Jesus is the fulfillment of the covenant.
2) The first key idea I would like to remember from this chapter is
the debate over the Holy Land. God promised Abraham that his descendants
would number as many as the stars. He also promised that the Holy Land would
belong to his descendants. Land was a symbol of power and a visible
source of identity. For the Jews, their temple is situated in Jerusalem.
It was the center of Jewish identity and religion. Only the Western Wall
remains. Jews still pray there today. For Christians, Jesus suffered, died,
and was raised to life in Jerusalem. It is a hot spot for Christians'
pilgrimages today. For Muslims, Jerusalem is the third holiest city,
behind Mecca and Medina. The Dome of Rock is a mosque that enshrines the
Black Rock on which Abraham was said to have nearly offered Ishmael as a
sacrifice to God. Mohammad is said to have ascended to heaven from this site
For centuries, the ownership of the land has been a source of
violence among the descendants of Abraham.
A second theme I would like to remember is how the covenant was fulfilled
through Jesus. The stories of the Passover, the Exodus, and the covenant
at Mt. Sinai are the central events of Israel's history. These stories
are also a reminder of God's tenderness and love for his people. The
rest of the Hebrew Scriptures recount the Israelites struggle to remain
faithful to God and his covenant. Jesus made the old covenant a new
covenant through his death and resurrection, by giving himself as the
ultimate gift of mercy and love. Through this sacrifice, Jesus made himself
the way out, or the exodus, for all humankind, of sin and death.
3)
I felt that this was a good image to represent
the chapter because it symbolizes how Jesus truly
made himself the Exodus for us from sin and death
by sacrificing himself in his death and resurrection.
4) I wonder how the Christians in the days of Nero and Trajan
dealt with their persecution? I wish we covered that area in
a little bit more detail. I am just naturally attracted to that
time period and its events.
5) How will the world be different because you were born? Choose
"one little bit" you can do today to make the world better for someone
and then do it.
I will definitely make a difference in my world today. Locally I am a big
part of my parish and SLUH communities. I try to do my part by serving both
of those communities in their various needs from being an altar boy
to donating money. I'll admit that the one little bit that I really missed
out on my freshman year at SLUH was being a part of its great community
service programs. I tried to make time, but it never clicked with me.
This summer I am trying to get involved in our parish's habitat for
humanity program. I am looking forward to building a house.