boats

January 22, 2019

They follow Jesus (Lk 5:11-5:11)

“When they had brought

Their boats

To land,

They left everything.

They followed Jesus.”

 

καὶ καταγαγόντες τὰ πλοῖα ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἀφέντες πάντα ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ.

 

Luke has a simple statement compared to Mark and Matthew.  He said that when these fishermen had brought their boats to land (καὶ καταγαγόντες τὰ πλοῖα ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν), they left everything (ἀφέντες πάντα).  They followed Jesus (ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ).  This is like Mark, chapter 1:19-20, or Matthew, chapter 4:19-20.  There Jesus said to them to come and follow after him, since he was going to make them fishers of human people.  They immediately left their nets and followed or accompanied Jesus, like an Israelite prophetic call, since Jesus had spoken directly to these two men.  He issued an invitation that seemed like a command at the same time.  They followed after Jesus, no matter what.  Like the Hebrew prophets, their response was immediate, without any hesitation.  They left their fishing nets, as both Simon Peter and Andrew, his brother, became disciples of Jesus.  The other two brothers, James and John left both their boat and also their father Zebedee.  However, in Luke, there was no mention of Andrew, the brother of Simon, or any direct formal call to these fishermen.  The results were the same.  There were either 3 or 4 new full disciples of Jesus.

January 22, 2019

Simon Peter is a sinner (Lk 5:8-5:8)

“When Simon Peter

Saw this,

He fell down

At Jesus’ knees.

Saying.

‘Go away

From me!

I am a sinful man!

O Lord!’”

 

ἰδὼν δὲ Σίμων Πέτρος προσέπεσεν τοῖς γόνασιν Ἰησοῦ λέγων Ἔξελθε ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι ἀνὴρ ἁμαρτωλός εἰμι, Κύριε.

 

Luke was the only one to describe the reaction of Simon to this big catch of fish.  He admitted that he was a sinner.  When Simon Peter saw what had happened (ἰδὼν δὲ Σίμων Πέτρος), he fell down at Jesus’ knees (προσέπεσεν τοῖς γόνασιν Ἰησοῦ).  Notice that this is the first time that Simon was called Simon Peter.  Obviously, this took place after the boats were at shore.  Simon said that Jesus should go away from him (λέγων Ἔξελθε ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ) because he was a sinful man (ὅτι ἀνὴρ ἁμαρτωλός εἰμι).  He called Jesus not a master or a teacher, but the Lord (Κύριε).  This obviously is a theological statement, where Simon Peter confesses his sinfulness before the divine Lord.  He realized that Jesus was special.

June 20, 2015

The drowning of Jews at Joppa (2 Macc 12:3-12:4)

“The people of Joppa did an ungodly deed. They invited the Jews who lived among them to embark, with their wives and children, on boats that they had provided, as though there were no ill will towards the Jews. This was done by public vote of the city. When they accepted, because they wished to live peaceably and suspected nothing, the people of Joppa took them out to sea. They then drowned them, at least two hundred.”

This is a strange incident. Joppa was an ancient seaport on the Mediterranean seacoast, about thirty miles south of Caesarea and thirty-five miles north-west of Jerusalem, being the principal port of Judea. It was mentioned in 1 Maccabees, chapters 11-14, where Simon, Judas’ brother, was active. It had been part of the original territory of Dan. However, it is not clear who these inhabitants were. However, they somehow voted to drown all the Jewish people living there. Nevertheless, there were only a couple of hundred Jews, and that included their families.