his sins

January 23, 2019

Glorifying God (Lk 5:25-5:25)

“Immediately,

The paralytic stood up

Before them.

He took

What he had been

Lying on.

He went to his home.

He was glorifying God.”

 

καὶ παραχρῆμα ἀναστὰς ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν, ἄρας ἐφ’ ὃ κατέκειτο, ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ δοξάζων τὸν Θεόν.

 

The paralyzed man did exactly what Jesus told him to do.  He got up and went to his home.  Jesus had forgiven this man his sins and at the same time cured him of paralysis.  Normally, the power to forgive sins was what only God could do.  Luke said that this paralytic stood up before them (καὶ παραχρῆμα ἀναστὰς ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν).  He took his bed that he had been lying on (ἄρας ἐφ’ ὃ κατέκειτο) and went home (ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ).  At the same time, he was glorifying or praising God (δοξάζων τὸν Θεόν).  Mark, chapter 2:12, and Matthew, chapter 9:7-8, are similar to Luke, so that Mark might be the source of this saying.  Mark said that the paralyzed man did exactly as Jesus had told him to do.  He stood up and immediately took his pallet bed in front of everybody.  Jesus had forgiven this man’s sins and cured him of paralysis.  How was the power to forgive sins, which only God could do, related to his healing powers?  How were these powers related?

August 21, 2018

The paralytic walks away (Mk 2:12-2:12)

“The paralytic

Stood up.

Immediately,

He took his pallet bed.

He went out

Before all of them.

Thus,

They were all amazed.

They glorified God,

Saying.

‘We never saw anything

Like this!’”

 

καὶ ἠγέρθη καὶ εὐθὺς ἄρας τὸν κράβαττον ἐξῆλθεν ἔμπροσθεν πάντων, ὥστε ἐξίστασθαι πάντας καὶ δοξάζειν τὸν Θεὸν λέγοντας ὅτι Οὕτως οὐδέποτε εἴδαμεν.

 

Luke, chapter 5:25-26, and Matthew, chapter 9:7-8, are similar to Mark, so that Mark might be the source of this saying.  Mark said that the paralyzed man did exactly as Jesus had told him to do.  He arose or stood up (καὶ ἠγέρθη).  He immediately took his pallet bed (καὶ εὐθὺς ἄρας τὸν κράβαττον).  He went out from there in front of everybody (ἐξῆλθεν ἔμπροσθεν πάντων).  Jesus had forgiven this man his sins and cured him of paralysis.  How was the power to forgive sins, which only God could do, related to his healing powers?  They were all amazed, or marveled (ὥστε ἐξίστασθαι πάντας) at what they had just witnessed.  They glorified, honored, or praised God (καὶ δοξάζειν τὸν Θεὸν).  They said to one another that they had never seen anything like this before (λέγοντας ὅτι Οὕτως οὐδέποτε εἴδαμεν).  Jesus had a lot of power.

December 1, 2017

Micah would rise again (Mic 7:8-7:10)

“Do not rejoice over me!

O my enemy!

When I fall,

I shall rise.

When I sit in darkness,

Yahweh

Will be a light for me.

I will bear the indignation

Of Yahweh,

Because I have sinned

Against him.

I wait

Until he takes

My side.

I wait

Until he executes judgment

For me.

He will bring me out

To the light.

I shall see

His vindication.

Then my enemy

Will see.

Shame will cover her

Who said to me.

‘Where is Yahweh

Your God?’

My eyes will see

Her downfall.

Now she will be trodden down,

Like the mire

Of the streets.”

Micah did not want his enemies to rejoice because he was going to rise again, just like Israel itself.  When Micah was in darkness, Yahweh was his light.  He was suffering the judgment of Yahweh, because of his sins.  However, Yahweh was going to vindicate him.  At that point, his enemies would be put to shame.  Those who had taunted him about his God Yahweh, would be stamped on in the streets, like stinky mud or mire.

November 25, 2017

Micah was the exception (Mic 3:8-3:8)

“But as for me,

I am filled

With power,

With the Spirit of Yahweh.

I am filled

With justice.

I am filled

With might.

I declare

To Jacob

His transgression,

I declare

To Israel

His sin.”

Micah was the exception to these false prophets.  He was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit of Yahweh.  He was filled with justice and might.  He was willing to declare to Jacob his transgressions.  He was willing to declare to Israel his sins.  Micah was not afraid to speak out and challenge the people of northern Israel and southern Judah.

September 5, 2017

Gabriel comes (Dan 9:20-9:21)

“I was speaking.

I was praying,

I was confessing my sins,

As well as the sins

Of my people Israel.

I was presenting

My supplication

Before Yahweh

My God,

On behalf

Of the holy mountain

Of my God.

While I was speaking

In prayer,

The man Gabriel,

Whom I had seen before

In the vision,

Came to me

In swift flight,

At the time

Of the evening sacrifice.”

Daniel was continuing with his prayers and supplications to Yahweh. He was confessing his sins and the sins of his people Israel. He was praying for the holy mountain of God that had been desolated. Then a man called Gabriel came flying in. Daniel said that he was the same Gabriel that was in the preceding chapter that helped Daniel interpret his vision before. There, he had the appearance of a man. Here, he is referred to as a flying man who arrived at the time of the evening sacrifice. Was this the angel Gabriel?

August 28, 2016

Prayer of thanksgiving (Isa 38:16-38:20)

“O Lord!

By these things

People live.

In all these is

The life of my spirit.

Restore me to health!

Make me live!

Surely it was for my welfare

That I had great bitterness.

But you held back my life

From the pit of destruction.

You have cast all my sins

Behind your back.

Sheol cannot thank you.

Death cannot praise you.

Those who go down to the pit

Cannot hope for your faithfulness.

The living,

The living,

They thank you,

As I do this day.

The father makes known to the children

Your faithfulness.

Yahweh will save me.

We will sing to stringed instruments

All the days of our lives,

At the house of Yahweh.”

Second Isaiah has King Hezekiah happy that his ordeal is over. However, he recognized that these difficulties are part of life. Once restored to health and life, he realizes that these things happened for his own good, even if he was a little bitter. Yahweh had his back, so that he never met the pit of destruction. All his sins were forgotten. Sheol and death were not able to grab him because there he would not have been able to praise or give thanks to Yahweh. There they lose all hope and faithfulness. However, it is the living ones who give praise and thanksgiving to Yahweh, as he did this day. Children learn from their fathers about faithfulness, so too Yahweh has saved him. Thus he and his friends will sing with stringed instruments at the house of Yahweh all the days of their lives.

July 12, 2016

The instructions of Yahweh (Isa 6:9-6:10)

“Yahweh said.

‘Go!

Say to this people!

‘Keep listening!

But do not comprehend!

Keep looking!

But do not understand!

Make the mind of this people dull!

Stop their ears!

Shut their eyes!

Thus they may not look

With their eyes.

They may not listen

With their ears.

They may not comprehend

With their minds.

Turn!

Be healed!’”

Now Isaiah gets his marching orders from Yahweh. He was to tell the people that they were listening without comprehending. They were looking without understanding. Their minds were dull. Their eyes and ears were closed. He wanted them not to look with their own eyes. He wanted them to not listen with their own ears, since they would not begin to comprehend. He told Isaiah to turn and go, since he had been healed of his sins. This is somewhat echoed in the words of Jesus among the later Christian evangelists.

May 20, 2016

Male adulterer (Sir 23:18-23:21)

“Whoever sins

Against his marriage bed,

Says to himself.

‘Who can see me?

Darkness surrounds me.

The walls hide me.

No one sees me.

Why should I worry?

The Most High

Will not remember my sins.’

His fear is confined

To human eyes.

He does not realize

That the eyes of the Lord

Are ten thousand times

Brighter than the sun.

They look upon

Every aspect of human behavior.

They see into hidden corners.

Before the universe was created,

it was known to him.

So it is since its completion.

This man will be punished

In the streets of the city.

Where he least suspects it,

He will be seized.”

Sirach shows that the male adulterer thinks that no one sees him since it is dark and the walls protect him. Why should he worry? The Most High God will not remember his sins. He is only worried about human eyes catching him. However, he should realize that the eyes of the Lord are 10,000 times brighter than the sun. They see every aspect of human behavior, even the hidden corners. Before the universe was created, God had pre-knowledge of everything. Thus God knows everything. This man will be punished in the city streets at a time when he least suspects it.

April 23, 2016

Pride (Sir 3:26-3:28)

“A stubborn mind will fare badly at the end.

Whoever loves danger will perish in it.

A stubborn mind will be burdened by troubles.

The sinner adds sin to sins.

When calamity befalls the proud,

There is no healing.

An evil plant has taken root in him.”

A stubborn prideful mind will not do well at the end. If you love danger, you will perish in danger. A stubborn prideful mind is always troubled. The sinner only adds to his sins. Bad things will happen to the proud. There is no healing the proud people, because they are like an evil plant that has bad roots.

September 21, 2015

David is sorry for his sins (Ps 38:17-38:20)

“I am ready to fall.

My pain is ever with me.

I confess my iniquity.

I am sorry for my sin.

Those who are my foes without cause are mighty.

Many are those who hate me wrongfully.

Those who render me evil for good

Are my adversaries.

However I follow after good.”

David said he was ready to fall because the pain was all over him. He confessed his iniquity and was sorry for his sins. However, his foes and haters were strong and would render him evil for good. Notice that he says “foes without cause” or “hate me wrongfully.” This seems to indicate it would not be wrong to be his foe or hater if they had a reason to do so. Anyway, his adversaries brought evil for good, while David always followed the good. Once again, even in his confession of sinfulness, there was self-righteousness to it.