happy ending

March 30, 2019

The afterparty disputed conversation (Lk 11:53-11:53)

“When Jesus went outside,

The Scribes

And the Pharisees

Began to be

Very hostile

Towards Jesus.

They wanted

To cross examine him

About many things,”

 

Κἀκεῖθεν ἐξελθόντος αὐτοῦ ἤρξαντο οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι δεινῶς ἐνέχειν καὶ ἀποστοματίζειν αὐτὸν περὶ πλειόνων,

 

Luke uniquely indicated that when this dinner party with the Pharisees was over, Jesus and the others went outside (Κἀκεῖθεν ἐξελθόντος αὐτοῦ).  Then the Scribes (οἱ γραμματεῖς) and the Pharisees (καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι) began (ἤρξαντο) to be very hostile or urgently press Jesus (δεινῶς ἐνέχειν).  They wanted to cross examine him (καὶ ἀποστοματίζειν αὐτὸν) about many things (περὶ πλειόνων).  This is the only time that the word ἀποστοματίζειν is used in all the Scripture literature, meaning something like drawing out by questioning.  This was the first mention of the Scribes in this section.  You can see that after all these diatribes against the Pharisees and the Mosaic lawyers, they may have had some questions for Jesus.  He would have to do some explaining to them about what he meant.  This was not a happy ending to a dinner party.  Have you ever been to a dinner party that ended badly?

February 17, 2019

The seeds on good soil (Lk 8:8-8:8)

“Some seeds fell

On good soil.

They grew.

They produced

A hundredfold.

 

καὶ ἕτερον ἔπεσεν εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν ἀγαθήν, καὶ φυὲν ἐποίησεν καρπὸν ἑκατονταπλασίονα.

 

This sower parable about the seeds on good ground can be found in all 3 synoptic gospels, in Matthew, chapter 13:8, Mark, chapter 4:8, and here.  There is a happy ending to this parable with the seeds that fell on the good soil.  Luke indicated that Jesus said that some seeds fell on good soil (καὶ ἕτερον ἔπεσεν εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν ἀγαθήν).  They grew (καὶ φυὲν).  They produced fruit a hundredfold (ἐποίησεν καρπὸν ἑκατονταπλασίονα).  Mark and Matthew also said that these other seeds fell on good soil.  They brought forth or gave good fruitful grain.  These seeds in the good soil grew up and increased.  Some yielded 60-fold, others yielded 30-fold, while still others yielded a 100-fold.  Luke only listed 100 and never mentioned 60 or 30.  How important is being planted in good soil for you?

August 31, 2018

The seeds on good ground (Mk 4:8-4:8)

“Other seeds fell

Into good soil.

They brought forth

Grain,

Growing up

And increasing.

They yielded

Thirtyfold,

Sixtyfold,

And a hundredfold.”

 

καὶ ἄλλα ἔπεσεν εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν καλήν, καὶ ἐδίδου καρπὸν ἀναβαίνοντα καὶ αὐξανόμενα, καὶ ἔφερεν εἰς τριάκοντα καὶ ἓν ἑξήκοντα καὶ ἓν ἑκατόν.

 

This sower parable about the seeds on good ground can be found in all 3 synoptic gospels, in Matthew, chapter 13:8, and in Luke, chapter 8:8, and here.  There is a happy ending to this parable with the seeds that fell on good soil.  These other seeds fell on good soil (καὶ ἄλλα δὲ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τὴν καλὴν).  They brought forth or gave good fruitful grain (καὶ ἐδίδου καρπόν).  These seeds in the good soil grew up and increased (ἀναβαίνοντα καὶ αὐξανόμενα).  Some yielded thirtyfold (καὶ ἔφερεν εἰς τριάκοντα).  Others yielded sixtyfold (καὶ ἓν ἑξήκοντα), while still others yielded a hundredfold (καὶ ἓν ἑκατόν).  Luke only listed 100 and never mentioned 60 or 30.

April 28, 2018

The seeds in good soil (Mt 13:8-13:9)

“Other seeds fell on good soil.

They brought forth grain.

Some was a hundredfold.

Some was sixtyfold.

Some was thirtyfold.

Let anyone with ears,

Listen!”

 

ἄλλα δὲ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τὴν καλὴν καὶ ἐδίδου καρπόν, ὃ μὲν ἑκατὸν ὃ δὲ ἑξήκοντα ὃ δὲ τριάκοντα.

ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκουέτω.

 

This good seed parable can be found in all 3 synoptic gospels, Mark, chapter 4:8-9, and Luke, chapter 8:8, with Matthew closer to Mark.  There is a happy ending to this parable with the seeds that fell on good soil.  Then there is the warning at the end.  Other seeds fell on good soil (ἄλλα δὲ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τὴν καλὴν).  They brought forth grain (καὶ ἐδίδου καρπόν).  Some yielded a hundredfold (ὃ μὲν ἑκατὸν), others sixtyfold (ὃ δὲ ἑξήκοντα) and still others thirtyfold (ὃ δὲ τριάκοντα).  Luke only listed 100 and never mentioned 60 or 30.  Jesus told them that anyone with ears should listen (ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκουέτω) to this parable.

March 3, 2017

The restoration (Lam 5:21-5:22)

“Restore us

To yourself!

O Yahweh!

Thus we may be

Restored!

Renew our days

As of old!

Unless you have

Utterly rejected us?

Are you angry

With us

Beyond measure?”

While this author pleads for restoration, there is an element of doubt at the end. They wanted to be restored to Yahweh like in the good old days. But then the element of doubt crept in. They were asking for mercy, but has Yahweh utterly rejected them? Is God so angry that it cannot be measured? Have the Judeans gone too far against Yahweh? Thus this lamentation does not have a happy ending, but a more existential angst that maybe there will be no restoration at all.

February 28, 2017

The prayer from the pit (Lam 3:55-3:57)

Qoph

“I called

On your name!

O Yahweh!

From the depths

Of the pit!

You heard my plea!

‘Do not close

Your ear

To my cry

For help!

But give me relief!’

You came near

When I called

On you.

You said.

‘Do not fear!’”

This personalized lament continues with a prayer from the bottom of the pit. This author called out to Yahweh. Yahweh then heard his plea as he did not close his ears. He responded to his cry for relief as he came near to him. Yahweh told him not to fear. There may be a happy ending after all this lamentation. These three verses start with the Hebrew consonant letter Qoph in this acrostic poem.

January 22, 2017

The fate of the remnant of Judah (Jer 44:11-44:12)

“Therefore thus says

Yahweh of hosts!

The God of Israel!

‘I am determined

To bring disaster

On you.

I will bring

All Judah

To an end.

I will take

The remnant of Judah.

They are determined

To come to the land

Of Egypt

To settle.

Everyone shall perish.

In the land of Egypt,

They shall fall.

They shall perish

By the sword

Or by famine.

From the least

To the greatest,

They shall die

By the sword

Or by famine.

They shall become

An object of

Execration,

Horror,

Cursing,

Ridicule.”

Yahweh, via Jeremiah, says that the remnant of Judah would not come to a happy ending. They were determined to go to Egypt to settle there. Now Yahweh was going to bring disaster upon them. They, from the least to the greatest, would perish. They would die either by the sword or by famine. There was no mention of pestilence. They would become objects of disdain, execration, horrible, cursed at, and ridiculed. They would suffer because of their disobedience in coming to settle in Egypt.

January 20, 2017

Ishmael escapes to Ammon (Jer 41:15-41:15)

“But Ishmael,

The son of Nethaniah,

Escaped from Johanan

With eight men.

They went

To the Ammonites.”

Unfortunately this little escapade does not have a happy ending. Ishmael with 8 out of 10 of his trusty troops got away. They went to King Baalis in Ammon on the other side of the Jordan River.

December 14, 2016

The death of Hananiah (Jer 28:17-28:17)

“In that same year,

In the seventh month,

The prophet Hananiah died.”

Thus the story of the prophet Hananiah, who opposed Jeremiah, does not have a happy ending. He died within 7 months of Yahweh’s prediction about his death. Once again, we have a prophecy that is fulfilled, showing the true prophet versus the false prophet.

December 9, 2016

The death of the prophet Uriah (Jer 26:21-26:23)

“When King Jehoiakim,

With all his warriors,

With all his officials,

Heard his words,

The king sought

To put him to death.

When Uriah heard this,

He was afraid.

He fled.

He escaped to Egypt.

Then King Jehoiakim sent

Elnathan,

The son of Achbor,

With other men with him,

To Egypt.

They took Uriah

From Egypt.

They brought him

To King Jehoiakim.

He struck him down

With the sword.

They threw his dead body

Into the burial place

Of the common people.”

King Jehoiakim or King Eliakim (609-598 BCE), the same king as when Jeremiah was prophesying, heard about the prophecies of Uriah. He had an immediate reaction as he with his warriors and officials wanted to kill Uriah for his prophecy about the demise of Judah and Jerusalem. This prophet Uriah then fled to Egypt. However, the king of Egypt had put King Jehoiakim on the throne. Elnathan, the son of Achbor, may have been the father-in-law of the king of Judah. Achbor had helped King Josiah in his religious reforms. Thus when he showed up with some men in Egypt, they were able to bring him back to the king of Judah. There they killed Uriah with a sword. Then they threw his dead body in the common burial place. Uriah did not have a happy ending. He was one of the few prophets to be killed.