prevent

March 9, 2019

Not against you (Lk 9:50-9:50)

“But Jesus

Said to him.

‘Do not stop him!

Whoever

Is not against you

Is for you.’”

 

εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἰησοῦς Μὴ κωλύετε· ὃς γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν καθ’ ὑμῶν, ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐστιν.

 

Luke indicated that Jesus told them (εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἰησοῦς) not to stop (Μὴ κωλύετε) this exorcist who was casting out demons in the name of Jesus.  Jesus said that whoever is not against them (ὃς γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν καθ’ ὑμῶν) is for them (ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐστιν).  There is a similar statement to this in Mark, chapter 9:39-40, but not in Matthew.  Mark indicated that Jesus told them not to stop or prevent this exorcist who used his name.  Jesus said that no one who did a deed of exorcistic power in his name would be able to easily or readily speak evil of him, after what they had done.  You were a friend until you became an enemy.  If they were not against Jesus, then they must be for him.  Do you think that anybody is really against you?

March 8, 2019

Forbid the non-followers of Jesus (Lk 9:49-9:49)

“John answered.

‘Master!

We saw someone

Casting out demons

In your name.

We tried

To stop him,

Because he

Does not follow you

With us.’”

 

Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰωάνης εἶπεν Ἐπιστάτα, εἴδομέν τινα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου ἐκβάλλοντα δαιμόνια, καὶ ἐκωλύομεν αὐτὸν, ὅτι οὐκ ἀκολουθεῖ μεθ’ ἡμῶν

 

Luke said that John (δὲ ὁ Ἰωάνης), one of the apostles, questioned Jesus (Ἀποκριθεὶς), calling him Master (Ἐπιστάτα).  He said (εἶπεν) that they saw someone (εἴδομέν τινα) casting out demons (ἐκβάλλοντα δαιμόνια) in Jesus’ name (ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου).  They tried to stop him (καὶ ἐκωλύομεν αὐτὸν), because he was not a Jesus follower with them (ὅτι οὐκ ἀκολουθεῖ μεθ’ ἡμῶν).  There is something similar to this in Mark, chapter 9:38, but not in Matthew.  Luke continued to follow the structure of Mark, who indicated that John, presumably John the son of Zebedee, approached Jesus.  He called Jesus “teacher (Διδάσκαλε),” not Master (Ἐπιστάτα) as here in Luke.  He said that they had seen someone casting out demons in the name of Jesus, who was not a follower of Jesus, like them.  This unnamed exorcist was apparently not one of Jesus’ disciples.  Perhaps he may have been originally one of Jesus’ disciples, but left this group.  They tried to stop or prevent him from doing the exorcisms in the name of Jesus, precisely because he was not a fellow follower or disciple of Jesus.  Do you think that someone can be a follower of Jesus without belonging to your Christian group?

 

January 21, 2019

Jesus at a lonely place (Lk 4:42-4:42)

“At daybreak,

Jesus departed.

He went into

A deserted place.

The crowds

Were looking

For him.

When they reached him,

They wanted to prevent him

From leaving them.”

 

Γενομένης δὲ ἡμέρας ἐξελθὼν ἐπορεύθη εἰς ἔρημον τόπον· καὶ οἱ ὄχλοι ἐπεζήτουν αὐτόν, καὶ ἦλθον ἕως αὐτοῦ, καὶ κατεῖχον αὐτὸν τοῦ μὴ πορεύεσθαι ἀπ’ αὐτῶν.

 

Luke said that when daybreak came (Γενομένης δὲ ἡμέρας), Jesus departed or left (ἐξελθὼν) Capernaum.  He went into a deserted place (ἐπορεύθη εἰς ἔρημον τόπον).  The crowds were looking or searching for him (καὶ οἱ ὄχλοι ἐπεζήτουν αὐτόν).  When they reached him (καὶ ἦλθον ἕως αὐτοῦ), they wanted to prevent him or detain him from leaving them (καὶ κατεῖχον αὐτὸν τοῦ μὴ πορεύεσθαι ἀπ’ αὐτῶν).  There is something similar in Mark, chapter 1:35-36.  Jesus went out to a deserted place at daybreak, following the healings of the evening before. as here, but Jesus went out to pray, which was not mentioned here.  Jesus left the other disciples behind early in the morning before daybreak.  Luke had the crowds of people come to him, but there was no mention of Simon or the other disciples as in Mark.  However, Mark never mentioned anything about preventing Jesus from leaving.  Clearly, Jesus had a hard time being alone.

October 4, 2018

Work in the name of Jesus (Mk 9:39-9:39)

“But Jesus said.

‘Do not stop him!

No one who does

A deed of power

In my name

Will be able

Soon afterward

To speak evil

Of me.’”

 

ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν Μὴ κωλύετε αὐτόν· οὐδεὶς γάρ ἐστιν ὃς ποιήσει δύναμιν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου καὶ δυνήσεται ταχὺ κακολογῆσαί με·

 

There is summary statement similar to this in Luke, chapter 9:49, but not in Matthew.  Mark indicated that Jesus told them (ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν) not to stop or prevent this exorcist (Μὴ κωλύετε αὐτόν) who used his name.  Jesus said that no one who did a deed of exorcistic power (οὐδεὶς γάρ ἐστιν ὃς ποιήσει δύναμιν) in his name (ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου) would be able to easily or readily speak evil of him (καὶ δυνήσεται ταχὺ κακολογῆσαί με) after what they had done.

 

October 4, 2018

Casting out demons (Mk 9:38-9:38)

“John said

To Jesus.

‘Teacher!

We saw someone

Casting out demons

In your name.

We tried

To stop him,

Because he was

Not following us.’”

 

Ἔφη αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰωάνης Διδάσκαλε, εἴδομέν τινα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου ἐκβάλλοντα δαιμόνια, ὃς οὐκ ἀκολουθεῖ ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐκωλύομεν αὐτόν, ὅτι οὐκ ἠκολούθει ἡμῖν.

 

There is something similar to this in Luke, chapter 9:49, but not in Matthew.  Mark indicated that John, presumably John the son of Zebedee, approached Jesus (Ἔφη αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰωάνης).  He called Jesus “teacher (Διδάσκαλε).”  He said that they had seen (εἴδομέν) someone casting out demons (ἐκβάλλοντα δαιμόνια) in the name of Jesus (τινα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου), who was not a follower of Jesus like them (ὃς οὐκ ἀκολουθεῖ ἡμῖν).  This exorcist was not one of the Jesus disciples.  They tried to stop or prevent him from doing so (καὶ ἐκωλύομεν αὐτόν), because he was not a follower or disciple of Jesus (ὅτι οὐκ ἠκολούθει ἡμῖν).

March 10, 2018

John does not want to baptize Jesus (Mt 3:14-3:14)

“John

Would have prevented Jesus.

Saying.

‘I need to be baptized

By you.

Do you come to me?’”

 

ὁ δὲ διεκώλυεν αὐτὸν λέγων Ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι, καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρός με;

 

However, John the Baptist was reluctant to baptize Jesus.  Here in Matthew, John immediately recognized Jesus.  He then questioned his own worthiness to baptize Jesus.  He thought that it should be the other way around since he recognized the superiority of Jesus.  In fact, John tried to prevent Jesus from getting baptized by him (ὁ δὲ διεκώλυεν αὐτὸν).  John said that he needed to be baptized by Jesus (λέγων Ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι).  He wanted to know why Jesus was coming to him (καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρός με).  This is a question that many Christian followers ask.  Why did Jesus have to be baptized since he had no sins?  Was John not correct?  Jesus should have baptized John, not the other way around.

August 28, 2016

The ambassadors of Merodach (Isa 39:1-39:1)

“At that time,

King Merodach-baladan,

Son of Baladan of Babylon,

Sent envoys with letters

Also with a present

To King Hezekiah.

He had heard

That King Hezekiah had been sick.

He had heard

That King Hezekiah had recovered.”

Once again, this is almost word for word from 2 Kings, chapter 20. King Merodach-baladan was the king of Babylon. He was trying to prevent the king of Assyria from taking over his land, so that he wanted to make an alliance with the king of Judah. Thus he sent ambassadors to the King Hezekiah to see how he felt after his illness and recovery. He also sent a letter and a present for King Hezekiah. This seems like a nice gesture.