presumptuous

October 13, 2018

The sons of Zebedee come forward (Mk 10:35-10:35)

“James

And John,

The sons of Zebedee,

Came forward

To Jesus.

They said to him.

‘Teacher!

We want you

To do for us

Whatever we ask of you.”

 

Καὶ προσπορεύονται αὐτῷ Ἰάκωβος καὶ Ἰωάνης οἱ υἱοὶ Ζεβεδαίου λέγοντες αὐτῷ Διδάσκαλε, θέλομεν ἵνα ὃ ἐὰν αἰτήσωμέν σε ποιήσῃς ἡμῖν.

 

There is something similar to this in Matthew, chapter 20:20, but here the brothers, rather than their mother approached Jesus, since Matthew had the mother of her 2 sons make this request.  Mark said that it was the 2 sons of Zebedee themselves, James and John (Ἰάκωβος καὶ Ἰωάνης οἱ υἱοὶ Ζεβεδαίου), who came forward to Jesus (Καὶ προσπορεύονται αὐτῷ).  They respectfully called Jesus Teacher (λέγοντες αὐτῷ Διδάσκαλε).  They said that they had a request or favor they wanted Jesus to do for them.  They wished that he would grant them whatever they asked for (θέλομεν ἵνα ὃ ἐὰν αἰτήσωμέν σε ποιήσῃς ἡμῖν).  This sounds a little presumptuous.

August 10, 2018

First narrative

This first narrative began with the baptism of Jesus and his preaching about the kingdom of heaven.  Once again, there are five sections.  First there was the preaching of John the Baptist with his message of repentance.  Matthew made a comparison of the prophet Isaiah with John, including a description of John.  People went to John at the Jordan River where he baptized people.  John was against the Pharisees and the Sadducees, since he felt that the children of Abraham should not be presumptuous.  However, there was a powerful one yet to come when the chaff would burn.

The second section was about the baptism of Jesus, as he came to John.  However, John did not want to baptize Jesus, but Jesus insisted.  At the baptism of Jesus, a voice declared that Jesus was the beloved son, as the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descended on Jesus.  Thus, John the Baptist and Jesus remain linked together.

The third section was about the temptations of Jesus in the desert.  Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.  Then Jesus had his first temptation with his response.  After the second and third temptations and responses of Jesus, the devil left.

The fourth section had Jesus return to Galilee after the arrest of John the Baptist.  He went to Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee.  Like the prophet Isaiah and John the Baptist, Jesus taught a call for repentance.

The fifth and final section was the call of the first four disciples.  The first two brother fishermen called were Simon and Andrew, who became his first two disciples.  Then he called James and John, the sons of Zebedee.  Then Jesus taught and healed in Galilee, where he was a faith healer with great crowds.