reported

May 2, 2019

The bad manager wasting things (Lk 16:1-16:1)

“Jesus said

To the disciples.

‘There was a rich man

Who had a house manager.

Charges were brought

To the rich man

That this manager

Was squandering

His property.’”

 

Ἔλεγεν δὲ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητάς Ἄνθρωπός τις ἦν πλούσιος ὃς εἶχεν οἰκονόμον, καὶ οὗτος διεβλήθη αὐτῷ ὡς διασκορπίζων τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ.

 

This parable story about the dishonest household manager or steward can only be found in Luke, not in any of the other gospel stories.  Luke indicated that Jesus said to his disciples (Ἔλεγεν δὲ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητάς) that there was a rich man (Ἄνθρωπός τις ἦν πλούσιος).  He had a manager of his affairs, a household manager, a steward, or a guardian (ὃς εἶχεν οἰκονόμον).  Luke used this unique Greek word οἰκονομεῖν, meaning household manager.  Although traditionally, he has been called a steward in English, household manager seems more correct.  However, charges were brought to the rich man (καὶ οὗτος διεβλήθη αὐτῷ).  This Greek word διεβλήθη is found once in the New Testament literature, only here in this story or parable of Luke.  The word διεβλήθη means slander, complaint, or accusation.  Someone had accused this manager of squandering or wasting this rich man’s property or possessions (ὡς διασκορπίζων τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ).  This rich man had a house manager taking care of his possessions.  Apparently, it was reported to him, that his manager was not doing a good job and may have been taking some of his property.  It is not exactly clear, but there were some problems.  Have you ever had a problem with someone who was to manage something for you?

April 23, 2019

Get somebody in here (Lk 14:21-14:21)

“Thus,

The slave returned.

He reported this

To his master.

Then the owner

Of the house

Became angry.

He said

To his slave.

‘Go out at once

Into the streets

And into the lanes

Of the town!

Bring in

The poor,

The crippled,

The blind,

And the lame!’”

 

καὶ παραγενόμενος ὁ δοῦλος ἀπήγγειλεν τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα. τότε ὀργισθεὶς ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης εἶπεν τῷ δούλῳ αὐτοῦ Ἔξελθε ταχέως εἰς τὰς πλατείας καὶ ῥύμας τῆς πόλεως, καὶ τοὺς πτωχοὺς καὶ ἀναπήρους καὶ τυφλοὺς καὶ χωλοὺς εἰσάγαγε ὧδε.

 

Luke continued this parable.  Jesus said that this slave returned (καὶ παραγενόμενος ὁ δοῦλος).  Then he reported (ἀπήγγειλεν) to his master, the lord (τῷ κυρίῳ), all these things (ταῦτα).  The owner of the house (ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης) then became very angry (τότε ὀργισθεὶς).  He told his slave (εἶπεν τῷ δούλῳ αὐτοῦ) to go out at once (Ἔξελθε ταχέως) into the streets (εἰς τὰς πλατείας) and the lanes of the town (καὶ ῥύμας τῆς πόλεως,).  He was to bring in the poor (καὶ τοὺς πτωχοὺς), the crippled (καὶ ἀναπήρους), the blind (καὶ τυφλοὺς), and the lame (καὶ χωλοὺς) in there (ὧδε).  Once again, there are some differences with Matthew, chapter 22:8-9, who was less descriptive of those who were invited this time.  Jesus said that this king told his slaves (τότε λέγει τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ) that the wedding feast was ready (Ὁ μὲν γάμος ἕτοιμός ἐστιν).  Those originally invited were not worthy or deserving of his invitation (οἱ δὲ κεκλημένοι οὐκ ἦσαν ἄξιοι).  Therefore, they were to go into the main streets or the meeting places on the roads (πορεύεσθε οὖν ἐπὶ τὰς διεξόδους τῶν ὁδῶν).  Then they should invite everyone or as many as they could find to this wedding banquet (καὶ ὅσους ἐὰν εὕρητε καλέσατε εἰς τοὺς γάμους).  This king was intent on having this wedding dinner.  However, Luke extended the new invitations to the vulnerable in our society, the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame, a slightly different perspective.  Who would you invite to a dinner feast?

February 23, 2019

The demoniac was healed (Lk 8:36-8:36)

“Those who had seen it

Told them

How the one

Who had been possessed

By demons

Had been healed.”

 

ἀπήγγειλαν δὲ αὐτοῖς οἱ ἰδόντες πῶς ἐσώθη ὁ δαιμονισθεί

 

Luke said that those who had seen (οἱ ἰδόντες) what happened told them (ἀπήγγειλαν δὲ αὐτοῖς) how the one who had been possessed by demons (ὁ δαιμονισθεί) had been healed (πῶς ἐσώθη).  There was something similar in Mark, chapter 5:16, while there is nothing like this in Matthew.  Mark said that those who had seen what had happened to this demoniac told everyone.  They reported, described, or related it to other people how the pigs ran into the sea.  There was nothing secret about this transfer of evil spirits from a human to a herd of pigs.  What do you think about pigs?

February 22, 2019

The herdsmen tell everyone (Lk 8:34-8:34)

“When the swine herdsmen

Saw what had happened,

They ran off.

They reported this

In the city

And in the countryside.”

 

ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ βόσκοντες τὸ γεγονὸς ἔφυγον καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἀγρούς.

 

Luke said that when the swine herdsmen saw what had happened (ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ βόσκοντες τὸ γεγονὸς), they ran off (ἔφυγον).  They reported (καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν) this in the city (εἰς τὴν πόλιν) and the in the countryside (καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἀγρούς).  All three synoptic gospels, Matthew, chapter 8:33, Mark, chapter 5:14, and Luke here, have the herdsmen of these pigs tell everybody in the area what happened, with slight nuances in each story.  Mark said that the shepherds of this herd of pigs fled when they saw what had happened to their flocks.  They recounted the whole story about what had happened to the demoniac and their herd of pigs to the town and the countryside.  However, people came out to see what had happened, to see what had taken place.  Matthew said that the shepherds of these herds of pigs ran off when they saw what had happened to their flocks.  They went into the town, probably Gadara.  Then they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs and their herd of pigs.  They were without a job.  Have you ever lost your job suddenly?

February 9, 2019

The disciples of John the Baptist (Lk 7:18-7:18)

“The disciples of John

Reported

All these things

To him.”

 

Καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν Ἰωάνει οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ περὶ πάντων τούτων.

 

Luke said that the disciples of John the Baptist (οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ) reported to John (Καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν Ἰωάνει) all these things (περὶ πάντων τούτων).  Matthew, chapter 11:2, had something similar.  John the Baptist heard about the works or deeds of Jesus the Christ, the anointed one, the Messiah, while he was in a prison.  Clearly John still had a number of disciples, despite his imprisonment.  Here Luke does not explicitly mention that John was in prison, just that a few of his disciples reported back to John the Baptist about Jesus and his activities.  How do you learn about Jesus?

December 3, 2018

The short ending of Mark (Mk 16:9-16:9)

“These women

Briefly

And promptly told

Those around Peter

All that had been

Instructed to them.

Afterward,

Jesus himself

Sent out

Through them,

From east to west,

The sacred

And imperishable proclamation

Of eternal salvation.”

Πάντα δὲ τὰ παρηγγελμένα τοῖς περὶ τὸν Πέτρον συντόμως ἐξήγγειλαν. Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ ἀνατολῆς καὶ ἄχρι δύσεως ἐξαπέστειλεν δι’ αὐτῶν τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ ἄφθαρτον κήρυγμα τῆς αἰωνίου σωτηρίας

The oldest know Latin text was the Codex Bobiensis, from the Bobbio monastery in northern Italy, during the 4th or 5th century CE.  Obviously, this was a later edition, certainly not in the 1st or 2nd century after Jesus.  Nevertheless, it was an attempt to fix up the last sentence of the preceding verse or the original ending of Mark.  This was an attempt to put Peter in charge of a universal church that was present at the time of the original writing of this gospel.  This text says that the women at the tomb reported to the people around Peter briefly and promptly (τοῖς περὶ τὸν Πέτρον συντόμως ἐξήγγειλαν) all that had been instructed or commanded to them (Πάντα δὲ τὰ παρηγγελμένα) at the tomb.  Afterward, Jesus himself, without saying how, sent the followers of Jesus out from east to west (Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ ἀνατολῆς καὶ ἄχρι δύσεως ἐξαπέστειλεν δι’ αὐτῶν) to proclaim a sacred and imperishable eternal salvation (τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ ἄφθαρτον κήρυγμα τῆς αἰωνίου σωτηρίας).  This was an attempt to show why the Christians were all over the place.

September 5, 2018

They repeated the story (Mk 5:16-5:16)

“Those who had seen

What had happened

To the demoniac

And to the swine,

Reported it.”

 

καὶ διηγήσαντο αὐτοῖς οἱ ἰδόντες πῶς ἐγένετο τῷ δαιμονιζομένῳ καὶ περὶ τῶν χοίρων.

 

There is something similar in Luke, chapter 8:36, while there is nothing like this in Matthew.  Mark said that those who had seen what had happened (οἱ ἰδόντες πῶς ἐγένετο) to this demoniac, the one possessed by the devils or evil spirits (ῷ δαιμονιζομένῳ) told everyone.  They reported, described, or related it to other people (καὶ διηγήσαντο αὐτοῖς) how the swine or the pigs (καὶ περὶ τῶν χοίρων) ran into the sea.  There was nothing secret about this transfer of evil spirits from a human to a herd of pigs.

September 3, 2018

Explain the Kingdom of God (Mk 4:30-4:30)

“Jesus said.

‘With what

Can we compare

The kingdom of God?

What parable

Will we use for it?’”

 

Καὶ ἔλεγεν Πῶς ὁμοιώσωμεν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἢ ἐν τίνι αὐτὴν παραβολῇ θῶμεν;

 

This saying of Jesus, via Mark, can be found in Matthew, chapter 13:31, and Luke, chapter 13:18, with Luke closer to Mark, who might have been the source of this saying.  Mark reported that Jesus said (Καὶ ἔλεγεν) what can we compare the kingdom of God with (Πῶς ὁμοιώσωμεν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ)?  What parable will we use for it (ἢ ἐν τίνι αὐτὴν παραβολῇ θῶμεν)?  Jesus wanted to know how to explain the kingdom of God with a good parable?

August 19, 2018

Jesus returned to his home in Capernaum (Mk 2:1-2:1)

“When Jesus returned

To Capernaum,

After some days.

It was reported

That he was at home.”

 

Καὶ εἰσελθὼν πάλιν εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ δι’ ἡμερῶν ἠκούσθη ὅτι ἐν οἴκῳ ἐστίν.

 

Matthew, chapter 9:1, has something similar where Jesus returned to his home in Capernaum, but Matthew had Jesus return from a boat trip on the Sea of Galilee.  Both here and there, there was an indication that Capernaum has become the home of Jesus.  Mark said here that when Jesus returned to Capernaum again (Καὶ εἰσελθὼν πάλιν εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ), after some days on the road (δι’ ἡμερῶν), it was reported or people heard that he was at home in his house (ἠκούσθη ὅτι ἐν οἴκῳ ἐστίν).  Thus, Capernaum, according to Matthew, had become his own home town (εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν πόλιν).  Mark mentions that he was in his house or home (ἐν οἴκῳ) that was in Capernaum.

August 10, 2018

The guards tell the chief priests (Mt 28:11-28:11)

“While they were going,

Some of the guards

Went into the city.

They told

The chief priests

Everything

That had happened.”

 

Πορευομένων δὲ αὐτῶν ἰδού τινες τῆς κουστωδίας ἐλθόντες εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἀπήγγειλαν τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν ἅπαντα τὰ γενόμενα.

 

This is unique to Matthew, who said that while the 2 women were going to the disciples of Jesus (Πορευομένων δὲ αὐτῶν), some of the custodial guards at the tomb went into the city (ἰδού τινες τῆς κουστωδίας ἐλθόντες εἰς τὴν πόλιν).  These guards told or reported to the chief priests (ἀπήγγειλαν τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν) everything that had happened (ἅπαντα τὰ γενόμενα).  Remember these were not the Roman soldiers, but the custodial guards hired by the Jewish leaders.  Once again, Matthew showed his bias against these Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.