Lord and son (Lk 20:44-20:44)

“Thus,

David calls him

Lord!

How can he be

His son?”

 

Δαυεὶδ οὖν αὐτὸν Κύριον καλεῖ, καὶ πῶς αὐτοῦ υἱός ἐστιν;

 

Luke left this question unanswered.  Jesus asked them, since David called the Messiah Christ Lord (Δαυεὶδ οὖν αὐτὸν Κύριον καλεῖ), how can he be his son (καὶ πῶς αὐτοῦ υἱός ἐστιν)?  There is something similar in Matthew, chapter 22:45-46, and Mark, chapter 12:37.  However, there it was a complete victory for Jesus.  What did David mean when he called the future Messiah Christ, a son of David?  The traditional belief was that the Messiah Christ would be the son or descendant of David.  Jesus then posed this big question.  Mark indicated that Jesus asked how could David call the Messiah Lord (αὐτὸς Δαυεὶδ λέγει αὐτὸν Κύριον) and yet be his son, the son of David (καὶ πόθεν αὐτοῦ ἐστιν υἱός)?  This was a trick question.  Why would David call his future son or descendant his own Lord or master, or consider him greater?  The implication was that Jesus, the Son of Man, and descendant of David, was greater than David.  Peter, in fact, repeated this citation of Psalm 110 in his preaching in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2:34-35, also.  Only Mark had the comment that a large crowd was listening to Jesus with delight or gladly (Καὶ ὁ πολὺς ὄχλος ἤκουεν αὐτοῦ ἡδέως).  Matthew indicated that neither the Pharisees nor anyone else were able to give him any kind of verbal response (καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐδύνατο ἀποκριθῆναι αὐτῷ λόγον).  Matthew remarked that from that day on (ἀπ’ ἐκείνης τῆς ἡμέρας), no one dared to ask him any more questions (οὐδὲ ἐτόλμησέν τις…ἐπερωτῆσαι αὐτὸν οὐκέτι), as this was a complete verbal victory for Jesus against the Pharisees.  Have you ever left anyone speechless?

No more questions (Lk 20:40-20:40

“They no longer

Dared

To ask him

Another question.”

 

οὐκέτι γὰρ ἐτόλμων ἐπερωτᾶν αὐτὸν οὐδέν.

 

Luke uniquely said here that the Sadducees no longer dared to ask him another question (οὐκέτι γὰρ ἐτόλμων ἐπερωτᾶν αὐτὸν οὐδέν).  Case closed.  Time to move on to a new subject.  This complete victory for Jesus in this discussion about the resurrection can only be found here in Luke.  Do you stop asking questions when you are satisfied?

No more questions (Mk 12:34-12:34)

“When Jesus saw

That he answered wisely,

He said to him.

‘You are not far

From the kingdom of God.’

After that,

No one dared

To ask Jesus

Any question.”

 

καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἰδὼν αὐτὸν ὅτι νουνεχῶς ἀπεκρίθη, εἶπεν αὐτῷ Οὐ μακρὰν εἶ ἀπὸ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ. καὶ οὐδεὶς οὐκέτι ἐτόλμα αὐτὸν ἐπερωτῆσαι.

 

This saying of Jesus is unique to Mark, except for the ending.  When Jesus saw that this Scribe (καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἰδὼν αὐτὸν) had answered wisely (ὅτι νουνεχῶς ἀπεκρίθη), he said to him (εἶπεν αὐτῷ) that he was not far from the kingdom of God (Οὐ μακρὰν εἶ ἀπὸ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ.).  After that, no one dared to ask Jesus any questions (καὶ οὐδεὶς οὐκέτι ἐτόλμα αὐτὸν ἐπερωτῆσαι).  This is one of the few times in the gospel stories where there is a kind word for any of the Jewish Scribes.

 

The new scroll (Jer 36:28-36:29)

“Take another scroll!

Write on it

All the former words

That were in the first scroll

That King Jehoiakim

Of Judah

Has burned.

Concerning King Jehoiakim

Of Judah

You shall say.

‘Thus says Yahweh.

You have dared

To burn this scroll!

Saying!

‘Why have you written in it

That the king of Babylon

Will certainly come?

Why have you written in it

That he will destroy

This land?

Why have you written in it

That he will cut off

Human beings

With animals from it?’”

Yahweh then told Jeremiah to take a new scroll and rewrite the same thing again that Baruch had written earlier. Yahweh wanted Jeremiah to ask the king himself why he dared to burn this scroll. Obviously, the king of Judah was upset because the scroll said that the king of Babylon was going to come and destroy the land of Judah with all the humans and animals in it.

Job wants them to explain themselves (Job 6:24-6:27)

“Teach me!

I will be silent.

Make me understand how I have gone wrong.

How forceful are honest words!

But you criticize.

What does it do to blame?

Do you think that you can use accusing words?

Is the speech of the desperate like a wind?

You would even cast lots over the orphan.

You would even bargain over your friend.”

Job dared them to tell him where he made a mistake. Where had he gone wrong? He was being criticized and reprimanded without anything specific. Where they critical of his words? Did they blame him? Their speech was like the wind, as it easily moved on. They were the kind of people who would gamble over orphans and bargain over friends. Who needs friends like this?