In Jesus’ time honor to parents, fathers specifically, was so highly valued male rulers sanctified it as a holy Commandment. In today’s Gospel Jesus tells a parable that shocks his listeners, “chief priests and elders” who are hypocritical keepers of that Commandment system of honor. It extols a son who publicly dishonors his father – … Continue reading “Are We People For All Time?”
Tag: honor
Politically Correct
When members of the supremacist class, Pharisees, invite Jesus to a meal they are not being politically correct. Being politically correct is a feature of domination in which supremacists correctly honor their own who dominate. Why then do the Pharisees bestow honor upon a dishonorable commoner, the politically incorrect Jesus, by inviting him to share … Continue reading “Politically Correct”
How Can We Extend Our Children’s Families?
A story is told about Jesus being lost when he is 12 years old. Mary and Joseph are returning home from a festival in Jerusalem. Having journeyed for a day already, Mary and Joseph cannot find Jesus nestled in the safety of extended family members. They return to the city and after three days of … Continue reading “How Can We Extend Our Children’s Families?”
Honor
The Gospel writer Matthew twice feels the need to ascribe honor to Jesus related to his birth. Matthew first ascribes honor by assigning a royal blood line to Jesus. Matthew traces Jesus back to the warrior King David. Oddly enough, he traces that blood line through Joseph, a man Matthew himself believed was not Jesus’ … Continue reading “Honor”
Humility
Jesus is encouraging humility in this Sunday’s Gospel. The word humility is derived from humus, meaning of the earth. It describes our way of being grounded, of being in touch with reality. Humility means we know who we are as children of one human family. We know this same truth of others. Humility, therefore, describes … Continue reading “Humility”