warn

April 18, 2019

Herod wants to kill Jesus (Lk 13:31-13:31)

“At that very hour.

Some Pharisees came

Near to Jesus.

They said to him.

‘Get away from here!

Herod wants

To kill you.’”

 

Ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ προσῆλθάν τινες Φαρισαῖοι λέγοντες αὐτῷ Ἔξελθε καὶ πορεύου ἐντεῦθεν, ὅτι Ἡρῴδης θέλει σε ἀποκτεῖναι.

 

Luke uniquely indicated that at that very hour (Ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ), some certain Pharisees came near to Jesus (προσῆλθάν τινες Φαρισαῖοι).  They told him (λέγοντες αὐτῷ) to get away from there (Ἔξελθε καὶ πορεύου ἐντεῦθεν) because Herod wanted to kill him (ὅτι Ἡρῴδης θέλει σε ἀποκτεῖναι).  Oddly enough, one of Jesus’ most bitter opponents, these Pharisees, came to Jesus to warn him that the tetrarch Herod Antipas wanted to kill Jesus.  However, in Luke, Jesus ate at the home of a Pharisees on at least 3 occasions.  Somehow these Pharisees had access to Herod, the Roman educated son of Herod the Great, who was the ruler or tetrarch of Galilee and Perea from 4 BCE-39 CE.  As a client ruler, he was part of the Roman Empire.  Thus, he built and named the capital city of Galilee, Tiberias, since the Roman Emperor Tiberius (14-37 CE) was his favorite emperor.  He is sometimes referred to as a king.  Have some of your enemies helped you at some time?

March 28, 2019

The fools (Lk 11:40-11:40)

“You fools!

Did not the one

Who made the outside

Make the inside also?”

 

ἄφρονες, οὐχ ὁ ποιήσας τὸ ἔξωθεν καὶ τὸ ἔσωθεν ἐποίησεν;

 

Luke uniquely continued with Jesus, the Lord, saying that they were fools (ἄφρονες).  Did not the one who made the outside (οὐχ ὁ ποιήσας τὸ ἔξωθεν) also make the inside (καὶ τὸ ἔσωθεν ἐποίησεν)?  This quiet dinner party was now more heated.  Jesus called the Pharisees fools, insensitive or inconsiderate.  Jesus continued to warn them about the inside and the outside of their body and various vessels.  Cleaning the outside was not good enough.  Are you worried about outside or inside cleanliness?

September 25, 2018

Peter rebukes Jesus (Mk 8:32-8:32)

“Jesus said

All this

Quite openly.

Peter took him aside.

He began

To rebuke Jesus.”

 

καὶ παρρησίᾳ τὸν λόγον ἐλάλει. καὶ προσλαβόμενος ὁ Πέτρος αὐτὸν ἤρξατο ἐπιτιμᾶν αὐτῷ

 

Mark recounted that Jesus said all these things openly (καὶ παρρησίᾳ τὸν λόγον ἐλάλει).  Then Jesus and Peter had a conversation that also can be found in Matthew, chapter 16:22.  Peter, using his new authority, took Jesus aside (καὶ προσλαβόμενος).  He began to warn, rebuke, or admonish him (ὁ Πέτρος αὐτὸν ἤρξατο ἐπιτιμᾶν αὐτῷ).  However, there is no indication of what Peter said as there was in Matthew.  Apparently, Peter could not image a Messiah who would suffer and die.

June 19, 2018

No fathers or masters (Mt 23:9-23:10)

“Call no one

Your father on earth!

You have one Father!

The one in heaven!

Nor are you

To be called instructors!

You have one instructor!

The Messiah Christ!”

 

καὶ πατέρα μὴ καλέσητε ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὑμῶν ὁ Πατὴρ ὁ οὐράνιος.

μηδὲ κληθῆτε καθηγηταί, ὅτι καθηγητὴς ὑμῶν ἐστιν εἷς ὁ Χριστός.

 

This is unique to Matthew.  Jesus, via Matthew, seems to aim these remarks directly at his disciples, not the large crowds.  He seemed to warn his followers not to take on religious or scholastic leadership terms.  Thus, Christian leaders should be careful of when they are looking for some kind of religious respect.  He told them to call no one on earth their father (καὶ πατέρα μὴ καλέσητε ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς).  They only had one Father who was in heaven (εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὑμῶν ὁ Πατὴρ ὁ οὐράνιος).  The Aramaic term “Abba” was a respectful term for father.  They should not call themselves instructors, teachers, or guides (μηδὲ κληθῆτε καθηγηταί), since there was only one instructor, teacher, or guide (ὅτι καθηγητὴς ὑμῶν ἐστιν εἷς), the Messiah Christ (ὁ Χριστός).  Is Jesus talking about himself?  If that is so, then this represents one of few times that Jesus referred to himself as the Messiah Christ.

May 18, 2018

The conversation between Peter and Jesus (Mt 16:22-16:23)

“Peter took Jesus.

He began to admonish him.

Saying.

‘God forbid it!

Lord!

This must never happen to you.’

But Jesus turned.

He said to Peter.

‘Get behind me!

Satan!

You are a stumbling block

To me!

You are not setting

Your mind

On things of God,

But on human things.’”

 

καὶ προσλαβόμενος αὐτὸν ὁ Πέτρος ἤρξατο ἐπιτιμᾶν αὐτῷ λέγων Ἵλεώς σοι, Κύριε· οὐ μὴ ἔσται σοι τοῦτο.

ὁ δὲ στραφεὶς εἶπεν τῷ Πέτρῳ Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ· σκάνδαλον εἶ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι οὐ φρονεῖς τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀλλὰ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

 

Jesus and Peter had a conversation that also can be found in Mark, chapter 8:32-33.  Peter, using his new authority, took Jesus aside (καὶ προσλαβόμενος αὐτὸν).  He began to warn, rebuke, or admonish him (ὁ Πέτρος ἤρξατο ἐπιτιμᾶν αὐτῷ).  He said to Jesus that all those things in Jerusalem were never going to happen to him, the Lord (λέγων Ἵλεώς σοι, Κύριε· οὐ μὴ ἔσται σοι τοῦτο).  Then Jesus turned against Peter (ὁ δὲ στραφεὶς).  He told him to get behind him (εἶπεν τῷ Πέτρῳ Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου) because Peter was acting like Satan (Σατανᾶ), since he was becoming a scandalous stumbling block (σκάνδαλον εἶ ἐμοῦ).  Peter was only thinking (ὅτι οὐ φρονεῖς) about human things (ἀλλὰ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων), not divine things of God (τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ).  Peter went from being a great leader to a tempting Satan trying to put obstacles in the way of a divine plan for Jesus.

June 6, 2017

The righteous ones (Ezek 33:12-33:13)

“You!

Son of man!

Say to your people!

‘The righteousness

Of the righteous

Shall not save them

When they transgress.

As for the wickedness

Of the wicked,

It shall not make them

Stumble

When they turn

From their wickedness.

The righteous

Shall not be able

To live

By their righteousness

When they sin.

Although I say

To the righteous

That they shall surely live.

Yet if they trust

In their righteousness,

Then commit iniquity,

None of their righteous deeds

Shall be remembered.

But in the iniquity

That they have committed,

They shall die.”

Yahweh told Ezekiel, the son of man, to warn the righteous ones of his people. They cannot save themselves when they transgress the laws of Yahweh. However, if the wicked ones turn from their wickedness, they would not stumble. The righteous ones should not be so self-righteous. If they sin, they will not be able to live by their own righteousness. These righteous ones shall surely live, if they do not commit iniquity. Then they can trust in their righteousness. On the other hand, if they commit iniquity, none of their righteous deeds would be remembered. In fact, the committed iniquity would bring them death, so that they would die.

April 14, 2017

Prophesy against false prophets (Ezek 13:1-13:2)

“The word of Yahweh

Came to me.

‘Son of man!

Prophesy

Against the prophets of Israel

Who are prophesying!

Say to those

Who prophesy

Out of their own imagination!

‘Hear

The word of Yahweh!’”

The word of Yahweh came to Ezekiel again. This time he was to prophesize against the false prophets of Israel, especially those who were prophesying out of their own minds and imagination. They were to hear the word of Yahweh from him. He was to warn the other prophets.

March 28, 2017

The sentinel or the watchman (Ezek 3:16-3:17)

“At the end

Of seven days,

The word of Yahweh

Came to me.

‘Son of man!

I have made you

A sentinel

For the house

Of Israel.

Whenever you hear

A word

From my mouth,

You shall give them

A warning

From me.’”

At the end of a week of stunned silence, the word of Yahweh came to Ezekiel. Yahweh said to him that he, the son of man, was going to be watchman or sentinel for the house of Israel. Whenever Yahweh would tell Ezekiel, he would, in turn, warn the house of Israel about the words of Yahweh.

November 7, 2016

Beware of your family (Jer 12:6-12:6)

“Even your kinsfolk,

Even your own family,

Even they have dealt treacherously

With you.

They are in full cry after you.

Do not believe them,

Even if they speak

Friendly words to you.”

This verse is not in the Jerusalem Bible. I do not know why. Yahweh seems to warn Jeremiah that he should be careful with his own family and relatives. They have dealt treacherously with him. They were in full throat after him. He was not to believe anything that they said to him, even if it was friendly words.

April 23, 2016

Humility (Sir 3:17-3:25)

“My child!

Perform your tasks with humility!

Then you will be loved

By those whom God accepts.

The greater you are,

The more you must humble yourself.

Thus you will find favor

In the sight of the Lord.

Great is the might of the Lord.

However he is glorified

By the humble.

Seek not what is too difficult for you.

Do not investigate what is beyond your power.

Reflect upon what has been commanded.

What is hidden is not your concern.

Do not meddle in matters that are beyond you.

More than you can understand has been shown you.

Their concern has led many astray.

Wrong opinion has impaired their judgment.

Without eyes,

There is no light.

Without knowledge,

There is no wisdom.”

Once again, assuming the role of the parent, Sirach teaches the importance of humility. Be humble in whatever you do. The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself in order to find favor with the Lord. The Lord is glorified by the humble. Do not seek what is too difficult for you. Do not investigate things beyond your power. Reflect on what you have been asked to do. Do not worry about hidden things. Do not meddle in things that are beyond you. You already have many more things in your life that you cannot understand. Worrying about these things has led many astray. A wrong opinion has led many to make wrong judgments. Be content with your lot in life. Do what you are told to do. Perhaps this is an attempt to warn against the Hellenization of Judaism. We have the final admonition, that there is no sight without eyes, while there is no knowledge without wisdom.