There are two possible Revised Common Lectionary texts this week. Here are links to my posts on both of them:
Mark 8:31-38
Little tid-bit:
Use of tenses: Mark carefully selects his tenses in this passage. When
Jesus asks the question, he is using the imperfect tense, which implies
repeated action. Jesus repeatedly asks them: "Who are people
saying that am?" and "Who do you say that I am?" In our life, we will
repeatedly be asked who Jesus is.
Mark 9:2-10
Little tid-bit
εξ ("six"; there is a rough breathing mark, making it "hex" as in
"hexagon"; 9:2). This is the only time Mark records something as
happening "six" days later. So what happens on the sixth day? Well, on
the 6th day Jesus died on the cross! Recall the OT: On the sixth day
humanity was created. Very good (like Transfiguration). But final?
No.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Matthew 18:15-35
This passage occurs in the Narrative Lectionary Year 1 (Most recently Feb 22, 2015).
Matthew 18:15-20
Juiciest tid-bit:
εθνικος (pagan, gentile, literally "ethnic"; 18:17) Jesus suggests we treat Christians who have greatly sinned against us as gentiles. Interestingly, Jesus final words in the Gospel of Matthew instruct us to preach to the gentiles (all the nations of the world; same root word) and earlier Jesus reminds us to love our enemies, because even the gentiles to this. Jesus is not giving us permission to be rude and dismissive to our brothers and sisters in Jesus, even those whom we are angry with.
Matthew 18:21-35
Juiciest tid-bit:
When you break down the Greek, you realize that Peter does not wonder "if" his brother will sin, but he wants to know what to do "when" his brother will sin.
Matthew 18:15-20
Juiciest tid-bit:
εθνικος (pagan, gentile, literally "ethnic"; 18:17) Jesus suggests we treat Christians who have greatly sinned against us as gentiles. Interestingly, Jesus final words in the Gospel of Matthew instruct us to preach to the gentiles (all the nations of the world; same root word) and earlier Jesus reminds us to love our enemies, because even the gentiles to this. Jesus is not giving us permission to be rude and dismissive to our brothers and sisters in Jesus, even those whom we are angry with.
Matthew 18:21-35
Juiciest tid-bit:
When you break down the Greek, you realize that Peter does not wonder "if" his brother will sin, but he wants to know what to do "when" his brother will sin.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Matthew 6:7-21; Must we forgive others?
The passage occurs in the narrative Lectionary, Year 1 (Most recently Feb 1, 2015).
For my pound-it-out analysis of the Greek in Luke and Matthew's version of the Lord's Prayer, click here.
This week, I want to focus on the Bible verses 6:14-15: (NRSV)
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
It brings up the haunting question, must we forgive others to be forgiven? Before we answer this theologically, let's dig into the grammar and words in the Greek (is there a linguistic way out of this theological conundrum!)
παραπτωμα (paraptoma, "trespasses"): In Matthew's Gospel a couple of words are employed to talk about sin. In the Lord's Prayer, the word is "οφειλημα" which means first and foremost, a debt. There is also the most theologically loaded term of sin, a wrongdoing against God, αμαρτια, used when Jesus institutes the Holy Communion. The word in this verse, παραπτωμα, means linguistically, "overstep." (This is what "trespass" literally means.)
How does this offer us a possible out: You could say that that this verse actually exonerates us from forgiving the sins of other people. We cannot do this. Only God can forgive sins. Jesus' claim to divinity in Matthew (see chapter 9 and healing of the paralytic) rests on his ability to forgive sins. But we can and must forgive missteps.
υμων (of yours): The entire section is conjugated in terms of verbs and possessive adjectives in the plural form of you. Another way to look at this passage then is that Jesus is speaking to the collective and not just individuals.
How does this offer us a possible out: It doesn't. In fact, it makes it a whole lot more complicated.
ουρανιος (houranios, ie, horizon", "heavens.") If you notice, the first part of the passage speaks about the Father in heaven; the second half simply about your father.
How does this offer us a possible out: Perhaps we are speaking about human judgements -- if we do not forgive others, our human piers will not forgive us.
αφητε (aphete, in various forms in this passage, "forgive") This word provides two avenues for reflection. First, it's meaning. It can mean "permit" or "let go" in addition to "forgive."
How does this offer us a possible out: If one reads this translating "permit" instead of "forgive" it has a slightly different meaning, one that is less about heaven and hell, but simply about how our attitude toward others becomes God's attitude toward us in life. God becomes the universal tolerance karma instead of judge.
Lastly, this verb is in the aorist. Aorist can be thought of as an inceptive aorist, meaning it points to the moment an action began. So, "If you begin to forgive others their trespasses..." Ultimately, this does not alter the meaning, it simply waters down the intensity.
To put it another way, the Greek in these passages does not intensify the English meaning. If anything, they provide us with a more earthly than eternal framework for understanding its significance. Regardless, our forgiveness before God and the forgiveness of others are bound together. Jesus didn't wait until enough humans had forgiven each other to die on a cross!
I think I would want to thread a very precarious theological needle and offer this: While on earth. the extent to which we experience God's forgiveness is intimately related to how much we extend forgiveness to others. Forgiveness and the prayer life that accompanies this are a way of life for Christians. That said, when it comes to heaven and our sins against God, this comes down to the cross, grace and faith.
For my pound-it-out analysis of the Greek in Luke and Matthew's version of the Lord's Prayer, click here.
This week, I want to focus on the Bible verses 6:14-15: (NRSV)
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
It brings up the haunting question, must we forgive others to be forgiven? Before we answer this theologically, let's dig into the grammar and words in the Greek (is there a linguistic way out of this theological conundrum!)
παραπτωμα (paraptoma, "trespasses"): In Matthew's Gospel a couple of words are employed to talk about sin. In the Lord's Prayer, the word is "οφειλημα" which means first and foremost, a debt. There is also the most theologically loaded term of sin, a wrongdoing against God, αμαρτια, used when Jesus institutes the Holy Communion. The word in this verse, παραπτωμα, means linguistically, "overstep." (This is what "trespass" literally means.)
How does this offer us a possible out: You could say that that this verse actually exonerates us from forgiving the sins of other people. We cannot do this. Only God can forgive sins. Jesus' claim to divinity in Matthew (see chapter 9 and healing of the paralytic) rests on his ability to forgive sins. But we can and must forgive missteps.
υμων (of yours): The entire section is conjugated in terms of verbs and possessive adjectives in the plural form of you. Another way to look at this passage then is that Jesus is speaking to the collective and not just individuals.
How does this offer us a possible out: It doesn't. In fact, it makes it a whole lot more complicated.
ουρανιος (houranios, ie, horizon", "heavens.") If you notice, the first part of the passage speaks about the Father in heaven; the second half simply about your father.
How does this offer us a possible out: Perhaps we are speaking about human judgements -- if we do not forgive others, our human piers will not forgive us.
αφητε (aphete, in various forms in this passage, "forgive") This word provides two avenues for reflection. First, it's meaning. It can mean "permit" or "let go" in addition to "forgive."
How does this offer us a possible out: If one reads this translating "permit" instead of "forgive" it has a slightly different meaning, one that is less about heaven and hell, but simply about how our attitude toward others becomes God's attitude toward us in life. God becomes the universal tolerance karma instead of judge.
Lastly, this verb is in the aorist. Aorist can be thought of as an inceptive aorist, meaning it points to the moment an action began. So, "If you begin to forgive others their trespasses..." Ultimately, this does not alter the meaning, it simply waters down the intensity.
To put it another way, the Greek in these passages does not intensify the English meaning. If anything, they provide us with a more earthly than eternal framework for understanding its significance. Regardless, our forgiveness before God and the forgiveness of others are bound together. Jesus didn't wait until enough humans had forgiven each other to die on a cross!
I think I would want to thread a very precarious theological needle and offer this: While on earth. the extent to which we experience God's forgiveness is intimately related to how much we extend forgiveness to others. Forgiveness and the prayer life that accompanies this are a way of life for Christians. That said, when it comes to heaven and our sins against God, this comes down to the cross, grace and faith.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Matthew 5:1-20
This week the narrative lectionary presents us with a very large chunk of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:1-20. I have looked at this passage as two smaller passages previously. I am not sure if I am up to the task of capturing all of 5:1-20 in one sermon. That said, I like how the narrative lectionary wants to help people here the beatitudes as part of the Sermon on the Mount and not as a "single hit."
http://lectionarygreek.blogspot.com/2011/01/matthew-51-12.html
http://lectionarygreek.blogspot.com/2011/02/matthew-513-20.html
Side note: Both these posts have a lot of grammar insights. I guess I had more time four years ago when writing these!
Two other words
φως ('phos,' meaning 'light', 5:14 and 16) Jesus calls us the light of the world. Later in Matthew's Gospel, Jesus even tells his disciples that they have the light inside of them (6:23) But where does this light come from? We might go to John's Gospel and its proclamation about Jesus as THE light of the world. But can we get there in Matthew's Gospel? Well, a few verses back (Matthew 4:16), Matthew quotes from Isaiah that the people walking in darkness have seen a great light as a savior is born. The original light is not the people, but Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the only person who shines in Matthew's gospel is Jesus, during the transfiguration (17.2).
ορος ('oros', meaning "mountain", 5:14). Look at what happens on mountains in Matthew's Gospel
Chapter 4: Devil tempts Jesus from mountain top
Chapter 5: Sermon on the mountain begins (light must be on a mountain top, not hill; same word!)
Chapter 14 & 15: Jesus prays on mountain top
Chapter 17: Transfiguration
Chapter 21-24: Mount of Olives is the starting and ending point of the passover experience
Chapter 28: Jesus encounters his disciples on a mountain top
In short, when stuck on Matthew's, run for the hills and make a nifty connection.
http://lectionarygreek.blogspot.com/2011/01/matthew-51-12.html
http://lectionarygreek.blogspot.com/2011/02/matthew-513-20.html
Side note: Both these posts have a lot of grammar insights. I guess I had more time four years ago when writing these!
Two other words
φως ('phos,' meaning 'light', 5:14 and 16) Jesus calls us the light of the world. Later in Matthew's Gospel, Jesus even tells his disciples that they have the light inside of them (6:23) But where does this light come from? We might go to John's Gospel and its proclamation about Jesus as THE light of the world. But can we get there in Matthew's Gospel? Well, a few verses back (Matthew 4:16), Matthew quotes from Isaiah that the people walking in darkness have seen a great light as a savior is born. The original light is not the people, but Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the only person who shines in Matthew's gospel is Jesus, during the transfiguration (17.2).
ορος ('oros', meaning "mountain", 5:14). Look at what happens on mountains in Matthew's Gospel
Chapter 4: Devil tempts Jesus from mountain top
Chapter 5: Sermon on the mountain begins (light must be on a mountain top, not hill; same word!)
Chapter 14 & 15: Jesus prays on mountain top
Chapter 17: Transfiguration
Chapter 21-24: Mount of Olives is the starting and ending point of the passover experience
Chapter 28: Jesus encounters his disciples on a mountain top
In short, when stuck on Matthew's, run for the hills and make a nifty connection.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Matthew 4:1-17
This passage occurs in the Narrative Lectionary, Year 1, Most recently Jan 17, 2015)
I have written on Matthew 4:1-17 twice before:
Matthew 4:1-11
Matthew 4:13-23
Two notes for Narrative Lectionary 2015:
1) There is plenty of law in this text. First, there is a struggle against temptation. Second, there is the call both in word and deed to a total commitment to God. Before you get too geared up, remember this text is used here as an Epiphany and not Lent I text. Thus I think the focus should be illuminating something about Christ's identity; in this case, as the one who overcomes temptation.
2) The NL includes Matthew 4:17, a call to repentance. If one feels compelled to go in the law direction, I think looking at the bookends of the story is very helpful: It begins with Jesus baptism and ends with a call to repentance. Our own call to fight temptation, to repent, to struggle against sin, is grounded in our Baptism.
I have written on Matthew 4:1-17 twice before:
Matthew 4:1-11
Matthew 4:13-23
Two notes for Narrative Lectionary 2015:
1) There is plenty of law in this text. First, there is a struggle against temptation. Second, there is the call both in word and deed to a total commitment to God. Before you get too geared up, remember this text is used here as an Epiphany and not Lent I text. Thus I think the focus should be illuminating something about Christ's identity; in this case, as the one who overcomes temptation.
2) The NL includes Matthew 4:17, a call to repentance. If one feels compelled to go in the law direction, I think looking at the bookends of the story is very helpful: It begins with Jesus baptism and ends with a call to repentance. Our own call to fight temptation, to repent, to struggle against sin, is grounded in our Baptism.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Micah 5 and 6
This passage occurs in the Narrative Lectionary Year 1 (most recently Nov 9, 2014).
Summary: The inclusion of chapter 5 allows one to see Gospel in chapter 6, namely, that fulfillment of the law (so beautifully summarized in 6:6-8) will ultimately not depend on humanity but on God acting in Jesus Christ, his first born son, who will shepherd the people. I spend a lot of time considering justice, especially within the context of Micah.
עלה ("olah" meaning "burnt offering", 6:6): I realize that discussion of ancient Jewish offerings is not intuitively interesting. But the this type of offering has significance here. In a burnt offering, nothing is left for the people. Normally an offering to please the gods allowed for fat to burn for the gods, and meat for the humans. But in a burnt offering to God, nothing was left over. In short, it is a total sacrifice, leaving no food behind for either the one making the sacrifice or even the priest. The section in 6:6-8 should not be dismissed to lightly. The world and ourselves are fundamentally broken to enter into the presence of God.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnt_offering_(Judaism)
םשפט ("Mishpat" meaning "justice", 6:8): The word justice has a very broad meaning in the Hebrew Bible. What does it mean in this case?
Perhaps a way to get at its meaning in Micah is too look at examples of injustice that the prophet cites:
Corrupt officials:
Micah 7:3 Their hands are skilled to do evil; the official and the judge ask for a bribe, and the powerful dictate what they desire; thus they pervert justice.
Corrupt rich people; violence:
Micah 2:2 They covet fields, and seize them; houses, and take them away; they oppress householder and house, people and their inheritance.
Micah 6:11-12 Can I tolerate wicked scales and a bag of dishonest weights? Your wealthy are full of violence; your inhabitants speak lies, with tongues of deceit in their mouths. (See also mountain of the Lord that brings peace).
Corrupt priests:
Micah 3:10-11 who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with wrong! Its rulers give judgment for a bribe, its priests teach for a price, its prophets give oracles for money; yet they lean upon the LORD and say, "Surely the LORD is with us! No harm shall come upon us." (See also 3:5)
False worship
Micah 5:13-14 and I will cut off your images and your pillars from among you, and you shall bow down no more to the work of your hands; and I will uproot your sacred poles from among you and destroy your towns.
First point: God cares about justice in that he both expects people to behave with justice and will punish injustice.
Second point: For God, justice includes a totality of how society is oriented, especially toward those who lack resources.
Third point: Just about everyone, it seems, is commiting injustice.
I think the ethical imperative for us to live an honest and fair life is clear. The question comes down to, however, how we try to promote, do or make justice beyond ourselves. I think it is fair to say the imperative here is not simply a personal dictate to live an honest life, but to ponder, pray and act about injustice in the whole of society. This for me is a very humbling task, one that makes me want to walk humbly and with God.
אהב ("Ahav" meaning "love", 6:8): This word means "love" much like we use it in English -- it covers a great deal of things and relationships. It is also used in Deuteronomy 6:5, where the Israelites are called to love God with the heart, soul and strength, perhaps a nice way to think about this verse. This verse is the prophetic conversion of the command to love our God into the command to love our neighbor. It has always been there, but now it is made clear.
צנע ("tsana" meaning "humble" (as verb), 6:8) This verb only appears once in the Hebrew Bible. Thus, not gonna say too much. But I think its worth considering the other verb, walk -- in that this is a full body action, governing our entire sphere of action. God wants the totality of society, but also the totality of our own actions, to be in line with his will.
Summary: The inclusion of chapter 5 allows one to see Gospel in chapter 6, namely, that fulfillment of the law (so beautifully summarized in 6:6-8) will ultimately not depend on humanity but on God acting in Jesus Christ, his first born son, who will shepherd the people. I spend a lot of time considering justice, especially within the context of Micah.
עלה ("olah" meaning "burnt offering", 6:6): I realize that discussion of ancient Jewish offerings is not intuitively interesting. But the this type of offering has significance here. In a burnt offering, nothing is left for the people. Normally an offering to please the gods allowed for fat to burn for the gods, and meat for the humans. But in a burnt offering to God, nothing was left over. In short, it is a total sacrifice, leaving no food behind for either the one making the sacrifice or even the priest. The section in 6:6-8 should not be dismissed to lightly. The world and ourselves are fundamentally broken to enter into the presence of God.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnt_offering_(Judaism)
םשפט ("Mishpat" meaning "justice", 6:8): The word justice has a very broad meaning in the Hebrew Bible. What does it mean in this case?
Perhaps a way to get at its meaning in Micah is too look at examples of injustice that the prophet cites:
Corrupt officials:
Micah 7:3 Their hands are skilled to do evil; the official and the judge ask for a bribe, and the powerful dictate what they desire; thus they pervert justice.
Corrupt rich people; violence:
Micah 2:2 They covet fields, and seize them; houses, and take them away; they oppress householder and house, people and their inheritance.
Micah 6:11-12 Can I tolerate wicked scales and a bag of dishonest weights? Your wealthy are full of violence; your inhabitants speak lies, with tongues of deceit in their mouths. (See also mountain of the Lord that brings peace).
Corrupt priests:
Micah 3:10-11 who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with wrong! Its rulers give judgment for a bribe, its priests teach for a price, its prophets give oracles for money; yet they lean upon the LORD and say, "Surely the LORD is with us! No harm shall come upon us." (See also 3:5)
False worship
Micah 5:13-14 and I will cut off your images and your pillars from among you, and you shall bow down no more to the work of your hands; and I will uproot your sacred poles from among you and destroy your towns.
First point: God cares about justice in that he both expects people to behave with justice and will punish injustice.
Second point: For God, justice includes a totality of how society is oriented, especially toward those who lack resources.
Third point: Just about everyone, it seems, is commiting injustice.
I think the ethical imperative for us to live an honest and fair life is clear. The question comes down to, however, how we try to promote, do or make justice beyond ourselves. I think it is fair to say the imperative here is not simply a personal dictate to live an honest life, but to ponder, pray and act about injustice in the whole of society. This for me is a very humbling task, one that makes me want to walk humbly and with God.
אהב ("Ahav" meaning "love", 6:8): This word means "love" much like we use it in English -- it covers a great deal of things and relationships. It is also used in Deuteronomy 6:5, where the Israelites are called to love God with the heart, soul and strength, perhaps a nice way to think about this verse. This verse is the prophetic conversion of the command to love our God into the command to love our neighbor. It has always been there, but now it is made clear.
צנע ("tsana" meaning "humble" (as verb), 6:8) This verb only appears once in the Hebrew Bible. Thus, not gonna say too much. But I think its worth considering the other verb, walk -- in that this is a full body action, governing our entire sphere of action. God wants the totality of society, but also the totality of our own actions, to be in line with his will.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
2 Kings 5:1-14 (Elisha and Naaman)
This passage occurs in the Narrative Lectionary and the Revised Common Lectionary (Most recently All Saints Sunday, 2014).
I found this text fascinating though in terms of my understanding of a prophet. Elisha's actions in chapter 5 and 6 offer a different vision -- a very Christ like vision -- of what it means to be a prophet and perhaps too, for this Sunday, a saint.
Key words:
נביה ("Niveah" meaning "prophet" (2 Kings 5:13)) Often times we think of prophets as those who either a) predict the future or b) bring down the judging word of God. In this case, the prophet also extends God's healing. In this sense, God offers a foreshadowing of John's baptizing people in the river Jordan. In fact, in chapter 6, the prophet Elisha saves lives and acts as a peace maker between Syria and Israel.
טהר ("tahar" meaning "cleanse, purify", 2 Kings 5:12, 13, 14) We saw this word back in Psalm 51. In Hebrew, this word is associated with pure metals (especially gold); it is often associated with ritual and ceremonial cleansing and furthermore, cleansed items used in worship. You could go a couple of ways here: First, that God's cleansing is like removal of dross from metal -- getting rid of the crap in our lives that we might be pure. Second, you could argue that the cleansing has a purpose (to be used in worship and service to God). Third, you could argue that ultimately forgiveness neats a ritual cleansing, including through washing with water or blood.
אראם ("aram" meaning "syrian" (2 Kings 5:1)) It is worth pointing out that ARAM is not a Jewish country. There are three vying kingdoms in the time of Elisha: Israel (Northern Kingdom, with its capital in Samaria), Judah (the Southern Kingdom, with its capital in Jerusalem) and Syria (with its capital in Damascus). They explicitly worship other gods and are routinely at war with the Israelites (and Judeans), as chapter 5 (see later in the passage too) makes clear. Given this reality...
* God still is soverign over their armies (2 Kings 5:1)
* God still is willing to hear their soliders - Namaan
* God is willing to forgive one of their army members for attending worship of another God because his job requires it. (2 Kings 5:18)
I found this text fascinating though in terms of my understanding of a prophet. Elisha's actions in chapter 5 and 6 offer a different vision -- a very Christ like vision -- of what it means to be a prophet and perhaps too, for this Sunday, a saint.
Key words:
נביה ("Niveah" meaning "prophet" (2 Kings 5:13)) Often times we think of prophets as those who either a) predict the future or b) bring down the judging word of God. In this case, the prophet also extends God's healing. In this sense, God offers a foreshadowing of John's baptizing people in the river Jordan. In fact, in chapter 6, the prophet Elisha saves lives and acts as a peace maker between Syria and Israel.
טהר ("tahar" meaning "cleanse, purify", 2 Kings 5:12, 13, 14) We saw this word back in Psalm 51. In Hebrew, this word is associated with pure metals (especially gold); it is often associated with ritual and ceremonial cleansing and furthermore, cleansed items used in worship. You could go a couple of ways here: First, that God's cleansing is like removal of dross from metal -- getting rid of the crap in our lives that we might be pure. Second, you could argue that the cleansing has a purpose (to be used in worship and service to God). Third, you could argue that ultimately forgiveness neats a ritual cleansing, including through washing with water or blood.
אראם ("aram" meaning "syrian" (2 Kings 5:1)) It is worth pointing out that ARAM is not a Jewish country. There are three vying kingdoms in the time of Elisha: Israel (Northern Kingdom, with its capital in Samaria), Judah (the Southern Kingdom, with its capital in Jerusalem) and Syria (with its capital in Damascus). They explicitly worship other gods and are routinely at war with the Israelites (and Judeans), as chapter 5 (see later in the passage too) makes clear. Given this reality...
* God still is soverign over their armies (2 Kings 5:1)
* God still is willing to hear their soliders - Namaan
* God is willing to forgive one of their army members for attending worship of another God because his job requires it. (2 Kings 5:18)
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