Teach Me Thy Statutes

Today we discussed whether the “abomination of desolation” has already taken place or whether it is still yet to come. While many people today have become obsessed with the End Times, the Gospel tells us that we are not to be predicting or pontificating about when the End will be, but rather to remain vigilant and prepared. Our main concern should be in how we live our lives according to the Gospel message, so that we are ready for the Final Judgment whenever it comes. To conclude the episode, Fr Aaron provided insight into the Greek word “eklektos” that has been translated into English as “elect.” He showed how this word is ultimately used as a reflection of the Church.

Today we discussed the significance of Jesus’ movement in and out of the great city of Jerusalem, and His spending the evenings in Bethany. We also highlighted a parable Jesus spoke while visiting the Temple, calling out the religious people of His time. In stark contrast to how Jesus lived His earthly life—ministering to the poor and the outcast—these “pious” people condemned and disassociated from them. In the end, Fr Aaron pointed out the teaching of Scripture: talk is cheap. What ultimately matters is not what we claim to believe, but if we live according to God’s will.

In this episode we examined the significance of the events of the Transfiguration of Christ. We explored the historical/Old Testament connection between the Transfiguration and the Feast of Booths. We further discussed the implications of the Transfiguration for us as followers of Christ. One additional connection we stressed is the importance of the “anamnesis” or “remembrance” of Scriptural events.

In discussing the canonization of Scripture, we discussed how this recognition of Scripture confirms that everything from Church doctrine to the practice of living a Christian life must be measured against Scripture to ensure we are on the correct path. Fr Aaron emphasized the importance of Scripture by reminding us of St. Paul’s words in his letter to the Galatians where he tells that that we should not accept anything other than the Gospel that he preached. Paul then goes on to detail that very Gospel in his writings. We concluded by discussing how we, as Christians, must be fully committed to the Gospel message and live our lives accordingly.

We began today’s episode by discussing the universal nature of the New Testament Epistles. We then discussed how our reading from the Epistle of James today communicates our goal to live simply, with honesty and integrity. We then turned to the sacrament of confession and the reasons behind the changes and development of this sacrament throughout the history of the Church. What once was a public sacrament has now become private due to practical issues we discussed in depth. We concluded by noting the importance of developing relationships with one another in the Church—not to replace the sacrament of confession—but to nurture these relationships so that we might trust one another enough to share our joys, our struggles, and even our sins.

Today, we compare the Gentiles with Israel, in that Israel seeks to achieve righteousness by their works, while the Gentiles find righteousness by their faith. Father Aaron helps illumine a difficult passage to understand, showing that the passage is indicating we cannot force God’s hand. We cannot become righteous in a way that forces God to act, for He will act in His own way and in His own time. Jason then highlighted a passage from today’s reading that, at first glance, may seem to contradict Father Aaron’s teaching from a previous episode. But when presented with supporting examples, we can see clearly that the broader biblical teaching stands. Specifically, Father Aaron expressed how our salvation, like an inheritance, cannot be earned; but it can be lost if we do not extend the same mercy to others that God first gave to us.

Today's episode was a "rapid-fire" Q&A between Jason & Father Aaron. We were reminded of the importance of all members of the body of Christ. All are needed for the fullness of the Church to be realized. Also, we should be joyful in the success of others, not finding jealously in our hearts. And finally, we were reminded to never to seek vengeance, for Christ alone is the judge.

Father Aaron and Jason discuss the concepts of freedom and slavery as presented in the Gospel. Fr Aaron highlights how, in Christ, we are set free from the law and from our slavery to sin. And yet, we remain a slave, a slave of Christ, bound to His teachings; to love our enemy, to work through our forgiveness of those who have harmed us and to refrain from judging our fellow slaves. In our earthly life, we are all slaves; we choose whether to be bound to sin, or to our Lord Jesus Christ.

We discuss the use of the term “Greek” in New Testament translations and if or how it applies to other Gentiles who are not ethnically Greek. We then discussed the reality that while many people are uncomfortable with the idea of God’s final judgment, perhaps an even more unpopular idea regarding the judgment is how it will take place. In today’s reading from Romans we hear, “God shows no partiality.” While this sounds ideal, those who do not receive a favorable judgment will no doubt feel that the judge did not apply the law in an impartial manner. But today’s reading is clear—that God will impartially judge whether or not we lived according to His commandments. Simply hearing or even speaking His message is of no defense for us before the fearful judgment seat of Christ.

Today we began by discussing an alternative theory on the authorship of Romans (i.e. that it was written not by Paul himself, but by his disciple, Luke). Father stressed that, ultimately, the authorship is not of as much importance as the substance of the epistle. It can be helpful, however, to view Luke’s Gospel, the book of Acts, and Romans as a trilogy. Through this lens we can plainly see the progression in Jesus’ life and teaching, culminating in an invitation to all people and all nations to accept the Gospel message. We then turned to the tension between the Law and faith. Father Aaron explained that tension exists only because some place the Law as being equal to or higher than faith. But Paul’s teaching is explicit: that faith as the means towards righteousness both precedes the Law and is greater than the Law. Ultimately, Paul shows that even as early as Abraham the Scriptural message conveyed that the path to salvation is provided only by God’s mercy, which He in turn requires us to extend to others.