lifted

March 7, 2019

Jesus cures the son (Lk 9:42-9:42)

“While the boy

Was coming to Jesus,

The demon threw him down

With convulsions.

But Jesus rebuked

The unclean spirit.

He healed the boy.

He gave him back

To his father.”

 

ἔτι δὲ προσερχομένου αὐτοῦ ἔρρηξεν αὐτὸν τὸ δαιμόνιον καὶ συνεσπάραξεν· ἐπετίμησεν δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἀκαθάρτῳ, καὶ ἰάσατο τὸν παῖδα καὶ ἀπέδωκεν αὐτὸν τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ.

 

Luke said that while the young man was coming to Jesus (ἔτι δὲ προσερχομένου αὐτοῦ), the demon threw him down to the ground (ἔρρηξεν αὐτὸν τὸ δαιμόνιον) with convulsions (καὶ συνεσπάραξεν).  But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit (πετίμησεν δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἀκαθάρτῳ).  He healed the boy (καὶ ἰάσατο τὸν παῖδα).  He gave him back to his father (καὶ ἀπέδωκεν αὐτὸν τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ).  Both Matthew, chapter 17:18 and Luke here have a summary of a more detailed longer statement from Mark, chapter 9:20-27, about this mute epileptic boy.  Mark said that they brought the boy to Jesus.  However, when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it immediately convulsed the boy.  The boy fell on the ground and began to roll around, foaming at the mouth.  In fact, Jesus got to see what the father had described to him earlier.  Jesus asked the father of this boy how long had these convulsions been happening to him.  The father said that it had been happening since his childhood.  This evil spirit would often cast him into both fire and water, as Matthew had mentioned, in order to destroy him.  Then the father asked Jesus, if he was able to do anything to help his son.  He wanted Jesus to have pity and compassion on him and his son.  Jesus said to him that all things could be done for the one who believed.  Belief was the key ingredient for any success in this area.  The father of the child cried out that he believed, but he wanted help with his unbelief.  This was a strong statement of belief that also recognized unbelief at the same time.  Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit.  He directly commanded this unclean evil spirit that had kept this boy from speaking and hearing to come out of him, never again to enter him.  Jesus then got rid of the unclean spirit that was in this boy in a public act in front of a crowd.  After crying out and terribly convulsing the boy with spasms, the evil spirit came out of the boy, who became a corpse.  Most of the people said that the boy was dead.  Could this boy live without the evil spirit in him?  Jesus took the boy by the hand.  He lifted him up, so that he rose up, and was able to stand up on his feet by himself.  The boy was not dead.  There was a clear equivalence between the illness of epilepsy and demonic possession.  Once the devil or evil spirits had left the boy, he was cured of his various ailments.  Have you ever dealt with an epileptic?

January 21, 2019

Jesus cures her (Lk 4:39-4:39)

“Then Jesus

Stood over her.

He rebuked

The fever.

It left her.

Immediately,

She got up.

She began

To serve them.”

 

καὶ ἐπιστὰς ἐπάνω αὐτῆς ἐπετίμησεν τῷ πυρετῷ, καὶ ἀφῆκεν αὐτήν· παραχρῆμα δὲ ἀναστᾶσα διηκόνει αὐτοῖς.

 

Luke said that Jesus stood over her (καὶ ἐπιστὰς ἐπάνω αὐτῆς).  He rebuked the fever (ἐπετίμησεν τῷ πυρετῷ), so that it left her (καὶ ἀφῆκεν αὐτήν).  Immediately or instantly (παραχρῆμα), she got up (δὲ ἀναστᾶσα) and began to serve them (διηκόνει αὐτοῖς).  Matthew, chapter 8:15, and Mark, chapter 1:31, have something similar, almost word for word stories.  Luke was more dramatic here by having Jesus stand over her and rebuke the evil spirit, but Jesus did not touch her.  Mark and Matthew said that Jesus came and touched her by the hand and lifted her up.  Then the fever left her.  She, then began to serve them with her normal hospitality.  This was a typical healing that took place with a touching hand.  The mother-in law of Simon, who was staying at his house, was cured so well that she was able to resume her normal hospitality activities.

August 17, 2018

Jesus cures the mother-in-law of Simon (Mk 1:31-1:31)

“Jesus came in.

He took her

By the hand.

He lifted her up.

Then the fever

Left her.

She began

To serve them.”

 

καὶ προσελθὼν ἤγειρεν αὐτὴν κρατήσας τῆς χειρός· καὶ ἀφῆκεν αὐτὴν ὁ πυρετός, καὶ διηκόνει αὐτοῖς.

 

Matthew, chapter 8:14, and Luke, chapter 4:39, have something similar, almost word for word.  Luke was more dramatic by having Jesus stand over her and rebuke the evil spirit.  Mark said that Jesus came in (καὶ προσελθὼν).  He took or touched her by the hand and lifted her up (ἤγειρεν αὐτὴν κρατήσας τῆς χειρός).  The fever left her (καὶ ἀφῆκεν αὐτὴν ὁ πυρετός).  She, then began to serve them (καὶ διηκόνει αὐτῷ) with her normal hospitality.  This was a typical healing that took place with a touching hand.  The mother-in law of Simon was cured so well that she was able to resume her normal activities.

December 30, 2017

The vision of the woman in the basket (Zech 5:5-5:7)

“Then the angel

Who talked with me

Came forward.

He said to me.

‘Look up!

See what this is

That is coming out.’

I said.

‘What is it?’

He said.

‘This is a basket coming out.

Then he said.

‘This is their iniquity

In all the land.’

Then a leaden cover

Was lifted.

There was a woman

Sitting in the basket.”

Next this angel revealed the 7th vision to Zechariah.  He told Zechariah to look up.  He asked him what he saw.  Zechariah responded that he saw a basket coming towards him.  The angel explained that the basket was full of iniquity from the whole land.  Then the lead cover of the basket was lifted to show a woman sitting in this basket, as if iniquity came from women.

October 8, 2017

Israel as an ungrateful child (Hos 11:1-11:4)

“When Israel was a child,

I loved him.

I called my son

Out of Egypt.

The more I called them,

The more they went from me.

They kept sacrificing

To the Baals.

They kept offering incense

To idols.

Yet it was I

Who taught Ephraim

To walk.

I took them up

In my arms.

But they did not know

That I healed them.

I led them

With cords

Of human kindness.

I led them

With the bands of love.

I was to them

Like those who lift infants

To their cheeks.

I bent down to them.

I fed them.”

When Israel was a child, Yahweh loved him. He had called his son out of Egypt. However, the more that he called them, the more that they went from him. They kept sacrificing to the Baals, offering incense to these idols. Yahweh was the one who taught Ephraim how to walk. He took him up in his arms. They did not know that he had healed them. He led them around with cords of human kindness and bands of love. He lifted them up to his cheeks. He bent down to fed them. Now instead of Israel or Ephraim as an unfaithful lover as earlier in this work, Israel and Ephraim have become ungrateful children.

August 28, 2017

The first beast (Dan 7:4-7:4)

“The first beast was

Like a lion.

It had eagles’ wings.

Then,

As I watched,

Its wings were

Plucked off.

It was lifted up

From the ground.

It was made

To stand on two feet,

Like a human.

A human mind

Was given to it.”

At first glance, this first beast might be just like a lion. However, Daniel described it as a lion with eagle wings that were plucked off. Somehow, it was lifted from the ground and stood on 2 feet. Then a human mind was inserted into this beast. So, we end up with a two-legged lion with plucked eagle feather wings and a human mind. That really sounds like a monstrosity. This lion-like monster may be a reference to Babylon.

April 9, 2017

The trip to the east gate (Ezek 11:1-11:1)

“The Spirit

Lifted me up.

He brought me

To the east gate

Of the house of Yahweh

That faces east.

There,

At the entrance

Of the gateway

There were twenty-five men.

I saw among them

Jaazaniah,

The son of Azzur,

With Pelatiah,

The son of Benaiah,

Officials of the people.”

Once again, the Spirit of Yahweh lifted Ezekiel up. This Holy Spirit brought him to the east gate of the Temple this time. There is a reference to Jaazaniah as in chapter 8 of this work. However, here Jaazaniah is the son of Azzur, not the son of Shaphan. He is among 25 men, not the 70 elders as in chapter 8. Ezekiel is not looking through a wall as in chapter 8, but standing at the east entrance of the Temple. There is no mention of the creeping things here. However, Jaazaniah was joined by another official named Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah. Thus there is a loose connection with chapter 8 of this work.

April 5, 2017

The vision of the glory of God (Ezek 8:2-8:4)

“I looked.

There was a figure

That looked

Like a human being.

Below what appeared

To be his loins

It was fire.

Above his loins

It was like

The appearance of brightness,

Like gleaming amber.

He stretched out

The form of a hand.

He took me

By a lock

Of my head.

The Spirit lifted me up

Between earth and heaven.

He brought me,

In visions of God,

To Jerusalem,

To the entrance

Of the gateway

Of the inner court

That faces north.

I went to the seat

Of the image of jealousy

That provokes jealousy.

The glory

Of the God

Of Israel

Was there,

Like the vision

That I had seen

In the valley.”

Ezekiel continued in the first person singular as he explained his vision. The description of the human figure and the fire is like that of chapter 1 of this book. There was a fire below his loins, with bright amber above his loins. Once again this Holy Spirit stretched out his hand. He lifted Ezekiel up by the hair on his head and brought him to Jerusalem in a vision. Ezekiel was at the entrance to the gateway of the inner court that faced north. He was put on the seat of jealousy. There the glory of the God of Israel appeared just as he had appeared in chapter 1 in the valley by the River Chebar.

January 4, 2017

Jeremiah sets out for the Benjamin territory (Jer 37:11-37:12)

“Now when the Chaldean army

Had withdrawn

From Jerusalem

At the approach

Of Pharaoh’s army,

Jeremiah set out

From Jerusalem

To go to

The land of Benjamin

To receive

His share of the property

Among the people there.”

After the conversation with the two envoys of King Zedekiah, Jeremiah set out to go to the Benjamin territory, right next to Jerusalem. As the Chaldean army siege had been lifted with the approach of the Egyptian army, people were free to come and go from Jerusalem. Perhaps Jeremiah was going to see and get his land that he had purchased in chapter 32. It may have been just to see what was going on. Certainly he was going to see the people there.

October 5, 2016

The redeeming savior (Isa 63:8-63:10)

“Yahweh said.

‘Surely they are my people.

Children will not deal falsely.’

He became their Savior

In all their distress.

It was no messenger.

It was no angel.

But it was his presence that saved them.

In his love,

In his pity,

He redeemed them.

He lifted them up.

He carried them

All the days of old.

But they rebelled.

They grieved his Holy Spirit.

Therefore he became their enemy.

He himself fought against them.”

Yahweh responded that surely his people and children would not respond falsely. He was their savior in times of distress. He did not merely send a messenger or an angel. It was his very presence that saved them. He showed them love and pity as he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them away as in the good old days. However, they rebelled against him as they saddened the Holy Spirit. They became his enemy so that Yahweh had to fight against them.