change of heart

April 12, 2019

You will perish (Lk 13:5-13:5)

“No!

I tell you!

But unless you repent

You will perish

Just as they did.”

 

οὐχί, λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀλλ’ ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσητε, πάντες ὡσαύτως ἀπολεῖσθε.

 

Luke once again uniquely had this response of Jesus, which was the same as previously.  This response of Jesus in Luke was simple.  Jesus said “No (οὐχί)” with a solemn pronouncement (λέγω ὑμῖν).  All of them present there, if they did not repent or have a change of heart, a metanoia (ἀλλ’ ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσητε), they would all perish, just like these people upon whom the wall fell down on (πάντες ὡσαύτως ἀπολεῖσθε).  Tragic death did not mean that you were a sinner.  Repentance for all was important.  Do you think that anyone deserves to die?

 

April 12, 2019

Repent (Lk 13:3-13:3)

“No!

I tell you!

But unless you repent

You will all perish

As they did!”

 

οὐχί, λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀλλ’ ἐὰν μὴ μετανοῆτε, πάντες ὁμοίως ἀπολεῖσθε.

 

The unique answer in Luke was also simple.  Jesus said “No (οὐχί)” with a solemn pronouncement (λέγω ὑμῖν).  These Galileans were no worse than anyone else.  All of them present there, if they did not repent or have a change of heart, a metanoia (ἀλλ’ ἐὰν μὴ μετανοῆτε), they would all perish just like these Galileans (πάντες ὁμοίως ἀπολεῖσθε).  Repentance for all was important, no matter what kind of death you might endure.  How do you want to die?

 

March 26, 2019

The people of Nineveh (Lk 11:32-11:32)

“The people of Nineveh

Will rise up

At the judgment

Against this generation.

They will condemn it.

Because they repented

At the preaching

Of Jonah.

See!

Someone greater

Than Jonah

Is here.”

 

ἄνδρες Νινευεῖται ἀναστήσονται ἐν τῇ κρίσει μετὰ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης καὶ κατακρινοῦσιν αὐτήν· ὅτι μετενόησαν εἰς τὸ κήρυγμα Ἰωνᾶ, καὶ ἰδοὺ πλεῖον Ἰωνᾶ ὧδε.

 

Luke also indicated that Jesus said that the people or men of Nineveh would rise up (ἄνδρες Νινευεῖται ἀναστήσονται) at the judgment time (ἐν τῇ κρίσει) against this generation (μετὰ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης).  They will condemn them (καὶ κατακρινοῦσιν αὐτήν) because they had repented or had a change of heart (ὅτι μετενόησαν) because of the preaching of Jonah (εἰς τὸ κήρυγμα Ἰωνᾶ).  However, someone greater than Jonah is here (καὶ ἰδοὺ πλεῖον Ἰωνᾶ ὧδε).  This saying about the positive response of repentance among the men of Nineveh, where the prophet Jonah had preached, can also be found in Matthew, chapter 12:41, so that perhaps this is a Q source.  Once again, these gospel writers and Jesus went back to the story of the prophet Jonah, chapter 3:5.  However, this story came first in Matthew, preceding the story about the Queen of the South.  He said that those people of Nineveh, who were long dead, would rise up at the judgment time against this generation.  They would condemn these contemporary people because they had repented during the 40-day preaching of Jonah in Nineveh.  Matthew then reminded them that someone greater than Jonah was there among them, Jesus himself.  Both these stories were about gentiles who praised Jewish leaders.  Do you repent after listening to the preaching of Jesus?

 

March 14, 2019

The curse on Chorazin and Bethsaida (Lk 10:13-10:13)

“Woe to you!

Chorazin!

Woe to you!

Bethsaida!

If the deeds

Of power

Done in you

Had been done

In Tyre

And Sidon,

They would have repented

Long ago,

Wearing sackcloth

And sitting in ashes.”

 

Οὐαί σοι, Χοραζείν, οὐαί σοι, Βηθσαϊδά· ὅτι εἰ ἐν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι ἐγενήθησαν αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν ὑμῖν, πάλαι ἂν ἐν σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ καθήμενοι μετενόησαν.

 

Luke indicated that Jesus said that both Chorazin (Οὐαί σοι, Χοραζείν) and Bethsaida (οὐαί σοι, Βηθσαϊδά) should be cursed.  Jesus said that if the deeds of power or the miracles done among them would have had been done (ὅτι εἰ…ἐγενήθησαν αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν ὑμῖν) in Tyre (ἐν Τύρῳ) and Sidon (καὶ Σιδῶνι), they would have repented or had a change of heart (μετενόησαν) long ago (πάλαι), wearing sackcloth (ἂν ἐν σάκκῳ) and sitting in ashes (καὶ σποδῷ καθήμενοι).  This is similar to Matthew, chapter 11:20-21, indicating a possible common Q source.  Matthew indicated that Jesus denounced or reproached these various Galilean towns where he had worked his powerful miracles of healing and curing.  Jesus was upset that despite his many miracles, these towns had not repented of their evil ways.  Jesus complained about two particular towns, Chorazin (Χοραζείν), that was about 3 miles north of Capernaum, and Bethsaida (Βηθσαϊδάν), about 5 miles north of Capernaum on the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee.  All these towns were fairly close together.  Jesus’ reproach started with a typical prophetic curse of “woe to you” (Οὐαί σοι), especially used by Isaiah.  Jesus also mentioned the Phoenician Mediterranean cities of Tyre and Sidon that Isaiah, chapter 23:1-12, and many of the other prophets had wailed against.  Jesus said that if these same miraculous deeds had taken place in these two coastal cities, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes, something that Chorazin and Bethsaida had not done.  What kind of town do you live in?

September 8, 2018

Preaching repentance (Mk 6:12-6:12)

“Thus,

The twelve went out.

They proclaimed

That all people

Should repent.”

 

Καὶ ἐξελθόντες ἐκήρυξαν ἵνα μετανοῶσιν,

 

There is no equivalent to this saying of Mark, as he explained their mission.  Mark said that the 12 apostles went out (Καὶ ἐξελθόντες).  They proclaimed or preached (ἐκήρυξαν) that all people should repent, have a change of heart or a metanoia (ἵνα μετανοῶσιν), just like John the Baptist and Jesus had done.  These 12 apostles were to continue the work and preaching of Jesus.

 

October 10, 2017

Return to Yahweh (Hos 14:1-14:2)

“O Israel!

Return

To Yahweh!

Your God!

You have stumbled

Because of your iniquity.

Take words with you!

Return

To Yahweh!

Say to him!

‘Take away all guilt!

Accept that which is good!

We will offer

The fruit of our lips.’”

Hosea remined them that there was still hope. If they returned to Yahweh, their God, there might be a chance. They had stumbled because of their iniquity. They had to take back their own words. They had to return to Yahweh. They should ask God to take away all their guilt. They should have a change of heart. They should change the words that they say. They should be more careful in how they talk.

August 14, 2017

The king releases the three men (Dan 3:26-3:26)

“Then King Nebuchadnezzar

Approached the door

Of the furnace

Of the blazing fire.

He said.

‘Shadrach!

Meshach!

Abednego!

Servants of the Most High God!

Come out!

Come here!’

Then Shadrach,

Meshach,

Abednego,

Came out

From the fire.”

King Nebuchadnezzar had a change of heart. He went to the door of the fiery furnace. He then told the 3 men in the furnace, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in their Babylonian names, to come out of the furnace. He also called them the servants of the Most High God. Thus, the 3 men came out of the fiery furnace.

January 21, 2017

They refuse to accept the words of Jeremiah (Jer 43:1-43:3)

“Thus Jeremiah finished speaking

To all the people

All these words

Of Yahweh their God,

With which Yahweh their God

Had sent him to them.

Then Azariah,

The son of Hoshaiah,

Johanan,

The son of Kareah,

With all the other insolent men,

Said to Jeremiah.

‘You are telling a lie.

Yahweh our God

Did not send you

To say.

‘Do not go to Egypt

To settle there!’

But Baruch,

The son of Neriah,

Is inciting you

Against us.

He wants to hand us over

To the Chaldeans.

Thus they may kill us.

Or they may take us

Into exile in Babylon.’”

During the 10 days that Jeremiah waited for Yahweh, there must have been a change of heart in the camp. Some people think that this section should have been in the preceding chapter. This chapter equivalent in the Greek Septuagint is chapter 50, not chapter 43 as here. So once that Jeremiah had finished speaking the words that Yahweh, their God, gave him, both the leaders of this insolent remnant group, Azariah and Johanan, called into question Jeremiah’s veracity. They said that Jeremiah was lying. Yahweh did not say to him that they should not settle in Egypt. It must have been his secretary Baruch who incited Jeremiah against the main group. They said that Baruch wanted them to be captured or killed by the Chaldeans, if they stayed in this Judean territory. They might he sent into captivity in Babylon, if they were caught there. Basically, it was a fight between the interests of Egypt versus the interests of Babylon.