shown

February 15, 2019

She will be forgiven much (Lk 7:47-7:47)

“Therefore,

I tell you!

Her many sins

Are forgiven.

She has shown

Great love.

But the one

To whom

Little is forgiven,

Loves little.”

 

οὗ χάριν λέγω σοι, ἀφέωνται αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτῆς αἱ πολλαί, ὅτι ἠγάπησεν πολύ· ᾧ δὲ ὀλίγον ἀφίεται, ὀλίγον ἀγαπᾷ.

 

Luke uniquely indicated that Jesus said with a solemn pronouncement (οὗ χάριν λέγω σοι) that this woman had many sins (αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτῆς αἱ πολλαί), but she would be forgiven (ἀφέωνται) these many sins.  She had shown great love (ὅτι ἠγάπησεν πολύ).  However, those for whom little is forgiven (ᾧ δὲ ὀλίγον ἀφίεται), love little (ὀλίγον ἀγαπᾷ).  Thus, there is a reference to the creditor with the 2 debtors, one with a large sum of money who loved more and the other with a lesser sum, both forgiven.  Has anybody ever forgiven you a debt that you owed them?

December 21, 2018

Remember the covenant (Lk 1:72-1:72)

“Thus,

God has shown

The mercy

That he promised

To our ancestors.

He has remembered

His holy covenant.”

 

ποιῆσαι ἔλεος μετὰ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν καὶ μνησθῆναι διαθήκης ἁγίας αὐτοῦ,

 

Luke continued Zechariah’s canticle with an instance on the holy covenant with their ancestors.  Zechariah said that God has shown or fulfilled his mercy or compassion (ποιῆσαι ἔλεος) that he had promised to their ancestors or fathers (μετὰ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν).  God has remembered his ancient holy covenant with his people (καὶ μνησθῆναι διαθήκης ἁγίας αὐτοῦ).

December 18, 2018

Neighbors are happy (Lk 1:58-1:58)

“Her neighbors

And relatives

Heard

That the Lord

Had extolled Elizabeth.

He had shown

His great mercy

To her.

They rejoiced

With her.”

 

καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ περίοικοι καὶ οἱ συγγενεῖς αὐτῆς ὅτι ἐμεγάλυνεν Κύριος τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ μετ’ αὐτῆς, καὶ συνέχαιρον αὐτῇ.

 

Luke once again emphasized the normality of this birth.  Everyone was happy about the new baby boy.  Luke said that Elizabeth’s neighbors (οἱ περίοικοι) and relatives (καὶ οἱ συγγενεῖς) had heard (καὶ ἤκουσαν) that the Lord had extolled her (ὅτι ἐμεγάλυνεν Κύριος).  He had shown her great mercy (τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ μετ’ αὐτῆς,) with this childbirth.  Thus, they all rejoiced with her (καὶ συνέχαιρον αὐτῇ).  It was and is quite common to think of childbirth as a gift from God.

 

December 16, 2018

The strength of God (Lk 1:51-1:51)

“God

Has shown strength

With his arm.

He has scattered

The proud thinking

In their hearts.”

 

Ἐποίησεν κράτος ἐν βραχίονι αὐτοῦ, διεσκόρπισεν ὑπερηφάνους διανοίᾳ καρδίας αὐτῶν·

 

This canticle of Mary was modeled on that of Hannah in 1 Samuel, chapter 2:3-4, that praised Yahweh for her son, Samuel the prophet.  Hannah said that the mighty and the rich would stumble but the low and the poor would succeed.  Here Luke indicated that Mary said that God had shown strength with his arm (Ἐποίησεν κράτος ἐν βραχίονι αὐτοῦ).  Thus, he has scattered the proud thinking in their hearts (διεσκόρπισεν ὑπερηφάνους διανοίᾳ καρδίας αὐτῶν).  The power of God would scatter the proud people.

April 11, 2017

The end of the vision in Babylon (Ezek 11:24-11:25)

“The Spirit lifted me up.

The Spirit brought me

In a vision

By the Spirit of God

Into Chaldea,

To the exiles.

Then the vision

That I had seen

Left me.

I told the exiles

All the things

That Yahweh

Had showed me.”

Ezekiel concluded this vision by saying that he was lifted up by the Holy Spirit of God back into Babylon, among the Chaldeans and the other exiled Israelites and Judeans. The vision left him. Then he told the Israelite exiles there all about the things that Yahweh had shown him.

March 2, 2017

The disgraced priests and elders (Lam 4:16-4:16)

Phe

“Yahweh himself

Has scattered them.

He will regard them

No more.

No honor

Was shown

To the priests.

No favor

To the elders.”

Yahweh himself had scattered these immoral leaders. He did not have any regard for them any longer. No honor was to be shown to any of these priests, while the elders were not to be favored. Yahweh had clearly turned on these so-called spiritual leaders. This verse starts with the Hebrew consonant letter Phe in this acrostic poem.

January 22, 2017

The forgotten crimes of the Judeans (Jer 44:9-44:10)

“Have you forgotten

The crimes

Of your ancestors,

Of the kings of Judah?

Have you forgotten

The crimes of their wives,

Your own crimes,

The crimes of your wives?

They committed them

In the land of Judah,

In the streets of Jerusalem.

They have shown

No contrition,

No fear,

Even to this day.

They have not walked

In my law,

In my statutes

That I set before you,

Before your ancestors.”

Yahweh, via Jeremiah, wanted to know if they had amnesia. They seem to have forgotten the crimes of their ancestors, the kings of Judah. They have forgotten the crimes of the royal wives, their own crimes, and those of their wives that were committed in Judah and on the streets of Jerusalem. They have never shown any kind of contrition for their transgressions. They have not feared Yahweh, since they do not walk in his law or his statutes that were given to their ancestors.

December 11, 2015

Thanksgiving to Yahweh (Ps 116:12-116:15)

“What shall I return to Yahweh

For all his bounty to me?

I will lift up the cup of salvation.

I will call on the name of Yahweh.

I will pay my vows to Yahweh

In the presence of all his people.

Precious in the sight of Yahweh

Is the death of his faithful ones.”

The psalmist wants to know what he can offer to Yahweh for all the goodness that he has shown him. He was going to lift up the cup of salvation and call on his name. This was picked up later by the Christians who emphasized this cup of salvation. He was going to pay his vows to Yahweh in the presence of all the people. He realizes that the faithful ones were precious in the sight of Yahweh.