Journal #3

1) The key idea of Chapter 3 is to strive to be more like Jesus and try to live out His values in our lives. This chapter lists many values that Jesus emphasized in His teachings here on Earth to help us realize how Jesus wants us to be living our lives. By not falling to Satan’s temptations, Jesus reveals important values that can help us fight temptation in our own lives, such as knowing the Word of God and remaining in faithful worship and service to God. More of Jesus’ values are revealed through His teachings of the Beatitudes, like how true happiness is found in God, not in material goods. I think that bringing these values into my life and allowing Jesus to be my main role model is an important element in becoming a leader and changing my life as well as other’s. For some reason, the main idea that stuck with me from the Gospel of Matthew is the veil tearing in the Temple at the moment Jesus dies on the cross. This event stands for the barrier between God and His People being broken by Jesus’ dying to save us from sin. I sometimes notice this veil separating me from God in my life today because of my own personal sins. However, I think that if I strive to bring Jesus’ values into my life I will be able to destroy anything that separates me from Him and lead others to do the same. In this way, I think that bringing Jesus into my life as a role model and obtaining His values is crucial to my growing closer to God and becoming something that I am both afraid and excited to be: a leader, just like Jesus was.

2) The first major idea I would like to remember from this chapter is the temptation of Jesus in the desert. I love this story because it is one of the stories where I really feel that I can relate to Jesus. I have heard people say that Jesus is both fully God and fully human, but I usually find myself reading the gospels simply seeing Jesus as a great being who knows everything and has no problems to which I can relate. However, the story of Jesus’ temptation by the Devil in the desert helps remind me that Jesus also had fully human qualities. Jesus must have really wanted to eat the bread the Devil offered Him or jump off the building to see if His Father would actually save Him like He said He would, but our Savior resists. He also shows that knowledge of the Word of God, God’s power and promises, and worship and service of God are ways to resist evil temptations. When I read this story, I realize that humans can have great power and determination against temptation, for Jesus was fully human and was still able to resist. Jesus is reminding me that I can find great power, not only in myself, but also in others to help me resist the temptations in my life.

The other major idea I would like to remember from is the article on the Pax Christi USA organization. I think that this is an important group to remember because they are devoted to being like Jesus by trying to create peace in our world. This organization is a great example of the kind of people who can help me resist temptation to sin. Sometimes when I attempt to live in a Christian manner and not give into sin, I still have some hard times and begin to wonder why I am even trying to live this way if it is not benefiting me. However, thinking of this organization and how they are striving for peace just as I am reminds me that I should not try to do good for my benefit, but for those around me because that was what Jesus would have done. Besides, when I help others, simple things such as a smile or a “thank you” will reward me, and sometimes, God is found in such small occurrences, just like how Elijah heard God in the smallest whisper.

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4) The text states that Matthew includes many anti-Semitic remarks in his gospel. How can this evangelist be considered Anti-Semitic if he himself is a Jew writing for other Jews?

5) In 1985, the International Rivers Network (IRN) was founded as a non-profit organization made up of activists dedicated to fighting river projects that negatively disrupt the economy, enviornment, and social setting that surround it. This organization’s ideal image of the world is a place where river projects do not destroy nature or put people into poverty and in which rivers and the ecosystems around them are greatly cared for. I have never been that interested in protecting nature, but after visiting this organization’s website and reading about all of the bad things in the world they can make good by simply stopping a few river projects, I have a newfound respect for those people who will work hard to protect the wonderful state in which God gave us the world. One main reason that this project really speaks to me personally is because water is such a beautiful metaphor for God. In the form of a river, water can be very much like God because it can be gentle and calm at times, but also turn into great powerful rapids that show its amazing power to the ecosystem around it without harming it. Also just as God provides for all of our needs, a river takes care of its ecosystem by providing food, drink, and shelter. After thinking of how rivers can affect their ecosystems just as God affects my life, I realize that they are vital to this world. Thank God this organization is saving rivers and their ecosystems. Click Here to visit IRN's website!