LIFE OF JESUS TO THE SEEKER IN SHORT

The Life of Christ

Recognizing there are 4 accounts of the life of Christ, it may be useful to have a brief outline which synthesizes the events set forth. Our intent will be to put the recorded events in chronological order, as much as is possible. The pre-existence of Christ John 1:1-18 Luke’s preface and dedication Luke 1:1-4 The genealogy of Jesus Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38 The announcement of John’s birth Luke 1:5-25 The announcement to Mary Luke 1:26-38 Mary’s visit to Elizabeth Luke 1:39-56 The birth of John the Baptist Luke 1:57-80 The announcement to Joseph Matthew 1:18-25 The birth of Jesus Luke 2:1-7 The angels and shepherds honor Jesus Luke 2:8-20 The circumcision of Jesus Luke 2:21 The presentation of Jesus at the temple Luke 2:22-38 The wise men visit the newborn King Matthew 2:1-12 Baby Jesus carried to Egypt Matthew 2:13-18 The return from Egypt to Nazareth Matthew 2:19-23; Luke 2:39 The childhood of Jesus Luke 2:40-52 The beginning of John’s ministry Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-18 The baptism of Jesus Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22 The temptation of Jesus Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13 John’s first testimony to Jesus John 1:19-34 Jesus makes his first disciples John 1:35-51 Jesus works his first miracle John 2:1-11 Jesus’ first stay at Capernaum John 2:12 Jesus’ first cleansing of the temple John 2:13-25 Nicodemus’ night visit with Jesus John 3:1-21 Jesus’ 1st ministry in Judea and John’s 2nd testimony John 3:22-36 Jesus’ reasons for leaving Judea Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14; Luke 3:19-20; John 4:1-4 The Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well John 4:5-42 Jesus’ arrival in Galilee John 4:43-45 A general account of Jesus’ teaching in Galilee Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:14-15; Luke 4:14-15 The healing of the nobleman’s son John 4:46-54 Jesus’ temporary residence at Capernaum Matthew 4:13-16 Calling 4 to be fishers of men Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11 Healing a demoniac on the Sabbath Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37 Healing Peter’s mother-in-law & others Matthew 8:14-17; Mark 1:29-34; Luke 4:38-41 A preaching tour in Galilee Matthew 4:23-25; Mark 1:35-39; Luke 4:42-44 A leper healed and excitement follows Matthew 8:2-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16 A paralytic healed at Capernaum Matthew 9:2-8; Mark 11:1-12; Luke 5:17-26 The call of Matthew Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:13-14; Luke 5:27-28 Jesus’ defense of healing on the Sabbath John 5:1-47 Jesus defends his disciples plucking grain Matthew 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 4:1-5 Jesus’ defense of healing a withered hand on the Sabbath Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 4:6-11 Jesus heals multitudes beside the sea Matthew 12:13-21; Mark 3:7-12 Jesus’ prayer and selection of the 12 Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16 The sermon on the mount Matthew 5-7; Luke 6:17-49 Healing the centurion’s servant Matthew 8:1, 5-13; Luke 7:1-10 Raising the widow of Nain’s son Luke 7:11-17 Lessons arising from John’s inquiry Matthew 11:2-30; Luke 7:18-35 Jesus’ feet anointed in a Pharisee’s house Luke 7:36-50 More travels in Galilee Luke 8:1-3 The Jews accuse Jesus of blasphemy Matthew 12:22-37; Mark 3:19-30; Luke 11:14-23 Jesus’ response to sign seekers Matthew 12:38-45; Luke 11:24-36 Jesus’ teaching on his mother and brethren Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21 Jesus denounces the Pharisees Luke 11:37-54 Warnings regarding hypocrisy Luke 12:1-59 The need for repentance emphasized Luke 13:1-9 The first great group of parables Matthew 13:1-53; Mark 4:1-34; Luke 8:4-18 Jesus stills the storm Matthew 8:18-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25 Jesus heals 2 demon possessed men Matthew 8:28-9:1; Mark 5:1-21; Luke 8:26-40 The feast at Matthew’s house Matthew 9:10-17; Mark 2:15-22; Luke 5:29-39 Jarius’ daughter and the woman with an issue of blood healed Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:22-43; Luke 8:41-56 Healing the blind and dumb Matthew 9:27-34 Jesus’ rejection at Nazareth Matthew 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-6; Luke 4:16-31 The 12 sent out Matt. 9:35-10:1, 5-11:1; Mark 4:6-13; Luke 9:1-6 Herod Antipas thinks Jesus is John Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29; Luke 9:7-9 Feeding the 5,000 Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14 Jesus walks on the water Matthew 14:22-36; Mark 6:45-56; John 6:15-21 Discussion of spiritual food John 6:22-71 Discussion about tradition Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23; John 7:1 Healing the Phoenicean woman’s daughter Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30 --Gary Hampton, author and evangelist

Gandhi and christianity

Mahatma K. Gandhi (1869-1948), Indian nationalist It is impossible for me to reconcile myself to the idea of conversion after the style that goes on in India and elsewhere today. It is an error which is perhaps the greatest impediment to the world's progress toward peace ... Why should a Christian want to convert a Hindu to Christianity? Why should he not be satisfied if the Hindu is a good or godly man? How very nice it would be if the missionaries rendered humanitarian service without the ulterior aim of conversion. I hold that proselytisation under the cloak of humanitarian work is unhealthy to say the least. It is most resented by people here. Religion after all is a deeply personal thing. It touches the heart. Why should I change my religion because the doctor who professes Christianity as his religion has cured me of some disease, or why should the doctor expect me to change whilst I am under his influence? My fear is that though Christian friends nowadays do not say or admit it that Hindu religion is untrue, they must harbour in their breast that Hinduism is an error and that Christianity, as they believe it, is the only true religion... so far as one can understand the present (Christian) effort, it is to uproot Hinduism from her very foundation and replace it by another faith. The first distinction I would like to make ... between your missionary work and mine is that while I am strengthening the faith of people, you (missionaries) are undermining it. If I had the power and could legislate, I should stop all proselytizing ... In Hindu households the advent of a

missionary has meant the disruption of the family coming in the wake of change of dress, manners, language, food and drink ... I regard Jesus as a great teacher of humanity, but I do not regard him as the only begotten son of God. That epithet in its material interpretation is quite unacceptable. Metaphorically we are all sons of God, but for each of us there may be different sons of God in a special sense. Thus for me Chaitanya may be the only begotten son of God ... God cannot be the exclusive Father and I cannot ascribe exclusive divinity to Jesus. It is my firm opinion that Europe (and the United States) does not represent the spirit of God or Christianity but the spirit of Satan. And Satan's successes are the greatest when appears with the name of God on his lips. I consider western Christianity in its practical working a negation of Christ's Christianity. I cannot conceive Jesus, if he was living in flesh in our midst, approving of modern Christian organizations, public worship, or ministry. It pains me to have to say that the Christian missionaries as a body, with honorable exceptions, have actively supported a system which has impoverished, enervated and demoralized a people considered to be among the gentlest and most civilized on earth.

christian thinking

Voltaire (French Philosopher, 1694-1778) "If we believe absurdities, we shall commit atrocities." "Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Nothing can be more contrary to religion and the clergy than reason and common sense." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion that has ever infected the world." You will notice that in all disputes between Christians since the birth of the Church, Rome has always favored the doctrine which most completely subjugated the human mind and annihilated reason. Nothing can be more contrary to religion and the clergy than reason and common sense. As you know, the Inquisition is an admirable and wholly Christian invention to make the pope and the monks more powerful and turn a whole kingdom into hypocrites. Of all religions the Christian is without doubt the one which should inspire tolerance most, although up to now the Christians have been the most intolerant of all men. The son of God is the same as the son of man; the son of man is the same as the son of God. God, the father, is the same as Christ, the son; Christ, the son, is the same as God, the father. This language may appear confused to unbelievers, but Christians will readily understand it. God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh. Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror. Superstition, born of paganism and adopted by Judaism, invested the Christian Church from earliest times. All the fathers of the Church, without exception, believed in the power of magic. The Church always condemned magic, but she always believed in it: she did not excommunicate sorcerers as madmen who were mistaken, but as men who were really in communication with the devil. The first priest was the first rogue who met the first fool. Holy Scripture: A book sent down from heaven... Holy Scriptures contain all that a Christian should know and believe, provided he adds to it a million or so commentaries. Hell: A cooking stove which heats the sacerdotal sauce-pan here below. It was founded on behalf of our priests, to the end that the latter may never be wanting in good cheer. Moses: A prophet inspired of God who gave him a holy and righteous law, which he was obliged to change later on, seeing that it had become worthless... He was the meekest of men, as he himself tells us. Inspiration: A peculiar effect of divine flatulence emitted by the Holy Spirit which hisses into the ears of a few chosen of God...

the base of my spirituality from tribals of chotanagpur and Ignatian love of divine

Modern thought in the west puts a high price on individuality. It also treasures the separation between religious and secular spheres, and frowns upon outside involvement in personal decisions. These are the ideological suppositions of our time. But, they are not universal human qualities. Care must be taken to discover cultural nuance in young retreatants, and so, find the stalk onto which the fruitful branch might be grafted. For modern youth, the Ignatian adventure will probably be a first experience of unconditional connectedness. Putting on the Lord’s colors, one is no longer an individual. Pre-moderns don’t call themselves individuals, except in a pejorative way, as if to say, selfish or self-involved. To the south and east, a subject exists primarily for the good of the community. Honor, more than personal satisfaction, dictates appropriate personal options. In some ways, that makes the person more open to making a lifelong allegiance. He was going to do that anyway. The Exercises propose that the allegiance be to the Eternal King. Ignatius was accused of brainwashing the young. They would do the Exercises, and as often as not, break with expectations. They would choose a different life, because their new alliance with the Lord would override submission to traditional authority. Then, Ignatius would go before the Inquisition. It was intense and unlike anything I’d gone through before. It was simple and very real. I liked that you didn’t make it flashy so it would seem cool. You told us just enough to let us explore our way through our prayer time, and then afterward, redirect, in case there were any problems. Tim, 24 years old In our time, paranoia has made it dangerous to be involved with the young for any reason, especially to influence their personal decision processes. We must make it clear that the Exercises are not intended to manipulate. Retreat directors are not supposed to promote any particular cause or option, [15]. This is not a movement, not a fraternity, and not a [to] explore our way through our prayer time secret society. It is a method intended to open the heart to the Lord’s call. It is the property of the Church, for the good of the faithful. The young, of any culture, are just passionate enough to make the oblative gesture of the Exercises, pouring out their lives, in poverty, at risk of great suffering, to serve our Lord and King. For them, it is an adventure, an honor, a challenge to be met. For the older generation, taught to live by the rules, it is often taken on as a requirement. The kids really are better at this. Even so, the youthful quest for meaning is at a crossroads. Modern boys and girls are often functional orphans. Broken homes provide shakier foundations. Emphasis on career and personal satisfaction in the parents’ generation, have left them with minimal support or direction. The Church is afraid to deal with them. She often doesn’t recognize them as full members,7 and she doesn’t value what they have to offer. And there they are, as hungry as ever for a cause or a purpose. Contrary to Maslow, the young would happily go without food, water and security, in exchange for meaning. In the absence of a guiding hand (whether to follow it, or rebel against it), contemporary young men and women are particularly vulnerable to totalitarian relationships with authority, religious and civil. There seems to be a growing sentiment of lost-ness, or just plain fear, as the global scenario becomes polarized, often with religious overtones. Many seem eager to submit to exacting disciplines, in which others make all their choices for them. Fundamentalism has never found more fertile soil, even among the most devout Catholics. Spiritual leaders who dictate what people must do to be saved can really fill the pews and the collection baskets. We are seeing absolutist religious manipulation. Frighteningly, this is also a climate conducive to the formation of brown shirt brigades and storm troopers. And yet, because we are the image and likeness of a God who freely loves, many young men and women are not swallowing the bait. They are pleading for help. They want to learn to love sincerely and give freely. Are we answering that call? Are we putting our treasure out there for them?