EXERCISE 24 Love-in-Action – Jesus’ ministry
Jesus’ life is, if anything, a model of what a human life can be about. Jesus doesn’t spend his time buying and selling stuff to make a quick profit…; he doesn’t spend a great deal of time on the sports fields…; we don’t have any indication that he took holidays at the beach…
His life was about healing, reconciling, bringing a sense of hope and peace to peasants who were being crushed by an insensitive empirical conquering power and a rising urban land-owning capitalist upper class. He wandered the countryside with a small group of followers who were committed to learning from him about his vision of God’s Dream for humanity. He taught, often through short, shocking, pithy stories called parables, to make his point. Always, his task was to try to bring about an alternative way of being a human community that flew in the face of the accepted wisdom of the dominating classes.
In this Exercise, you will choose one or more of the following passages which describe typical moments in Jesus’ ministry. (Luke 5:12-16; Luke 5: 17-26; Mark 3:1-6)
- As with all Gospel Contemplations, try to put yourself into the scene.
- Let your imagination direct you where it wills, but pay attention to the sights, sounds and smells around you.
- Pay attention to who is around you, to what they are saying – to each other, to you – and note your reactions and feelings.
As always, write down your experiences in your journal.