[media presentation below] GospelThink Wednesday, July 26 MATTHEW 13:1-9 I give you the story of the sower which tells you to look carefully at how you are listening to the word of God. Prayerthoughts a. Jesus used stories as he preached. What “stories,” that is happening in my life so far has had a significant effect on me and why? b. The seed sown is a symbol of the word of God. In what ways have I made the Word of God present to me in my spiritual life? c. Perhaps it is best to consider myself as “part” of each of the categories that Jesus gives. In what way have I sometimes allowed the word of God to be spoken to me, but ignored it? d. Has the word of God sometimes been present in my life, but because of something that happened which I did not like, I ceased to consider God’s presence? Perhaps I should spend a moment acknowledging how God was present in those difficulties. e. In the past, have I allowed the “thorns” of life, the evils in my personal world to overpower me? Again, perhaps a moment praising God for the help God has given is in order. f. My prayer is that I am prepared to allow the word of God to make an impact on my life. At the present time, what is the best way to do that? g. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will read Exodus, chapter 16, and write an important thought from it. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy  CALLED TO “PREACH” THE WORD  + The first reading today continues the story of the Israelites in the desert           – here after they have grumbled—as they did so often in the desert—the Lord listened to them and gave them food                      -the Lord gave them the means to live through the time in the desert so that in the promised land they can preach what the Lord wanted  + In that promised land, they were to be teachers           – and beginning with chapter 13 of Matthew’s Gospel,                      – Jesus becomes a teacher again—as he has been in the discourses of Matthew’s Gospel, the Sermon on the Mount, chapters 5-7, and the missionary discourse in chapter 10                                – this time with parables, in fact, at this point of his Gospel, 7 wonderful, easy to learn from—stories  + Those stories begin with this one in the Gospel, the so-called parable of the sower           – we will hear the explanation by Matthew’s Jesus on Friday                      – here we are given the story as Jesus told it                                – scholars say that these short stories are as close to Jesus’ actual words as we get in the Scriptures           – there are four different ways of listening to the word of God, Jesus says—people who simply ignore it, those who listen but it doesn’t have an effect, those who truly listen, but eventually forget it, and finally those who truly listen  + Our meditation might center around our call to preach the word of God during troublesome times           – and the fact that the Word of God is sometimes ignored in one way or another                      – you and I are preachers of the word, in a sense, exposing spiritual thoughts/words into the common situations in which we find ourselves                                – that is the practical side of the spiritual life,                                          – we are called to destroy the evil that is around us                      – and build up the presence of God by simply living the life of the Christian as best we can                                – at the same time, we realize that God’s word that we speak will be ignored by a lot of people, but we preach it anyway. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “The Hills” — The Weeknd FEELING GOOD” IS NOT THE SAME AS LOVE The Gospel MATTHEW 23:23-24 Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites, you pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel.”

Gospelthink: I tell you to do the important things that the law says. Do I try to follow the Lord’s law completely?

“I’m just trying to get you out the friend zone ’cause you look even better than the photos. I can’t find your house, send me the info. Driving through the gated residential, found out I was coming, sent your friends home. Keep on trying to hide it but your friends know. I only call you when it’s half past five, the only time that I’ll be by your side. The only time I’d ever call you mine. Hills have eyes, the hills have eyes. Who are you to judge? Hide your lies, girl, hide your lies. What about love?”  [lyrics adjusted]

Jesus knew about fake people, people who said one thing and did another, people who promised things that they were not capable of producing. He also knew about fake love relationships in the sense of the people who said that they loved God and in reality did not act like it at all. Many of the scribes and Pharisees were hypocrites, and he was not afraid to tell them so. The Weeknd’s song “The Hills” is a song about trying to keep a relationship quiet, but because people are talking–“The hills have eyes” is how he describes it–the couple cannot keep it quiet. The man in the relationship seems to want a relationship that is more or less capable of making him feel good, and at the end of the song, he asks the question, “What about love?” It is a question that seems to say that he really has not found love, even though he is trying to have the feelings of love. In other words, he is trying to fake a love relationship, and he understands that he cannot do it. He was being hypocritical in calling the relationship “love” when it is really just a relationship that makes him feel good. He seems to understand that in reality, the relationship is nothing more than “lies” that each tells the other. One of the most important parts of growing love relationships is determining when a relationship is really love. Unfortunately, couples often give into the good feelings of simply being together, and do not try to develop the deeper parts of love such as communication and true caring about the other. They are hypocritical in calling it love, but they call it love anyway. In his lifetime Jesus understood when people were only faking love. It was not a situation of romantic love, but his lesson still holds. It is a lesson for all of life: people cannot fake any love relationship.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, Your Son was able to determine people who were hypocritical in their approach to love. Give us the grace to always love in a sincere manner both in our romantic endeavors and in the rest of life. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT   Theme: We cannot fake a romantic love relationship. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What is the definition of a “hypocrite” in today’s world? 2. Gospel text analysis: “Strain out the gnat and swallow the camel.” Explain the meaning of the phrase. 3. Why was Jesus so “strong” in his speech against the scribes and Pharisees?  4. Text analysis: “Get you out of the friend zone.” What is the meaning of the phrase? 5. Why does the man in the relationship say “Who are you to judge?” 6. What is your definition of “love.”  7. What is most important in any dating relationship? 8. What makes a relationship “fake”? 9. Name some parts of true love. 10. Do you agree with the meditation’s analysis of the phrase “What about love?” Yes or no and why? 11. What does the song “The Hills”  teach young people today?