Jesus’ fame increases (Lk 7:17-7:17)

“This word

About Jesus

Spread through out

Judea

And all the surrounding country.”

 

καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ λόγος οὗτος ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ πάσῃ τῇ περιχώρῳ.

 

Thus, it was not unexpected that Luke said that the word or this report about Jesus spread (καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ λόγος οὗτος) throughout Judea (ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ) and all the surrounding country (καὶ πάσῃ τῇ περιχώρῳ), a common comment after most miracles that Jesus performed.  Jesus was in Nain, Galilee when he performed the miracle of raising this anonymous widow’s only son from the dead, yet even Judea knew about it.  This whole incident was unique to Luke and not found among the other gospel writers.  How do you spread the word about Jesus?

She has done a good thing (Mk 14:6-14:6)

“But Jesus said.

‘Let her alone!

Why do you trouble her?

She has performed

A good service

For me.’”

 

ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν Ἄφετε αὐτήν· τί αὐτῇ κόπους παρέχετε; καλὸν ἔργον ἠργάσατο ἐν ἐμοί.

 

This is similar to Matthew, chapter 26:10, and somewhat similar to John, chapter 12:7.  Mark said that Jesus told them (ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν) to leave her alone (Ἄφετε αὐτήν).  Why were they bringing her problems or troubles (τί αὐτῇ κόπους παρέχετε)?  She had performed a good, worthy, and honorable service or action for him (καλὸν ἔργον ἠργάσατο ἐν ἐμοί).  Thus, Jesus defended this woman, who may have been Mary, the sister of Lazarus, for anointing his head with precious oil.

 

She has done a good thing (Mt 26:10-26:10)

“But Jesus,

Aware of this,

Said to them.

‘Why do you trouble

The woman?

She has performed

A good service

For me.’”

 

γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Τί κόπους παρέχετε τῇ γυναικί; ἔργον γὰρ καλὸν ἠργάσατο εἰς ἐμέ·

 

This is almost word for word to Mark, chapter 14:6, and somewhat similar to John, chapter 12:7.  Matthew said that Jesus was aware of their grumbling (γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς).  He said to them (εἶπεν αὐτοῖς) why were they causing problems for this woman (Τί κόπους παρέχετε τῇ γυναικί).  She had performed a good, worthy, and honorable service or action for him (ἔργον γὰρ καλὸν ἠργάσατο εἰς ἐμέ).  Thus, Jesus defended this woman, who may have been Mary, the sister of Lazarus, for anointing his head with precious oil.

 

The wicked uncleanness in Jerusalem (Ezek 22:10-22:12)

“In you,

They uncover

Their fathers’ nakedness.

In you,

They violate women

In their menstrual period.

One commits abomination

With his neighbor’s wife.

Another lewdly defiles

His daughter-in-law.

Another in you,

Defiles his sister,

His father’s daughter.

In you,

They take bribes

To shed blood.

You take both

Advance interest

With accrued increase.

You make gain

Of your neighbors

By extortion.

You have forgotten me.’

Says Yahweh God.”

There was a lot of violence and lewd brutal sexual behavior in Jerusalem. They uncovered their fathers’ nakedness. They violated women in their menstrual period. They performed some sort of abomination with their neighbor’s wife. They defiled their daughters-in-law. They even defiled their sisters, the daughter’s of their father. Besides all this lewd behavior, they took bribes to kill other people. They also took both advance and accrued interest. They exploited their neighbors with extortion. Perhaps, most grievous of all was that they had forgotten Yahweh, their God.

Help during the Exodus from Egypt (Jer 32:20-32:21)

“You!

You showed signs!

You showed wonders

In the land of Egypt!

To this day

In Israel,

As well as among all humans,

You have made yourself

A name,

That continues to this very day.

You brought

Your people Israel

Out of the land of Egypt

With signs,

With wonders,

With a strong hand,

With an outstretched arm,

With great terror.”

The prayer of Jeremiah continues as he says that Yahweh performed many signs and wonders in Egypt. Thus even until the present, not only in Egypt and Israel, but throughout the whole world, everyone knows the name of the God of Israel. Yahweh brought his people out of Egypt with many signs and wonders that brought terror to the Egyptians. He had used a strong outstretched arm and hand to protect them in their journey from Egypt.

Elisha (Sir 48:12-48:14)

“When Elijah was enveloped

In the whirlwind,

Elisha was filled

With his spirit.

He performed

Twice as many signs.

He performed marvels

With every utterance of his mouth.

Never in his lifetime

Did he tremble before any ruler.

No one could intimidate him at all.

Nothing was too hard for him.

When he was dead,

His body prophesied.

In his life,

He did wonders.

So in death

His deeds were marvelous.”

The story of this prophet Elisha takes up 13 chapters in 2 Kings, 1-13. He follows in the spirit of Elijah with many miracles and confrontations with the various Israelite kings. However, he died a natural death. Nevertheless, he performed twice as many miracles as Elijah. Also he spoke quite a lot to the various rulers. He was never intimidated, as Elijah had occasionally been. Nothing was too hard for him. Even in his death, he was able to perform a miracle. When a dead man was thrown into his grave, the dead man came alive by touching his dead body in 2 Kings, chapter 13. Thus he continued in the spirit of his spiritual father, Elijah.

Yahweh rescued them from Egypt (Ps 135:8-135:9)

“He struck down the first-born of Egypt,

Both human beings and animals.

He sent signs and wonders

Into your midst,

O Egypt,

Against Pharaoh,

Against all his servants.”

Yahweh rescued the Israelites from Egypt as in the stories of Exodus, chapters 7-12. He struck down the first born humans and animals in Egypt. He performed many signs and wonders for the Egyptian Pharaoh and his servants.

Moses and the plagues (Ps 105:26-105:36)

“Yahweh sent his servant Moses whom he had chosen.

He sent Aaron whom he had chosen.

They performed his signs among them.

They performed miracles in the land of Ham.

He sent darkness.

He made the land dark.

They rebelled against his words.

He turned their waters into blood.

He caused their fish to die.

Their land swarmed with frogs,

Even in the chambers of their kings.

He spoke.

Then there came swarms of flies.

There were gnats throughout their country.

He gave them hail for rain.

He gave them lightning that flashed through their land.

He struck their vines.

He struck their fig trees.

He shattered the trees of their country.

He spoke.

Then the locusts came.

There were young locusts without number.

They devoured all the vegetation in their land.

They ate up the fruit of their ground.

He struck down the entire first born in their land.

He struck down the first issue of all their strength.”

This section is based on Exodus, chapters 3-10. First, Yahweh chose Moses and Aaron. Then he performed signs and miracles in the land of Ham, Egypt. He sent darkness. He turned waters into blood so that the fish died. He sent swarms of frogs, flies, and gnats throughout the country, even in the royal chambers. He sent hail and lightning instead of gentle rain. He struck down the vines, fig trees, and shattered all the trees. He then sent numerous locusts that ate all the vegetation and fruits of the land. Finally, he struck down the first born through the country, both among humans and animals. This was just about total destruction to the land of Ham, the Egyptians.

There is no one like Yahweh (Ps 77:10-77:15)

“I say.

‘It is my grief

That the right hand of the Most High has changed.’

I will call to mind the deeds of Yahweh.

I will remember your wonders of old.

I will meditate on all your work.

I will muse on your mighty deeds.

O God!

Your way is holy!

What god is as great as our God?

You are the God who works wonders.

You have displayed your might among the peoples.

With your strong arm

You redeemed your people,

The descendents of Jacob and Joseph.”

Selah

Asaph, the psalmist, admitted that he was full of grief. He felt that God had changed his right hand over him. Thus he recalled the great works of God that he had performed for him in the good old days. He meditated on his great deeds. There was no other god like his God, who worked wonders. He had redeemed his people with a strong arm. His people were the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Notice the mention of Joseph, which is rare. This section ends with the meditative musical interlude pause of Selah.

Judith and the women of Israel (Jdt 15:12-15:13)

“All the women of Israel gathered to see her. They blessed her. Some of them performed a dance in her honor. Judith took ivy-wreathed wands in her hands. She distributed them to the women who were with her. She, and those who were with her, crowned themselves with olive wreaths. She went before all the people in the dance, leading all the women, while all the men of Israel followed, bearing their arms, wearing garlands, and singing hymns.”

Obviously not all the women of Israel gathered to see her. Let’s just say a lot of women gathered around her. They blessed her, like everyone else. It is worth noting that this is like a woman’s only event, until the last line. Some of these women performed a dance for her. Judith has some ivy wands and gave it to the women who were with her. Then they all crowned themselves with olive wreaths. This is a clear indication that this writing was done in the Hellenistic era, because this olive wreaths was a Greek and not a Jewish custom. Then she led all the women in a dance. Notice that the women came first and then the men followed. These men of Israel danced, bore their arms, wore garlands, and sang hymns. They were showing their feminine side.