“From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
—Matthew 4:17 (NABRE)
In the buildup to the passage from the Gospel of Matthew known as the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), the writer sets the stage for what’s to come with a description of Jesus’ visit to Capernaum by the Sea, at the time a playground for the wealthy and influential.
In what scholars describe as the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in Matthew’s decidedly Jewish-focused gospel, Jesus’ first words include the admonition to “repent.” In the original Greek, however, the word is “metanoia” … to have a change of heart and mind, or to turn to a higher way of thinking.
This week at New Wineskins, we’ll look into this prelude to the Sermon on the Mount to discuss what it is precisely Jesus is calling his early followers to do. Guided by a Work of the People video featuring theologian Ron Rolheiser, we’ll talk about the term “metanoia,” explore its deeper meaning, and see how it fits into Jesus’ larger ethical discourse.
Please join us this Sunday, Jan. 12 in the New Wineskins Virtual Theology Pub powered by Zoom as we discuss “metanoia,” repentance, and the kind of holistic and existential transformation Jesus offers.
6:00pm ET: Happy Half-Hour (informal meet & greet time)
6:30pm ET: Presentation & conversation begin
Check out this week’s discussion video
Click here to view this week’s discussion video on The Work of the People (email address required, no subscription necessary)
Drawing from the inspiration of Fr. Richard Rohr’s Center for Action and Contemplation, we’re starting 2025 with a dive into the Sermon on the Mount and its implications for today’s world. You may wish to subscribe to the CAC’s Daily Meditation email as a daily guide for our journey during this series.
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Feature image: Ancient carving unearthed at Cesarea by the Sea, Cesarea National Park, Israel (2019). Photo by Joe Webb
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