Questions for March

For the Hebrew Scriptures and the Psalms:

Now that you are more than half way through the Pentateuch do you have a sense why these books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) are so important to Jews?

Much of the second half of the Pentateuch has to deal with laying down the laws and order that Israel will follow once they cross over into the Promised Land. Do these laws seem onerous to you or do they seem important for Israel's new community life? Some of the punishments (such as stoning for adultery) seem extreme to modern ears. Why do you think some crimes were punished so harshly?

The Psalms have long been considered the Church's hymnbook, not just because they offer praise of God, but because they contain all the human emotions from joy to rage. Have you been surprised how strong some of the emotions are?

For the New Testament:

If you are currently reading Luke, you are reading the only childhood stories of Jesus in the gospels. Why do you think so few of the childhood stories have been recorded in the gospels?

Think back to Matthew and compare the nativity stories in Matthew and Luke. Have you noticed that Matthew tells the story of Jesus' birth from the perspective of Joseph, Luke from the perspective of Mary?