This chapter stresses the idea that God chooses the weakest and lowly to spread his word and to reveal Himself to his people. These people chosen by God are often rejected by their friends and hometown, but still prevail to win over the hearts and minds of many people. The most unlikely people, like Moses and Jesus, become more influential than the leaders of great empires. Jesus was rejected by his hometown of Nazareth, but still gained enough support to threaten the Pharisees and to become the founder of Christianity. Although it would seem God would choose the powerful, influential leaders to reveal Himself, he chooses the poorest and weakest people to carry out his will.
2) Two major ideas I want to remember.
One of two major ideas I found most important and would wish to remember is how the Roman Empire aided in the spread of Christianity. Because of Pax Romana and the network of roads built by the Romans which connected the Empire, Christians could easily travel throughout the Empire spreading the message of Christ without having to worry about safety. This understanding can help provide the answer to how, although being persecuted, Christianity spread so quickly.
The second idea I found that was just as important to remember as the first was the organization of social classes in the Mediterranean world during the time of Jesus. This ranking shows how each person�s wealth was in comparison to the other people living at the time. This is very important to understand because it is necessary to know how Jesus was from a lower class and this shows how Jesus was ranked in the sixth social class out of eight classes. Knowing that Jesus was from a poor family would explain why most of his followers were poor.
3) An image that captures this chapter. (sorry the picture is so big, but I couldn't shrink it)
4) One significant question I have from this chapter
If Christianity was influenced by so many different cultures and religions, what makes it any different from another popular cult at the time?
5)"Living the Gospel"(#2)
Write a one-page essay expressing the values in our society that Christians are challenged to reject.
There are three important values in our society that all Christians attempt to reject. These are consumerism, individualism, and immediate gratification.
Consumerism is �the attitude that acquiring unlimited material possessions is the key to fulfillment.� Consumerism is tempting because society gives us the message that useless items will bring us happiness. However, money can be better spent by donating, rather than quickly buying and discarding items as they quickly become outdated. Christians try to recognize this fact and protect themselves from buying unnecessary products and give rather then spend their money.
Individualism is looking out for only yourself and your family. Although you need to look out for yourself to survive, if you only protect and care for your family then communities are lost and the quality of life is lessened. Most Christians can easily protect themselves from this negative value of society because their church or parish is a community that many see as an extended family.
The last negative value of society is immediate gratification. Immediate gratification is the need to fix our desires and end our sufferings immediately. However, patience and suffering is necessary to have true gratification. Without patience and suffering, nothing can be brought to its full potential.
Although society tries to lure us into such values as consumerism, individualism, and immediate gratification, we can avoid them because of our knowledge of their existence and of their faults.
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