approve

March 29, 2019

You are the witnesses (Lk 11:48-11:48)

“Thus,

You are witnesses.

You approve

Of the deeds

Of your ancestors.

They killed them.

But you built

Their tombs.”

 

ἄρα μάρτυρές ἐστε καὶ συνευδοκεῖτε τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν πατέρων ὑμῶν, ὅτι αὐτοὶ μὲν ἀπέκτειναν αὐτοὺς, ὑμεῖς δὲ οἰκοδομεῖτε.

 

Luke indicated that Jesus continued this same idea.  Jesus said that the Pharisees and lawyers were witnesses (ἄρα μάρτυρές ἐστε).  They approved of the deeds of their fathers or ancestors (καὶ συνευδοκεῖτε τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν πατέρων ὑμῶν), who killed the prophets (ὅτι αὐτοὶ μὲν ἀπέκτειναν αὐτοὺς), by building their tombs (ὅτι αὐτοὶ μὲν ἀπέκτειναν αὐτοὺς).  There is something similar in Matthew, chapter 23:31.  Jesus said that these Pharisees and Scribes testified or witnessed against themselves, since they admitted that they were the descendants or sons of those people who murdered the prophets.  Jesus then told them to finish up their work, using the measuring rod of their ancestors.  Thus, they had the same attitude as their ancestors.  However, there was very little evidence of Jewish prophets being killed.  Do you have the same attitudes of your parents and grandparents?

 

July 16, 2018

Judas kisses Jesus (Mt 26:48-26:49)

“Now the betrayer

Had given them

A sign.

He said.

‘The one

I will kiss

Is the man.

Seize him!’

Judas

Suddenly came up

To Jesus.

He said.

‘Greetings!

Rabbi!”

Then he kissed him.”

 

ὁ δὲ παραδιδοὺς αὐτὸν ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς σημεῖον λέγων Ὃν ἂν φιλήσω αὐτός ἐστιν· κρατήσατε αὐτόν.

καὶ εὐθέως προσελθὼν τῷ Ἰησοῦ εἶπεν Χαῖρε, Ῥαββεί, καὶ κατεφίλησεν αὐτόν.

 

This is almost word for word in Mark, chapter 14:44-45.  In Luke, chapter 22:47, there is an abbreviated form of only Judas kissing Jesus, while in John, chapter 18, there is no Judas kiss at all.  It is interesting to note that John left this out in his otherwise well detailed description.  Both Mark and Matthew said that this betrayer of Jesus (ὁ δὲ παραδιδοὺς αὐτὸν), Judas, had given the crowd a sign (ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς σημεῖον).  Judas had told them that the one that he kissed (λέγων Ὃν ἂν φιλήσω) would be the man to seize or hold (αὐτός ἐστιν· κρατήσατε αὐτόν).  Thus, Judas suddenly came up to Jesus (καὶ εὐθέως προσελθὼν τῷ Ἰησοῦ).  Then he said “Greetings (εἶπεν Χαῖρε)!  Rabbi (Ῥαββεί)!”  Then he kissed Jesus (καὶ κατεφίλησεν αὐτόν).  Notice that both Matthew and Mark used the Jewish title of Rabbi, a term that Matthew did not approve of.  The kiss would have been the normal greeting and was certainly used by his followers as indicated in the Pauline letters.

July 3, 2015

Yahweh and Satan meet again (Job 2:1-2:6)

“One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before Yahweh. Satan also came among them to present himself before Yahweh. Yahweh said to Satan.

‘Where have you come from’

Satan answered Yahweh.

‘From going to and fro on the earth,

I am walking up and down on it.’

Yahweh said to Satan,

‘Have you considered my servant Job?

There is none like him on the earth.

He is a blameless and upright man.

He fears God and turns away from evil.

He still holds fast his integrity.

You incited me against him.

You wanted to destroy him for no reason.’

Then Satan answered Yahweh.

‘Skin for skin!

All that people have,

They will give to save their lives.

But stretch out your hand now.

Touch his bone and his flesh.

He will curse you to your face.’

Yahweh said to Satan.

‘Very well,

He is in your power.

Only spare his life.’”

Now we return to heaven for the divine perspective. This almost seems like a repetition of the first chapter dialogue. The same fairy tale atmosphere continued as the first few verses are exactly the same. Then there is the additional comment that he persisted in his integrity despite the fact that harm came to him without any real reason. Thus Yahweh has won, end of the story. However, Satan responded with “skin for skin,” a saying referring to the battering of skin hides of animals, which means “this for that.” Satan said that everyone would want to save their own lives. Now he wanted to touch Job’s bones and flesh. Yahweh said okay as long as Satan spared the life of Job. Yahweh seemed to approve of the suffering of Job. Job was oblivious of this conversation between Yahweh and Satan.