Matthew 25 Here come the amazing parables of the end times, including Jesus' very last, which I've always thought of as a parable, but perhaps that's not quite the right word for it. The Bible I'm reading from simply calls it "The Judgment of the Nations" It's the one about "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." About doing to Christ when we feed the hungry, visit prisoners, clothe those without clothes, give a drink to the thirsty…
Psalm 24 This is the Psalm I have thought of as the Palm Sunday psalm ever since I was a kindergartener who had the privilege of singing in Mrs. Anderson's children's choir and carry a palm. "Lift up your heads, O ye gates!"
Exodus 22-24 After the very general commandments, now Moses conveys the specifics to the Israelites, about how there will be sabbatical years as well as weekly sabbaths, for example; about how there will be annual festivals to keep, etc.
And there are some commandments here that seem to us harsh in the extreme, with provisions to kill those who do not comply.
How do you regard these parts of the Bible? Do they still apply? If so, how do these harsh commandments fit with our understanding of a God who is merciful and forgiving? If not, how do we determine which of the parts no longer apply? By what criterion or measure?
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