[media presentation below] GospelThinkWednesday, June 28 MATTHEW 7:15-20 If you are a good tree, you will bear good fruit. Prayerthoughts a. Jesus tells us to beware of false prophets, namely those people who claim to be giving the truth of the Gospels, but are not. As I listen to the prophets of our day—those in authority, the Christian ministers, etc.—do I always seek the truth? b. In Matthew’s mind, the proof of a good prophet is the type of person that they are—people acting on the truth of the Gospels to become good people. In my actions, am I showing that I believe in the Lord? c. Jesus uses the example of trees, good trees and bad trees. In my growing up, I probably saw proofs of both. Have I made peace with the difficulties of my youth and early life? d. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit. Obviously, I want to be good, but am I taking the pains to work toward it, that is, by prayer, spiritual reading, and meditating on the Gospels? e. What evidence do I have in my life that indicates I am bearing good fruit? f. My prayerthoughts… Today, I will send a note to a married couple telling them that I am thinking of them in prayer. Some Thoughts on the Liturgy WHAT WE DO GIVES US AWAY  + Chapter 7 of Matthew’s Gospel is an overall summarizing statement of the Sermon on the Mount, and in that chapter, we have heard Jesus describe:           – the Golden Rule: treat others as you want to be treated           – the narrow gate: you really have to work hard to enter the kingdom of God           – now we have another summarizing statement, namely, what kind of deeds one is producing                      – Jesus saying to us that what we do—our actions—gives us away                                – his reasoning is this: a sound tree, that is the person who understands what Jesus is teaching and his principles of action will produce good fruit                                          – a decayed tree, one who doesn’t accept his rules, is going to produce evil                                                    – and the fact is that there are many who claim to be good, but it is clear from their actions that they are not: they are false prophets  + So the truly spiritual follower of Jesus Christ will carefully observe his/her actions           – we see the importance of the examination of conscience in the spiritual life                      – at the end of the day, carefully studying our day and determining whether our actions that day have truly followed the teachings of Jesus  + The reason for our acceptance of Jesus is given in the first reading, namely our faith—as we study Abram’s faith:           – “Abram put his faith in the Lord,” the book of Genesis says           – he realized what God had done for him                      – this section of the book of Genesis describing what that consisted of: namely, the promise of a son and the promise of a place to grow as a people           – Abram discovered what God promised and thanked God                      – the discovery process was a rather elaborate ritual that was part of the Hebrew traditions, a particular tradition symbolizing a promise,                                – in this case, the fundamental covenant that was to be completely fulfilled in Jesus—“I will be your God and you will be my people”           – likewise, we understand what God has done for us, and therefore we listen closely to his directions, promising to bear good fruit, do good things, act well  + The Sermon on the Mount, chapters 5-7 of Matthew, and throughout Jesus’ life, he discusses a number of actions that “say” what kind of person we are: good intentions, the actions of prayer, fasting and giving alms, the action of kindness           – likewise the bad actions are discussed: evil talk about others, the opposite of the six moral directives that Jesus began the Sermon with  + This summary-idea is a pretty easy indication of whether spirituality has taken hold in our lives:           – very simply: what are we doing           By their fruits you will know them.                      – that is, how do we rate our actions: good/bad. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Blank Space” — Taylor Swift A NIGHTMARE DRESSED LIKE A DAYDREAM The Gospel JOHN 21:15-17 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

Gospelthink: I remind Peter that he denied me and I want him to be sorry. Am I sorry for the faults and failings in my life?

“So, it’s gonna be forever, or it’s gonna go down in flames. You can tell me when it’s over if the high was worth the pain. They’ll tell you I’m insane ‘cause you know I love the players and you love the game. ‘Cause we’re young and we’re reckless. We’ll take this way too far. Got a long list of ex-lovers. Screaming, crying, perfect storms, I can make all the tables turn, rose garden filled with thorns. Keep you second guessing like ‘who is she?’ I get drunk on jealousy, but you’ll come back each time you leave, ‘cause I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream. I’ve got a blank space, and I’ll write your name.”

The Scripture reading directing Peter to love and Taylor Swift’s song “Blank Space” present a picture of opposites. The Scripture reading is the perfect statement of true love, and the song presents a picture of fake love. In the Scripture passage, Jesus knew that Peter still did not possess a true love of a friend because he had denied Jesus just a few days before. Jesus reminds him that one cannot “toy” with love, that is “fool around” with love. If one says the word “love,” it means just that–love. You do not act like it is love or say it is love and not mean it. Jesus tells Peter three times, matching the three times of his denial, that love must be real, not simply a selfish act. Jesus was giving Peter the chance to lessen the personal pain his denial had caused Peter. Taylor Swift’s song is just the opposite. The song is about a girl who is a “nightmare dressed like a daydream,” one who is fooling around with love, an action that hurts both her and her boyfriend. The video for the song expresses the thought perfectly: if you “toy” with the concept of love, you cause pain for everyone involved. The song presents an excellent opportunity to study any relationship in which we find ourselves, whether a romantic involvement or a relationship between friends. How are we showing the “love” that we profess? Is it a love that will “give to” another, one that is “forgiving” and “caring for” the other? Or is it one that satisfies a selfish desire to please ourselves, using the other for what we want, one that makes another “second guess” about the love we are showing? If we use the word “love” to describe a relationship of ours, it can never be fake or put on or selfish; it can only mean true love.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, love may be the most important topic of our time here on earth because every one of us will love or be loved. May we study the example of your Son to love the way you want, and never harm ourselves or others.  Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: A person who merely toys with loving others will end up hurting him/herself.    DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. The passage in the Gospel emphasizes Peter’s importance in the Church which would form after Jesus’ resurrection. Why do you think that Jesus singled out Peter as the most important of the Apostles? 2. The meditation presents the passage to be an example of “true love.” In your opinion, what is your definition of “true love.” 3. Text analysis: “I love the players, and you love the game.” What is the meaning of the sentence? 4. Analysis: Does the fact that a person is young mean that that person is also “reckless” as the song suggests? Yes or no and why? 5. Text analysis: “I get drunk on jealousy.” What is the meaning of the sentence? 6. Text analysis: “…a nightmare dressed like a daydream.” What is the meaning of the phrase? 7. Text analysis: “I got a blank space, and I’ll write your name.” What is the meaning of the sentence? 8. in your opinion, what is “fake love”? 9. How does a person “fool around with love”? 10. Obtain a copy of the video, and analyze it. What is most striking about it? 11. What does it mean to “second guess” a love? 12. Why do people come back to a person who is just “toying” with love as the person in the song? 13. How would you describe principal difference between “true love” and “fake love”? 14. What does the song “Blank Space” teach young people?