shout out

May 31, 2019

The stones would cry out (Lk 19:40-19:40)

“Jesus answered.

‘I tell you!

If these disciples

Were silent,

The stones

Would shout out!’”

 

καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν Λέγω ὑμῖν ἐὰν οὗτοι σιωπήσουσιν, οἱ λίθοι κράξουσιν.

 

Thus, only Luke has this unique response of Jesus.  With a solemn pronouncement (Λέγω ὑμῖν) Jesus answered (καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν) that if he were to silence his disciples (ἐὰν οὗτοι σιωπήσουσιν), the stones would shout out the same message anyway (οἱ λίθοι κράξουσιν).  According to Luke, Jesus had a quick response to these Pharisees.  If he had his disciples stop shouting, the very stones in the road would shout out in their place.  The shouting would continue, no matter what.  Has anyone ever told you to stop praising Jesus?

 

December 15, 2018

The exclamation prayer of Elizabeth (Lk 1:42-1:42)

“Elizabeth exclaimed

With a loud cry.

‘Blessed are you

Among women!

Blessed is the fruit

Of your womb!’”

 

καὶ ἀνεφώνησεν κραυγῇ μεγάλῃ καὶ εἶπεν Εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξίν, καὶ εὐλογημένος ὁ καρπὸς τῆς κοιλίας σου.

 

Luke then had Elizabeth shout out, as if speaking for the baby in her womb.  Elizabeth exclaimed with a loud cry (καὶ ἀνεφώνησεν κραυγῇ μεγάλῃ).  She said that Mary was blessed among all women (καὶ εἶπεν Εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξίν).  Blessed would be the fruit of her womb (καὶ εὐλογημένος ὁ καρπὸς τῆς κοιλίας σου)!  Thus, Elizabeth, without a word spoken, knew that Mary was pregnant with an important child.  These words of Elizabeth then became the second part of the “Ave Maria,” prayer.  “Hail Mary!  Full of Grace!  The Lord is with you!  Blessed are you among women!  Blessed is the fruit of your womb!  Jesus!”  Thus, Elizabeth, via Luke, is the biblical originator of this Marian prayer that became popular in the middle ages down to the present time.

October 15, 2018

Have mercy on me! (Mk 10:47-10:47

“When Bartimaeus

Heard that it was

Jesus of Nazareth,

He began to shout out.

He said.

‘Jesus!

Son of David!

Have mercy on me!’”

 

καὶ ἀκούσας ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζαρηνός ἐστιν ἤρξατο κράζειν καὶ λέγειν Υἱὲ Δαυεὶδ Ἰησοῦ, ἐλέησόν με.

 

Both Matthew, chapter 20:30, and Luke, chapter 18:36-38, have something similar, but Matthew had two blind men instead of one as here.  Mark said that Bartimaeus heard that is was Jesus of Nazareth, (καὶ ἀκούσας ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζαρηνός ἐστιν), not just anyone in general passing by.  Then he began to shout out (ἤρξατο κράζειν).  He said (καὶ λέγειν) that he wanted Jesus, the Son of David (Υἱὲ Δαυεὶδ Ἰησοῦ), to have mercy on him (ἐλέησον με).  He called Jesus the Son of David, not the Lord as in Matthew.

December 20, 2016

The great gathering (Jer 31:7-31:8)

“Thus says Yahweh.

‘Sing aloud with gladness

For Jacob!

Raise shouts

For the chief of the nations!

Proclaim!

Give praise!

Say!

‘Save!

O Yahweh!

Your people!

The remnant of Israel!’

See!

I am going to bring them

From the north country.

I am going to gather them

From the farthest parts of the earth.

Among them will be

The blind,

The lame,

Those with child,

Those in labor,

Together,

A great company.

They shall return here.’”

Yahweh, via Jeremiah, wants everyone to sing out loud and be glad for Jacob. They should shout out with joy as they proclaim and praise Yahweh. The people should ask Yahweh to save the remnant of its people. Yahweh was going to return all his people from the lands of the north, as well as from all over the earth, wherever they were. This would include the blind and the lame, women with children and those expecting. Everyone would come together in a great gathering of people as they returned home.

September 27, 2016

The sinful rebellious nation (Isa 58:1-58:2)

“Shout out!

Do not hold back!

Lift up your voice

Like a trumpet!

Announce to my people

Their rebellion!

Announce to the house of Jacob

Their sins!

Yet they seek me daily.

They delight to know my ways,

As if they were a nation

That practiced righteousness,

As if they did not forsake

The ordinance of their God.

They ask of me

Righteous judgments.

They delight to draw near to God.”

Third Isaiah wants the house of Jacob to shout out and not hold back. They should lift up their voices, as if it was like a trumpet. However, the announcement was that they were a sinful rebellious people. They have pretended to act righteously. They profess daily that they delight in God’s ways. Meanwhile, they are a nation that has forsaken the ordinances of God. They want righteous judgments. They say that they want to draw near to God, but they do not follow his laws.

August 31, 2016

Powerful providence (Isa 40:27-40:31)

“Why do you say?

O Jacob!

Speak!

O Israel!

‘My way is hidden from Yahweh.

My right is disregarded by my God!’

Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

Yahweh is the everlasting God.

He is the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint.

He does not grow weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint.

He strengthens the powerless.

Even youths will faint.

They will be weary.

Young men shall fall exhausted.

But those who wait for Yahweh

Shall renew their strength.

They shall mount up

With wings

Like eagles.

They shall run.

They shall not be weary.

They shall walk.

They shall not faint.”

This chapter concludes with a shout out to the great providence of God. Do not be concerned that God does not know about you. Yahweh is an everlasting God, the creator of everything. Although he is unsearchable, he does not grow faint or weary in his understanding of you. He gives power to the faint. He strengthens the powerless. Even if some young people grow faint, weary, and exhausted, anyone who waits for Yahweh will find renewed strength. They will fly with wings like they were eagles. They will run and not be weary. They will walk and not be faint. They just need to trust Yahweh, their God.

December 12, 2015

Thanksgiving to Yahweh (Ps 118:1-118:1)

“O give thanks to Yahweh!

He is good!

His steadfast love endures forever!”

Psalm 118 opens without a title but with a shout out of thanks to Yahweh. As was often repeated the English “good” is only one “o” different that the English “God”. Thus the English God is good is almost redundant. Another major theme was the steadfast enduring love of God that once again dominates this call to worship.

November 29, 2015

Praise Yahweh (Ps 104:31-104:35)

“May the glory of Yahweh endure forever.

May Yahweh rejoice in his works.

He looks on the earth.

It trembles!

He touches the mountains.

They smoke!

I will sing to Yahweh

As long as I live.

I will sing praise to my God

While I have existence.

May my meditation be pleasing to him.

I rejoice in Yahweh.

Let sinners be consumed from the earth!

Let the wicked be no more!

Bless Yahweh!

O my soul!

Praise Yahweh!”

This long psalm of thanksgiving ends with a shout out praise for Yahweh as the creator of all people and things. The glory of God endures forever so that Yahweh should rejoice in his works. If he looks at the earth, it trembles. If he touches the mountains, they start to smoke. This psalmist will sing praise to Yahweh as long as he lives and breathes. He wanted his mediation to be pleasing to Yahweh. He rejoiced in Yahweh. However, he wanted the sinners consumed and the wicked wiped away. Finally, he wanted his soul to bless and praise Yahweh. The phrase “praise Yahweh” is another way of saying alleluia, the Hebrew “Hallelujah.”