your house

February 14, 2019

She was more concerned than you (Lk 7:44-7:44)

“Then turning toward

The woman,

Jesus said to Simon.

‘Do you see

This woman?

I entered your house.

You gave me

No water

For my feet.

But she has bathed

My feet

With her tears.

She has dried them

With her hair.’”

 

καὶ στραφεὶς πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα τῷ Σίμωνι ἔφη Βλέπεις ταύτην τὴν γυναῖκα; εἰσῆλθόν σου εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν, ὕδωρ μοι ἐπὶ πόδας οὐκ ἔδωκας· αὕτη δὲ τοῖς δάκρυσιν ἔβρεξέν μου τοὺς πόδας καὶ ταῖς θριξὶν αὐτῆς ἐξέμαξεν.

 

Luke said that Jesus turned toward the woman (καὶ στραφεὶς πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα), but he spoke to Simon (τῷ Σίμωνι ἔφη) in the second person singular.  Did he see this woman (Βλέπεις ταύτην τὴν γυναῖκα)?  Jesus had entered his house (εἰσῆλθόν σου εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν), but he had not given him any water for his feet (ὕδωρ μοι ἐπὶ πόδας οὐκ ἔδωκας).  However, she bathed and wiped his feet with her tears (αὕτη δὲ τοῖς δάκρυσιν ἔβρεξέν μου τοὺς πόδας).  She then dried his feet with her hair (καὶ ταῖς θριξὶν αὐτῆς ἐξέμαξεν).  Jesus compared what she had done to him and what Simon, the Pharisee, the host of this dinner party, had failed to do.  In both Mark, chapter 14:6, and Matthew, chapter 26:10, Jesus said that the women had done a good thing, but without any reprimand of the host, Simon the leper, like here.  Have you ever complained to the host or hostess at a dinner party?

November 3, 2018

Do not turn back from the field (Mk 13:16-13:16)

“The one in the field

Must not turn back

To get a coat!”

 

καὶ ὁ εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν μὴ ἐπιστρεψάτω εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω ἆραι τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ.

 

This is almost the same, word for word, in Matthew, chapter 24:18, but not in Luke.  Mark indicated that Jesus said that if you were in the field working (καὶ ὁ εἰς τὸν ἀγρὸν), you were not to turn back or return to your house (μὴ ἐπιστρεψάτω εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω) to get or take a coat or outer garment (ἆραι τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ).  You had no need for clothes because the end was near.

July 11, 2018

The house for the Passover meal (Mt 26:18-26:18)

“Jesus said.

‘Go into the city

To a certain man!

Say to him!

‘The Teacher says.

My time is near.

I will keep

The Passover

At your house

With my disciples.’”

 

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν Ὑπάγετε εἰς τὴν πόλιν πρὸς τὸν δεῖνα καὶ εἴπατε αὐτῷ Ὁ Διδάσκαλος λέγει Ὁ καιρός μου ἐγγύς ἐστιν· πρὸς σὲ ποιῶ τὸ πάσχα μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν μου.

 

This is similar to Mark, chapter 14:13-14, and Luke, chapter 22:10-12, who both mention that the man has a jar of water, something not mentioned here.  Jesus said that they were to go into the city of Jerusalem (ὁ δὲ εἶπεν Ὑπάγετε εἰς τὴν πόλιν) to a certain unnamed man (πρὸς τὸν δεῖνα).  The other 2 gospel writers said that this man was going to be carrying a jar of water.  They were to say to him (καὶ εἴπατε αὐτῷ) that the teacher said that his time was near (Ὁ Διδάσκαλος λέγει Ὁ καιρός μου ἐγγύς ἐστιν).  Jesus wanted to keep the Passover (πρὸς σὲ ποιῶ τὸ πάσχα) at his house with his disciples (μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν μου).  There was no explicit mention of a guest room in this house as in the other 2 synoptic gospels.  This Passover was the remembrance of the Israelites fleeing Egypt by eating special foods.

June 24, 2018

In the fields (Matt 24:18-24:18)

“The one in the field

Must not turn back

To get a coat.”

 

καὶ ὁ ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ μὴ ἐπιστρεψάτω ὀπίσω ἆραι τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ.

 

This is almost the same, word for word, in Mark, chapter 13:16, but not in Luke.  If you were in the field working (καὶ ὁ ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ), you were not to turn back or return to your house (μὴ ἐπιστρεψάτω ὀπίσω) to get or take a coat or outer garment (ἆραι τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ).  You had no need for clothes because the end was near.

July 14, 2017

The food habits of the priests (Ezek 44:29-44:31)

“They shall eat

The grain offering,

The sin offering,

The guilt offering.

Every devoted thing

In Israel

Shall be theirs.

The first of all

The first fruits

Of all kinds

Shall belong

To the priests.

Every offering

Of all kinds,

From all your offerings,

Shall belong

To the priests.

You shall also give

To the priests

The first of your dough.

Thus,

A blessing may rest

On your house.

The priests shall not eat

Of anything,

Whether bird

Or animal,

That died of itself

Or was torn by animals.”

The Zadok Levitical priests had strict dietary habits that were very favorable to them. They were to eat all the various offerings that the people of Israel presented, the grain offerings, the sin offerings, the guilt offerings, or any devoted thing in Israel. They would also get the first fruits of all kinds, including the cooked dough. All these food items belonged to the priests. Giving them to the priests meant that your house would have a blessing. However, these priests were not allowed to eat any bird or animal that had died by itself or was mangled by another animal.

May 26, 2016

The profit motive (Sir 27:1-27:3)

“Many have committed sin

For a trifle gain.

Whoever seeks to get rich

Will avert their eyes.

As a stake is driven firmly

Into a fissure between stones,

So sin is wedged

In between

Selling and buying.

If a person is not steadfast

In the fear of the Lord,

His house

Will be quickly overthrown.”

Sirach reminds us that many sins have been committed over the attempt to make a small profit. Those who seek to get rich turn their eyes away from morality. Just as a stake is usually placed between 2 stones, so too you will find some sin between the buying and selling of a product. If you are not steadfast in your fear of the Lord, your house will be quickly overthrown. Sirach was no friend of capitalism.

May 19, 2016

Swearing oaths (Sir 23:9-23:11)

“Do not accustom your mouth

To oaths!

Do not habitually utter

The name of the Holy One!

As a servant,

Who is constantly under scrutiny,

Will not lack bruises,

So also the person

Who always swears,

Who utters the Name of God,

Will never be cleansed from sin.

Whoever swears many oaths

Is full of iniquity.

The scourge will not leave his house.

If he swears in error,

His sin remains on him.

If he disregards it,

He sins doubly.

If he swears a false oath,

He will not be justified.

His house will be filled

With calamities.”

Sirach does not want us to get accustomed to swearing oaths to the Most Holy One. If you swear too much, you are a like a servant under constant scrutiny who gets bruised by his master. So too, anyone who swears by the Name of God will never be cleansed from their sins. If you are always swearing to God for this or that, you will be full on iniquity, since the scourge will never leave your house. You can actually sin by swearing in error. Then you can double you sin by not fulfilling the false oath that you swore. You will never be justified since your house will be filled with calamities.

February 1, 2016

The prudent wife (Prov 19:13-19:14)

“A stupid child is the ruin to a father.

A wife’s quarreling is like a continual dripping of rain.

House and wealth are inherited from parents.

But a prudent wife is from Yahweh.”

A stupid child can ruin his father. The quarreling wife is like continual dripping rain. You can inherit your house and wealth from your parents, but a prudent wife is a gift from God.

January 5, 2016

Stay away from the adulterous women (Prov 6:24-6:35)

“Preserve yourself from the wife of another!

Preserve yourself from the smooth tongue of the adulteress!

Do not desire her beauty in your heart!

Do not let her capture you with her eyelashes!

A prostitute’s fee is only a loaf of bread.

But the wife of another stalks a man’s very life.

Can fire be carried in one’s bosom

Without burning one’s clothes?

Can one walk upon hot coals

Without scorching one’s feet?

So is he who sleeps

With his neighbor’s wife.

No one who touches her will go unpunished.

Thieves who steal

Only to satisfy their appetite,

When they are hungry,

Are not despised.

Yet if they are caught,

They will pay sevenfold.

They will forfeit all the goods of their house.

But he who commits adultery has no sense.

He destroys himself.

He will get wounds and dishonor.

His disgrace will not be wiped away.

Jealousy arouses a husband’s fury.

He shows no restraint when he takes revenge.

He will accept no compensation.

He refuses a bribe

No matter how great.”

This is a very long presentation on the evils of adultery. In fact, it almost seems to condone prostitution and thievery as lesser evils than adultery. Very clearly, you should stay away from the wife of another person. Watch out for her smooth tongue and eyelashes. I did not know that eyelashes were signs of beauty 2,500 years ago. The prostitute’s fee was just that of a loaf of bread. They were a lot cheaper back then. However, being involved with another man’s wife can ruin your entire life. If you play with fire, you will get burned. If you walk on hot coals, you will burn your feet. If you sleep with your neighbor’s wife, it will not go unpunished. If you stole something because you were hungry, you would have to pay for it 7 times over from the goods of your house. However, you would continue to live. However, with adultery you destroy yourself. You will be wounded, dishonored, and disgraced in a way that it will not go away. In fact, the jealous husband will not be restrained when attacking you. No compensation or bribe will make him forget. You put your life on the line. So be careful with your neighbor’s wife.

January 4, 2016

Do not use your property as collateral (Prov 6:1-6:5)

“My child!

If you have given your pledge to your neighbor,

If you have bound yourself to another,

You are snared by the utterance of your lips.

You are caught by the words of your mouth.

Do this!

My child!

Save yourself!

You have come into your neighbor’s power.

Go!

Hurry!

Plead with your neighbor!

Give your eyes no sleep.

Give your eyelids no slumber.

Save yourself

Like a gazelle from the hunter!

Save yourself

Like a bird from the hand of the fowler!”

This paternal advice continues with a strange admonition. It seems that there was an ancient custom of pledging your house to help a neighbor. However, here the father warns his children against doing this. If you have already pledged to help, then you are stuck with your own words. However, then it is time to negotiate a resolution with your neighbor since you are under his power. Plead with him until you get this resolved. Do not get any sleep until this is straightened out. You have to save yourself because you are being hunted like a hunter after an animal or a bird that is already caught in a trap.