In AA there are 12 steps of recovery. The 10th step suggests that we" take a daily moral inventory and when wrong, promptly admit it" The implication is that we will correct our wrongdoing. I find this passage a a good Christian 'inventory' to measure our 'helpfulness' to people in need. When I read it, I always feel I could do more and be more helpful. Yet it serves as a very good reminder when I tend to get caught up in my own ego's needs and wishes, that our energies need to be used to help others as consistently as possible. This has to be one of David's favorite passages--is it,David?!!!!

Email: mhlandlbl@msn.com

I like this inventory idea Marion. It's easy to throw our hands in the air in frustration, where to even start when we see so many places where help is needed. My theme for the collages is TV and how the needy are brought into our living rooms daily. This is good but I think it also has burned out many of us. If we do a daily moral inventory and keep up with the ebb and tide of needs that we see, it may be easier to act helpfully where we can. Sharing our experiences in a forum like this, or in Church or small groups, is a great way to develop the ability to see opportunities to do even small helping acts. If we want to get to the Carnegie Hall of helpfulness, we need to practice, practice, practice.

Right on, brother Eugene. I love practicing with you and our friends on the forum!!!

Email: mhlandlbl@msn.com

The Jesus Seminar sees this as definitely not a story from the historical Jesus. Rather it is Matthew addressing his community and persuading them in the best way he knows, threaten them with the final judgment! What I like about the story is not its imagined judgment but rather its conclusion into what the religious life is all about. It is ultimately measured by the simple acts of helping to "the least of these" or as the Scholars Version says, "the most inconspicuous members of my family." The story doesn't reinforce Love God and Love your neighbor. Rather it seems to say we can only love God by loving the most inconspicuous. It suggests that the only relationship we can have in this universe that really matters is the relationship with other humans.

Email: d2mryan@verizon.net

David, I agree with your interpretation of this passage. Yet, I think the last two sentences which expresses your belief in one universe are too extreme. How? I think we need to take this sermon as one among others attributed to Jesus. In this sermon , it is Love Your Neighbor in Need. In other sermons, it is Love Your God. If the Gospels are viewed as a whole, I think one would find Jesus' support for both commandments in balance.

Email: mhlandlbl@msn.com

Well, how to add my 2 cents? Matthew 25 seems problematical of interpretation, with all its judgmental talk of sheep and goats and taking even the little from him who as little and giving it to him who has much. That latter sounds very Republican and would delight the "tax cuts for the wealthy" crowd in DC!

But then you have the more tender-hearted bit about doing unto the least of these my brethren. And wasn't there something in there earlier about being prepared and wise and foolish virgins?

Matthew 25 would seem the ideal scriptural moment for those who like to pick and choose the lessons they take from the Bible. Most people would be most comfortable with the lesson of "the least of these." Although the Boy Scouts sort of have adopted the Be Prepared lesson of the alert and prepared virgins. And I suppose Mark Carlson--ML broker to Marion and me--absolutely lives by the resourceful servant parable. He can't stand the notion of our portfolios not growing. So, what exactly is Matthew's main point in this chapter?

Email: rclarsen@optonline.net

Republicans indeed!! lol. And how odd of God to choose the Republicans.
re: Matt 25 -- The guy isn’t sent to hell because he persecuted the poor or homeless or prisoners, he’s sent to hell just because he didn’t help.

I know, Eugene. It's all one variant after another of the Good Samaritan and the Christian imperative not to pass by on the other side. The industrious servants story, however, has rather a materialistic cast to it and a rather heartless ending. I still think that that particular paarable is one of those "hard sayings" that is difficult to turn into a "helpful" lesson. It's like God saying he WANTS Pat Robertson to have all those diamond mines in Aftica and those palatial homes he lives in. Pat's only being industrious like those servants who made the master's funds increase.

Email: rclarsen@optonline.net

Since I have a sore throat and feel yucky, my church time this morning is going to consist of reading and responding to the BGH forum.


I can't resist this one, because Matthew 25 was the first chapter of the bible that I memorized. You all are going to think that all I did sit by our livingroom stereo.

Another set of records that we owned was from "Children's Bible Hour" -- out of Michigan (any of you evangelicals recall the Saturday radio event?). One record was of "Susie," who memorized many chapters of the bible at a young age. I thought she was absolutely adorable (jacket photo) and spent hours listening to her recite passages...till I had also memorized them.

My favorite was the story of the talents. Heaven and hell were big concerns for me at the age of 10. I ran the story through my head so many times because it was difficult for me to understand why it would be such an awful thing for a servant not to have invested his master's funds. (That gnashing of teeth thing always got me in the gut, whenever it showed up in scripture.) After enough reviews, though, I started to hear the story metaphorically, and thought the servant's heart must have been very distrusting and selfish -- two things that Jesus seemed to hate.

It wasn't about the fact that he started with little. It was about the fact that he decided that God was unfair and not to be trusted. Instead of using whatever he had (not necessarily $$ resources), he wrapped his arms around them and slunk away into his own little world. I saw it as the difference between two thought processes:

"I'm not good at anything. Go on, world, get along without me. I won't hurt anybody, but I won't help anyone, either."

and

"I'm not a star, but my gifts are still valuable. I'm lucky to have so much to give. Here...do you need a hand?"

But I'll never get over that gnashing of teeth thing. Just doesn't fit with the overall view of sharing and helping and seeing the good in everyone. I can't imagine anyone in history being worthy of eternal ****ation.

For what it's worth,

Mir

Email: mishnu3@yahoo.com

Gawlly...we can't write d a m n ation on this site?



That's funny.

Mir

Email: mishnu3@yahoo.com