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February 23, 2019

Proclaim Jesus in your home area (Lk 8:39-8:39)

“Jesus said.

‘Return to your home!

Declare

How much

God has done

For you!’

Thus,

He went away,

Proclaiming

Throughout the whole city

How much

Jesus had done

For him.”

 

Ὑπόστρεφε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου, καὶ διηγοῦ ὅσα σοι ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεός. καὶ ἀπῆλθεν καθ’ ὅλην τὴν πόλιν κηρύσσων ὅσα ἐποίησεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς.

 

Luke indicated that Jesus told the former demoniac to return to his home (Ὑπόστρεφε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου).  There he was to declare how much God had done for him (καὶ διηγοῦ ὅσα σοι ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεός).  Thus, he went away (καὶ ἀπῆλθεν), proclaiming throughout the whole city (καθ’ ὅλην τὴν πόλιν κηρύσσων) how much Jesus had done for him (ὅσα ἐποίησεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς).  There is something similar in Mark, chapter 5:19-20, while there is nothing like this in Matthew.  Mark said that Jesus refused this former demoniac’s request.  Jesus would not permit him to go with them.  However, Jesus told him to go to his own home.  There he was to preach, announce, or tell others how much the Lord (ὁ Κύριός) had done for him with his great mercy.  This former demoniac went away.  He then began to preach or proclaim in the Decapolis area how much Jesus had done for him.  Thus, everyone there was amazed or marveled at this.  The Decapolis territory was a group of 10 gentile non-Jewish cities on the east bank of the Jordan River in present day Jordan and Syria that included the towns of Gerasa, Scythopolis, Hippos, Gadara, Pella, Philadelphia, Capitolias, Canatha, Raphana, and Damascus.  Thus, this cured demoniac was the first Christian apostle to the gentiles, a foreign missionary rather than a close disciple or apostle.  Would you rather be a missionary for Jesus or one who followed him closely?

October 22, 2018

Keep the Temple clean (Mk 11:16-11:16)

“Jesus would not allow

Anyone to carry anything

Through the Temple.”

 

καὶ οὐκ ἤφιεν ἵνα τις διενέγκῃ σκεῦος διὰ τοῦ ἱεροῦ,

 

This seems to be a unique saying of Mark, who said that Jesus would not allow or permit (καὶ οὐκ ἤφιεν) anyone to carry anything like a vessel (ἵνα τις διενέγκῃ σκεῦος) through the Temple (διὰ τοῦ ἱεροῦ).  In his attempt to clean up the Temple, Jesus did not want anything being carried around in the Temple.

September 14, 2018

Forget about your parents (Mk 7:11-7:12)

“But you say.

‘If anyone tells father

Or mother,

‘Whatever support

You might have had

From me

Is Corban.’

That is

An offering to God.

Then you no longer permit

Doing anything

For a father

Or a mother.”

 

ὑμεῖς δὲ λέγετε Ἐὰν εἴπῃ ἄνθρωπος τῷ πατρὶ ἢ τῇ μητρί Κορβᾶν, ὅ ἐστιν Δῶρον, ὃ ἐὰν ἐξ ἐμοῦ ὠφεληθῇς,

οὐκέτι ἀφίετε αὐτὸν οὐδὲν ποιῆσαι τῷ πατρὶ ἢ τῇ μητρί,

 

There is something similar to this in Matthew, chapter 15:5.  Mark indicated that Jesus said that the Pharisees said (ὑμεῖς δὲ λέγετε) that any person could tell his father or mother (Ἐὰν εἴπῃ ἄνθρωπος τῷ πατρὶ ἢ τῇ μητρί) that it is a “Corban (Κορβᾶν).”  This “Corban” was a Temple offering to God that their parents could not profit from it (Δῶρον ὃ ἐὰν ἐξ ἐμοῦ ὠφεληθῇς).  Then Jesus explained that this “Corban” would no longer permit them to do anything for their father or mother (οὐκέτι ἀφίετε αὐτὸν οὐδὲν ποιῆσαι τῷ πατρὶ ἢ τῇ μητρί).  Therefore, they would only offer gifts to God and not their parents.  Sometimes people did not give their promised temple gift or “Corban” until just before death, but still never give anything to their parents.

September 5, 2018

Jesus refuses the former possessed man (Mk 5:19-5:19)

“But Jesus refused.

He said to him.

‘Go home

To your friends!

Tell them

How much

The Lord

Has done for you!

How he has had mercy

On you!’”

 

καὶ οὐκ ἀφῆκεν αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ λέγει αὐτῷ Ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου πρὸς τοὺς σούς, καὶ ἀπάγγειλον αὐτοῖς ὅσα ὁ Κύριός σοι πεποίηκεν καὶ ἠλέησέν σε.

 

There is something similar in Luke, chapter 8:38-39, while there is nothing like this in Matthew.  Mark said that Jesus refused this former demoniac.  He would not permit him to go with them (καὶ οὐκ ἀφῆκεν αὐτόν).  But he said to him (ἀλλὰ λέγει αὐτῷ) to go his own home (Ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου πρὸς τοὺς σούς).  Then he was to preach, announce, or tell others (καὶ ἀπάγγειλον αὐτοῖς) how much the Lord had done for him (ὅσα ὁ Κύριός σοι πεποίηκεν) with his great mercy for him (καὶ ἠλέησέν σε).

August 17, 2018

Jesus cures the sick and the possessed (Mk 1:34-1:34)

“Jesus cured many

Who were sick

With various diseases.

He cast out

Many demons.

He would not permit

These demons

To speak,

Because they knew him.”

 

καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν πολλοὺς κακῶς ἔχοντας ποικίλαις νόσοις, καὶ δαιμόνια πολλὰ ἐξέβαλεν, καὶ οὐκ ἤφιεν λαλεῖν τὰ δαιμόνια, ὅτι ᾔδεισαν αὐτόν.

 

Matthew, chapter 8:16, has something similar, but Jesus cast out these demons with merely a word.  Luke, chapter 4:41, is also similar, but there the cast out demons knew and spoke out that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God.  Mark said that Jesus cured many sick people (καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν πολλοὺς κακῶς) having various diseases (ἔχοντας ποικίλαις νόσοις), without indicating how this was done.  Jesus also cast out many demons (καὶ δαιμόνια πολλὰ ἐξέβαλεν).  However, he would not permit or allow these cast out demons to speak (καὶ οὐκ ἤφιεν λαλεῖν τὰ δαιμόνια), because they knew who he was (ὅτι ᾔδεισαν αὐτόν).  Some older texts added that these demons knew that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah (Χριστὸν εἶναι), as in Luke.  This idea of not telling people that Jesus was the Christ or Messiah has come to be known as the Messianic secret.  Those who knew about the true role of Jesus were told to be quiet about it.

May 24, 2018

Binding and loosening (Mt 18:18-18:18)

“Truly!

I say to you!

Whatever you bind

On earth,

Shall be bound

In heaven.

Whatever you loose

On earth

Shall be loosened

In heaven.”

 

Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅσα ἐὰν δήσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται δεδεμένα ἐν οὐρανῷ, καὶ ὅσα ἐὰν λύσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται λελυμένα ἐν οὐρανῷ.

 

This saying about binding and loosening is unique to Matthew.   Earlier in chapter 16:19, Jesus had given Peter this exact same power, using the exact same words, to bind and loosen on earth with consequences in heaven.  This power of binding and loosening also had been the authority that rabbis had used to forbid or permit things to happen.  In a solemn pronouncement “truly, I say to you!” (Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν), Jesus granted this authority to bind and loosen to the whole community and not just Peter.  Whatever they bound on earth (ὅσα ἐὰν δήσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς) would be bound in heaven (ἔσται δεδεμένα ἐν οὐρανῷ).  Whatever they loosened on earth (καὶ ὅσα ἐὰν λύσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς) would be loosened in heaven (ἔσται λελυμένα ἐν οὐρανῷ).

October 9, 2015

Trust in God (Ps 55:22-55:23)

“Cast your burden on Yahweh!

He will sustain you.

He will never permit

The righteous to be moved.

But You!

O God!,

Will cast them down into the lowest pit.

The  bloodthirsty and treacherous

Shall not live out half their days.

But I will trust in you.”

This psalm ends with the comparison between those who trust in God, David, and the bloodthirsty and treacherous enemies, the foes, and the traitors to David.  Yahweh will sustain David.  He will not be moved.  However, he wanted God to send his enemies to the pit, the grave, death.  He wanted them to live out only half their days.  David trusted in Yahweh.  He wanted his foes gone, dead.

May 21, 2015

Trypho wants to become king (1 Macc 12:39-12:40)

“Then Trypho attempted to become king in Asia. He put on the crown. He raised his hand against King Antiochus. He feared that Jonathan might not permit him to do so, but might make war on him. Thus he kept seeking to seize and kill him. He marched out and came to Beth-shan.”

Trypho wanted to become king of Asia. In fact he put on the crown after getting rid of the young King Antiochus VI. However, Trypho was afraid that Jonathan would not permit him to do this. Thus Trypho was continually trying to seize and kill Jonathan. He went out to Beth-shan, the northern territory near the Sea of Galilee.