Emotions in the 1st century

[LauraR]

I was raised Christain and since "finding" AJ - I have gone back to reading my Bible. Partly because AJ has given us new understanding and now I can read it with a different perspective. I am also finding peace and love in the words. But my question is this - as far as I can tell Jesus did not talk about processing/feeling our emotions in the first century. I do believe what AJ is saying and I have started my emotional work. I just wonder did that information get left out of the Bible or is it because Jesus's second time to earth as AJ in someway changed the teachings? I have lots of guesses - Like are our needs different? Are people further along in some of their understandings about emotions that would allow Jesus to teach it now? (That last one doesn't sound correct at all) Thank you.

[Alkhemst]

You know how the phrase "he wears his heart on his sleeve" means the guy doesn't hide his real feelings / emotions, perhaps that was more understood in the first century when they spoke "heart". Good or bad, I get this sense they didn't refrain from acting on their whims as much their Western contemporaries today. Maybe having a defined concept for "emotions" and expressing them wasn't needed then. I'm not saying they were better or worse just not as emotionally pruned as many of us are today. I'm not saying either that this is true because I wasn't there to know but if it is we might look at Bible passages a bit differently.

Even though this one's from the Old Testament, could have been a passage commonly known and given context to the word "heart" when Jesus talked about it.

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Ezekiel (KJV)

A stone heart describes a staunch, rigid, little to no empathy, seething with anger type of guy. But that's a modern interpretation, maybe back then they just didn't seethe as much but acted on the whims of their angered emotions more (which isn't necessarily feeling it).

So we might read this one a bit differently

35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

Matthew 12:35 (KJV)

If they were already expressive of their hearts, makes sense Jesus wanted them to focus on the good or in other words expressions of their heart that brings good into their lives (sounds like him talking about the law of attraction here too). I imagine a guy who always wears his heart on his sleeve and decides not to act out and hurt others would automatically be feeling more deeply.

I suppose my point is its not that emotions weren't talked about, they seemed to be, but in a different way and with a different focus more suited to those people at that time.

Well that's just how I see it for now. Hope it helps.

[LauraR]

Dear Alkhemst,
Thank you for talking the time to respond to me. One part of me thinks that people in the 1st century would have to be different than we are -then another thinks that maybe humans really haven't changed that much - I guess some day we will know. After I posted my question,I went on a walk thinking about my question further and as you have indicated there are many entries (it is filled with them) in the Bible to list all the times we are told to love each other and to be kind, to help others in need, to not let the sun go down on anger, to turn from our fleshly desires and so much more. I saw these more as instructions than I did emotions (probably indicates how closed off and rebellious I have been - also indicative of the way I was taught when younger) I will continue to read with this new perspective and to desire God's truth.
Thank you again