conflict

May 18, 2019

They were bringing infants (Lk 18:15-18:15)

“People were bringing

Even infants

To Jesus.

Thus,

He might touch them.

When the disciples

Saw this,

They sternly ordered them

Not to do it.”

 

Προσέφερον δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ τὰ βρέφη ἵνα αὐτῶν ἅπτηται· ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ ἐπετίμων αὐτοῖς.

 

Luke indicated that people were bringing even infants to Jesus (Προσέφερον δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ τὰ βρέφη).  Thus, he might touch them (ἵνα αὐτῶν ἅπτηται).  However, when the disciples saw this (ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ), they sternly ordered or rebuked them not to do that (ἐπετίμων αὐτοῖς).  This story about the little children can be found in Mark, chapter 10:13, and Matthew, chapter 19:13, almost word for word.  Mark said that people were bringing little children, not infants as in Luke, to Jesus (Καὶ προσέφερον αὐτῷ παιδία), so that he might touch them (ἵνα αὐτῶν ἅψηται).  However, the disciples spoke sternly or admonished those people (οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ ἐπετίμησαν αὐτοῖς) who brought these children to Jesus.  Matthew said that little children were brought to Jesus (Τότε προσηνέχθησαν αὐτῷ παιδία), so that he might lay his hands on them (ἵνα τὰς χεῖρας ἐπιθῇ αὐτοῖς) and pray for them (καὶ προσεύξηται), which was not in Mark or Luke.  However, the disciples spoke sternly or admonished those (οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ ἐπετίμησαν αὐτοῖς) who brought them to Jesus.  There seemed to be a conflict between Jesus, who valued little children or infants in the Jewish tradition, and his disciples, who wanted to keep them away from Jesus.  Do you like little children?

 

May 1, 2019

The older brother was angry (Lk 15:28-15:28)

“Then the older brother

Became angry.

He refused

To go in.

His father came out.

He began

To plead with him.”

 

ὠργίσθη δὲ καὶ οὐκ ἤθελεν εἰσελθεῖν· ὁ δὲ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ἐξελθὼν παρεκάλει αὐτόν.

 

This long parable story about the 2 sons can only be found in Luke, not in any of the other gospel stories.  Luke indicated that Jesus said that the older brother became angry (ὠργίσθη).  He refused to go in to the celebration (δὲ καὶ οὐκ ἤθελεν εἰσελθεῖν).  His father came out of the celebration (ὁ δὲ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ἐξελθὼν).  He began to plead with him (παρεκάλει αὐτόν).  Now the conflict begins.  This seemed like such a nice happy story about a sinner who repented and was taken back by his father.  But now there was the other son who really did not want to go along with this plan.  He had been a hard-working farmer, while his brother went away carousing and wasting money.  Do you feel closer to the hard-working brother or the loose living brother?

March 19, 2019

Make my sister help me (Lk 10:40-10:40)

“But Martha

Was distracted

By her many tasks.

She went

To the Lord.

She asked

‘Lord!

Do you not care

That my sister

Has left me

To do all the work

Alone by myself?

Tell her then

To help me!’”

 

ἡ δὲ Μάρθα περιεσπᾶτο περὶ πολλὴν διακονίαν· ἐπιστᾶσα δὲ εἶπεν Κύριε, οὐ μέλει σοι ὅτι ἡ ἀδελφή μου μόνην με κατέλειπεν διακονεῖν; εἰπὸν οὖν αὐτῇ ἵνα μοι συναντιλάβηται.

 

Now the element of conflict came up.  Luke said that Martha was distracted or troubled by her many tasks of hospitality serving (ἡ δὲ Μάρθα περιεσπᾶτο περὶ πολλὴν διακονίαν).  Thus, she went to address Jesus as the Lord (ἐπιστᾶσα δὲ εἶπεν Κύριε).  She urgently wanted to know if the Lord cared about the fact that her sister had left her alone to do all the serving work by herself (οὐ μέλει σοι ὅτι ἡ ἀδελφή μου μόνην με κατέλειπεν διακονεῖν)?  She wanted Jesus to tell Mary (εἰπὸν οὖν αὐτῇ) to help her (ἵνα μοι συναντιλάβηται).  Mary was simply sitting listening to Jesus, while Martha was doing all the housework.  Martha wanted Jesus to tell her sister to help her with the household duties.  Why couldn’t Martha talk to her sister herself?  She knew her pretty well.  What will be the response of Jesus?  Would you rather be the worker or the listener?

October 9, 2018

The children (Mk 10:13-10:13)

“People were bringing

Little children

To Jesus.

Thus,

He might touch them.

However,

The disciples

Spoke sternly

To them.”

 

Καὶ προσέφερον αὐτῷ παιδία ἵνα αὐτῶν ἅψηται· οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ ἐπετίμησαν αὐτοῖς.

 

This story about the little children can be found in Matthew, chapter 19:13, and Luke, chapter 18:15.  Mark said that people were bringing little children to Jesus (Καὶ προσέφερον αὐτῷ παιδία), so that he might touch them (ἵνα αὐτῶν ἅψηται).  Matthew had mentioned hand laying and praying for them, but that is not here.  However, the disciples spoke sternly or admonished those people (οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ ἐπετίμησαν αὐτοῖς) who brought these children to Jesus.  There seemed to be a conflict between Jesus, who valued little children in the Jewish tradition, and his disciples, who wanted to keep them away from Jesus.

May 28, 2018

The children came forward (Mt 19:13-19:13)

“Then little children

Were brought to Jesus

So that he might lay his hands

On them

And pray.

The disciples spoke sternly

To those who brought them.”

 

Τότε προσηνέχθησαν αὐτῷ παιδία, ἵνα τὰς χεῖρας ἐπιθῇ αὐτοῖς καὶ προσεύξηται· οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ ἐπετίμησαν αὐτοῖς

 

This story about the little children can be found in Mark, chapter 10:13, and Luke, chapter 18:15, almost word for word.  Little children were brought to Jesus (Τότε προσηνέχθησαν αὐτῷ παιδία), so that he might lay his hands on them (ἵνα τὰς χεῖρας ἐπιθῇ αὐτοῖς) and pray for them (καὶ προσεύξηται).  However, the disciples spoke sternly or admonished those (οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ ἐπετίμησαν αὐτοῖς) who brought them to Jesus.  There seemed to be conflict between Jesus, who valued little children in the Jewish tradition, and the disciples who wanted to keep them away from Jesus.

September 7, 2017

The present battle and the future (Dan 10:13-10:14)

“The prince

Of the kingdom

Of Persia

Opposed me

For twenty-one days.

Then,

Michael,

One of the chief princes,

Came to help me.

I left him there

With the prince

Of the kingdom

Of Persia.

I have come

To help you understand

What is to happen

To your people

At the end of the days.

There is a further vision

For those days.”

Somehow or other this man or angel Gabriel got involved in a conflict with the King of Persia for 21 days. However, the good angel Michael, one of the chief princes or archangels, came to help him against this prince of Persia. This man or angel Gabriel then came to help Daniel understand what was going to happen to his people in the future, at the end of days.