HRE 4M1 Chapter 5 Notes PDF

CHAPTER 5 HRE 4M1 – IN SEARCH OF THE GOOD FERIC Chapter 5 – “Where Your Treasure is, There Your Heart Will be Also” KEY TERMS APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE A style of writing that evolved during Israel’s troubled...

CHAPTER 5 HRE 4M1 – IN SEARCH OF THE GOOD FERIC Chapter 5 – “Where Your Treasure is, There Your Heart Will be Also” KEY TERMS APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE A style of writing that evolved during Israel’s troubled history around the time of Jesus. It focused on the end of history and the time of God’s purifying judgment. It frequently employed frightening imagery of end-time wars between good and evil and of convulsions in nature. BEATITUDES A form of pronouncement that presupposes that a good or happiness has already been given or is about to be received. The Sermon on the Mount contains a list of beatitudes: “blessed are the poor in spirit…” ESCHATOLOGICAL Pertaining to the end of time, in the sense of its fullness. The coming of the kingdom of God at the end of time, according to Jesus, has already begun in his life, death and resurrection. Eschatological ethics is an ethics that insists that we can already live what God will realize or reveal at the end. EXEGESIS The analysis of texts in their original context. Uncovering the historical, cultural, linguistic, etc., particularities that the original author was dealing with in order to better understand the original meaning and intent of a text. GOSPEL The unique literary genre that proclaims the life, death and resurrection of Jesus from the perspective of the living faith of particular early Church communities. GRACE Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favour, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life. (CCC #1996) 1 | Page CHAPTER 5 HRE 4M1 – IN SEARCH OF THE GOOD FERIC HERMENEUTICS A way of interpreting texts and events to help us understand what they mean for us in the twenty-first century. INSPIRATION Sacred Scripture is inspired by God. “What Christ entrusted to the apostles, they in turn handed on by their preaching and writing, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to all generations, until Christ returns in glory.” (CCC #96) KINGDOM OF HEAVEN Matthew does not use the term “kingdom of God.” Instead he uses “kingdom of heaven.” But the terms are held to be interchangeable. Heaven stands for God. It is another example of the awe due to the holy Name of God. PAROUSIA Term used to refer to the second coming of Christ at the end of time. TORAH The five books of Moses that contain the core teachings: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. A. 2 | Page CHAPTER 5 HRE 4M1 – IN SEARCH OF THE GOOD FERIC INTERPRETING THE ETHICAL TEACHING OF JESUS INTERPRETING SCRIPTURE Exegesis: The explanation or interpretation of a particular text, especially from the Bible. The analysis of texts in their original context. Uncovering the historical, cultural, linguistic, etc., particularities that the original author was dealing with in order to understand the original meaning. o the Gospels contain the moral teachings of Jesus o the Sermon on the Mount contains the heart of Jesus’ ethical message o it has been called the summary gospel Using Exegesis to analysis the Sermon on the Mount will involve three things: 1) Matthew’s intent 2) What does “The Kingdom of God” mean? 3) What does the teaching mean for us in the 21st century (hermeneutics) The genre known as “gospel”: o comes from the old English word “godspel” meaning “good news” o deals with the life and teachings of Jesus o Matthew and Luke’s gospels begin with Jesus’ birth o Mark and John’s gospels begin with his Baptism o the “synoptic gospels” refer to the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke B. MATTHEW’S GOSPEL Where was it written? o in the city of Antioch (in modern Turkey) When was it written? o approx 80 C.E. approx 50-60 years after Jesus’ death and 10-20 years after the temple was destroyed For whom was it written? o A Jewish Audience o A Jewish community that was divided over the belief about Jesus’ identity as the long awaited Messiah o For those Jews who became the early church-the Christians Why was it written? o to share stories that had been shared for the last 50 years by the oral tradition 3 | Page CHAPTER 5 HRE 4M1 – IN SEARCH OF THE GOOD FERIC o Matthew wrote his gospel so Jesus’ followers would continue to his teachings after the apostles had died o to warn the followers to stay united, refrain from judgment, accept the sinner, as well as a stable structure (Matthew’s gospel is the only one to speak of the church) How is Jesus portrayed? o as the ultimate teacher and authority on earth o he will be present with the Church for always (constant) o his authority is traced back through his genealogy *Abraham- the father of Israel *King David - the greatest of all Jewish Kings, from who’s line the Messiah will come o Jesus is born of the Holy Spirit, and after his resurrection he sends his spirit to be with us until the end of time: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Mt:18: 18-20 o the time between the resurrection and the “end of the age” (parousia-second coming of Jesus) is to be filled with the teachings of Jesus o he is portrayed as the one who brings the teachings of Moses to perfection 4 | Page CHAPTER 5 HRE 4M1 – IN SEARCH OF THE GOOD FERIC GOSPEL: THE “GOOD NEWS” C. MATTHEW’S CHURCH AND THE ‘KINGDOM OF GOD’ parousia: This term refers to the second coming of Christ, which is to take place “at the end of the age.” This time ends time: it is the ending of the story of salvation. The end is described as a completion: the full revelation of God. He will appear, as Matthew 25 says, as the Son of Man in his glory. Jesus will give the final accounting of the earth and its history. As the Creed says, “He will come to judge the living and the dead.” History will be judged, as Jesus said, by what “you did … to one of the least of these who are members of my family”: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and the prisoner (Matthew 25.31-46). APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE During the time that Matthew wrote his gospel, Jewish society felt a loss of identity and a sense of hopelessness Apocalyptic writings are writings of crisis. o They reflect how a people who find their surroundings corrupt and without hope reflect on their faith in the covenant God o God has abandoned them or God is testing them o The overall conviction is that the present tribulations are a prelude to the coming of God to liberate people from their sufferings Jesus uses this apocalyptic language but strips it of many of its images Jesus is presented in the gospels as preparing the coming of God o God’s coming, Jesus says, is not in the frightening signs of judgment o God comes as an abundant outpouring of goodness THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN 5 | Page  CHAPTER 5 HRE 4M1 – IN SEARCH OF THE GOOD FERIC SERMON ON THE MOUNT Jesus is presented as the supreme, ultimate teacher Matthew says Jesus brings to perfection the teaching of Moses The Torah taught by Moses is brought to fullness. Jesus is the law and the law is love Jesus is the new Torah Jesus is not imposed on us like the law, he is written in our hearts 5 teachings of Moses (5 books of the Torah) 5 teachings of Jesus in the sermon on the mount which bring to fullness the Torah (5 contrasts) SERMON ON THE MOUNT - THE FIVE CONTRASTS: 1. The 5th Commandment, “Thou shall not kill.”—Jesus says anyone who has an angry impulse against his or her neighbour has broken the 5th commandment. “It refers to anything that lessens the dignity of another person.” 2. “You shall not commit adultery.”—Casting a look of lust at a woman or a man even if nothing happens breaks the 6th commandment. Jesus says if you think about a woman with lust, you have already committed the crime. 3. The name of God is sacred. You should not take the name of God in vain nor should you use it to swear an oath. Jesus says you need to use your own name to swear an oath or truth. ( 2nd commandment) 4. 4th contrast—Jesus refers to the law of talion, a Jewish law found in Exodus 21, 23-26, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, in other words, true retribution. Jesus says; do not return evil with evil but rather return evil with good. Give everything. 5. Love for enemies—“You have heard it said, ‘You shall love your neighbours and hate your enemies,’ but Jesus says you should love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Do not do them any harm but instead imitate the perfection of our Father in heaven. MATTHEW’S KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AND THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount is evidently aimed at presenting an authoritative portrait of Christian discipleship. In the opening section of his address he sketches in the Beatitudes a portrait of his followers and then commissions them, exhorting them to show ‘greater rightness’ than that of the scribes and the Pharisees. The main body of the sermon can then be identified as containing three sections to do with this relationship with God: I. Contrasting traditional Jewish moral teaching (of the scribes?) with new moral principles enunciated by Jesus II. On the practice of ‘righteousness,’ (Mt 6), religious and devotional 6 | Page CHAPTER 5 HRE 4M1 – IN SEARCH OF THE GOOD FERIC practices as performed by the Pharisees, to be rejected now in favour of Christian practices III. Describing the true righteousness which is henceforth to be found and practised in the kingdom of God, and the complete trust and single minded devotion which God’s sons and daughters are invited to manifest to their loving and protecting Father. What needs to be done, Jesus concludes here (6:33), is: I. to seek the kingdom of God and its (or his) righteousness, and everything else will come later. In Jesus God’s kingdom has come and is present in history. God’s kingdom continues to break into human history through the gift of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the just. God’s kingdom will come in fullness when Jesus returns at the end of time THE ETHICS OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: THE JUSTICE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD IT IS AN ETHICS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD: ALREADY IN OUR MIDST BUT NOT YET FULLY REVEALED It is a world that in its actions and its being reflects the God of Jesus Jesus talks about a world in which there will be no expressions of anger or name- calling; a world of forgiveness; a world without adultery or divorce; a world in which everyone’s word is reliable; a world without retaliation and where people break the cycle of violence; a world where people share with all, even their enemies; a world in which there is no judgment of others; etc. This is the world where the kingdom of God is among us. The kingdom of God is about God’s intense desire to be part of our lives and our history IT IS AN ETHICS TO “BE PERFECT AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PERFECT” (MATTHEW 5.48) Jesus reminds us about the generosity of God, who gives good things, knows what we need, cares about everyone, and forgives If God is so generous, God’s sons and daughters must be likewise IT IS AN ETHICS THAT MAKES US RIGHTEOUS Righteousness is best translated as “to be put in the right” We are made righteous through the loving action of God. It is a gift. To be righteous is both to receive this gift and to act in accordance with the gift IT IS AN ESCHATOLOGICAL ETHICS The present time encounters what time cannot contain: God This encounter with God in time makes the time eschatological, as the fullness of God enters the present time 7 | Page CHAPTER 5 HRE 4M1 – IN SEARCH OF THE GOOD FERIC The present time cannot contain this fullness. It can only show bits and pieces of this fullness. Therefore, eschatological time is a time filled with tension. It has given us a glimpse of what is possible, a glimpse of God’s goodness and love, but it can only reproduce God’s love in fragments TO BE RIGHT WITH GOD IS TO BE RIGHT WITH ONE ANOTHER Our relationship with God is measured in our relationship to the poor, the mourner, the meek, the hungry and thirsty IT IS A GOSPEL ETHICS Jesus’ teaching is an ethics based on the New Covenant – a new way of relating to God and one another It goes beyond the Mosaic law, calling us to do more Joachim Jeremias does not consider the Sermon to be a law in the sense of divine legislation imposed upon the community under pain of punishment for violations o He calls the Sermon a “gospel”: the good news that the kingdom of God has come SUMMARY Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) contains the heart of Jesus’ ethical message. “The kingdom of God” is at the heart of Jesus’ teaching. When Jesus says, “The kingdom of God is among you,” he is saying that God is now acting among you. The gospels say that the coming of God is manifested in the very person of Jesus. For Jesus, this nearness of God had all sorts of implications for human existence, and certainly for ethics. Life is gifted by the generosity of this coming God. God’s gift calls forth our own generous response, namely to love one another with the generosity that is described in the Sermon on the Mount. If God is so generous, God’s sons and daughters must likewise be generous. The kingdom of God is not first of all something that we do, but something that we receive. For us to be just and righteous is both to receive this gift and to act in accordance with the gift. Eschatological ethics strives for the infinite good. It is an ethics of response to an experience of being loved. No one of us can ever do enough. It calls upon our best efforts even though the result appears to be only a fraction of God’s goodness. Our relationship with God is measured by our relationships with one another. “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me…” Chapter: pp. 85-106 Review: Focus your learning questions - p. 85 8 | Page CHAPTER 5 HRE 4M1 – IN SEARCH OF THE GOOD FERIC Key Terms - p. 85 Guiding Questions - pp. 87, 89, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102 & 103 Chapter Review – p. 106 Review Questions – p. 106 9 | Page