Fall Study - Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes

Note: My comment on Miriam's post rambled way beyond typical comment length so I put it in this post.  MERRY CHRISTMAS!  Love this post.  Definitely relate to it. Just finished chapter 30 this morning where Bailey uses the parable of Lazarus and the Rich guy to wrestle, like you, with the concept of justice.  Your post brought to mind two of the points in his summary.  He writes, “The focus of the parable is not on a form of justice that evens the score, but is found in discovering the ways in which meaning is created by our responses to the good gifts and the suffering that life brings to everyone.”  Another point earlier in the summary that reminds of your post is: “The events of our lives have meaning. We access or fail to access that meaning by the way in which we respond to those events.  What we do with the good gifts and the pain of life is what matters.” Ultimately your thoughts and Baileys thoughts dropped me on a beach of bef...

From Chapter 23 “The Parable of the Rich Fool” : Bailey writes that the prophet Habakkuk wrote in reference to the Chaldeans, “their justice and self-worth proceed from themselves” (Hab 1:7). As Bailey explains, the Chaldeans did not submit to a God above them who could judge their cause. Furthermore, Bailey quotes Newbegin from The Open Secret, saying: If we acknowledge the God of the Bible, we are committed to struggle for justice in society. Justice means giving to each his due. Our problem, as seen in the light of the gospel, is that each of us overestimates what is due him compared with what is due to his neighbor. If I do not acknowledge a justice which judges the justice for which I fight, I am an agent not of justice, but of lawless tyranny. Part of submitting to Christ is submitting my own view of justice. I not only want to control the material possessions that I deserve, much like this rich fool, but I want to control my understanding of right and wrong, jus...

I feel silly commenting on Steve's post since we can literally spit on each other since our desks are so close......... buuuuuuut....., as I was commenting on his post, it became another post!  Our office is much like a mini theological center!  Hours of ideas, opinions, hopes, dreams, and fears are exchanged through conversation.  In reading through the Chapters on the Parables and reflecting on the countless hours of "Theo-logi-cizing" in the office, one conversation in particular ties a pretty Christmas bow on Bailey's writings.  It was a conversation on POT! That's right Mary Jane - ganja -  weed - 420 – bammer – BC bud – blunt – bomb – bone – boo – boo-yah – bubonic chronic – bud – buddha – burger – Cali – candle – cheeba – chiba – chief – chiefs – chino – choke – chronic – cigga-weed – cigweed – clickem – colitas – combustible herbage – crippy – cronick – dank – dirt weed – ditch weed – doja – dolja – doob – doober – doobie – dope – drat – draw – dro – d...

“Actually, the lawyer’s original question is flawed. What can anyone do to inherit anything? “Inheretence is not payment for services rendered.”

I'll admit it, these past couple weeks I have been struggling with recognition. I've been tempted and have been giving into the need for myself to be praised. Oh what a wicked heart! A little backstory, this past year (that ended a week ago today) was one of the hardest years for me emotionally. I point this all to the fact that I was sorority president and had to carry the weight of the wrongdoings (sins) and backlash that people had against me as I tried to bring in light to a dark world. I am nothing like Jesus (I pray and strive to be more like him!), but this past year I got a glimpse of what it was like to only try to do good and get nothing in return but suffering. Ahh amen for that. Back to the book study, reading about the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Bailey called out the exact wickedness in my heart. For the past few weeks (probs more), I have been complaining about the lack of recognition that I have gotten (from sorority, roommates, etc.) for the good things ...

“Jesus was a metaphorical theologian. That is, his primary method of creating meaning was through metaphor, simile, parable and dramatic action rather than through logic and reasoning. He created meaning like a dramatist and a poet rather than like a philosopher.” (Bailey, Intro to Parables) The wholistic, love God with your heart, mind, soul approach that Jesus uses to teach brought to mind for me Point 1 of our first “chapter” in our trainee material. Point  # 1 - Loving God is "central" to all life – (Family, Friends, School, Sports, Work) Loving God is “central” to all life not only served as a good filter for me as I read Bailey’s bazillions of vectors into the parables.  Loving God is “central” to all life also personally struck a chord with me (and in me) that here at work, with my kids, in the community, out on the docks every moment, every movement, every rhythm, every word, every thought, every notion is best synthesized & understood by this phrase:...

Hey!!! Sorry for my absence recently. I'm getting hit hard by school right now!!! Finals are coming and then it will all be over (for now...) Seems like no time has passed since we were out on the water for all staff and for off season trips. Time flies! Anyways, I'm doing my best to keep up, and had a couple thoughts on this last reading. I think Bailey's breakdown of the Woman in the House of Simon the Pharisee stuck out to me most, just because of the chills I got when reading about the implications and cost of the action of properly welcoming  Jesus into a home owned by someone who wanted to show him that he was not welcome there. A couple things jumped out at me. Firstly, Bailey's description of the way that Jesus responds to the women's actions. He could have responded in anger, he could have defended himself from cultural shame by apologizing, he could have reacted a lot of different ways. But he chose to defend her, and I love the way that Bailey descri...