ashamed

May 2, 2019

What to do? (Lk 16:3-16:3)

“Then the house manager

Said to himself.

‘What shall I do?

My master

Is taking away

This position

Of house manager

From me.

I am not strong enough

To dig.

I am ashamed

To beg.’”

 

εἶπεν δὲ ἐν ἑαυτῷ ὁ οἰκονόμος Τί ποιήσω, ὅτι ὁ κύριός μου ἀφαιρεῖται τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ; σκάπτειν οὐκ ἰσχύω, ἐπαιτεῖν αἰσχύνομαι.

 

This parable story about the dishonest household manager or steward can only be found in Luke, not in any of the other gospel stories.  Luke indicated that Jesus said that this house manager said to himself (εἶπεν δὲ ἐν ἑαυτῷ ὁ οἰκονόμος).  What should he do (Τί ποιήσω)?  His master or lord was taking away his position as house manager from him (ὅτι ὁ κύριός μου ἀφαιρεῖται τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ).  He was not strong enough to dig (σκάπτειν οὐκ ἰσχύω), but he was too ashamed to beg also (ἐπαιτεῖν αἰσχύνομαι).  What should he do with his unemployment?  What would you do if you were suddenly unemployed?

April 1, 2019

Acknowledge Jesus Christ (Lk 12:8-12:8)

“I tell you!

Everyone

Who acknowledges me

Before others,

The Son of Man

Will also acknowledge

Before the angels of God.”

 

λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν, πᾶς ὃς ἂν ὁμολογήσῃ ἐν ἐμοὶ ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὁμολογήσει ἐν αὐτῷ ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀγγέλων τοῦ Θεοῦ·

 

Luke indicated that Jesus said with a solemn pronouncement (λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν) that everyone who acknowledges Jesus before other men (πᾶς ὃς ἂν ὁμολογήσῃ ἐν ἐμοὶ ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων), the Son of Man (καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου) would also acknowledge them before (ὁμολογήσει ἐν αὐτῷ ἔμπροσθεν) the angels of God (τῶν ἀγγέλων τοῦ Θεοῦ).  This verse is similar to Matthew, chapter 10:32.  There was also something similar in Mark, chapter 8:38 and earlier in Luke, chapter 9:26, where it was more about not being ashamed of Jesus.  Matthew said that everyone who acknowledged or confessed Jesus before other men, Jesus was also going to acknowledge them before his Father in heaven, not the angels of God as here.  Mark reported that Jesus said that those who were ashamed of him and his words, the Son of Man would also be ashamed of them when he comes.  The Son of Man was going to come in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels, a clear indication of the end times.  Then the Son of Man would repay or judge everyone for what they had done on that judgment day.  Luke earlier indicated that Jesus said that those who were ashamed of him and his words, the Son of Man would be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and his holy angels.  Jesus said that he would be ashamed of those who were ashamed of him at the judgment end times.  Are you ashamed of Jesus?

January 25, 2018

The failure of the future false prophets (Zech 13:3-13:6)

“If any prophets appear again,

Their fathers,

With their mothers who bore them,

Will say to them.

‘You shall not live.

You speak lies

In the name of Yahweh!’

Their fathers,

With their mothers who bore them,

Shall pierce them through

When they prophesy.

On that day,

The prophets,

Every one of them,

Will be ashamed

Of their visions

When they prophesy.

They will not put on

A hairy mantle

In order to deceive.

But each of them will say.

‘I am no prophet.

I am a tiller of the soil.

The land has been my possession

Since my youth.’

If anyone asks them.

‘What are these wounds

On your chest?’

The answer will be.

‘I received

These wounds

In the house of my friends.’”

Yahweh warned, via Zechariah, that future prophets would not fare well.  Fathers and mothers who had children who wanted to become prophets were told to tell them that they are lying in the name of Yahweh.  In fact, these young men were not to live, since their parents would kill them with a sword.  All the prophets would be ashamed.  They would not wear their normal prophetic hairy coats.  Instead, they would pretend to be farmers.  If anyone wanted to know why they had cuts on their chests like prophets, they would say that their friends had done it.  Clearly, this was the end of institutional prophecy.  The very few remaining prophets would be afraid to be pointed out, since they might be put to death.

November 25, 2017

Against the lying prophets (Mic 3:5-3:7)

“Thus says Yahweh

Concerning the prophets,

Who lead my people astray.

‘They cry

‘Peace!’

When they have something

To eat.

But they declare war

Against those who put

Nothing into their mouths.

Therefore,

It shall be night to you,

Without vision.

It shall be darkness to you,

Without revelation.

The sun shall go down

Upon the prophets.

The day shall be black

Over them.

The seers shall be disgraced.

The diviners put to shame.

They shall all cover their lips.

There is no answer

From God.’”

This was another bitter rebuke of the prophetic leaders in Israel and Jacob.  These prophets had led Yahweh’s people astray.  They had cried peace to those who give them something to eat, but they declared war on those who did not give them anything to eat.  Thus, they would live in a night like condition without any vision.  There would be darkness, without any revelation.  The sun would go down on these evil prophets, so that their days would be pitch dark all around them.  The seers would be disgraced, while the diviners would be ashamed.  They would have nothing to say, because God would not answer them.

October 14, 2017

The people will be satisfied (Joel 2:26-2:26)

“You shall eat

In plenty.

You shall be satisfied.

You shall praise

The name of Yahweh.

Your God.

He has dealt wondrously

With you.

My people

Shall never again

Be put to shame.”

Now the Israelites would be satisfied with plenty of food. They would then praise Yahweh, their God, because he has treated them so wonderfully. Then Yahweh, via Joel, said that they would never again be ashamed.

October 2, 2017

The problem of Ephraim (Hos 4:17-4:19)

“Ephraim is joined

To idols.

Let him alone!

When their drinking

Is ended,

They indulge

In sexual orgies.

They love lewdness

More than their glory.

A wind has wrapped them

In its wings.

They shall be ashamed,

Because of their altars.”

The people of the Ephraim territory in the northern kingdom of Israel were stuck to their idols. Hosea wanted them to leave these idols alone. When they were not drinking heavily, they were involved with sexual orgies. They loved their lewd lifestyle more than the glory of righteousness. A wind had gotten ahold of them. They would be ashamed because of their many idol altars.

September 14, 2017

The servants arrive on the scene (Dan 13:26-13:27)

“When the people

In the house

Heard the shouting

In the garden,

They rushed in

Through the side door

To see

What had happened

To Susanna.

When the elders

Told their story,

The servants

Felt very much ashamed.

Nothing like this

Had ever been said

Around Susanna.”

The people in the house heard all this shouting and screaming in the garden. They then arrived via the side door to the garden. Then the old judges told their story about Susanna and the young man. The servants were then ashamed, since nothing like this had ever happened to Susanna before.

September 13, 2017

The secret passionate elders (Dan 13:8-13:12)

“Everyday,

The two elders

Used to see Susanna,

Going in,

Walking about.

They began

To lust for her.

They suppressed

Their consciences.

They turned away

Their eyes

From looking

To heaven,

Or remembering

Their duty

To administer justice.

Both were overwhelmed

With passion for her.

But they did not tell

Each other

Of their distress.

They were ashamed

To disclose

Their lustful desire

To seduce her.

Day after day,

They watched eagerly,

To see her.”

Now the plot thickens. The scene has been set. These two elderly judges have a passion for Susanna, the wife of Joakim, in whose house they conduct their trials. She normally went for a walk in the garden, after everyone had left. These two elders saw Susanna go in and out for her walk. They began to lust after her, as they suppressed their consciences. They forgot about their duty to administer justice, as they turned their eyes away from heaven. Even though they were overwhelmed with passion for Susanna, neither elder told the other, because they were ashamed to let the other one know about their lustful desires to seduce Susanna. They were secret sexual lovers of Susanna, as they watched her every day.

July 9, 2017

Ezekiel was to describe this new Temple to the Israelites (Ezek 43:10-43:10)

“‘You!

Son of man,

Describe

The temple

To the house of Israel!

Let them

Measure the pattern!

Let them

Be ashamed

Of their iniquities!’”

Yahweh told Ezekiel, the son of man, to describe this new Temple to the Israelites, the house of Israel. They should measure the patterns that he would lay out for them. They should also be ashamed of their iniquities. Clearly, Ezekiel was laying down the basics for the new Temple, just like Moses with his Mosaic laws.

June 20, 2017

Israel should remember its evil past (Ezek 36:31-36:32)

“‘Then you shall remember

Your evil ways.

You shall remember

Your dealings

That were not good.

You shall loathe yourselves

For your iniquities.

You shall loathe yourselves

For your abominable deeds.’

Says Yahweh God!

‘It is not for your sake

That I will act.

Let that be known

To you.

Be ashamed!

Be dismayed

For your ways!

O house of Israel!’”

Yahweh, via Ezekiel, has an implied warning in reminding the Israelites, the house of Israel, to remember their past evil bad dealings. They should loathe themselves because of their past iniquities and abominable deeds. Yahweh was kind to them, but not for their own sake. They should be ashamed and dismayed about their former evil ways.