lower

April 20, 2019

The parable about the places of honor (Lk 14:8-14:8)

“When you are invited

By someone

To a wedding banquet,

Do not sit down

At the place of honor!

Otherwise,

Someone more distinguished

Than you may

Had been invited

By your host.”

 

Ὅταν κληθῇς ὑπό τινος εἰς γάμους, μὴ κατακλιθῇς εἰς τὴν πρωτοκλισίαν, μή ποτε ἐντιμότερός σου ᾖ κεκλημένος ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ,

 

Luke uniquely had Jesus tell this parable about being invited by someone to a wedding banquet (Ὅταν κληθῇς ὑπό τινος εἰς γάμους).  He told them not to sit down or recline (μὴ κατακλιθῇς) in the place of honor (εἰς τὴν πρωτοκλισίαν).  Luke was the only gospel writer who used this word κατακλιθῇς, that means to recline a table.  He used it more than 5 times.  Otherwise, someone more distinguished than them (μή ποτε ἐντιμότερός σου) may have been invited by their host (ᾖ κεκλημένος ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ).  This is similar or based on Proverbs 6:7, where they were told not to put themselves forward in a great place before the king.  It was much better to be told to come up than to be put lower in the presence of a noble person.  In other words, let the host realize and show that you are important, rather than pretend that you are more important than you are.  Have you ever sat at the wrong place at some banquet?

March 8, 2019

Who is the greatest? (Lk 9:46-9:46)

“And an argument arose

Among the disciples

As to which one

Of them

Was the greatest.”

 

Εἰσῆλθεν δὲ διαλογισμὸς ἐν αὐτοῖς, τὸ τίς ἂν εἴη μείζων αὐτῶν.

 

Luke said that an argument arose among the disciples of Jesus (Εἰσῆλθεν δὲ διαλογισμὸς ἐν αὐτοῖς) as to which one of them was the greatest (τὸ τίς ἂν εἴη μείζων αὐτῶν).  This question about the greatest can also be found in Matthew, chapter 18:1, Mark, chapter 9:33-34, and here, with some changes.  Mark said that Jesus asked them what they were discussing or arguing about on the way there.  Jesus knew that they had been talking about something that was a little heated.  Instead of coming to Jesus, as in Matthew, Mark had Jesus go to the disciples.  They were silent when Jesus asked them what they were talking about on their travels.  In fact, they had been arguing or discussing among themselves on the way there, who was the greatest.  Mark never mentioned the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, but just the greatest in general.  The late Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) always proclaimed that he was the greatest, without indicating what he was the greatest at.  They were looking for some sort of status.  Matthew said that the disciples came to Jesus with this question, instead of arguing among themselves.  They asked him who was the greatest in the kingdom of the heaven?  They were looking for some sort of status in a gnostic concept of a higher and lower status people.  After all, they were the important disciples of Jesus.  Who do you think is the greatest disciple of Jesus?

May 22, 2018

Who is the greatest? (Mt 18:1-18:1)

“At that time,

The disciples came to Jesus.

They asked.

‘Who is the greatest

In the kingdom of heaven?’”

 

Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ προσῆλθον οἱ μαθηταὶ τῷ Ἰησοῦ λέγοντες Τίς ἄρα μείζων ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν;

 

This question about the greatest in heaven can also be found in Mark, chapter 9:34, and Luke, chapter 9:46, with some minor changes.  There the disciples seemed to be arguing among themselves about who would be the greatest in heaven.  Here they came to Jesus with the question.  After the transition phrase, “At that time” (Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ), these disciples came to Jesus (προσῆλθον οἱ μαθηταὶ τῷ Ἰησοῦ).  They asked him who is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens (λέγοντες Τίς ἄρα μείζων ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν)?  They were looking for some sort of status in a gnostic concept of a higher and lower status people.  After all, they were the disciples of Jesus.

April 7, 2018

The paralytic (Mt 9:2-9:2)

“Then some people

Were carrying

A paralyzed man,

Lying on a bed.

When Jesus saw

Their faith,

He said

To the paralytic.

‘Take heart!

My son!

Your sins are forgiven!’”

 

Καὶ ἰδοὺ προσέφερον αὐτῷ παραλυτικὸν ἐπὶ κλίνης βεβλημένον. καὶ ἰδὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὴν πίστιν αὐτῶν εἶπεν τῷ παραλυτικῷ Θάρσει, τέκνον, ἀφίενταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι.

 

This is similar to Mark, chapter 2:2-5, and Luke, chapter 5:18-20, about curing this paralytic.  In both Mark and Luke, they lower the paralytic through the roof of the house, but here there is no mention of that.  Some people brought this paralyzed man to Jesus (Καὶ ἰδοὺ προσέφερον αὐτῷ), since he was lying on a bed (παραλυτικὸν ἐπὶ κλίνης βεβλημένον).  Jesus noticed them and their faith (καὶ ἰδὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὴν πίστιν αὐτῶν).  He then told the paralytic (εἶπεν τῷ παραλυτικῷ) to take heart or have courage (Θάρσει), because his sins were forgiven or taken away (ἀφίενταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι).  The idea that sickness and sin had a common connection was prevalent.  In fact, Jesus called this paralyzed man son (τέκνον).  Faith and healing seemed to go hand in hand.

July 10, 2017

The altar base (Ezek 43:13-43:14)

“These are the dimensions

Of the altar

By cubits.

The cubit is a cubit

With a handbreadth.

Its base shall be

One cubit high,

One cubit broad,

With a rim

Of one span

Around its edge.

This shall be

The height of the altar.

From the base

On the ground

To the lower ledge,

Two cubits,

With a width

Of one cubit.

From the smaller ledge

To the larger ledge,

Four cubits,

With a width

Of one cubit.”

Ezekiel continued with his detailed explanation about the size of the altar. First, he started with the altar base that was relatively small. His measurement was the larger cubit that also included a hand size or another 5 inches to the already normal 18-inch cubit. Thus, the altar base was one cubit, only 23 inches high, or just less than 2 feet high and wide. However, it had a rim around its edge. Apparently, there were 2 ledges, a small ledge and a larger ledge. The smaller lower ledge was only 2 cubits high and 1 cubit wide. The larger ledge was 4 cubits high and 1 cubit wide.

July 6, 2017

The passage way of the chambers (Ezek 42:4-42:6)

“In front of the chambers

Was a passage way.

On the inside,

It was

Ten cubits wide,

One hundred cubits deep.

Its entrance was

On the north.

Now the upper chambers

Were narrower.

The galleries

Took more away                              

From them

Than from the lower

Or the middle chambers

In the building.

They were

In three stories.

They had no pillars

Like the pillars

Of the outer court.

The upper chambers

Were set back

From the ground

More than the lower

Or the middle ones.”

This is another description of the passage way around the small chamber rooms that followed up on explanations of the preceding chapter. This passage way was on the inside with an odd rectangular shape, 10 cubits wide by 100 cubits deep, 17 feet by 170 feet, with a north side entrance. The upper chambers were narrower than the lower or middle story rooms. There were more galleries on this higher 3rd story than on the middle and lower 1st and 2nd stories. These 3 story chambers had no pillars, like those in the outer court. Thus, the upper chambers were set back more from the ground than the lower or middle story chambers.

August 13, 2015

Yahweh has given mortals dominion over the earth (Ps 8:5-8:8)

“Yet you have made them a little lower than God.

You crowned them with glory and honor.

You have given them dominion

Over the works of your hands.

You have put all things under their feet,

All sheep,

All oxen,

Also the beasts of the field,

The birds of the air,

The fish of the sea,

Whatever passes along the paths of the sea.”

Thus we have mortals as a little lower than God, crowned with glory and honor. We have dominion over the works of Yahweh, our sovereign creator. All things are under our mortal feet. Thus all sheep, oxen, and the beasts of the field are under the dominion of us mortals. However, added to that are the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, or whatever is in the sea. In this enumeration, there are only a few animals specifically mentioned, sheep and oxen, giving us a hint at what David and his friends considered domesticated animals.