1. The Serenity Prayer God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen.

2. Today’s Checklist Take up homework on the world of Jesus Political groups in Jesus’ time – recap The world of Jesus Jesus’ treatment of others in the New Testament

3. The World of Jesus 1. A 2. C 3. B 4. A 5. B – in the Gospel of John, Jesus writes in the ground 6. A 7. A

4. The political pyramid in Jesus’ time Sadducees Zealots Essenes Romans Pharisees

5. Distribution of wealth 10%90% population Ruling elites 66% wealth Peasants 33% In Jesus ’ time, there was an enormous gulf between rural peasants and urban ruling elites. Do we see the same gulf today?

6. Look at them working in the hot sun The pilloried saints and the fallen ones Working and waiting for the night to come And waiting for a miracle – Bruce Cockburn Where do you see unequal distribution of wealth today?

7. Purity system The central structure of the society was organized with purity as the core value. Purity systems generate a class of untouchables and outcasts. The caste system of India

8. Purity system PureImpure CleanUnclean RighteousOutcasts, sinners MaleFemale RichPoor (conventional wisdom said the poor haven’t lived properly) Jew (generally but not automatically pure) Gentile Well/healthy/wholeIll/maimed/diseased Agricultural produce on which taxes were paid Agricultural produce on which taxes were not paid (declared unclean, boycotted)

9. Common people in Jesus’ time Many professions were looked down upon in Jesus’ time Jesus reached out to the common people He made his teachings relatable to them He reached out to the marginalized, as well ◦ He cured lepers ◦ "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." (Luke 17:19)

10. Tax collectors in Jesus’ time In 66 BC, the Zealots burned the archives of Jerusalem where certificates of debt were kept ◦ What did this mean for tax collectors? Did not have an easy life Were presumed to be criminal, as they would take more than was required of them The disciple Matthew was a tax collector – Jesus called him to follow him

11. Women in Jesus’ time Women were considered inferior Their primary purpose was childrearing and work in the home ◦ Samaritan women were considered unclean ◦ This woman did not have a husband – her morality is in question A Jewish man was not to speak to a woman in public He initiates conversation with this women at a social “hot spot” A Jewish man would never drink from a woman’s cup ◦ Jesus asked to drink from the cup of a woman deemed to be in a constant states of uncleanness A rabbi would never associate with a “sinner”

12. Jesus defies culture: His treatment of others in the NT Read each of the Bible passages What do they reveal about Jesus’ treatment of others in the NT?

13. Who is my neighbour? Complete the reading and questions on the Parable of the Good Samaritan

14. Jesus as a radical You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Mt 5:43-45) This is probably the most difficult command Jesus ever gave, and even for us today it might seem impossible. He Came to Get Messy

15. Radical teachings of Jesus In Matthew 5:17, Jesus says: ◦ "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them." In this passage, which is part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that he didn't intend to abolish the old Jewish religious laws But he often did re-interpret these laws, or add to them, sometimes in very radical ways As a result, some of his teachings were very controversial. According to Luke 4:28-30, some people in his hometown of Nazareth became so angry at him that they tried to throw him off a cliff

16. Radical teachings of Jesus You and your group members will be given a summary of a radical teaching of Jesus With the information given, you will note… ◦ Summary ◦ Related political and religious groups of Jesus’ time ◦ Challenges today

17. Sharing information Form a group with those who summarized information from other radical teachings of Jesus

18. What does this mean for us? Jesus’ teachings were unsettling for the people of his time Some were drastically different, forcing people out of their comfort zones What do these teachings mean for us? Who are the “other people” we are called to reach out to, the way that Jesus reached out to them? Rant Write this down

19. High…low…grateful for Reflect on your visit to both St. Vincent de Paul and The Salvation Army ◦ What was a high of this experience? ◦ What was a low? ◦ What are you grateful for?

20. Rant about it! Rant #2 Rant about it! ◦ Two paragraphs It is your turn to rant about a problem that concerns you, such as… ◦ Polluting ◦ Bullying ◦ Laziness

21. Rant about it! You will get together in a group of four Choose the top “rant” of your four choices This person will present his/her rant Remember to keep your emotions in check!