scourge

May 21, 2019

He will rise on the third day (Lk 18:33-18:33)

“After they have

Flogged him,

They will kill him.

On the third day,

He will rise again.”

 

καὶ μαστιγώσαντες ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν, καὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ ἀναστήσεται,

 

Luke indicated that Jesus said that after they had flogged (καὶ μαστιγώσαντες) the Son of Man, they would kill him (ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν).  However, on the third day (καὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ), he would rise again (ἀναστήσεται).  Mark, chapter 10:34, and Matthew, chapter 20:19, have something similar.  Mark indicated that Jesus said that they would mock or ridicule him (καὶ ἐμπαίξουσιν αὐτῷ).  They would spit on him (καὶ ἐμπτύσουσιν αὐτῷ).  They would flog or scourge him (καὶ μαστιγώσουσιν αὐτὸν).  Finally, they would kill him (καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν).  However, after three days (καὶ μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας), he would rise again (ἀναστήσεται), as here in Luke.  Matthew indicated that Jesus said that they would mock or ridicule the Son of Man (εἰς τὸ ἐμπαῖξαι).  They would scourge him (καὶ μαστιγῶσαι).  Finally, they would crucify him (καὶ σταυρῶσαι), the common form of Roman execution.  Matthew was the only gospel writer here to mention the way of death, the crucifixion.  However, on the 3rd day, the Son of Man would be raised up (καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγερθήσεται).  Obviously, Jesus was talking about himself, but he always used the term Son of Man in talking about his future suffering, death, and resurrection.  What do you think about the resurrection of Jesus on the 3rd day?

March 30, 2019

The wisdom of God (Lk 11:49-11:49)

“Therefore,

The Wisdom of God said.

‘I will send them

Prophets

And apostles.

They will kill

And persecute

Some of them.’”

 

διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡ σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ εἶπεν Ἀποστελῶ εἰς αὐτοὺς προφήτας καὶ ἀποστόλους, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀποκτενοῦσιν καὶ διώξουσιν,

 

Luke indicated that Jesus said that the Wisdom of God (διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡ σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ εἶπεν) said that he would send them prophets (Ἀποστελῶ εἰς αὐτοὺς προφήτας) and apostles (καὶ ἀποστόλους).  However, they would kill (ἀποκτενοῦσιν) and persecute (καὶ διώξουσιν) some of them (καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν).  There is something similar in Matthew, chapter 23:34, perhaps a Q source, about the killing of prophets.  Jesus said, via Matthew, that he was going to send them prophets, sages or wise men, and scribes, the heroes of the Hebrew Scripture and the Mosaic Law.  However, instead of respecting them, they were going to kill some, crucify some, and flog or scourge some in their synagogues.  They were going to go from town to town persecuting some also.  Jesus had mentioned the possibility of death or crucifixion for his followers earlier.  Luke had Jesus slightly more restrained here.  He mentioned the Wisdom of God (ἡ σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ) as he had done earlier in chapter 7:35, either indicating Holy Scripture or the personification of wisdom.  What do you know about the wisdom of God?

October 12, 2018

The things to come (Mk 10:33-10:34)

“Jesus said.

‘See!

We are going up

To Jerusalem.

The Son of man

Will be handed over

To the chief priests

And the Scribes.

They will condemn him

To death.

Then they will

Hand him over

To the gentiles.

They will mock him.

They will spit upon him.

They will flog him.

They will kill him.

After three days,

He will rise again.’”

 

ὅτι Ἰδοὺ ἀναβαίνομεν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδοθήσεται τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν καὶ τοῖς γραμματεῦσιν, καὶ κατακρινοῦσιν αὐτὸν θανάτῳ καὶ παραδώσουσιν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν

καὶ ἐμπαίξουσιν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐμπτύσουσιν αὐτῷ καὶ μαστιγώσουσιν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν, καὶ μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἀναστήσεται.

 

Matthew, chapter 20:18-19, and Luke, chapter 18:32-33, have something similar to this, almost word for word.  This would be the 3rd prediction of Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection.  Yet this is the most descriptive explanation.  Mark said that Jesus told his trusted 12 leaders that they were going up to Jerusalem (ὅτι Ἰδοὺ ἀναβαίνομεν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα).  There the Son of Man would be handed over to the chief priests and the Scribes (καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδοθήσεται τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν καὶ τοῖς γραμματεῦσιν), with no mention of the Pharisees or Sadducees.  These chief priests and Scribes were going to condemn him to death (καὶ κατακρινοῦσιν αὐτὸν εἰς θανάτῳ).  They would, in turn, hand him over to the gentiles (καὶ παραδώσουσιν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν), meaning the Romans.  While this first part was almost word for word with Matthew, there was a change of vocabulary in the second verse.  Then they would mock or ridicule him (καὶ ἐμπαίξουσιν αὐτῷ).  They would spit on him (καὶ ἐμπτύσουσιν αὐτῷ).  They would flog or scourge him (καὶ μαστιγώσουσιν αὐτὸν).  Finally, they would kill him (καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν), but there was no mention of a crucifixion, as in Matthew.  After three days (καὶ μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας), he would rise again (ἀναστήσεται).  Obviously, Jesus was talking about himself, but he always used the term Son of Man.

June 2, 2018

Prediction of what is going to happen in Jerusalem (Mt 20:18-20:19)

“See!

We are going up

To Jerusalem.

The Son of Man

Will be handed over

To the chief priests

And scribes.

They will condemn him

To death.

Then they will hand him

Over to the gentiles.

He will be mocked.

He will be scourged.

He will be crucified.

On the third day

He will be raised up.”

 

Ἰδοὺ ἀναβαίνομεν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδοθήσεται τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν καὶ γραμματεῦσιν, καὶ κατακρινοῦσιν αὐτὸν εἰς θάνατον,

καὶ παραδώσουσιν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν εἰς τὸ ἐμπαῖξαι καὶ μαστιγῶσαι καὶ σταυρῶσαι, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγερθήσεται.

 

Mark, chapter 10:33-34, and Luke, chapter 18:32-33, have something similar to this.  This would be the 3rd prediction of Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection after chapters 16:21 and 17:22-23.  Yet this is the most descriptive explanation.  Jesus told his trusted 12 leaders that they were going to Jerusalem (Ἰδοὺ ἀναβαίνομεν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα).  There the Son of Man would be handed over to the chief priests of Jerusalem and the scribes (καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδοθήσεται τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν καὶ γραμματεῦσιν).  There was no mention of the Pharisees or Sadducees.  These priests and scribes were going to condemn him to death (καὶ κατακρινοῦσιν αὐτὸν εἰς θάνατον).  They would, in turn, hand him over to the gentiles (καὶ παραδώσουσιν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν), meaning the Romans.  Then they would mock or ridicule him (εἰς τὸ ἐμπαῖξαι).  They would scourge him (καὶ μαστιγῶσαι).  Finally, they would crucify him (καὶ σταυρῶσαι), the common form of Roman execution.  However, on the 3rd day, the Son of Man would be raised up (καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγερθήσεται).  Obviously, Jesus was talking about himself, but he always used the term Son of Man.

August 11, 2016

The great storm flood (Isa 28:17-28:19)

“Hail will sweep away

The refuge of lies.

Waters will overwhelm

The shelter.

Then your covenant with death

Will be annulled.

Your agreement with Sheol

Will not stand.

When the overwhelming scourge

Passes through,

You will be beaten down by it.

As often as it passes through,

It will take you.

Morning by morning,

It will pass through.

By day and by night,

It will pass through.

It will be sheer terror

To understand the message.”

Isaiah remarks that as for the lies of the former rulers, their refuge and shelters will be destroyed and swept away by hail and flooding. Their covenant with death, mentioned above, will be annulled. Their agreement with Sheol will fall apart. This storm scourge will beat them down as it goes through each day and night. The sheer terror of this storm will help them to understand this message.

May 19, 2016

Swearing oaths (Sir 23:9-23:11)

“Do not accustom your mouth

To oaths!

Do not habitually utter

The name of the Holy One!

As a servant,

Who is constantly under scrutiny,

Will not lack bruises,

So also the person

Who always swears,

Who utters the Name of God,

Will never be cleansed from sin.

Whoever swears many oaths

Is full of iniquity.

The scourge will not leave his house.

If he swears in error,

His sin remains on him.

If he disregards it,

He sins doubly.

If he swears a false oath,

He will not be justified.

His house will be filled

With calamities.”

Sirach does not want us to get accustomed to swearing oaths to the Most Holy One. If you swear too much, you are a like a servant under constant scrutiny who gets bruised by his master. So too, anyone who swears by the Name of God will never be cleansed from their sins. If you are always swearing to God for this or that, you will be full on iniquity, since the scourge will never leave your house. You can actually sin by swearing in error. Then you can double you sin by not fulfilling the false oath that you swore. You will never be justified since your house will be filled with calamities.

November 17, 2015

Yahweh as a refuge (Ps 91:9-91:10)

“Because you have made Yahweh your refuge,

The Most High is your habitation.

No evil shall befall you.

No scourge shall come near your tent.”

Going back to the first verses, due to the fact that Yahweh is your refuge and the Most High your habitation, no evil shall come to you. No scourge will come near to your tent. You are safe because of God.

June 16, 2015

King Antiochus IV accepts God (2 Macc 9:11-9:12)

“Then it was that, broken in spirit, he began to lose much of his arrogance. He came to his senses under the scourge of God. He was tortured with pain every moment. When he could not endure his own stench, he uttered these words.

‘It is right to be subject to God.

No mortal should think that they are equal to God.’”

This torture got to King Antiochus IV. His arrogance was broken since he was so tortured with pain. He could not endure his smell anymore. He then uttered the words that everyone was subject to God. No mortal should think himself equal to God. This almost sounds like the deathbed conversion of this same king like in 1 Maccabees, chapter 6. This is the great saying that no human mortal should think himself equal to the powerful God.