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Four Gospels | Four Views on the Cross (Matthew)

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Four Gospels | Four Views on the Cross (Matthew)

(The beginning of a short series comparing four views on the cross from the four Gospels.)

“Matthew values Jesus’ obedience to God, his steadfastness in his mission and his solidarity with the pain and hope of his people. Jesus’ death on the cross continues his life and work and anticipates the future kingdom of God. Moreover, Matthew testifies that Jesus predicted both his death and the kingdom during the Last Supper in promising his disciples that he would ‘never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom’ (26.29). The community that lives after him is asked to live spiritually in relation to Jesus and in the light of God’s kingdom by loving one another as Jesus loved them.” _The New Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality_ p. 221.

As you and I think about how we’ve seen Jesus portrayed in Matthew’s gospel, do you feel that Elizabeth Koenig (the author of the quote above) gets its pretty much right?

I find this insightful. It is helpful for me to contemplate and wonder: who is Jesus and what is he up to?

Four Gospels | Four Views on the Cross

Posted by under Contemplation, Uncategorized

Four Gospels | Four Views on the Cross

“Each of the four Gospels interprets the meaning of the cross differently, eliciting a distinct spiritual response.” The New Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality, p.220.

Over the next four days, I want to share brief thoughts I’ve found in The New Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality. I’ll share four views on the cross from four Gospel writers.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and responses.

Christianity and World Religions: Wrestling with Questions People Ask (Adam Hamilton) | Book Note

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There’s a thread of ignorance, Stephen Prothero notes in Religious Literacy regarding world religions. We hear about clashes in the world with deep seeded meaning, but we to explore the reasons why.

I’m convinced that much of this clash has to do with deep, spiritual convictions that we inherit from those before us. From a Christian perspective, the aim is for each generation to explore and articulate the hope they have in Christ within their own words, a hope that is informed by the Bible yet is also guided by those who have gone before.

However, in today’s large (or is it small) world, we come in contact with far more religious/spiritual premises than our old neighborhood’s used to experience back in the day, when the main theological voice was the local parish pastor. Today, we’re challenged by none other by the perplexing question: Why are there so many religions in the world and how can I ever know mine is the right one? Continue reading →

The World’s Religions (Huston Smith) | Book Note

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I just finished reading the parts of Huston Smith’s The World’s Religions that I wanted to read. I enjoyed Smith’s writing and take on the religions; I felt like I was hearing an unbiased approach to the religions of the world. That’s something that I feel is hard to come by.

Why do I think that’s important?

An unbiased opinion of the world religions is important because we lack an ability to see and love one another when we hold biases and labels in front of one another. That said, I wonder if what I did was build a bias, a label, of various religious adherants, that is, by studying the world religions via Smith (and other books), did I just create a label, a box, to put people in?

I hope not. And, I think Smith’s writing helps me (and others) with that. Continue reading →