The faithful ones (Lk 16:10-16:10)

“Whoever is faithful

In a very little thing

Is faithful also

In much.

Whoever is dishonest

In a very little thing

Is dishonest also

In much.”

 

ὁ πιστὸς ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ καὶ ἐν πολλῷ πιστός ἐστιν, καὶ ὁ ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ ἄδικος καὶ ἐν πολλῷ ἄδικός ἐστιν.

 

Once again, this is a unique statement of Luke, not found in the other gospel stories.  Luke indicated that Jesus said that whoever was faithful or trustworthy (ὁ πιστὸς) with very small things (ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ) would be faithful or trustworthy (πιστός ἐστιν) also with much things (καὶ ἐν πολλῷ).  On the other hand, whoever was dishonest (ἄδικος) in very little things (καὶ ὁ ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ) would be dishonest (ἄδικός ἐστιν) also with much things (καὶ ἐν πολλῷ).  This was another common sense saying of Jesus, only here in Luke.  How you treated little things, honestly or dishonestly, would be how you would handle big things.  How do you handle little things?

They build the tombs (Lk 11:47-11:47)

“Woe to you!

You build

The tombs

Of the prophets,

Whom your ancestors

Killed.”

 

οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, ὅτι οἰκοδομεῖτε τὰ μνημεῖα τῶν προφητῶν, οἱ δὲ πατέρες ὑμῶν ἀπέκτειναν αὐτούς.

 

Luke once again had Jesus curse (οὐαὶ ὑμῖν) the Pharisees, because they built the tombs of the prophets (ὅτι οἰκοδομεῖτε τὰ μνημεῖα τῶν προφητῶν), whom their ancestors or fathers killed (οἱ δὲ πατέρες ὑμῶν ἀπέκτειναν αὐτούς).  There is something similar in Matthew, chapter 23:29, where Jesus continued to curse the Pharisees and the Scribes.  This diatribe against the hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees was how they and their ancestors had treated the prophets of Israel.  They built the tombs of the prophets and decorated the graves or these tombs of the righteous.  These Pharisees said that if they had lived in the days of their ancestors or fathers, they would not have participated in the shedding of the blood of these prophets.  Luke indicated that Jesus said that the present-day Pharisees participated in the murder of the righteous prophets by decorating the graves of these holy men.  The problem was that there were not that many prophets murdered.  Do you visit cemeteries much?

Mary complains to Jesus (Lk 2:48-2:48)

“When his parents

Saw Jesus,

They were astonished.

His mother

Said to him.

‘Child!

Why have you

Treated us

Like this?

Look!

Your father

And I

Have been searching

For you anxiously!’”

 

καὶ ἰδόντες αὐτὸν ἐξεπλάγησαν, καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ Τέκνον, τί ἐποίησας ἡμῖν οὕτως; ἰδοὺ ὁ πατήρ σου κἀγὼ ὀδυνώμενοι ζητοῦμέν σε

 

Luke continued by saying his parents were also astonished at Jesus.  However, his mother, Mary, was also a little upset.  Luke said that when his parents saw Jesus (καὶ ἰδόντες αὐτὸν), they were also astonished or shocked (ἐξεπλάγησαν).  His mother said to Jesus (καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ) that she wanted to know why he, this young child (Τέκνον), had did this to them or treated them like this (τί ἐποίησας ἡμῖν οὕτως).  She and his father had been distressed, pained, or anxious while searching for him (ἰδοὺ ὁ πατήρ σου κἀγὼ ὀδυνώμενοι ζητοῦμέν σε).  Why had he not told them what he was going to do?  He had caused them a lot of problems over the last few days.

 

The Son of Man must suffer (Mk 9:12-9:12)

“How then is it written

About the Son of man?

He is to go through

Many sufferings.

He will be treated

With contempt.”

 

καὶ πῶς γέγραπται ἐπὶ τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἵνα πολλὰ πάθῃ καὶ ἐξουδενηθῇ;

 

This verse about the future sufferings of the Son of Man is unique to Mark.  Jesus said that it was written (καὶ πῶς γέγραπται) that the Son of man (ἐπὶ τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου) would go through many great sufferings (ἵνα πολλὰ πάθῃ).  He would be despised or treated with contempt (καὶ ἐξουδενηθῇ).  Obviously, the Son of Man seemed to be tied in some way with Elijah.

The tombs of the prophets (Mt 23:29-23:30)

“Woe to you!

Scribes!

Woe to you!

Pharisees!

Hypocrites!

You build the tombs

Of the prophets.

You decorate the graves

Of the righteous.

You say.

‘If we had lived

In the days

Of our ancestors,

We would not have taken part

With them

In shedding the blood

Of the prophets.’”

 

Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί, ὅτι οἰκοδομεῖτε τοὺς τάφους τῶν προφητῶν καὶ κοσμεῖτε τὰ μνημεῖα τῶν δικαίων,

καὶ λέγετε Εἰ ἤμεθα ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, οὐκ ἂν ἤμεθα αὐτῶν κοινωνοὶ ἐν τῷ αἵματι τῶν προφητῶν.

 

There is something similar in Luke, chapter 11:47-48.  Jesus continued to curse the Pharisees and the Scribes, much like earlier in verses 13, 14, 15, 25, and 27.  The first part of this diatribe is exactly the same as those earlier verses.  Woe to you (Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν)!  Scribes (γραμματεῖς)!  Woe to you!  Pharisees (καὶ Φαρισαῖοι)!  Hypocrites (ὑποκριταί)!  This time it was how they and their ancestors had treated the prophets of Israel.  They built the tombs of the prophets (ὅτι οἰκοδομεῖτε τοὺς τάφους τῶν προφητῶν) and decorated the graves or tombs of the righteous (καὶ κοσμεῖτε τὰ μνημεῖα τῶν δικαίων).  These Pharisees said that if they had lived in the days of their ancestors or fathers (καὶ λέγετε Εἰ ἤμεθα ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν), they would not have participated in the shedding of the blood of these prophets (οὐκ ἂν ἤμεθα αὐτῶν κοινωνοὶ ἐν τῷ αἵματι τῶν προφητῶν).  The problem is that there were not that many prophets murdered.

They treat his slaves badly (Mt 22:6-22:6)

“The rest of them

Seized his slaves.

They mistreated them.

They killed them.”

 

οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ κρατήσαντες τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ ὕβρισαν καὶ ἀπέκτειναν.

 

This is unique to Matthew.  In the equivalent parable, Luke did not have anybody killed or mistreated.  Jesus said that the rest (οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ) of the invited guests were not indifferent.  They seized the king’s slaves (κρατήσαντες τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ).  They mistreated them (ὕβρισαν).  Finally, they killed them (καὶ ἀπέκτειναν).  There will not be a good outcome here.  This may be a reference to the way that the Israelite prophets had been treated.

The breaking of the peace (Mic 2:8-2:10)

“But you rise

Against my people

As an enemy.

You strip the robe

From the peaceful,

From those who pass by

Trustingly,

With no thought of war.

You drive out

The women

Of my people

From their pleasant houses.

You take away

From their young children

My glory forever.

Arise!

Go!

This is no place

To rest.

Because uncleanness

Destroys

With a grievous destruction.”

Micah pointed out that this was no longer a time of peace.  The people of Israel had treated their own people, the people of Yahweh in Israel, like they were an enemy.  They had taken their clothes, including the robes of the peaceful and trusting ones, as if there was a war.  They had driven out the young women from their pleasant homes.  They had taken away the glory of Yahweh from the young children.  Israel was no longer a restful place anymore, because uncleanliness had brought great destruction to this place.

The tribe of Judah (Ezek 48:7-48:7)

“Adjoining the territory

Of Reuben,

From the east side

To the west side,

Judah was

One portion.”

Once again, in a very summary fashion of east to west, the territory of Judah was next to Reuben.  In Joshua, chapter 15, Judah got the largest portion of land. Here, it is treated like the other tribes, as if it were not superior to them.

The safe reinstatement in Israel (Ezek 28:26-28:26)

“The Israelites

Shall live

In safety

In the land.

They shall

Build houses.

They shall

Plant vineyards.

They shall live

In safety.

I will execute

Judgments

Upon all their neighbors

Who have treated them

With contempt.

Then they shall know

That I am Yahweh,

Their God.”

These Israelites would live in safety in their own land. They would build houses and plant vineyards. They would be safe, because Yahweh was going to execute his judgments on all their neighbors who have treated them contemptuously. They would all know that Yahweh was their God.

All the neighbors of Israel (Ezek 28:24-28:24)

“The house of Israel

Shall no longer

Find

A pricking brier

Or a piercing thorn

Among all

Their neighbors,

Who have treated them

With contempt.

They shall know

That I am Yahweh God.”

Things would go better with the neighbors of Israel. There would be no more prickly briers or piercing thorns among them. These bad neighbors had formerly treated Israel with contempt. Now they would know that Yahweh was truly God.