My Reflection on New Testament and Modern World

Reflection, Pages 10 (2373 words)

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The Bible is full of numerous, very influential people. Three of which are Joseph and Mary of Jesus and Gabriel the angel. Gabriel was an angel of God and visited many people. Joseph and Mary were the parents of Jesus and are very well known. For Joseph, not only did Gabriel visit him, but God appeared in his dreams. As previously stated, Gabriel went to Joseph and told him that although Mary was pregnant, he should marry her. Joseph was going to separate from her silently.

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According to the law, he was supposed to divorce her, but he considered her feelings and did not want to make their separation very public. After hearing from Gabriel, Joseph took the angel's advice and married her. Joseph wanted to execute the Lord's plan of Jesus being born. He became aware of a baby that was given to Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit and God.

In his dreams, God told Joseph of the danger of King Herod.

King Herod wanted to harm Jesus because Herod was fearful of Jesus' power. As instructed, Joseph escaped to Egypt and did not return until the danger was no more. He immediately listened to God. He did not doubt the word of God. Joseph was a virtuous man and followed the laws, including guiding from God. Joseph helped raised Jesus and even saved His life. Joseph was a big impact on the life of Jesus. Gabriel also visited Mary.

When visited by Gabriel, she did not doubt and followed God's words too.

Mary was told by the angel that she was going to be blessed with a child, through the power of the Holy Spirit, and would be The Child of God. Mary is a virgin at this time and is confused by his words, but still listens. Mary was directed to name this son Jesus. She quickly agrees. In the beginning, she was very scared and fearful. This is unlike Joseph, as he was not afraid. She respects God and praises Him also. Mary loves Him and is full of appreciation for God. This is seen in the Magnificat by Mary. She is quick to obey and always listens, even when troubled by confusion and fear. Mary is the Mother of Jesus. She is one of the most well known in Catholicism and raised Jesus. Raising Jesus was a very important job and she was a big, crucial part of Jesus' life. Zechariah was quite different in his reaction toward Gabriel. Zechariah was a priest and his wife's name was Elizabeth. They were before Jesus' birth.

Elizabeth had issues with conceiving a child. These two were later in their life. Gabriel came to him and said that Elizabeth will have the ability to have a child and the child will be a boy. He is told that the baby will be named John and cannot drink, but he will be virtuous and in God's eyes, will be great. Zechariah is very fearful and afraid. He immediately doubts these words and is punished for this, God and Gabriel force to be mute and quiet until the baby is born. Later when their son is born, he is named John, but he very impactful as he becomes John the Baptist. He is famous for preparing the people for Jesus and baptizes all of them. He even baptizes Jesus after being told to. This reaction is very different because he is afraid like Mary, but immediately doubts the words of Gabriel. He does not believe that these things can and will happen. He is punished for doubting and loses favor with God. Both Mary and Joseph quickly agree and believe. Unlike the other two, Joseph is not afraid. One must not be fearful and must agree to and believe in the words of angels.

The Baptism accounts of the Synoptic Gospels are all different, but all have a large impact. All of the synoptic gospels discuss the events of His baptism, but there are differences in the details. At the beginning of Mark's version, the baptism of Jesus occurs. The Spirit comes down through the split heavens. Mark describes the spirit as a dove. From the heavens, a voice was heard. God was satisfied with Jesus and proclaimed that His Son was Jesus. The voice was God the Father's voice.

In Matthew's account, John the Baptist prepares the way for the Lord. After Jesus is born, there is an argument between Him and John the Baptist. This argument is about whether John the Baptist is worthy of baptizing Jesus. Afterward, God's Spirit, which is described as a dove, floats down from up in the heavens. A heavenly voice exclaims that Jesus is His Son and He is admired. God is very appreciative of Jesus. Following Matthew, Luke's account describes the baptism. Firstly, it is said that Jesus prayed after baptism. The baptism is not fully described, but it is mentioned that it happened before prayer. The Spirit descended from the heavens. Form-wise, it looked like a dove. From the heavens, a voice cries out that Jesus is admired and He is the Son. He is very proud of Jesus. John does not have an account as it is briefly mentioned indirectly. From the above gospels, there are two examples of symbolism. Israel and God are symbolized by the dove. So it is shown that the Spirit is from. The other is the heavenly voice. This symbolizes God talking to people and usually, He is hidden by a cloud or other objects.Although these accounts are all about the baptism of Jesus, they all have similarities and differences among them.

In Matthew's version, there is an added detail with there being an argument between John the Baptist and Jesus. This argument was about of John the Baptist was worthy enough to baptize Jesus. In Luke's account, it was said that Jesus prayer before He was baptized. In Mark's description, he mentions neither of these, but he is used as the model. As stated previously, John only briefly mentions the event and because of this, John is not named as a synoptic gospel. These all have very similar main details. First of all, Jesus was baptized and then a Spirit of God comes down from the heavens. This Spirit is detailed as a dove. Lastly, God expresses how proud He is of His Son and that Jesus is His Son.The Kingdom of God

In the faith of Jesus, it is very important and encouraged that people help out in the community and to do good. This belief can be seen in the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The corporal works are free those who are hungry, give drink to those who are thirsty, clothe those who are naked, shelter those who are homeless, visit those who are sick, visit those who are imprisoned, and bury those who are dead. Feeding the hungry is quite difficult. There are numerous people in the world who are longing for food. People don't satisfy this because they do not care for the Earth so that more food can be made and those who are richer do not give to those who do not have food. This can be satisfied by creating more farms, caring for the Earth, and helping out in food banks/drives/or pantries.

Personally, I work in a food pantry and love to see the smiles and gratitude from those who receive the food bags every week. Next, drinks must be given to those who are thirsty. There is not much fresh/drinkable water on the planet so this is especially difficult. Those who have it do not give to those who need it and it is running out. As already said, to achieve this, the Earth must be cared for, the more privileged need to give it to be less privileged and water needs to be purified.

Continuing on, Jose who are naked need to be clothed. The more privileged could give the clothes they don't use to organizations (donate) and buy clothes for them in stores. This is my achieved because prices are becoming unaffordable and people use their money to buy their own material things. They also rarely donate their clothes and instead throw them out to add to the waste in the world. Personally, every time I got new clothes, I try to go through my old ones and donate them to local clothing drop bins. Following that is to shelter those who are homeless. The world today has the highest amount of homeless people that the world has ever had. This can be achieved by donating money to shelters, bringing/encouraging them to go to shelters, and building the little houses. This is missed because house prices are going up and becoming unaffordable. Also, people go through hardships and are not supported by the more privileged.

Next, people should visit those who are sick. There are many people who are ill or in hospitals. They need support to inspire and give them hope. This can be satisfied by going to hospitals or seeing your relatives/friends. Older people can also be visited in nursing homes. Sometimes, it can be difficult to physically visit them and some people do not think about these things. Also, people believe that the ill will make it through and heal on their own. Then, those who are imprisoned should be visited. Prison is a depressing and lonely place. Sometimes people just need to be reminded that they are going to get out of there and that they have people who love and care about them.

People believe that a prison environment is dangerous and also that they are a lost cause. They do not make the effort to go and visit them. Lastly, those who are deceased should be buried. This is not satisfied because some people are cremated to sent on in other ways. Those who are dead deserve respect by being buried formally. Personally, I believe that people should go back into the Earth to help it grow. These can all be satisfied with a little bit of effort and people should strive to complete these. Doing these nice little acts could earn people the nickname of being a Good Samaritan. Following the corporal works of mercy, there are spiritual works of mercy. Firstly, the sinner should be admonished (reprimanded). This can be a difficult one. Everyone is a sinner including Jesus. Although people should be warned, everyone should practice what they preach.

Hypocrisy is frowned upon and should not be practiced. Everyone should strive to lessen their sins and the number of sins that they commit. Secondly, those who are ignorant should be instructed. All people are uninformed about something. In this case, people are uninformed or do not focus on their faith and religion. This can create problems in discussions and be an obstacle in the way of salvation from Jesus. Those who have more knowledge should try to spread it to those without and encourage them to keep learning. The ignorant should be guided to the right path and feel supported by others. They should have a teacher like how Jesus was to His crowds and disciples.

Personally, help the freshmen and incoming students learn all that they can guide them on how to succeed at Holy Angels. Following this is to counsel those who are doubtful. People seem to pity those who are doubtful and perceive them as someone who does not believe at all. This opinion should not be formed. Instead, people should try to help them understand and believe. Faith is all about believing and is key to being the best version of themselves. People can speak about or demonstrate things so people understand and can see or hear it with their own bodies. Sometimes people need a little push to see things in a different light. Next is to comfort those who are sorrowful. Sometimes sad and bad things happen that are out of a person's control. When these events occur, people need to know that there is someone there to show them the light and good. People pity the sorrowful and usually let them handle their own problems. They also separate themselves from the sorrowful.

Alternatively, they should provide comfort and compassion to them. People should lend a hand and be there in hard times. Everyone needs a hand to get them through and to show them the way. Then, one should bear wrongs that are done patiently. Usually, wrongdoings are ignored and silenced. Also, people are not aware of them or react poorly towards them. This includes being violent, staying in a bad situation, or not reacting at all. Things should be processed and then handled in a careful way. Problems should be faced with respect and a heart full of forgiveness. Despite that this can be hard, it is the only way to completely move on and be at peace.

People should not look towards revenge and should be patient. Treatment circulates and will at some point go back to the person that has done wrongdoings. Try to have compassion and understand why someone would wrong another. Succeeding this is to forgive all injuries. Forgiveness is letting things go and moving on from the past. It also helps one to find closure in difficult situations. One should not hold grudges or seek revenge as these are negative thought and will not have positive effects on one. Instead, one should attempt to forgive, move on, and seek happiness. Lastly, pray for all whether they are dead or alive. When one does not pray, they do not have a strong relationship with God. It also makes situations more difficult. People try to face things without guidance, support, or signs from God. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are here to guide people towards salvation and the best version of themselves. Praying should be done daily and whenever a person has time. It should be done alone and somewhere quiet. Praying can strengthen relationships with God and others. Praying can help in all these situations. It is important for people to have mercy on others and to pray for everyone including oneself.