their mother

October 13, 2018

They want to sit on the right and left of Jesus (Mk 10:37-10:37)

“They said

To Jesus.

‘Grant us

To sit,

One at your right hand

And one at your left hand,

In your glory.’”

 

οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτῷ Δὸς ἡμῖν ἵνα εἷς σου ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ εἷς ἐξ ἀριστερῶν καθίσωμεν ἐν τῇ δόξῃ σου.

 

There is something similar to this in Matthew, chapter 20:21, but here the brothers, rather than their mother spoke with Jesus.  Mark said that the 2 brothers responded to Jesus (οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτῷ).  They wanted him to let them sit at his right hand (Δὸς ἡμῖν ἵνα εἷς σου ἐκ δεξιῶν) and at his left hand (καὶ εἷς ἐξ ἀριστερῶν καθίσωμεν) when Jesus came in all his glory (ἐν τῇ δόξῃ σου).  After all, they had been with Peter at the transfiguration and were among the four original disciples.  Thus, they were already very special.  Perhaps, they thought of this as an earthly kingdom.  Ironically enough at the crucifixion of Jesus, it would be two thieves on the right and left side of Jesus.

October 13, 2018

Jesus wants to know what they want (Mk 10:36-10:36)

“Jesus said

To them.

‘What is it

You want me

To do for you?’”

 

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Τί θέλετε με ποιήσω ὑμῖν;

 

There is something similar to this in Matthew, chapter 20:2, but here the brothers, rather than their mother spoke with Jesus.  Mark said that Jesus then asked the 2 brothers, (ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς) what they wanted or wished Jesus to do for them (Τί θέλετε με ποιήσω ὑμῖν)?  Jesus willingly responded to them.  He wanted to know what was on their minds.

October 13, 2018

The sons of Zebedee come forward (Mk 10:35-10:35)

“James

And John,

The sons of Zebedee,

Came forward

To Jesus.

They said to him.

‘Teacher!

We want you

To do for us

Whatever we ask of you.”

 

Καὶ προσπορεύονται αὐτῷ Ἰάκωβος καὶ Ἰωάνης οἱ υἱοὶ Ζεβεδαίου λέγοντες αὐτῷ Διδάσκαλε, θέλομεν ἵνα ὃ ἐὰν αἰτήσωμέν σε ποιήσῃς ἡμῖν.

 

There is something similar to this in Matthew, chapter 20:20, but here the brothers, rather than their mother approached Jesus, since Matthew had the mother of her 2 sons make this request.  Mark said that it was the 2 sons of Zebedee themselves, James and John (Ἰάκωβος καὶ Ἰωάνης οἱ υἱοὶ Ζεβεδαίου), who came forward to Jesus (Καὶ προσπορεύονται αὐτῷ).  They respectfully called Jesus Teacher (λέγοντες αὐτῷ Διδάσκαλε).  They said that they had a request or favor they wanted Jesus to do for them.  They wished that he would grant them whatever they asked for (θέλομεν ἵνα ὃ ἐὰν αἰτήσωμέν σε ποιήσῃς ἡμῖν).  This sounds a little presumptuous.

June 3, 2018

James and John on either side of Jesus (Mt 20:21-20:21)

“Jesus said to her.

‘What do you want?’

She said to him.

‘Declare

That these two sons of mine

Will sit,

One at your right hand

And one at your left hand,

In your kingdom.’”

 

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῇ Τί θέλεις; λέγει αὐτῷ Εἰπὲ ἵνα καθίσωσιν οὗτοι οἱ δύο υἱοί μου εἷς ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ εἷς ἐξ εὐωνύμων σου ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου.

 

There is something similar to this in Mark, chapter 10:36-37, but there the brothers, rather than their mother spoke with Jesus.  Jesus then asked her what did she want or wish (ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῇ Τί θέλεις)?  She said to him (λέγει αὐτῷ) that she wanted Jesus to declare or command that her two sons (Εἰπὲ ἵνα καθίσωσιν οὗτοι οἱ δύο υἱοί μου) would sit at the right hand (εἷς ἐκ δεξιῶν) and at the left hand (καὶ εἷς ἐξ εὐωνύμων σου) of Jesus in his kingdom (ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου).  After all, they had been with Peter at the transfiguration and were one of the four original disciples.  Thus, they were already very special.  Perhaps, she thought of this as an earthly kingdom.  Strangely enough at the crucifixion of Jesus, it would be two thieves on his right and left side.

May 10, 2018

Tradition and hypocrisy (Mt 15:6-15:7)

“Thus,

They do not honor

Their father

Or their mother

For the sake

Of their tradition.

You have made void

The word of God.

You hypocrites!

Isaiah prophesied of you,

When he said.”

 

οὐ μὴ τιμήσει τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ ἢ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἠκυρώσατε τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τὴν παράδοσιν ὑμῶν.

ὑποκριταί, καλῶς ἐπροφήτευσεν περὶ ὑμῶν Ἡσαΐας λέγων

 

There is something similar to this in Mark, chapter 7:6.  Jesus pointed out that for the sake of their traditions (διὰ τὴν παράδοσιν ὑμῶν), they did not honor their father or their mother (οὐ μὴ τιμήσει τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ ἢ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ).  They have made void or cancelled out the word of God (καὶ ἠκυρώσατε τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ).  These Pharisees were the kind of hypocrites that Isaiah, chapter 29:3, had prophesied about (ὑποκριταί, καλῶς ἐπροφήτευσεν περὶ ὑμῶν Ἡσαΐας λέγων).  This was a favorite term of Matthew for these Pharisees, hypocrites, people who play a part in a drama, but who are not sincere.

April 30, 2017

The fruitful vine (Ezek 19:10-19:11)

“Your mother was

Like a vine

In a vineyard,

Transplanted

By the water.

She was fruitful.

She was full of branches

From abundant water.

Her strongest stem

Became

A ruler’s scepter.

It towered aloft

Among the thick boughs.

It stood out

In its height

With the mass

Of its branches.”

Yahweh, via Ezekiel has another allegory about a vine. This vine was like their mother, large and fruitful. The reference here is to Judah as the mother of the people. This vine had been taken from a normal vineyard and planted near a large water supply. It had long stems so that one became a ruler’s scepter. It was tall with thick branches as it stood out because of its height and massive branches.