Blessed are the poor....
Blessed are those who are persecuted...
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you
and speak all kinds of calumny against you... for in the
same way they persecuted the prophets before you. (Mt. 5:3, 10-12)
Another issue that is brought up is the paradoxical nature of compassion. Jesus wanted to destroy suffering and the only way to do so would be by suffering himself.
Death also has a paradoxical issue. This paradox is "Anyone who saves his or her life will lose it, anyone who loses her or his life will save it" (Nolan 139). This means that if you fear death you are already dead and if you dont fear death you have begun to live. Jesus was fully alive because he was willing to suffer and die not for a cause but for people (Nolan 139).
When I read this i started to think about the way I try to live my life. I believe that everything truly happens for a reason and some things are inevitable. So we must wipe off our misfortunes and live life with no regret. I think this relates strongly to Nolan "This means that if you fear death you are already dead and if you don't fear death you have begun to live. Jesus was fully alive because he was willing to suffer and die not for a cause but for people (Nolan 139). " I think living with regret is like fear death and if you regret the decisions you make you can't live you life to its fullest potential. If you put the past behind you and move on you open yourself to reach your fullest potential just as Nolan explains if you live without the fear of death.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with the concept that suffering is a main component to Jesus's teachings about life or death, but i do have to disagree with the notion that one has to deny themselves in order to suffer becuase through suffering one actually accepts and understands ones identity and purpose in life. Also, if one lives out their life like God intends then they have nothing to worry about when they encounter God.-tobon
ReplyDeleteI have always found the "fearing death" issue to be very thought provoking. I first thought about it after reading some Platonic dialogues in Greek class, and it remains an issue I struggle with. Both Jesus and Socrates claim that fearing death suggests weak character and is generally not a wise thing to do. But why? I value my life and would like to live for a long time. I do not stay cloistered in my house so as to not get sick and die, but I certainly do not wish to die. In that sense, do I "fear death"? Maybe it is a age issue. Of course I do not want to die now, as an 18 year old, but maybe as an elder person, I will gain solidarity and live my life knowing that death may be around the corner (again, not that I want to die, just that I can accept it). Either way, I think it is a timeless question that demands much of the person who thinks about it.
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