Read Luke 6:27-31 and do the following exercises:

• Often when we think of ancient Jewish resistance in Jesus’ day, we think of the zealots who were attempting to violently overthrow the Roman ruler-ship. But, there are actually several examples of Jewish non-violent resistance during the time Jesus was teaching these ethics. Here is one example, taken from the writings of Josephus:

Read Matthew 5:13-16 and do the exercises below:

• What do you think might be the connection between Jesus’ discussion of salt and light here, and the previous beatitudes? In other words, how does the beatitudes lead naturally to this proclamation of being salt and light by “good deeds?”
• Read Col 3:10-11 & 2 Cor 5:16-17. What is the connection between Jesus and Paul’s teachings?
• Have there been times in your life when you felt you learned you had helped someone simply be virtue of being “with God?” Have there been times you knew you should be “shining your light” but chose to hide it instead?
• Heavier lifting: Take some time to learn about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Even if you already know who he was, do a little more research and read about the details of his life. How was he “salt and light?”

Read Matthew 5:1-12 and do the following exercises:

There’s only one exercise today, but it takes a little explaining. Clarence Jordan was an American New Testament scholar who lived in the first half of the 20th century. Among other accomplishments, he wrote a series of translations of several NT books called “The Cotton Patch translations.” Being from the south, Jordan felt the words of the New Testament we’re especially applicable to the turmoil that was occurring there at that time (1940’s through 1960’s), and so, should be written and read in the vernacular of the south. And so, Jordan wrote several translations of NT books in the slang of the south, even substituting place names for familiar areas on the Southern United States. In the Cotton Patch version of Luke Jordan renders Luke’s version of the beatitudes in a mid-century southern accent: