this house

May 25, 2019

Salvation today (Lk 19:9-19:9)

“Then Jesus said

To Zacchaeus.

‘Today salvation

Has come

To this house.

Zacchaeus was also

A son of Abraham.’”

 

εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὅτι Σήμερον σωτηρία τῷ οἴκῳ τούτῳ ἐγένετο, καθότι καὶ αὐτὸς υἱὸς Ἀβραάμ ἐστιν·

 

Luke uniquely indicated that Jesus said to Zacchaeus (εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς) that today salvation had come to his house (ὅτι Σήμερον σωτηρία τῷ οἴκῳ τούτῳ ἐγένετο) because Zacchaeus was also a son of Abraham (καθότι καὶ αὐτὸς υἱὸς Ἀβραάμ ἐστιν).  Jesus said that salvation had come to the house of this tax collector, who was also Jewish, despite his official position or job.  Zacchaeus was a true son of Abraham, like the other Jewish people.  Nevertheless, Luke was the only synoptic with this story of Zacchaeus.  Can salvation come to public sinners

November 11, 2018

The large upper room (Mk 14:15-14:15)

“He will show you

A large room,

Upstairs,

Furnished,

And ready.

Prepare things

For us there!”

 

καὶ αὐτὸς ὑμῖν δείξει ἀνάγαιον μέγα ἐστρωμένον ἕτοιμον· καὶ ἐκεῖ ἑτοιμάσατε ἡμῖν.

 

There is something similar to this in Luke, chapter 22:12, but nothing about the description of this upstairs room in Matthew.  Mark said that Jesus told the 2 unnamed disciples that the owner of this house would show them a large upstairs room (καὶ αὐτὸς ὑμῖν δείξει ἀνάγαιον μέγα).  This room would be completely furnished (ἐστρωμένον) and already prepared (ἕτοιμον) for a meal.  That is where they were to make the final preparations (καὶ ἐκεῖ ἑτοιμάσατε ἡμῖν) for the Passover meal for Jesus and his apostles.  Thus, it would make sense if these two disciples were Peter and John, as Luke indicated, since they were among the 12 apostles, who would be later attending this Passover.

August 20, 2018

They open the roof for the paralytic (Mk 2:4-2:4)

“They were not able

To bring him

To Jesus

Because of the crowd.

Thus,

They removed

The roof above him.

After having dug

Through it,

They let down

The paralytic

With the pallet mat

On which

He was lying.”

 

καὶ μὴ δυνάμενοι προσενέγκαι αὐτῷ διὰ τὸν ὄχλον ἀπεστέγασαν τὴν στέγην ὅπου ἦν, καὶ ἐξορύξαντες χαλῶσι τὸν κράβαττον ὅπου ὁ παραλυτικὸς κατέκειτο.

 

Matthew, chapter 9:2, had no mention of this roof opening.  Luke, chapter 5:19, on the other hand, has the same story as Mark here.  Mark said that they were not able to bring this paralytic to Jesus (καὶ μὴ δυνάμενοι προσενέγκαι αὐτῷ) because of the crowd there (διὰ τὸν ὄχλον).  Thus, they removed the roof of this house (ἀπεστέγασαν τὴν στέγην ὅπου ἦν).  They dug through or gouged out a hole in the roof (καὶ ἐξορύξαντες), so that they let down the paralyzed man lying on the pallet mat (χαλῶσι τὸν κράβαττον ὅπου ὁ παραλυτικὸς κατέκειτο), through the hole in the roof.  This large crowd of people would have this paralyzed man on a bed come through the roof in the middle of the house.  What a sight!

August 17, 2018

The sick mother-in-law of Simon (Mk 1:30-1:30)

“Simon’s mother-in-law

Was lying sick

In bed

With a fever.

They told Jesus

About her at once.”

 

ἡ δὲ πενθερὰ Σίμωνος κατέκειτο πυρέσσουσα, καὶ εὐθὺς λέγουσιν αὐτῷ περὶ αὐτῆς.

 

Matthew, chapter 8:14, and Luke, chapter 4:38, have something similar.  Mark said that Simon’s mother-in-law (ἡ δὲ πενθερὰ Σίμωνος) was lying sick in bed with a fever (κατέκειτο πυρέσσουσα).  They, the people in the house, immediately told Jesus about her (καὶ εὐθὺς λέγουσιν αὐτῷ περὶ αὐτῆς).  No one explained why Peter’s mother-in-law was living in this house.  Was this a permanent arrangement?  There were no indications of where Simon’s wife was, even if she was there.  Matthew said that Jesus saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed sick with a fever, so that no one had to tell him about it.  He saw it himself.  In Luke, they asked Jesus about her.  In all three gospel stories she was sick with a fever, lying in bed.  There is no indication of what kind of illness this was or whether it was chronic or severe.