going

November 16, 2018

The betrayer is near (Mk 14:42-14:42)

“Get up!

Let us be going!

See!

My betrayer

Is at hand.”

 

ἐγείρεσθε ἄγωμεν· ἰδοὺ ὁ παραδιδούς με ἤγγικεν.

 

This is word for word in Matthew, chapter 26:46.  In Luke, chapter 22, and John, chapter 22, there was nothing more about these sleeping disciples of Jesus.  Mark recounted that Jesus said to his 3 sleeping apostles that they had to rise up or get up and get going (ἐγείρεσθε ἄγωμεν).  The betrayer was approaching them nearby right away (ἰδοὺ ὁ παραδιδούς ἤγγικεν με).  The time for resting was over.  All hands-on deck!  The betrayer was coming to get him very soon.

September 10, 2018

Going to a deserted place (Mk 6:31-6:32)

“Jesus said to them,

‘Come away

To a deserted place

All by yourselves!

Rest a while!’

Many were coming

And going.

They had no leisurely time

To eat.

They went away

In the boat

To a deserted place

By themselves.”

 

καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς Δεῦτε ὑμεῖς αὐτοὶ κατ’ ἰδίαν εἰς ἔρημον τόπον καὶ ἀναπαύσασθε ὀλίγον. ἦσαν γὰρ οἱ ἐρχόμενοι καὶ οἱ ὑπάγοντες πολλοί, καὶ οὐδὲ φαγεῖν εὐκαίρουν.

καὶ ἀπῆλθον ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ εἰς ἔρημον τόπον κατ’ ἰδίαν.

 

This opening to the multiplication of the loaves story can be found in Matthew, chapter 14:13, and Luke, chapter 9:10.  Jesus wanted to get away to a deserted place in a boat.  Mark related that Jesus said to them (καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς) to come away to a deserted place all by themselves (Δεῦτε ὑμεῖς αὐτοὶ κατ’ ἰδίαν εἰς ἔρημον τόπον).  He wanted his disciples and apostles to rest for a while (καὶ ἀναπαύσασθε ὀλίγον), to take it easy.  Many people were coming and going (ἦσαν γὰρ οἱ ἐρχόμενοι καὶ οἱ ὑπάγοντες πολλοί), so that they no leisure time to eat (καὶ οὐδὲ φαγεῖν εὐκαίρουν).  Thus, they went away (καὶ ἀπῆλθον) in the boat (ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ) to a deserted place by themselves (εἰς ἔρημον τόπον κατ’ ἰδίαν).  Jesus was concerned about the apostles’ mental state.  He wanted them to have some down time.

August 10, 2018

The guards tell the chief priests (Mt 28:11-28:11)

“While they were going,

Some of the guards

Went into the city.

They told

The chief priests

Everything

That had happened.”

 

Πορευομένων δὲ αὐτῶν ἰδού τινες τῆς κουστωδίας ἐλθόντες εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἀπήγγειλαν τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν ἅπαντα τὰ γενόμενα.

 

This is unique to Matthew, who said that while the 2 women were going to the disciples of Jesus (Πορευομένων δὲ αὐτῶν), some of the custodial guards at the tomb went into the city (ἰδού τινες τῆς κουστωδίας ἐλθόντες εἰς τὴν πόλιν).  These guards told or reported to the chief priests (ἀπήγγειλαν τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν) everything that had happened (ἅπαντα τὰ γενόμενα).  Remember these were not the Roman soldiers, but the custodial guards hired by the Jewish leaders.  Once again, Matthew showed his bias against these Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.

July 15, 2018

Jesus wakes up his favorite apostles (Mt 26:45-26:46)

“Then Jesus came

To the disciples.

He said to them.

‘Are you still sleeping?

Are you taking your rest?

See!

The hour is at hand.

The Son of Man

Is betrayed

Into the hands

Of sinners.

Get up!

Let us be going!

See!

My betrayer

Is approaching.’”

 

τότε ἔρχεται πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς Καθεύδετε λοιπὸν καὶ ἀναπαύεσθε· ἰδοὺ ἤγγικεν ἡ ὥρα καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται εἰς χεῖρας ἁμαρτωλῶν.

ἐγείρεσθε, ἄγωμεν· ἰδοὺ ἤγγικεν ὁ παραδιδούς με.

 

This is almost word for word in Mark, chapter 14:41-42.  In Luke, chapter 22, and John, chapter 22, there is nothing more about these sleeping disciples of Jesus.  Matthew and Mark both recount that Jesus came to his disciples (τότε ἔρχεται πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς) for a 3rd time.  He spoke to them (καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς).  He told them that there would be plenty of time for sleeping and taking rest later (Καθεύδετε λοιπὸν καὶ ἀναπαύεσθε).  He woke them up to tell them that the hour had come (ἰδοὺ ἤγγικεν ἡ ὥρα) when the Son of Man was going to be betrayed or handed over (καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται) into the hands of sinners (εἰς χεῖρας ἁμαρτωλῶν).  They had to get up and get going (ἐγείρεσθε, ἄγωμεν).  The betrayer was approaching them right away (ἰδοὺ ἤγγικεν ὁ παραδιδούς με).  The time for resting was over.  All hands-on deck!  The betrayer was coming to get him right away.

January 21, 2017

The oracle about the stones for King Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 43:8-43:10)

“Then the word of Yahweh

Came to Jeremiah

In Tahpanhes.

‘Take some large stones

In your hands!

Bury them

In the clay pavement

At the entrance

To Pharaoh’s palace

In Tahpanhes!

Let the Judeans

See you do it!

Then say to them.

‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts!

The God of Israel!

I am going to send

King Nebuchadnezzar.

I am going to take

King Nebuchadnezzar

Of Babylon,

My servant.

He will set his throne

Above these stones

That I have buried.

He will spread

His royal canopy

Over them.’”

Yahweh utters an oracle to Jeremiah, even though he is in the Egyptian northeastern border town of Tahpanhes, where the Suez Canal is today. Once again Yahweh wants Jeremiah to do some symbolic action to get a point across. Jeremiah was to take large stones and then bury them in the pavement at the entrance to the palace of the Egyptian Pharaoh. He was to do this in front of all his fellow Judean expatriates. Then he uttered God’s prophetic oracle that King Nebuchadnezzar, his servant like his own servant prophets, would put his throne on top of these stones. He would then spread out his royal canopy over them. In other words, the Babylonian king was going to take over Egypt. It actually happened in 568 BCE, about 20 years after this action.

January 21, 2017

Do not go to Egypt (Jer 42:19-42:22)

“Yahweh has said to you.

‘O remnant of Judah!

Do not go to Egypt!’

Be well aware

That I have warned you

Today!

You have made

A fatal mistake!

You yourselves sent me

To Yahweh your God.

Saying.

‘Pray for us

To Yahweh our God!

Whatever Yahweh our God

Says

Tell us!

We will do it.’

So I have told you

Today

But you have not obeyed

The voice

Of Yahweh your God

In anything

That he sent me to tell you.

Be well aware

That you shall die

By the sword,

By famine,

By pestilence

In the place

Where you desire to go,

Where you desire to live.’”

Not only is Yahweh upset, but so is Jeremiah. Yahweh had told Jeremiah what he wanted. This remnant of Judah had gone to Jeremiah to find out God’s will. Now that Jeremiah has pronounced Yahweh’s will, they did not like it. Yahweh’s response was simple. Do not go to Egypt! If they would go, they would make a fatal mistake. Jeremiah has warned them. They had, in fact, asked Jeremiah to intercede with Yahweh, so that they might know what to do. They said that they would do whatever Yahweh wanted. After Jeremiah came back with the words of Yahweh, they would not accept it, since they did not like the response. Suddenly, it was a different situation. Now they wanted to disobey by going to Egypt. Thus as Jeremiah so often remarked, they would die by the famous sword, famine, or pestilence in the land that they desired to go to live, Egypt. There was no ambiguity here.

January 7, 2017

The gathering at Mizpah (Jer 40:8-40:8)

“All these field leaders

Went to Gedaliah

At Mizpah.

They included

Ishmael,

The son of Nethaniah,

Johanan,

The son of Kareah,

Seraiah,

The son of Tanhumeth,

The sons of Ephai

The Netophathite,

Jezaniah,

The son of the Maacathite.

They came with their troops.”

Now this story picks up on what was in 2 Kings, chapter 25. All these field leaders went to see Gedaliah at Mizpah to see what was up. In fact, some of these same names appear in 2 Kings, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, and Seraiah son of Tanhumeth. However, here there is mention of the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, while Jezaniah is slightly different than Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite. All these open field leaders came with their fighting troops. They wanted to see how things were going.

October 20, 2016

The lamentation over this sudden disaster (Jer 4:19-4:22)

“My anguish!

My anguish!

I writhe in pain!

O!

The walls of my heart!

My heart is beating wildly!

I cannot keep silent!

I hear the sound of the trumpet.

I hear the alarm of war.

Disaster overtakes disaster.

The whole land is laid waste.

Suddenly my tents are destroyed.

My curtains are destroyed in a moment.

How long must

I see the standard?

How long must

I hear the sound of the trumpet?

‘My people are foolish.

They do not know me.

They are stupid children.

They have no understanding.

They are skilled in doing evil.

But they do not know

How to do good.’”

Jeremiah laments the actions that are taking place. He is pained and in anguish. His heart is beating wildly as he hears the sound of the war trumpet. There was disaster after disaster in the land, as their tents and curtains were also destroyed quickly. He wondered how long this was going to last. He realized that his people were foolish, acting like stupid children, not listening to him. They had no understanding of what was happening. The only thing that they knew was evil, since they did not know how to do good things.

October 15, 2016

Israel brought it on themselves (Jer 2:17-2:19)

“Have you not brought this upon yourself?

You have forsaken Yahweh your God.

He tried to lead you in the way.

What did you gain by going to Egypt?

Why did you try to drink

The waters of the Nile?

What did you gain by going to Assyria?

Why did you try to drink

The waters of the Euphrates?

Your wickedness will punish you.

Your apostates will convict you.

Know!

See!

It is evil!

It is bitter for you

To forsake Yahweh

Your God.

The fear of me is not in you.’

Says Yahweh

God of hosts.”

Jeremiah reminds Israel that they brought all this destruction on themselves by giving up on Yahweh and going their own way. They gained nothing by going to Egypt to drink from the Nile River or from Assyria to drink from the Euphrates River. They will be punished for their wickedness by their own people. They will know and see that it is evil and bitter to forsake Yahweh.  They did not fear Yahweh, the God of hosts.

August 27, 2016

Yahweh reverses himself (Isa 38:4-38:6)

“Then the word of Yahweh

Came to Isaiah.

‘Go!

Say to King Hezekiah.

Thus says Yahweh,

The God of your ancestor David.

I have heard your prayer.

I have seen your tears.

I will add fifteen years to your life.

I will deliver you.

I will deliver this city

Out of the hand of the king of Assyria.

I will defend this city.’”

Once again, this is almost word for word from 2 Kings, chapter 20. However, there are some minor changes. There is no indication here that Isaiah was still at the royal court. There is nothing here about King Hezekiah going to the temple on the 3rd day, nor defending this city for the sake of David. However, Yahweh did tell Isaiah to let King Hezekiah know that he had heard his prayer and seen his tears. Yahweh was going to add 15 years to his life. He would also defend and deliver the city of Jerusalem from the King of Assyria. Obviously, this was before the invasion of the king of Assyria.