Repairing garments (Lk 5:36-5:36)

“Jesus told them

A parable.

‘No one tears

A piece

From a new garment

And sews it on

An old garment.

Otherwise,

The new piece

Will be torn.

The new piece

Will not match

The old garment.’”

 

Ἔλεγεν δὲ καὶ παραβολὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὅτι Οὐδεὶς ἐπίβλημα ἀπὸ ἱματίου καινοῦ σχίσας ἐπιβάλλει ἐπὶ ἱμάτιον παλαιόν· εἰ δὲ μήγε, καὶ τὸ καινὸν σχίσει καὶ τῷ παλαιῷ οὐ συμφωνήσει τὸ ἐπίβλημα τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ καινοῦ.

 

Luke indicated that Jesus told them a parable (Ἔλεγεν δὲ καὶ παραβολὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς).  This will be first of many parables or stories.  Jesus said that no one tears a piece from a new garment (ὅτι Οὐδεὶς ἐπίβλημα ἀπὸ ἱματίου καινοῦ σχίσας) and sews it on an old garment (ἐπιβάλλει ἐπὶ ἱμάτιον παλαιόν).  Otherwise (εἰ δὲ μήγε), the new piece will be torn (καὶ τὸ καινὸν σχίσει) and the new piece will not match the old garment (καὶ τῷ παλαιῷ οὐ συμφωνήσει τὸ ἐπίβλημα τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ καινοῦ).  Mark, chapter 2:21, and Matthew, chapter 9:16, are similar to Luke, so that Mark might be the source of this mending of the cloth saying.  Luke called his saying a parable, while Mark and Matthew did not use that terminology.  They remarked that Jesus said that no one would sew a new piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak or coat.  This new patch would pull away or tear away.  Then there would be a worse tear there than before.  In other words, do not mend coats with new pieces of cloth.  The new with the old will not work and match correctly.  Let the old garment wear out, because there is nothing that you can do to it.  Is this an indication that the new Jesus ways will not blend with the old Jewish ways?

Yahweh will no longer accept their sacrifices (Mal 2:13-2:13)

“Thus,

You do as well.

You cover Yahweh’s altar

With tears,

With weeping,

With groaning,

Because he no longer regards

The offering.

He no longer accepts it

With favor

At your hand.”

Yahweh will no longer accept the sacrifices of these foreign worshippers, even though they cover his altar with tears, weeping, and groaning.  He no longer regards these sacrificial offerings with favor.

The crying eyes (Lam 3:49-3:51)

Ayin

“My eyes will flow

Without ceasing.

They will flow

Without respite,

Until Yahweh

From heaven

Looks down,

Until Yahweh

Sees them.

My eyes

Cause me grief

At the fate

Of all the young women

In my city.”

The personal lament of this author continues. He was full of flowing, unceasing, and unstoppable tears. He wanted Yahweh to look down from heaven to see him crying. His eyes were causing him grief at what was happening to the young girls of his city. These three verses start with the Hebrew consonant letter Ayin in this acrostic poem.

Cry for Zion (Lam 2:18-2:18)

Cade

“Cry aloud

To the Lord!

O wall

Of daughter Zion!

Let tears

Stream down

Like a torrent,

Day and night!

Give yourself

No rest!

Give your eyes

No respite!”

This author wants daughter Zion and her wall to cry to Yahweh. Their tears should stream down like a torrent of water, day and night. There was to be no rest. Their eyes should always be crying. This verse starts with the Hebrew consonant letter Cade. Each verse after this will use the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet in this acrostic poem.

The weeping city (Lam 1:2-1:2)

Beth

“She weeps bitterly

In the night,

With tears

On her cheeks.

Among all her lovers

She has no one

To comfort her.

All her friends

Have dealt

Treacherously

With her.

They have become

Her enemies.”

Jerusalem is feminine. She weeps bitterly with tears on her checks. Her lovers have abandoned her, so that there is no one to comfort her. They have treated her badly and become her enemies. This was an obvious allusion to her former neighboring allies. This verse starts with the Hebrew consonant letter Beth. Each verse after this will use the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet in this acrostic poem.

The calamity to come (Jer 14:17-14:18)

“You shall say to them this word.

‘Let my eyes run down with tears

Night and day!

Let them not cease!

The virgin daughter!

My people!

Is struck down

With a crushing blow,

With a very grievous wound.

If I go out into the field,

Look!

Those were killed by the sword!

If I enter the city,

Look!

Those are sick with famine!

Both the prophet with the priest

Ply their trade through the land.

But they have no knowledge.’”

Yahweh once again asks Jeremiah to speak about the coming devastation. Yahweh was going to cry both night and day with tears rolling down his face all the time. His virgin daughter, his people, has been struck a crushing blow so that they were grievously wounded. If you looked in the field, you could see the people killed by the sword. If you went into the city, you could see people sick with the famine. Both the priest and the prophet were plying their trade, but they did not know what they were doing.

The threat of the imminent exile (Jer 13:15-13:17)

“Hear!

Give ear!

Do not be haughty!

Yahweh has spoken.

Give glory to Yahweh!

Your God!

Before he brings darkness.

Give glory to Yahweh!

Your God!

Before your feet stumble

On the mountains at twilight.

While you look for light

He turns it into gloom.

He makes it deep darkness.

But if you will not listen,

My soul will weep in secret

For your pride.

My eyes will weep bitterly.

Tears will run down my cheeks

Because Yahweh’s flock

Has been taken captive.”

Jeremiah talks about an imminent captivity. They seem to have one last chance to listen to the words of Yahweh and not be proud. They would have to give glory to Yahweh, their God. Otherwise their feet would stumble as if they were on a mountain at twilight. The light was soon going to turn to darkness and gloom. If they did not listen to God, then Jeremiah would weep in secret because of their pride. He would weep bitterly with tears running down his cheeks, because they were going to be taken into captivity.

The crying and mourning (Jer 9:17-9:19)

“Thus says Yahweh of hosts.

‘Consider!

Call for the mourning women to come!

Send for the skilful women to come!

Let them quickly raise a dirge over us!

Thus our eyes may run down with tears.

Thus our eyelids flow with water.

A sound of wailing is heard from Zion.

‘How we are ruined!

We are utterly shamed!

We have left the land!

They have cast down our dwellings.’”

Yahweh seems to be calling for professional mourners for the people of Judah and Jerusalem. He wanted these skilful mourning women to recreate a funeral like atmosphere. Thus the others would be encouraged to cry with water and tears running from their eyes. They should wail in Jerusalem about how they were ruined and ashamed. They were going to lose their land and all its dwellings.

The wise ones (Prov 14:1-14:3)

“The wise woman builds her house.

But the foolish woman tears it down

With her own hands.

Those who walk uprightly

Fear Yahweh.

But one who is devious in conduct

Despises Yahweh.

The talk of fools

Is a rod for their backs.

But the lips of the wise

Preserve them.”

The wise woman builds her own house. The foolish woman, on the other hand, tears it down herself. If you walk upright, you fear Yahweh. If you are devious all over the place, then you despise Yahweh. The talk of fools brings the whipping rod to their backs, while the lips of the wise keep them save.

Yahweh restores us (Ps 126:4-126:6)

“Restore our fortunes!

Yahweh!

Make us

Like the watercourses in the Negeb!

May those who sow in tears

Reap with shouts of joy!

May those who go out weeping,

Bearing the seed for sowing,

Come home with shouts of joy,

Carrying their sheaves.”

This short psalm ends with a cry or prayer for the restoration of Israel. They wanted their fortunes restored. They wanted to be like the arid land of the Negeb south of Israel with just enough water. They would sow in tears but reap in joy. They would go out weeping with their seeds. However, they would come home with shouts of joy with their wheat harvest sheaves full.