scorn

May 23, 2018

Do not despise the little ones (Mt 18:10-18:10)

“Take care!

Do not despise

One of these little ones!

I tell you!

In heaven,

Their angels

Continually see the face

Of my Father in heaven.”

 

Ὁρᾶτε μὴ καταφρονήσητε ἑνὸς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων· λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς διὰ παντὸς βλέπουσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς.

 

This is a unique saying about not scorning the little ones that is only found here in Matthew.  Jesus said that they should be careful or see not to despise, scorn, or disregard any one of these little ones (Ὁρᾶτε μὴ καταφρονήσητε ἑνὸς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων).  In a solemn proclamation, “I tell you” (λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν), he said that the angels of the little ones in heaven (ὅτι οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς) always or continually see the face of his heavenly Father (διὰ παντὸς βλέπουσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς).  This obviously is an allusion to the concept of guardian angels, especially for the little ones.

March 31, 2016

The death of the unjust (Wis 4:16-4:19)

“The righteous that have died

Will condemn the ungodly that are living.

Youth that is quickly perfected

Will condemn the prolonged old age of the unrighteous.

They will see the end of the wise.

They will not understand

What the Lord purposed for them.

He kept them safe.

The unrighteous will see.

They will have contempt for them.

But the Lord will laugh them to scorn.

After this,

They will become dishonored corpses.

They are an outrage among the dead forever.

He will dash them speechless to the ground.

He will shake them from the foundations.

They will be left utterly dry.

They will be left barren.

They will suffer anguish.

Their memory will perish.”

The righteous (δίκαιος), when they die, condemn the living ungodly ones (ἀσεβεῖς). The perfected youth of the righteous is better than the old age of the unrighteous. The righteous understood the Lord’s purpose. The unrighteous have contempt for the righteous, but the Lord will laugh (ὁ Κύριος ἐκγελάσεται) at the unrighteous in scorn, after they have become dishonored corpses. The Lord will strike them speechless on the ground. They will be left dry, barren, and in anguish as their memory will be wiped out.

March 20, 2016

The power of love (Song 8:5-8:7)

Male lover

“Under the apple tree I awakened you.

There your mother was in labor with you.

There she who bore you was in labor.

Set me as a seal upon your heart.

Set me as a seal upon your arm.

Love is as strong as death.

Passion is as fierce as the grave.

Its flashes are flashes of fire.

It is a raging flame.

Many waters cannot quench love.

Neither can floods drown it.

If one offered for love

All the wealth of one’s house,

It would be utterly scorned.”

The male lover woke his lover up under the apple tree. He maintains that it was there that she was born from the labor of her mother. Now he wants his lover to bear his seal on her heart and on her arm. The seal was a sense of ownership. Then he went on to talk about the power of love. Love is just as strong as death. Passion is just as fierce as the grave. The love flashes of fire become a raging flame that no water can quench. Not even a flood can drown out love. If someone offers all the wealth they had, the lover would scorn it for his true love.

December 20, 2015

The need for mercy (Ps 123:3-123:4)

“Have mercy upon us!

Yahweh!

Have mercy upon us!

We have had more than enough of contempt.

Our soul has more than its fill

Of the scorn of those

Who are at ease.

Our soul has more than its fill

Of the contempt of the proud.”

This short 4 verse psalm comes to an end with a cry for mercy to Yahweh. They have had enough of contempt and scorn from those who are proud and have an easy life. Their souls are full of disdain from these proud and easy going people. There is the repeated cry to have mercy on them.

December 6, 2015

David wants protection (Ps 109:20-108:25)

“May this be the reward of my accusers

From Yahweh.

This is the reward for those who speak evil against my life!

O God!

Yahweh!

You act on my behalf for your name’s sake!

Because your steadfast love is good,

Deliver me!

I am poor and needy.

My heart is pierced within me.

I am gone,

Like a shadow at evening.

I am shaken off like a locust.

My knees are weak through fasting.

My body has become gaunt.

I am an object of scorn to my accusers.

When they see me,

They shake their heads.”

Now David turns to Yahweh to be saved from these evil people who were talking about him. He wanted Yahweh to act on his behalf for his name’s sake. He relied on the steadfast love of Yahweh to deliver him from this terrible situation. David admitted that he was poor and needy. His heart was pierced. He had become like an evening shadow. He had been tossed away like a locust. His knees were weak from fasting. His body had become gaunt. He had become the object of scorn to his accusers. When they saw him, they would shake their heads in dismay.

November 14, 2015

The rejection (Ps 89:38-89:45)

“But now you have spurned him.

You have rejected him.

You are full of wrath against your anointed.

You have renounced the covenant with your servant.

You have defiled his crown in the dust.

You have broken through all his walls.

You have laid his strongholds in ruins.

All who pass by despoil him.

He has become the scorn of his neighbors.

You have exalted the right hand of his foes.

You have made all his enemies rejoice.

Moreover,

You have turned back the edge of his sword.

You have not supported him in battle.

You have removed the scepter from his hand.

You hurled his throne to the ground.

You have cut short the days of his youth.

You have covered him with shame.”

Selah

Now there is a switch in tone in this psalm. Instead of the everlasting dynasty of David, this psalmist complains that God has abandoned David. In a series of complaints directly to God, using the second person “you,” he says that God has spurned and rejected David. His wrath or anger has turned on David. God has renounced the covenant with David. He has thrown his crown on the ground. He has broken down all the walls and ruined his fortresses. His foes now plunder him and scorn him as all the enemies now rejoice. The edge of his sword has turned on himself as he no longer has any support in battles. His scepter is gone as well as his youth. He is full of shame. This could be at the time of the revolt against David or a metaphor for the captivity that came to the descendents of David. The Israelites saw this captivity as a punishment from God. This section also ends with the musical interlude pause of Selah.

November 5, 2015

How long will Yahweh be angry? (Ps 80:4-80:6)

“Yahweh!

God of hosts!

How long will you be angry

With your people’s prayers?

You have fed them with the bread of tears.

You have given them tears to drink in full measure.

You make us the scorn of our neighbors.

Our enemies laugh among themselves.”

The psalmist wanted to know how long Yahweh would be angry with them. Why did he not like the prayer of his people? He had sent them tears instead of bread. They ate and drank tears. They were the scorn of their neighbors as their enemies were laughing at them.

September 22, 2015

Asking for forgiveness (Ps 39:6-39:10)

“Surely everyone goes about like a shadow.

Surely for nothing they are in turmoil.

They heap up.

They do not know who will gather!

Now Lord!

What do I wait for?

My hope is in you!

Deliver me from all my transgressions!

Do not make me the scorn of the fool!

I am silent.

I do not open my mouth.

It is you who have done it.

Remove your stroke from me.

I am worn down

By the blows of your hand.”

Everyone is like a shadow since they are in turmoil. They are confused. However, the psalmist is not confused because he is waiting on Yahweh. His hope is in Yahweh. He wants God to forgive his transgressions since he did not want to be the scorn of the fools. This psalmist felt that God had hit him pretty hard with his hands but he had remained silent.

June 12, 2015

The mother and the last son are killed (2 Macc 7:39-7:42)

“The king fell into a rage. He handled him worse than the others, being exasperated at his scorn. So he died in his integrity, putting his whole trust in the Lord. Last of all, the mother died, after her sons. Let this be enough, then, about the eating of sacrifices and the extreme tortures.”

King Antiochus IV was in a rage because of the young man’s scorn. He just killed him and his mother. The author said that he had spent enough time on the problem of eating the pagan sacrifices and the tortures that were applied. However, throughout out this story, the last words of the 7 sons developed a strong sense of the late 2nd Temple Jewish concept of God as creator, almighty, in heaven, merciful, and just, as well as being the God of their ancestors. These concepts of God will have a profound influence on the early followers of Jesus Christ in the next century, the 1st century CE. In fact, there were Christian churches dedicated to these 7 brothers in Antioch, Rome, Lyons, and Vienne, although in facts they were not the Maccabees, but people whose name we do not know.

April 21, 2015

The dying words of Mattathias (1 Macc 2:49-2:50)

“Now the days drew near for Mattathias to die. He said to his sons.

‘Arrogance and scorn have now become strong.

It is a time of ruin and furious anger.

Now, my children,

Show zeal for the law.

Give your lives for the covenant of our ancestors.’”

This text does not indicate how old Mattathias was or what he was dying of.  However, he called his 5 sons and righty said that arrogance and scorn had become common place. There was much anger at that time. However, he also was right to tell them to have zeal for the law and the covenant of their ancestors.