My Sunday Scripture 2008.10.26.
When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them (a scholar of the law) tested him by asking, Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest? He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."
Matthew 22,34-40
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My reading notes:
This is the most important doctrine Jesus told us. We must love God the Lord of the universe with our whole heart, whole soul, and whole mind. Plus the second teaching: Love our neighbours. Love our neighbor as ourself.
From this two points, one can find out the difference of Confucius and Christ.
Confucius did not represent Chinese thought. He had never had such thoughts as to love your neighbour, and to love God. His point was rather selfish, and limited. He could only see the relationship between the ruler and the ruled, the elder and the young. He promoted obedience rather then love. And this is not the worst elements of Confucius.
He was the one to forbid and cut and limit the Ancient Chinese thought, which was much much nearer to Christ then the feudal rulers. Zhuang-zi's idea of man-heaven union, was like the subconscious idea of Jesus's love of God, though he did not say so, but it is sure that he had felt it and meant it. We can say that Zhuang-zi and Christ had shared the same feeling.
2008年10月25日 星期六
2008年10月19日 星期日
To Caesar what is Caesar's
Return to Caesar what is Caesar's
My Sunday Scripture 2008.10.19.
They said to Jesus, "Master, we know that you are an honest man and truly teach God's way: you are not influenced by others nor are you afraid of anyone. Tell us, then, what you think: is it against the Law to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
But Jesus understood their evil intent, and said to them, "Hypocrites! Why are you testing me? Show me the coin with which you pay the taxes."
They showed him a denarius, and Jesus said to them, "whose head is this, and whose name?" They answered, "Caesar's."Then Jesus replied, "Therefore, return to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
Matthew 22: 15-21
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My reading notes:
How much we have given to Caesar? Almost most of ourselves. How much we have given to God? It depends.
Some people thought we need to have a balance between the earthly interest and the heavenly interest. But to my view, the two kinds of interest are not contradicted. When one finds oneself totally committed and dedicated, he will never have such problems. To pay tax is nothing to him, but to dedicate wholeheartedly, is the issue.
My Sunday Scripture 2008.10.19.
They said to Jesus, "Master, we know that you are an honest man and truly teach God's way: you are not influenced by others nor are you afraid of anyone. Tell us, then, what you think: is it against the Law to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
But Jesus understood their evil intent, and said to them, "Hypocrites! Why are you testing me? Show me the coin with which you pay the taxes."
They showed him a denarius, and Jesus said to them, "whose head is this, and whose name?" They answered, "Caesar's."Then Jesus replied, "Therefore, return to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."
Matthew 22: 15-21
----------------------
My reading notes:
How much we have given to Caesar? Almost most of ourselves. How much we have given to God? It depends.
Some people thought we need to have a balance between the earthly interest and the heavenly interest. But to my view, the two kinds of interest are not contradicted. When one finds oneself totally committed and dedicated, he will never have such problems. To pay tax is nothing to him, but to dedicate wholeheartedly, is the issue.
2008年10月11日 星期六
Those invited were not worthy
Those invited were not worthy
My Sunday Scripture 2008.10.12
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 22,1-14.
Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast."' Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.' The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' Many are invited, but few are chosen."
My reading notes:
This is a difficult part of the scripture.
But the message seems very clear.
Those invited, one can guess from the parable, was the Israel people. They have refused the Messiah. As this is a parable, we can also think that among those who had refused God, could be people anywhere in the world.
And the result will come as a very unhappy one.
People are being invited, and honoured, but they refuse with a contempt.
.
They had insulted the kindness of the Creator.
Thus the result was obvious.
My Sunday Scripture 2008.10.12
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 22,1-14.
Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast."' Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.' The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' Many are invited, but few are chosen."
My reading notes:
This is a difficult part of the scripture.
But the message seems very clear.
Those invited, one can guess from the parable, was the Israel people. They have refused the Messiah. As this is a parable, we can also think that among those who had refused God, could be people anywhere in the world.
And the result will come as a very unhappy one.
People are being invited, and honoured, but they refuse with a contempt.
.
They had insulted the kindness of the Creator.
Thus the result was obvious.
2008年10月4日 星期六
Cornerstone
Cornerstone
My Sunday Scripture 2008.10.5
Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.' They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?" They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times." Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes'? Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.
Matthew 21,33-43
My reading notes:
My question is: Do we human beings need a savior?
This is the question other philosophers have never answered.
(Including Zhuang-zi)
It is only in the Gospel that we learned we humans do need
a savior. Just like a house need a corner stone. We can not
imagine a house without a proper cornder stone. And all the
problems of the human race arises from here.
We tended to be weak and wrong. We need guidance from above.
This is what I have learned to day.
Leechard.
My Sunday Scripture 2008.10.5
Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.' They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?" They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times." Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes'? Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.
Matthew 21,33-43
My reading notes:
My question is: Do we human beings need a savior?
This is the question other philosophers have never answered.
(Including Zhuang-zi)
It is only in the Gospel that we learned we humans do need
a savior. Just like a house need a corner stone. We can not
imagine a house without a proper cornder stone. And all the
problems of the human race arises from here.
We tended to be weak and wrong. We need guidance from above.
This is what I have learned to day.
Leechard.
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