciples not to use titles that indicate mere personal superiority or rank. Certainly some names have to be used to indicate different functions within the community. The exact meaning of a name is not as important as what it indicates by the way it is used. Whatever name is used, an office or position should he understood and spoken of in a context of service, not of domination. "You know that among the nations those who bear rule lord it over them, and great men show their power over them. With you it must be otherwise; whoever would be a great man among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave" (Matthew 20:25-27).

A series of woes follows (23:13-32), summing up all that was objectionable in the way of the Pharisees. They are called hypocrites because they claim to be exemplars of what is faithful and just—as is illustrated by an example of their prayer: "I thank you, God, that I am not like the rest of men, who steal and cheat and commit adultery, or like this publican here; for myself, I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess" (Luke 18:11-12)—but in fact they pervert what is preeminently faithful and just.

Thomas Aquinas says of the New Law: "The teaching of Christ and the apostles, added very few precepts to those of the natural law; although afterwards some were added, through being instituted by the holy Fathers. Even in these Augustine says that moderation should be observed, lest good conduct should become a burden to the faithful" (Summa theologiae, I-II, q. 107, a. 4).

LESSON 18: BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH

Read Matthew 13:1-52; Luke 9:57-62; Matthew 9:35—10:1, 5-45; Mark 6:12-29. In introducing his teaching on the Church, Jesus never told the people more than they were prepared to understand. Parables do not explain the full meaning of a truth, but they do explain something, and-are not meant to confuse or mystify. They have the advantage of presenting difficult spiritual mysteries under visible images that are easily understood and remembered; and, because they leave some things unexplained, they excite the listeners' curiosity to find out more. The passage from Isaiah (Matthew 13:14-15; Lk 8) is used by Saint John (12:39-40) and by Saint Paul (Acts 28:26-27; Romans 11:8) to describe the obstinacy of those who had seen Christ's miracles or had heard his plain teaching, yet refused to believe in him. When Jesus preached in parables, there were, no doubt, some critical Pharisees in the crowd. To them the words apply, "From him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away" (Matthew 13:12); that is, those who refuse to follow the light of grace which is given to them will have this light taken away from them entirely. But the common people were eager to hear Jesus, so much so that he had to teach from a boat to avoid being crushed by their enthusiasm. Jesus had a different reason for not explaining his parables to them. Up to now they were of good will, but weak and living in fear of their leaders, the Pharisees. It was better for them to hear through parables an

incomplete revelation of the reign of God which they could accept —even though it was not enough to turn them fully to God to be healed (13:15)— than for them to hear all about the reign of God and reject it, as, with few exceptions, they would be sure to do rather than go against the wishes of the Pharisees. Saint John relates the same reluctance of Jesus to accept the initial enthusiasm of the crowd: "Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did; but Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for he himself knew what was in man" (John 2:23-25). Yet because of Jesus' accommodation to the crowd, his not willing to test their new-found and undeveloped faith beyond its strength, Saint Matthew applies to Jesus the words of Isaiah: "He will not snap the broken reed, nor snuff out the smoldering wick" (Isaiah 42:3; Matthew 12:20). Saint Paul says: "God keeps faith, and he will not allow you to be tested above your powers" (1 Corinthians 10:3-3).

To the people, the parables were about as clear as the prophecies of the Old Testament. But the disciples of Christ, having heard the parables explained and seen the works of Christ, understood more than the prophets of the Old Testament about the reign of God (13:16-17).

The first parable, that of the sower (13:3-9, 18-23), teaches that the reign of God begins at the present time, also that it is primarily an interior thing: acceptance of the word of God, not just belonging to a church or performing certain external duties. "Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees, 'When is the reign of God coming?'. He answered them, 'The reign of God does not come by observances; you cannot say, it is this way, it is that way. For in fact the reign of God is within you'" (Luke 17:20-21).

The second parable, that of the weeds sown among the wheat (13:24-30, 36-43), teaches that within mankind some men will receive the reign of God, others will be evil and try to choke out those who have received the announcement of God's reign. But the type of weed which Jesus mentioned (zizania) does not grow as tall as wheat. The wheat can be harvested separately, and the weeds burned.

The third and fourth parables, those of the mustard seed (13:31-32) and of the yeast (13:33), show the reign of God as it grows extensively throughout the world, embracing many peoples. Yet notice that elsewhere in the Bible yeast is used to describe a bad influence in the world (Matthew 16:6; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8).

The fifth and sixth parables, those of the treasure in the field (13:44) and of the pearl (13:45-46), show the reign of God as something a man should seek after at any cost. The last parable, that of the net of fish (13:17-50), returns to the theme of the second parable.

The reign of God began before the coming of Christ, with the first men who believed in God. But it was still imperfect until the Son of God became man and men acknowledged him as their savior and lord, and received his full gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. In the gospel according to Saint John, the "reign" or "kingdom of God" is hardly ever mentioned. Instead John speaks of "life" or "eternal life", which is the same as the reign of God in men's souls. In his prayer at the last supper Jesus said: "And this is eternal life, that men may know you, the one true God, and the one you have sent, Jesus Christ" (John 17:3).

Jesus chose the apostles to be his workers in spreading the reign of God. The conditions for being an apostle are demanding, as the second reading, Luke 9:57-62, shows. There Jesus demanded willingness to suffer privations (9:57-58) and separation from family (9:59-60), and he demanded perseverance (9:61-62).

The mission of the twelve is described in the third reading, Matthew 10:1, 5-42. First READ the introduction to this chapter in 9:35-39. Jesus gave his apostles power to cure different sorts of ills (10:1,8). The miracles Jesus and the apostles worked in the beginning of the Church were foreshadowings of the spiritual cures they would work within men's minds and wills. Curing men's bodies drew attention to Christ's power to cure men's souls. But when enough men received the grace of Christ, their own example of charity and service would become more important than bodily cures in attracting attention to the power of Christ. Until Christ's ascension and the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the work of the apostles was limited to Israel (10:5-6), as was the work of Jesus: "I have been sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24). In 10:9-10 there is a plain contradiction with Mark 6:8-9, where the apostles are allowed to take sandals and one staff with them on the road. We do not know what the exact words of Jesus were, but the basic meaning is clear, his workers must travel without unnecessary comforts, and for their necessities they should depend upon the hospitality of the people they serve. We should not look to the words of Jesus for exact and detailed directions for everything. Matthew and Mark were both adapting Jesus' message to the people they were writing for; Paul, too, adapted this command by not making use of his right to hospitality at all, but working for his living by making tents (See Acts 18:3; 20:34; 2 Thessalonians 3:8-9). The details of Jesus' teaching must be adapted to different parts of the world today also, but his basic message must be preserved. It is up to the bishops in union with the Pope to settle controversies which may arise over what is legitimate adaptation, since Jesus promised them the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide them into all the truth (John 16:13).

The reason the apostles should not move from house to house when they went into a city (Matthew 10:11) is so that they will not offend their hosts, looking for better accommodations elsewhere. The apostles are not to waste their time on those who will not listen to them, but should go elsewhere (10:14-15).

In verses 16-42 Matthew gives lessons of Christ which were meant not for the immediate journey into the cities of Israel, but for their whole ministry later on. Verses 17-39 are but an explanation of verse 16: "Be wary as serpents, and innocent as doves." The apostles should speak their message with tact and care so that it will be received: "Do not give dogs what is holy; do not feed your pearls to pigs; they will only trample on them, and turn and tear you to pieces" (Matthew 7:6). Nevertheless they should trust in the power of their message which is from the Holy Spirit, speaking boldly without fear of reprisals. By their faithful witness to Christ they will save their souls and win praise from Christ before the Father ("Beelzebub" in verse 25, is the name of a Canaanite god, and means "Baal, the chief"). Verses 40-42 are addressed to those who receive the message of the apostles.

The last reading, Mark 6:12-29, tells what followed after Jesus' instruction to his apostles. Verse 13 contains a foreshadowing of what was to become the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. Herod the Great was king when Christ was born. He died in the year 4 B.C, and was succeeded by Archelaus in Judea (See Matthew 2:21), and by Herod Antipas in Galilee. This Herod heard of Jesus and of the movement he was inaugurating, and was reminded of John the Baptist. John's courage and fidelity to his mission to his mission was an example for the apostles to follow in carrying out the instructions Jesus had given them concerning their mission.

LESSON 19: JESUS AND LIFE

Read John 6:1-66. Jesus multiplied the bread and fish when "the Pasch, the feast of the Jews, was near" (6:4). The origin of the Pasch and how it prefigures the Eucharist was spoken of in Lesson 6. Jesus' command to gather the fragments left over after all had eaten (6:12) inspires our care in gathering and reserving the remains after the celebration of the Eucharist. The miracle took place on the east side of the lake. Jesus delivered his Eucharistic discourse after returning to Capernaum, on the west side of the lake. In calling himself the "bread from heaven", Jesus showed that he fulfilled the prefigurement of the manna in the desert, which was spoken of in Lesson 7. The Jews murmured at Jesus' words (6:41) as their forefathers murmured in the desert. In verse 53, the words "my flesh for the life of the world" should be understood in the light of Luke 22-9: "This is my body which is given for you." that is, on the cross for our sins. Saint John does not tell the story of the institution of the Eucharist at the last supper; his entire account of the Eucharist is within this chapter.

Replying to the objections of the Jews (6:52), Jesus did not weaken what he had said, but reaffirmed it: They must eat his body and drink, his blood if they are to have eternal life in them. But to show that they would not eat his dead body like chewing meet, he foretold that he would ascend to the Father from whom he came (6:62). There his body would be living and always united with his spirit. Those who ate his body would be nourished by his spirit. Christ's very words announcing the Eucharist are a gift and a promise of the spirit and of life (6:63). But Christ's words must be received with faith and can be understood only by the gift of the Holy Spirit; we are interpreting spiritual truths to those who have the Spirit; we speak of these gifts of God in words found for us not by our human wisdom but by the Spirit. A man who is unspiritual refuses what belongs to the Spirit of God; it is folly to him; he cannot grasp it, because it needs to be judged in the light of the Spirit. A man gifted with the Spirit can judge the worth of everything..." (1 Corinthians 2:13-15).

Some of Jesus' disciples would not believe in him any longer because of his talk of giving his body to be eaten (6:64). Most of them went away, but Judas Iscariot remained, since he had access to the money of the twelve. Peter remained because he believed, and here he spoke one of his famous confessions of faith (6:68-69).

LESSON 20: JESUS AND DEATH

Read Matthew 16:13-23; Luke 9:23-36. The first reading describes another famous confession of faith by Peter. In the accounts of Mark (8:27-30) and of Luke (9:18-21), Peter says that Jesus is Christ, which means "the anointed". This is not as much as saying that he is the "Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). Mark and Luke also omit the giving of Peter's name and the giving of authority to him at this occasion. Matthew probably gathered into this account events which happened at different times. Mark (3:16) and John (1:42) have Peter's name given on an earlier occasion. Peter's profession that Jesus is the son of God, and his receiving of authority may have taken place after Jesus' resurrection, perhaps on the occasion of his confession of faith described in John 21:15-17. "Peter" is a Greek name meaning "rock"; it is a translation of the Aramaic word, "Kepha". Peter is often called "Kephas", or "Cephas" in the New Testament, especially by Saint Paul. Hell (in Greek, "hades"; in Hebrew, "sheol") meant to the Jews a dark place where the dead went. They would be released to enter the kingdom of God by their resurrection from the dead if they were good, but if they were bad the gates of hell would be closed on them. The word "church" means assembly. It is the assembly of those who have eternal life, or God's reign, in their souls. Hell's doors will not close on those who die with eternal life within them. The just who died before Christ will not even be held temporarily in hell (without torment) until their bodies rise again, because when Christ died he brought to the vision of God the souls of all who had died with eternal life. (The future life will be discussed more later),

The kingdom of God is the Church, the assembly of those in whom the reign of God has begun. The keys given to Peter are the authority within the organization of the Church. Since the Church is a visible community, this authority includes admitting people to the sacraments or excluding them from them, and deciding questions of doctrine. The decisions of the bishops, properly exercised, are honored by God in heaven as they have been made on earth (16:19). Apocalypse 19:14 shows that the other apostles share with Peter in being the foundation of the Church; and Matthew 18:18, spoken to all the apostles, shows that they all share in the power of the keys. Nevertheless, Peter holds the primacy among the apostles. The same relationship with the same powers exists now between the pope, who is the successor of Peter, and the bishops, who are the successors of the apostles.

The great powers given to Peter are contrasted with his human weakness in facing suffering, thinking that Christ (and Christians) should not suffer defeat and rejection by men (16:21-23). Jesus called him "Satan," because he was unknowingly serving the cause of Satan. Peter was a "scandal" to Jesus in the original sense of that word, by being an obstacle to the way of salvation through suffering. He was standing in front of Jesus, blocking his way. Jesus told him to get behind him, to the place of a follower, a disciple.

Luke 9:23-27 continues Jesus' instruction on suffering and death. Love of God impels a person to be faithful to God in whatever difficult conditions God, by his providence, places him. Moreover, the acceptance of one's daily suffering is the way to join with Christ in his suffering. Saint Paul said: "All I care for is to know Christ, to experience the power of his resurrection, and to share in his sufferings in growing likeness to his death, if only I may finally arrive at the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10-11). Suffering is especially to be embraced for the sake of making Christ and his words known in order to spread the reign of God in men (Luke 9:24-27). Saint Paul said: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church" (Colossians 1:24). Suffering itself is not valuable, but to accept the suffering involved in preaching and witnessing to Christ in a hostile world is valuable and a cause for rejoicing, because it is to imitate Christ and complete his work which was accomplished with suffering. Also, any work of love or endurance of suffering for the sake of love is a pleasing sacrifice acceptable to God in union with the sacrifice of Christ, and is a plea to God for the good of the Church. The kingdom of God, which some of Jesus' listeners were to see before death (Luke 9:27), came in its perfection at Pentecost.

The transfiguration (9:28-36) gave the three apostles closest to Jesus the opportunity to see a manifestation of his divinity before he went to Jerusalem to die. The same apostles were also to be closest to Jesus on the Mount of Olives at the beginning of his sufferings (Matthew 26:37; Mark 14:33). Moses represented the law, and Elijah the prophets of the Old Testament. Both testified to the mission of Jesus as it was to be completed by his "going out" of the world. In offering to build three tents, Peter seems to have thought Moses and Elijah would stay with Jesus, and from that mountain top Jesus' messianic rule over all the earth would begin. But the apostles had to come down from the mountain to follow Jesus in his suffering before they would see his permanent glorification in his resurrection and ascension. His reign would spread over all the earth when men "heard him" (9:35) and followed his path through suffering to glory. The memory of the transfiguration is preserved in 2 Peter: "For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,' we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain..." (2 Peter 1:16-18).

LESSON 21: TO JERUSALEM

Through Samaria: Read Luke 9:.51--6. Going from Galilee in the North to Judea in the South, Jesus passed through Samaria. The people of this region descended from Jews who had married pagan strangers. They accepted only the first five books of the Bible. And since they were excluded from helping in the reconstruction of the temple in 537 B.C. (See Ezra 4), they maintained their own separate worship on Mount Garizim, not accepting Jerusalem as a religious center. Because of their quarrel with Jerusalem, they would not have anything to do with the pilgrims who passed through their land going to Jerusalem.

The time had for Jesus "to be taken up" (Lk 9151), by his death and resurrection. "The time has come for the son of man to be glorified" (Jn 12:23). "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to me" (Jn 12:32).

Entry into Jerusalem: Read Matthew 21:1-11.

Purifying the Temple: Read Matthew 21:12-16.

The Son of God: Read Mark 12-1-12.

David's Son: Read Mark 12:35-37.

LESSON 22: THE PASSION

The Last Supper: Read Luke 22:1-23. At the last supper, Jesus and the apostles were celebrating the yearly feast of the Passover, which was first celebrated when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt (See Lesson 6). In the Passover meal, Jesus and the apostles followed the customary observances: They ate the roasted lamb, the bitter vegetables, and unleavened bread. The bowl of wine was passed four times. Towards the end of the meal, Jesus added what was new. Henceforward, in place of the lamb whose blood saved from death the first born of the Jews in Egypt, Jesus' disciples would eat through the form of bread Jesus' own body which was to be slain for them on the cross. And in drinking from the cup, they would drink his blood which was to be shed on the cross for them and "for many, for the remission of their sins" (Mt 26:28).

Before Christ, the Jews renewed their acceptance of the promises and obligations of the alliance made at Sinai by frequent bloody sacrifices, especially by the yearly Passover sacrifice of a lamb. The followers of Christ renew their acceptance of the new Alliance every time they partake of the blood of Christ which he offered on the cross once as a sacrifice valuable for all time. "Whenever you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you are bringing to mind the death of the Lord, until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). The Eucharist is an anticipation of the coming of Jesus: He will eat and drink with us once more when his kingdom is complete and we are united with God and all the saints. That will be the perfection of what we are doing now in the Mass.

Continuation of the Passion: Read Mark 14:26—15:47.

LESSON 23: THE RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION

John and Peter: Read Mark 16:1-8. John also tells of this visit of the women to the tomb, but mentions only Mary Magdalene. Read john 20:1-10. The "other disciple" is John himself. He waited for Peter to enter the tomb first, probably in recognition of Peter's authority as the leader of the apostles. John describes exactly how Jesus' burial clothes were left, to show that Jesus really rose, and his body was not stolen, since thieves would not take time to unwrap the body.

Mary Magdalene: Read John 20:11-18. When Mary Magdalene recognized Jesus, she held him for joy and did not want to let him go. But Jesus told her not to worry, that she would see him again before he left his disciples to be with the Father. Jesus had already entered the life of the risen and was with the Father, but he continued to appear to his disciples during forty days until he disappeared from their sight behind the clouds.

Emmaus: Read Luke 24: 13-35.

The Apostles in the Evening: Read John 20:19-23. The task of forgiving sins now belongs to bishops and priests who continue the work of the apostles in the Church. They forgive sins in the name of Christ to those who confess their sins and are truly sorry.

Thomas: Read John 20:24-29. Thomas wanted to touch Jesus to make sure that he had a real body, and was not just a spirit.

Final appearances: Jesus had told his disciples to meet him in Galilee (Mk 14:28; 16:7). Read Matthew 28:16-20. Among Jesus' many appearances for forty days after his resurrection. Matthew tells only of the appearance in Galilee. He says that some disciples doubted. This refers to the doubt of Thomas and the others when they first heard the news of Jesus' resurrection. But when they came to Galilee they already believed.

The Ascension: The disciples returned from Galilee to Jerusalem. Read Acts 1:3-14. Jesus' going up to the sky before the eyes of his disciples was a way of showing them how he had taken on a new, superior, and immortal life with God since the moment of his resurrection. Jesus' going up was also a departure from the sight and human company of his disciples. But, as is said in Matthew, "I am with you always, even until the end of the world,"—when he will come again visibly. In the meantime he is with his Church through the presence of the Holy Spirit who is our assistant at all times, but especially in the celebration of Baptism and the Eucharist.

LESSON 24: PENTECOST

Before Jesus Died, he promised the Holy Spirit. Read John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26-27. A "paraclete" is someone who speaks in defense of someone else. The Holy Spirit teaches us how to pray in the right way to the Father; he also teaches us how to act and speak before other men so that we may bear witness to Christ in the right way. He is like our lawyer. He is also "the spirit of truth", because he makes us understand Christ in whose name we pray, and for whose name we bear witness before men.

For the coming of the Holy Spirit, read Acts 2:1-21. The word "spirit" first of all means "breath" or "wind". As the Spirit of God breathed on the waters to create living things (Genesis 1:2), and breathed life into man (Genesis 2:7), so the Spirit came as a wind, giving the apostles the ability and courage to speak so that all men may believe and have life. "You send forth your spirit, and they are created; you renew the face of the earth" (Ps 104:30).

LESSON 25: THE TRINITY

Son of the Father: Continue to read Peter's talk to the people, Acts 2:22-36. As a man about to die like other men, Jesus could say, "The Father is greater than I" (Jn 15:28). His claim to be the son of God was not shocking, since all believing Jews claimed to be the adopted children of God: "We have one father, God" (Jn 8:41). But Jesus claimed sonship in a special way: Having formerly spoken to men through prophets, God finally sent his Son as the heir of David (See Mark 12, in Lesson 21). The full meaning of Jesus' sonship became clear in his resurrection: "Christ died and returned to life to become the Lord of the living and the dead" (Rom 14:9), sitting at the right hand of the Father in equality. "I and the Father are one" (Jn 10:30).

Although born in time as a man, he preexisted eternally with the Father: " Before Abraham was, I am" (Jn 8:58). Read John 1:1-11; Hebrews 1:1-4. His eternal relationship to the Father can be expressed also as the relationship between a Word and a Speaker. Within the unity of one God, with one knowledge, one will and one power, the Father speaks the divine knowledge and the Son is its perfect expression. He became man to reveal God to us. "Who has seen me has seen the Father... I am in the Father and the Father is in me" (Jn 14:9-10). IN summary, read Philippians 2:6-11.

The Spirit: The Father and the Son acting together send the Holy Spirit upon the world (See Jn 15:26). Although the Spirit is distinct from the Father and the Son as one sent by them, all his action upon the world and men is a divine action in which all three persons are one God acting by one power without distinction.

Within the unity of God, as the Son is distinct from the Father according to the expression of divine knowledge, so the distinction of the Holy Spirit form the Father and the Son can be considered according to the expression of divine love. "God is love" (1 Jn 4:8). This love can be imagined as expressing itself in exhalation. With God's love identified with the complete unity of his being, the Father and the Son, acting as one, emit a breath, which is the Spirit, a perfect expression of God's love of himself, and equal to its source, the Father and the Son.

Acts 1:5 :"John baptized with water, but, not many days from now, you are going to be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

Acts 2:38-39 : "You must repent," Peter answered, "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of his sins, and then you will receive the gilt of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for the sake of you, and for your children, and for all those who are afar, and also for a large number whom the Lord our God wily call."

Acts 8:14-17: Learning that Samaria had received the word of God, the apostles who were in Jerusalem sent there Peter and John. These two went to the Samaritans and prayed for them, so that the Holy Spirit would be given to them. For the Holy Spirit had not fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

(Acts 19:1-6): Paul found some disciples at Ephesus and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you embraced the faith?" They answered, "We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." He said, "What baptism did you receive?" They answered, "The baptism of John." Paul then said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in him who was to come after himself, that is in Jesus." At these words, they had themselves baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to talk in languages and to prophesy.

Read: John 14:24b-26.

LESSON 26: CHURCH ORDER

Read Matthew 18:15—19:30. In fraternal correction (18:15-17), two things are intended: the betterment of the person who sins, and the removal of scandal and danger to the community. Fraternal correction can be given for any sin (The words "against you" in verse 15 are of doubtful authenticity), but especially serious ones. If the sin harms no one else but the sinner, correction is called for because of love of the person, but only in proportion to the seriousness of his sin and insofar as the correction will help him. If the sin harms others the correction should go further in proportion to the danger involved, even if the individual does not accept the correction. Jesus showed the procedure to be followed, as far as invoking the Church, whose penalties extend to exclusion from the sacraments or excommunication. This procedure, which respects the reputation of the sinner and also reflects the high degree of organization Christ expected of the Church, is anticipated in one of the documents of the Essenes: "One shall not speak to his brother in anger, but shall reprove him on the very day so as not to incur guilt because of him. Indeed, a man shall not bring an accusation against his fellow in the presence of the many, who has not been subject to previous reproof before witnesses" (Manual of Discipline). Jesus does not mention calling the police or going to court as a last resort, but Saint Paul says:

"Are you prepared to go to law before a pro-fane court when one of you has a quarrel with another, instead of bringing it before the saints (i.e. fellow Christians)? You know well enough that it is the saints who will pass judgment on the world; and if a world is to accept your judgment, are you unfit to judge trifling matters? You would do better to appoint the most insignificant of your own number as judges when you have these common quarrels to decide. That I say to shame you. Have you really not a single man among you wise enough to decide a claim brought by his own brother? Must two brothers go to law over it, and before a profane court? Indeed, it is altogether a defect in you even to have quarrels among yourselves. How is it that you do not prefer to put up with wrong, prefer to suffer loss? Instead of that you commit wrong, you inflict loss, and at a brother's expense" (1 Corinthians 6:1-8).

Saint Paul, of course, does not exclude calling the police in order to protect order, or pressing for legislation or court decisions to secure justice for various segments of society. But he is concerned that Christians do not bring their internal litigations to outsiders to settle, thus telling the world that faith in Christ is powerless to resolve human bitterness.

LESSON 27: EVENTS OF CHRISTIAN LIFE

1. Baptism (corresponding with incarnation):

Acts 2:37-47

Jn 3:1-21

Rom 6:3ff

Col 2:12

1 Peter 3:21ff

2. Confirmation (corresponding with baptism of Christ in Jordan)

Acts 8:14-17, & ?

3. Eucharist (corresponding with Pasch)

John 6

Matthew 26:26-29;

Mark 14:22-25

Luke 22:15-20

4. People and the kingdom

2 Corinthians 6:16

LESSON 28: THE CHURCH

1. Catholicity and liberty

Matthew 28 - to all the world

-Greeks, barbarians one in Christ...

Jewish Law controversy: Acts 15 to allow diversity; Galatians 5 Christian liberty, charity is supreme, practices indifferent, variable, not absolute

2. Unity

John 17

Body

Romans 12:4

1Corinthians 12:12-30

Ephesians 1:22-23

3. Mystery of the Church's being—because Spirit indwells

Romans 8:9-11,14

1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19

2 Corinthians 8:16-18

LESSON 29: PARTICULAR FUNCTIONS

1. Orders

All apostles bind and loose

Peter Mt 16:13

Timothy and Titus - ordinations and functions of bishop

Church order: "The twelve" (3:13-19 is Mark's ordinary name for the board or college of apostles. The number is significant because it represents the twelve tribes of Israel, who were a symbol of the universal Church, as can be seen in the Epistle of James: "James, a servant of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ, sends greeting to the members of the twelve tribes scattered throughout the world" (James 1:1; and in the description of the new Jerusalem in Apocalypse 21:10-21, where the names of the tribes are written on twelve gates, and the measurements of the city in each direction are in units of twelve. More important to notice, "the city wall, too, had twelve foundation stones; and these, too, bore names, those of the Lamb's twelve apostles" (21:14). Also, to a question of Peter's Jesus answered. "I promise you, in the new birth, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory, you also shall sit there on twelve thrones, you who have followed me, and shall be judges over the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matthew 19:28; here, the "Son of Man" is identified with the messianic figure prophesied in Daniel 7:13-14. Jesus' institution of the twelve was a sign of the establishment of the kingdom of God. The highly organized community of the Essenes were also governed by a council of twelve, perhaps as a sign that their community represented the fullness of Israel awaiting the imminent coming of the messiahs and the end of time. After the ascension of Christ, the twelve were extended in number and came to be known simply as "the apostles", those whom Jesus sent to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth.

2. Marriage and virginity

1 Corinthians 7

Ephesians

LESSON 30: LAST THINGS

1. Repentance and preparation for death

Confession—Christ forgave (Mt 9:1-8), power to apostles (Jn 20:22-23)

Anointing James 5:14-15

2. End of Jerusalem and the world (as done)

John 14:1-3 - prepare a dwelling

Revelation: Church bride of Christ

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