Chapter 8

1) Jesus did not condemn or judge, and we as Christians are called to imitate Christ. As a part of the Christian community, we are called to be exemplary in our behavior but also to call attention to the evil in society. How do you do this and still maintain the loving spirit that is required of a true Christian?

2) In verse 47, Jesus states, “He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” How would you feel if someone said this to you? Could this be the reason that non-believers, agnostics, and atheists do not believe in Jesus Christ? Explain your views agreeing or disagreeing.

3) According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the definition of “Pharisee” is:

[A] member of a Jewish sect that flourished during the 1st century b.c. and 1st century a.d. and that differed from the Sadducees chiefly in its strict observance of religious ceremonies and practices, adherence to oral laws and traditions, and belief in an afterlife and the coming of a Messiah. But because of their behavior in biblicaltimes, a second meaning grew and in it’s present form is: “a sanctimonious, self-righteous, or hypocritical person.”

They may be defined further as people who hold positions of authority and are ready to condemn others while esteeming themselves and hiding their own sins. Have you ever intentionally or unintentionally found yourself acting like a Pharisee?