10.3: Christian Responsibility
Read
Matthew 18:23-35
As a talent was the equivalent of several
thousand pounds the servant owed an impossible sum of money. The master who forgives him
is madly generous, and it seems that he is so rich that he can absorb the debt. Yet the
servant imprisons a fellow servant for five hundred denarii, a denarius being a days
wage for a labourer. The message of this passage is that any sin against God is too great
a debt to pay, but God can write it off quite easily, as he is great enough to handle it.
But the condition is that we forgive others. We cannot receive Gods forgiveness
unless we ourselves are forgiving. The converse of this is that the way to be forgiven is
to forgive your enemies.
Task RC 1
Do you find it easy to forgive and forget?
Task RC 2
Why is forgiveness so difficult?
Task RC 3
What is the message of the parable which you have read?
Read
Matthew 25:14-30
This parable is about using our abilities in Gods service. Talents stand for
abilities. We all have some ability. Every human being, even the most handicapped, has the
ability to give and receive love. Most have other abilities. Christ teaches that we must
make the most of them. This means that we should develop them by education and should use
them in a good and wise way. Furthermore, we should help others to develop their abilities
too. The trouble with our abilities is that we can use them for good or evil. The more
ability you have the more good or evil you can do.
Task RC 4
How might your intelligence be used for good and evil?
Task RC 5
Why do Catholics think it important to develop your abilities
by education?
Task RC 6
Make a list of your own abilities and say how you can use them
to do good in life.
Read
Luke 15:1-10
This pair of parables shows Jesus as the one who never gives up in the quest to save
sinners. The image of the Good Shepherd seeking the lost sheep is very moving. Obviously,
the parable teaches us that God will never give up in his pursuit of the sinner. God wants
all people saved. For this reason the Catholic Church will allow anyone, even the
wickedest of sinners, to confess and be forgiven, even when they are close to death.
Christians also should not give up in their work for good. Often they have
disappointments and they feel that their task in life is too much for them. However, they
should be confident that God is with them and will help them through. Similarly, when we
have done wrong or something has gone wrong with our lives we should not despair. We have
to rebuild our lives as well as we can. The biggest mistake is not falling. It is not
getting up again.
Task RC 7
Make a list of the difficulties a Christian may face in the
course of their life. How can the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin help them
in facing these difficulties.
Task RC 8
Suppose a Christian has a problem with drink or drugs. How
might this parable help them?
Read The Letter of St James:5:13-15
James deals with the subject of Christians undergoing difficulties. He recommends
singing a psalm, a hymn from the Bible. Christians have always believed that prayer is a
powerful source of strength in times of distress. Christians who feel that the burdens of
life are too much for them can turn to prayer to ask God for the spiritual and moral
strength to cope. Prayer is vital for a Christian suffering from an addiction to drink or
drugs. Alcoholics Anonymous say that to escape from addiction you have to rely on a power
from beyond yourself. Christians see this power to be God working through his Son Jesus
and the Holy Spirit. Often Christians pray for help through times of physical illness.
Christians also pray for guidance when they do not know which decisions to make. They talk
to God about them, and it is often the case that they feel enlightened as to what to do.
Note also that James recommends calling the ministry of the Church into play when
people are sick. The Catholic Church has a sacrament of the sick which is to give strength
to those who are sick. Healing ministries are found throughout the Christian church, as
the healing of damaged minds and bodies is an essential part of the Christian mission.
Task RC 9
What benefits might praying give a Christian who is in trouble
in their personal life?
Task RC 10
In what situations might a Christian pray to God for guidance.
Task RC 11
Can you think of situations in which a Christian might have to
pray for moral strength to cope with pressures and temptations?
Read
Matthew 25:31-46
Task RC 12
List the things that the just did for others.
These works of charity were considered optional extras in Judaism; Christ said that
they were compulsory, for they express love of neighbour. It is love on which you will be
judged by God. For Catholics charity is essential to the genuinely holy life.
Task RC 13
Choose two of these ways and say how Christians can apply them
by helping people in poorer countries.
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