bernardo1969

[bernardo1969]

Aristotle wrote in one of his works that sometimes to know something you must first know its opposite, and this was what Jesus did when he taught the parable of the rich fool on his way to the city of Jerusalem. With this parable, Jesus taught what is the destiny of fools who despise the true spiritual goods such as mercy (compassion, kindness, gentleness) and give themselves over to the love of riches. The rich fool represents with his life the opposite of the Kingdom of God, the dominion or empire of God's perfections, that invites men to true life, eternal life. Jesus is wise, and the Good Samaritan and the rich fool, like Abel and Cain in the Old Testament, represent as opposing figures the paths that men must choose, righteousness ("Do to others what you would have them do to you" Matthew 7:12) or sin, in the Gospel of Luke. Thus Jesus began the teaching of his famous parable: "The fertile land of a certain wealthy man produced crops" Luke 12:16. And Jesus continued his story explaining how this rich man one day enjoyed having obtained so much, having and power were his only goal, but that same night Jesus explained, God asked for his life, and so Jesus reflected with his wisdom: "So it is with him who stores up for himself, and is not wealthy with God" Luke 12:21. With this spiritual parable Jesus explained that the efforts of fools are vain and useless because they only focus on the immediate and the apparent, the truly intelligent man, the man who fears God with his heart, does not get carried away by these things and seeks beatitude.

[bernardo1969]

The prophet Ezekiel, according to the account in the book that bears his name, was taken to Mesopotamia, deported along with a large group of people by King Nebuchadnezzar after having conquered Jerusalem; along with this first deportation, King Jehoiachin was deposed and King Zedekiah was placed in his place as ruler of Judah. The Book relates that Ezekiel began to have visions after being carried away by the spirit: "The Spirit lifted me up and took me away" Ezekiel 3:14. Ezekiel's visions announced him as a sentinel among his people and his descriptions even influenced the Christian faith itself, being a precursor to the Book of Revelation. The prophet Ezekiel, apart from having visions, had to face a historical context of high corruption. Zedekiah was a king who had no fear of God and the people had given themselves over to the love of money. This is why the prophet warned the inhabitants of Jerusalem with this oracle: "Their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath. It will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs, for it has caused them to stumble into sin" Ezekiel 7:19. The prophet Ezekiel thus highlights the uselessness of money in solving the true problems of the kingdom, and that the sin of greed had become the true danger for Judah. God, because of this situation, wrote the prophet, had withdrawn his face, that is, his grace, from the remnant of Israel, and with these words Ezekiel described the misfortune of the chosen people: "They'll seek an oracle from the prophet, but the Law will be gone from the priests, and counsel from the elders" Ezekiel 7:26. These writings of the prophet teach that only God with his wisdom is a guide and blessing for men.

[bernardo1969]

The Bible in its sapiential books, and especially the Book of Proverbs, constantly invites spiritual reflection, leaving as a fundamental teaching that what things appear to be does not coincide with what they really are. Reason is inevitably a deficiency of man to reach the truth of things. This is why the Book of Proverbs leaves an important thought on which to meditate: "Everybody wants the good will of the ruler, but only from the LORD can you get justice" Proverbs 29:26. It may seem obvious that social relationships with important people, and friendship are essential to achieving happiness. What could be better for a citizen than to have the highest authority as a friend, anyone might think, but this is not the case. The Bible wisely teaches that the true goods of man such as happiness, peace, and longevity only come from God and that therefore only he, the creator of the universe, should be feared, in other words, what men should seek above all things is friendship with God, although this is not to the liking of men many times. This is why the Book of Proverbs teaches the following phrase: "Fearing any human being is a trap, but confiding in the LORD keeps anyone safe" Proverbs 29:25. It is important to emphasize that the gift of fear of God cannot be understood as a human passion, because the fear of God is a spiritual gift, an excellence that the Lord grants to men, the fear of God is defined as constancy, firmness, devotion, and equanimity. The Bible then explains with these proverbs that men must be attentive to what is immediate, and not be carried away by the first thing that presents itself to the senses.

[bernardo1969]

The Book of Acts relates that the apostle Paul, during his second missionary journey, arrived in Greece, with the intention of founding churches and preaching the Kingdom of God, visiting the cities of Thessalonica, Corinth, and Athens. It was in this last city that Paul's second journey to the pagan world reached its most important moment, as he had to confront his faith with Greek philosophers in the Areopagus. Upon his arrival in the city, the Book of Acts recounts how Paul felt when visiting the city: "He was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols" Acts 17:16. And since Athens was a cosmopolitan city and attentive to new ideas coming from abroad, Paul met with Greek philosophers who, upon hearing him, asked themselves who this remarkable character was with these words: "Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, ´What does this babbler wish to say?´ Others said, ´He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities´" Acts 17:18. Although this moment in Paul's missionary work seemed to have no great significance, it did have significance in his letters to the Churches of Greece, because it was in this country where the confluence between philosophy and the Christian worldview entered into a great conflict threatening Christianity with a schism, and an example of this was Gnosticism, although this spiritual doctrine was not mentioned directly by Paul, the threat of this heresy probably inspired many of his writings. This conflict between philosophy and theology that began with the arrival of Paul in Athens would last until the Middle Ages with the arrival of Saint Thomas and Saint Augustine, founders of Scholastic Philosophy.

[bernardo1969]

The Gospel of John is a book with many passages dark and difficult to interpret and this has a meaning, the Kingdom of God, the dominion or empire of God's perfections, with its parables and stories is a message for those who have ears to hear and eyes to see as many prophets of the Bible anticipated when they referred to the arrival of the Messiah. And the first important teaching of Jesus according to the gospel of John was when Jesus met the doctor of the law Nicodemus and spoke to him about the need to be born again from above to perceive the nature of the spiritual realities, Nicodemus in his rationality and prudence could not understand this spiritual truth of the divine master. And then the Gospel of John relates that Jesus in a place called Sychar in Samaria met a woman and there he spoke of a living water that quenches all thirst and about a spiritual food, and to the disciples he addressed these words: "I have food you don't know anything about" John 4:32. And with these mysterious teachings Jesus was referring to the wisdom from above, the wisdom inspired by the Holy Spirit, which like living water or imperishable food comes to the soul of man to bring a new life to those who believe in him through faith, a life that brings with it spiritual rebirth to make men holy as God is holy. Wisdom is science but also a gift, because it is said that wisdom comes from the wise, and Jesus came to bring a heavenly wisdom to fight against oppression and ignorance in a world dominated by error and sin; a wisdom that is spiritual food and drink for the transformation of the world.

[bernardo1969]

The Psalm 40 is a combination of two songs, the first is a thanksgiving for the blessing received, and the other is a plea to God in the face of danger and oppression. The Psalm teaches in its first part that only God should be feared and not men and that in the face of a world where sin and error prevail, the trust in God and the patience will eventually bear fruit. This is why the song begins with these words: "I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry" Psalm 40:1. And then the Psalm continues with the teaching of a beatitude, to make it clear that science is needed to achieve true happiness, a spiritual truth taught by all the sapiential books of the Bible: "Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!" Psalm 40:4. And then the Psalm alludes to the importance of seeking God with the heart and not reducing spirituality to a life of masks and appearances, so as a repetition of the teaching of the prophets the Psalm explains that the sacred listening is a gift that, when lived with one's neighbor, is worth more than all the sacrifices of atonement for sins: "In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required" Psalm 40:6. Is very probable that this beautiful hymn was written by King Solomon famous for his devotion to God who in Gibeon after being crowned king received a heart that knows how to listen. The Psalm is ultimately a wise reflection on the importance of living the gifts to perfect the law of Moses, because without the fear of God the law is null and void, as the prophets taught when they warned Israel of the wrong path.

[bernardo1969]

The Psalm 37 is, from a thematic point of view, a sapiential hymn and a clear continuation of Psalm 1, the Psalm of the two ways. The Psalm is a reminder that there are two moods of living, righteousness, and sin, and that there are two rewards in relation to these two paths, prosperity and ruin. The Psalm also explains that evil and good exist for the simple fact that man is a being free to choose, there is no underlying evil in the universe, and God, faced with this situation, helps the righteous and abandons sinners to their fate. This is why the Psalm begins its song with a very important gift, the security in God, a security that is based on the knowledge of the wisdom of God and the understanding of divine laws, and thus the Psalm expresses itself with these words: "Be patient and wait for the LORD to act; don't be worried about those who prosper or those who succeed in their evil plans" Psalm 37:7. As a reminder of the story of Job in the book that bears his name, trying to judge God when evil prevails in the world is a mistake. In the face of evil, patience is essential, because patience is the ability to endure harm without being dominated by human passions. Trust in God and patience bear fruit, the Psalm insists. This is why the Psalm continues with these words: "Put your hope in the LORD and obey his commands; he will honor you by giving you the land, and you will see the wicked driven out" Psalm 37:34. And to conclude its teaching, the Psalm explains that humility is a virtue that belongs to intelligent men, and that tyrants, no matter how powerful they are, have a limited time in the world, alluding to despots like Nebuchadnezzar and Sennacherib, and so the hymn ends in this way: "I once knew someone wicked who was a tyrant; he towered over everyone like a cedar of Lebanon; but later I passed by, and he wasn't there; I looked for him, but couldn't find him" Psalm 37:35-36.

[bernardo1969]

The perception with the mind of the Kingdom of God is one of the great secrets of the Christian faith; and Jesus began according to the gospel of John with the revelation of this spiritual mystery when he met Nicodemus at night. This doctor of the law of Moses was probably, along with Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple of Jesus, a person who, due to his important social position, did not want to come into conflict with the authorities who persecuted Jesus. The Gospel of John relates that Nicodemus, moved by the intrigue and leadership that arose from this remarkable character, addressed these words to the divine master: "Rabbi, we know that you have arrived as a teacher from God. For no one would be able to accomplish these signs, which you accomplish, unless God were with him" John 3:2. Jesus answered him with a knowledge that Nicodemus did not understand, despite being a very well-formed person spiritually, and this was to such a point that when Jesus referred to spiritual rebirth Nicodemus asked him: "How can someone be born when they are old?" John 3:4. Nicodemus was not enabled by the grace of the Spirit to understand the true meaning of Jesus' words, something that also happened when the people who followed Jesus heard his parables. But Jesus insisted: "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" John 3:3. The Kingdom of God is in its essence the transformation of man towards his integrity, but this cannot be achieved by human efforts but rather by divine mercy, which destines some to salvation and others to eternal damnation. More than two thousand years later, a humanity dominated by ignorance and deception continues to wonder, like Nicodemus, about the meaning of Jesus' words.

[bernardo1969]

The Book of Acts relates that the apostle Paul spent some time on the island of Crete and founded a church there during his last journey to Rome where he was to be judged by the emperor. And the letter to Titus relates that Paul left this beloved disciple in charge of the administration of the Church on that island, with the intention that he would appoint a college of presbyters. And Paul in his epistle to Titus always remembered that the Church, the communion of believers in Jesus, is an institution guided by the Holy Spirit, the doctor and teacher par excellence of those baptized in the name of Jesus. This is why the works of the flesh, such as heresy and factions, are incompatible with the mission of the Church, the fruits of the spirit such as peace and unity must always be present among believers and these fruits are a sign of God's spiritual guidance. And so the apostle included the topic of Christian leadership among his recommendations written in the letter, and thus described with wisdom the character of those who should lead the church: "A church leader is a manager of God's household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money" Titus 1:7. But the apostle also wrote in the epistle: "Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life" Titus 1:8. For Paul, the mission of the Church in the world had only one meaning: to realize the kingdom of God, the empire or dominion of divine perfections among men, and this was what Paul always emphasized to Titus, especially when referring to leadership in the epistle.

[bernardo1969]

Jesus, after beginning his public activity with the Sermon on the Mount, as told in the Gospel of Saint Matthew, performed wonders and miracles to demonstrate how this Kingdom of God was beginning to develop among men, and to complete his spiritual mission Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a set of mysterious and incomprehensible parables. And Jesus' teachings through parables had a spiritual meaning, and this was to fulfill the words announced by an ancient prophet: "You will be ever hearing but never understanding: you will be ever seeing but never perceiving" Matthew 13:14. For Jesus, the true knowledge of the Kingdom of God was something that could not be revealed to everyone. This is why the Gospel of Saint Matthew explains that Jesus said to his disciples in private: "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear" Matthew 13:16. In essence, the doctrine of the Kingdom of God taught by the divine master is a doctrine of mysteries because such is the nature of grace which distributes his spiritual gifts according to a design incomprehensible to human reason, which allows some to see and hear, that is, to clearly perceive the spiritual realities, and others not. The Gospel of Matthew relates that Jesus went to the Sea of Galilee, and there, sitting in a boat, he taught the crowd that followed him a series of parables, including the parable of the weeds. Returning to the house where he lived, the disciples approached him and said: "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field" Matthew 13:36. And Jesus explained to his disciples in private that this parable referred to the problem of evil, the wheat and the weeds, representing the righteous people and the sinful people, and that both have to subsist until their actions bear fruit, and thus on the day of judgment they will be separated as the wheat and weed plants are separated when they are ripe.

[bernardo1969]

The Gospel of Luke recounts the final arrival of Jesus in the holy city of Jerusalem, and the Gospel relates that there Jesus gave many spiritual teachings in the temple. And seeing Jesus how many made their donations and praised the riches in the temple, the Lord prophesied about the end of Jerusalem, probably referring to what happened during the government of Emperor Titus with the Jews: "As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down" Luke 21:6. But then Jesus continued on the subject of prophecies and announced what is known as the Christian apocalypse. Jesus referred with this to the resolution of the problem of evil in the world and that finally when the end of time came the wisdom of God would prevail in the world, but not before a great period of destruction as announced in some prophecies of the Old Testament, and so Jesus said: "This time of punishment is what is written about in the Scriptures" Luke 21:22. With these words Jesus warned about what would happen in the world in the future so that his followers would always be attentive to the signs of the times, seeking spiritual discernment in all cases. That is why Jesus continued with his teaching in this way: "So be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to take your stand in the presence of the Son of man" Luke 21:36. The prophecies of Jesus ultimately leave a message of warning but also of hope for those who follow the message of the divine master.

[bernardo1969]

The First Epistle to the Corinthians was probably written by the apostle Paul himself during the realization of his third missionary journey. It is important to note that this letter is one of the first texts of the New Testament and its analysis is of great importance to understand the situation of the early church in the first century after Christ. And Paul wrote this first letter to explain to the members of this Church the importance of the gift of faith, and how this faith is opposed to the desires and problems of the world. Wisdom was something highly valued in Greek culture, but Paul preached a wisdom that went beyond human reason and was based on divine inspiration, and so Paul with these words affirmed in his epistle: "We declare God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began" 1 Corinthians 2:7. For Paul, wisdom was not merely intellectual knowledge but a grace driven by the Holy Spirit, the teacher par excellence in the Church, and by this grace believers were called to a new citizenship, and to the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The Christian faith is, in Paul's theology, a call from Jesus to transform a world dominated by oppression, lies, and deception. This is why, faced with the conflicts that were beginning to develop in the Church, such as the formation of rival factions, Paul wrote that this was a contradiction, with these words: "But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" 1 Corinthians 6:11. This leaves us with the reflection that the grace granted by faith is beyond human reason and wisdom.

[bernardo1969]

The Psalm 32 is the spiritual reflection of a man who seeks his inner transformation and God's forgiveness. As a precedent to the teachings of Jesus in the gospels, this beautiful Psalm is an invitation to a new life, the life according to the spirit in the christian faith, where sin and error are not a custom and a habit but the exception. This is why the song begins with these words with two beatitudes similar to the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount taught by Jesus: "Blessed is the person whose disobedience is forgiven and whose sin is pardoned. Blessed is the person whom the LORD no longer accuses of sin and who has no deceitful thoughts" Psalm 32:1-2. And since inner changes do not come without overcoming great obstacles, the Psalm continues with a prayer for God's mercy. Thus the Psalm 32 in the Bible continues with God's response to the souls who have attained gnosis and spiritual purity with these wise words: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you" Psalm 32:8. God is the spiritual guide and the source of advice for those who have become wise as God is wise, because with God's forgiveness, His gifts also come to man, explains the Bible. This is why the song ends with a warning, men must seek good intelligence, that is, understanding and not follow the desires and passing whims that risk men living an inhuman and meaningless life, and so with these words, the Psalm expresses this spiritual fact: "Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you" Psalm 32:9.

[bernardo1969]

The Old Testament is not only about the law of Moses and the history of the people of Israel, it is also about the study of the most perfect and excellent science, wisdom, the science of God. Although through the use of reason, all men can understand what wisdom is and why it is useful, being a science common to all peoples of the earth, the sapiential books such as Wisdom and Proverbs explain that wisdom belongs particularly to Israel, being the law of Moses one of its fruits: "Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man", Ecclesiastes 12:13. This is why the Book of Wisdom in the Bible, to explain how wisdom guided the people of Israel throughout its history to fulfill God's plan, metaphorically recalled the history of many notable figures of Israel, and among them Joseph, one of Jacob's sons. And so the author of the Book of Wisdom taught with a quote how a personified wisdom freed Joseph from all dangers and guided him to his destiny: "When a righteous man was sold, wisdom did not desert him, but delivered him from sin. She descended with him into the dungeon, and when he was in prison she did not leave him, until she brought him the sceptre of a kingdom and authority over his masters" Wisdom 10:13-14. As happened with the character Job, wisdom put Joseph to the test, and when these dangerous situations were overcome, Joseph was blessed. Wisdom, like a hidden treasure, never reveals itself without first evaluating those who seek her. This is why for those who seek immediacy and things that are easy and fast, wisdom is madness and meaningless. The Book of Wisdom with its science invites men to reflect and to seek the true goods for man, which are spiritual goods such as righteousness, mercy, and wisdom.

[bernardo1969]

The Psalm 119, one of the last and longest songs in this famous prayer book, is a psalm dedicated to the praise of God and the study of the law of Moses. And as in the Book of Deuteronomy, the Psalm 119 mentions both the blessings and the curses associated with the fulfillment or abandonment of the law, it must be remembered that the law of Moses is above all a spiritual covenant with God, with rewards and punishments. This is why the author of the Psalm, probably King David, indirectly asked God for the rewards associated with the gift of fear of God (constancy, firmness, devotion, and equanimity), asking the Lord that for his righteousness and mercy free his humble servant from the curse of oppression, this is why the Psalmist in the Psalm expressed these words: "I have done what is righteous and just; do not leave me to my oppressors. Ensure your servant's well-being; do not let the arrogant oppress me" Psalm 119:121-122. And this request has a very simple logic, the moments of greatest suffering for Israel in the history of the Old Testament took place when they suffered the oppression of their enemies, and this fact associated with an equally great evil, the hardness of hearts that opposes the fear of God. The Psalm 119 in the Bible leaves with this an important teaching to remember and reflect on. The Israelites had both good and bad times in their history as recounted in the Old Testament, but this had its reason for being, the freedom of the Israelites to choose between sin and righteousness, and if God in his wisdom allowed oppression on the Israelites it was to make them reflect on the correct path of life.

[bernardo1969]

Isaiah, as the Bible tells the historical facts, was a prophet of the kingdom of Judah who not only taught the ways of God, but was also a skilled writer and political advisor, helping King Hezekiah to defeat the tyrant Sennacherib who had besieged the city of Jerusalem. Isaiah is considered a major prophet because of the importance of his oracles and texts, and Jesus himself, as recounted in the gospels, always kept his prophecies in mind, often citing them during his teachings about the kingdom of God. Isaiah began the book that bears his name with a spiritual vision in which he warned the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Judah of their apostasy from God, and thus in a metaphorical way to express the magnitude of the problem, he expressed: "The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand" Isaiah 1:3. With this teaching Isaiah highlighted by making a comparison with the life of working animals, how Judah had lost the common sense that comes from the gift of fear of God (constancy, firmness, devotion, and equanimity). The Israelites, by losing their relationship with God, due to the hardness of their hearts, had broken with the natural order of things, and this was what the prophet wanted to teach. But Isaiah, faced with this situation and knowing the future, did not predict an inevitable disaster, because man's freedom is always at stake, and that freedom is ultimately what determines the course of things, in front of a wise God, the Israelites were responsible for their actions, which is why he also taught: "If you are willing to obey, you will eat the best food that the land has to offer. However, if you refuse and rebel, the sword will devour you" Isaiah 1:19-20.

[bernardo1969]

The early days of the early Church were very difficult times and Paul's letters played a fundamental role in the development of early Christian theology. The Book of Acts relates that Paul planned to make a new missionary trip to Rome and Spain, and that is why he wrote a letter to the Church in Rome during his third missionary trip. And the Letter to the Romans is one of those epistles that best shows the thought of this apostle and doctor of the Church, the Jews converted to the Christian faith wanted it to be obligatory to go through the law of Moses before becoming part of the Church, making circumcision obligatory, something that Paul was totally against. This is why the apostle Paul in his epistle to the Romans taught about the primacy of faith in Jesus over the law of Moses, hope, that is, the certainty of receiving the gift of eternal life, does not come from works but from a heart that accepts Jesus as a personal savior, affirmed Paul, and thence the importance of the sacrament of baptism. This is why the apostle Paul stated with wisdom in his letter to the Romans: "Everything depends on having faith in God, so that God's promise is assured by his gift of undeserved grace" Romans 4:16. But these teachings of Paul, although they came into conflict at some point with the thinking of some apostles like Peter, prevailed for the simple reason that Christianity was on its way to becoming the first world religion in history and not continuing to be the "sect of the Nazarenes" which was the name given to the first followers and apostles of Jesus.