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January 27th, 2024

1/27/2024

This Sunday for many churches is the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany. And the Epiphany season is one of enlightenment (in the Jesus-centered sense of the word), manifestation, and good things like that. The Gospel text for this Sunday continues in the first chapter of the Gospel according to Mark (1:21-28), but we are going at our own pace through that gospel account on this website.

In these writings there has been a closer look at what is commonly termed as the historical present (where a past tense verb is expected, but a present tense is given). Sometimes those verbs would be connected to actions, and sometimes they would be connected to the action of speaking. They have appeared somewhat frequently during these last chapters we have been studying. But in the majority of this fourth chapter, they are not so frequent. That is because the emphasis is not so much on Jesus’ actions or his teaching, but the response to his teaching is now the focus, and it should not be surprising that this happens in the form of a parable. A parable—or a story with a point—would draw the followers of Jesus closer, and it would push the enemies even farther away.

Some significant things have already happened within these first three chapters. One may see this buildup in the use of another peculiarity within this gospel account, that of the use of the word ‘again’. Since it is used AGAIN at the beginning of this chapter, it may be helpful to see the use of the word ‘again’ in terms of teaching.

It is interesting that the first time Jesus goes to Capernaum, in the first chapter, he teaches in the synagogue, and the response, in a literal translation, is that they are ‘pounded out’ at his teaching (1:22). This is usually translated as being amazed. Then, ‘again’, he goes to Capernaum, in the second chapter, and this is the time that Jesus is so popular that he has a large crowd around him, and he ends up healing a paralyzed man, and the response at that time was that they ‘stood out’ (2:12), also often translated as being amazed. And, to top it all off, the popularity of Jesus continues to grow, and with all the unusual things happening around him, in Mark 3:21, it says that ‘those around him came out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is standing out.”’ It is the same word to define the previously amazed crowd in the previous chapter. (But in this case, it basically means that he is ‘beside himself’, i.e., crazy.)

It does not seem that Jesus and some of the people around him are ‘in’ with others and make a lot of special friendships. They are ‘out’ when it comes to lots of things. And this is especially true when it comes to Jesus. After all, Jesus did not come to be a friend to lots of people—or even to a few; he came to be the Savior for ALL. And he did that on a cross, outside of Jerusalem.

And there is a large continuum of response to what Jesus does in this fourfold gospel. And the parable that is given below is a good summary of the wide range of responses. And you might note that the crowd is ‘greatest’ at this time—and that word will not appear elsewhere within this gospel account.

So what follows is this author’s attempt at a somewhat-literal translation of the first part of that chapter (4:1-20; the one historical present within this text is in bold print; and you may wish to look at a study bible or another translation to help with the meaning):

And again, he began to teach along the sea; and it is assembled to him, a crowd, greatest, so that him, into a boat, having stepped in to sit, in the sea, and all the crowd, toward the sea, upon the land, they were. And he was teaching them in parables, many things, and he was saying to them in the teaching of him:

“Listen; look; he came out, the one sowing, to sow, and it happened, in the to sow, some fell along the way, and they came, the birds, and they devoured it. And other fell upon the rocky place where not it had earth, much, and immediately it sprang up, on account of the not-to-have depth of earth; and when it rose, the sun, it was scorched, and on account of the not-to-have root, it was withered. And other fell into the thorns, and they came up, the thorns, and they choked it, and fruit, not it gave. And others fell into the earth, the good, and it was giving fruit, coming up and growing, and it was bearing, one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred.” And he was saying, “Who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

And when he became according to alone, they were asking him, the ones around him, with the twelve, the parables. And he was saying to them, “To you, the mystery has been given of the kingdom of the God; now to those, the ones outside, in parables, the everything, it is; that seeing, they may see, and not perceive, and hearing, they may hear, and not understand, lest they may turn and it may be forgiven to them.”

And he says to them, “You do know, do you not, the parable, this? And how all the parables will you know?”

“The one sowing, the word he sows. Now those are the ones along the way, where it is sown, the word, and when they hear, immediately he comes, the Satan, and he takes the word, the one having been sown into them. And these are the ones upon the rocky places being sown, who, when they hear the word, immediately with joy they receive it, and not they have root in themselves, but on the contrary, temporary they are, then happening affliction or persecution on account of the word, immediately they are scandalized. And others are the ones into the thorns being sown; these are the ones, the word having heard, and the cares of the age and the deceitfulness of the riches and the about-the-other-things desires, entering into, they choke the word, and unfruitful it becomes. And those are the ones upon the earth, the good, having been sown, who hear the word, and they welcome, and they bear fruit, one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred.”

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January 21st, 2024

1/21/2024

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This Sunday for many churches is the Third Sunday after the Epiphany. But if some people are following the one-year series, this Sunday is The Transfiguration of Our Lord. How time seems to fly by so quickly!

In either situation, we are well into the season of Epiphany. And for the three-year series, the gospel readings for the rest of the season go back to the Gospel according to Mark, the first chapter, and they will progress on from there. (And if the season is long enough—which it is not this time—the texts will eventually be from the second chapter of that gospel account.) For this Sunday, the gospel text is Mark 1:14-20.

With the writings of this website, we started at the beginning of the Gospel according to Mark at the beginning of the church year, so we covered these parts of the beginning of this gospel account before. And since then, we have seen increasing use of the historical presents (when a verb is expected in the past but appears in the present), as well as the use of the word ‘again’ (the latter of which is not surprising).

Both of these characteristics fit with this gospel account being connected to the living creature of a lion on the Lord’s throne. A lion is often connected with kingship, and he has a certain amount of power and authority. Many of the lion’s moves are important, and they are watched by many—especially those who might be stalked by him, or also those who might benefit from his killing another animal. A lion also has a certain amount of territory in which he has authority, and that lion will go over that territory numerous times to do various things, but especially he will do that when he is hungry.

It is not too difficult to connect Jesus to that of the ‘king of the beasts’, the lion. But he definitely did not come to the earth to throw his weight around, to show off his power and authority, and even to kill others. Jesus will allow himself to be killed, and he will show his power and authority over sin when the time comes for him to be on his cross. Until then, his glory will be shown in very small and gentle ways. (Notice that it was not Jesus who received the name, ‘Son of Thunder’.)

The following is this writer’s attempt at a somewhat-literal translation of the rest of the third chapter of the Gospel according to Mark (3:13-35); you may wish to look at another translation or a study bible to help understand what is happening; and the historical presents, which are many, will be in bold print (and it is a crowd that comes together ‘again’):

And he goes up into the mountain, and he calls to the ones whom he, himself, wanted, and they came away toward him. And he made twelve, whom also “apostles” he named, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to proclaim and to have authority to throw out the demons. And he made the twelve, and he added a name to Simon—Peter, and Jacob, the one of Zebedee, and John, the brother of the Jacob, and he added to them a name—Boanerges, which is “Sons of Thunder”; and Andrew and Philip and Bartholomew and Matthew and Thomas and Jacob, the one of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot, who also gave him over.

And he comes into a house, and it comes together, again, the crowd, so that not to be able, them, not even bread to eat. And having heard, the ones near him, they came out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is standing out.”,

And the scribes, the ones from Jerusalem, having come down, they were saying, “Beelzebul, he has,” and, “In the ruler of the demons, he is throwing out the demons.”
And having called toward himself, them, in parables, he was saying to them, “How is he able, Satan, Satan, to throw out? And if a kingdom against itself, it is divided, not it is able to stand, the kingdom, that. And if a house, against itself, it is divided, not it will be able, the house, that, to stand. And if the Satan stood up against himself and he is divided, not he will be able to stand, but on the contrary, an end he has. But on the contrary, not he is able, no one, into the house of the strong one, having entered, the goods of him to plunder thoroughly, if not first, the strong one he binds, and then the house of him he will plunder thoroughly.”

“Amen, I am saying to you that all will be forgiven to the sons of the men, the sins and the blasphemies, whatever they may blaspheme. Now whoever blasphemes into the Spirit, the Holy, not he has forgiveness into the age, but on the contrary, guilty he is of an eternal sin.” Because they were saying, “A spirit, unclean, he has.”

And she comes, the mother of him and the brothers of him, and outside, standing, they sent toward him, calling him. And it was sitting around him, a crowd, and they say to him, “Behold, the mother of you and the brothers of you and the sisters of you, outside, they are seeking you.”

And having answered them, he says, “Who is the mother of me and the brothers of me?” And having looked around, the ones around him, in a circle, sitting, he says, “Behold, the mother of me and the brothers of me. For whoever does the will of the God, this one, brother of me and sister and mother, he is.”

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January 13th, 2024

1/13/2024

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This Sunday is the Second Sunday after Epiphany, and that number will increase over the next few weeks. The height of that number will depend upon the date of Easter, and that celebration is relatively early this year. For now, the manifestation (or ‘epiphany’) of Jesus continues, and that manifestation continues to be important. The Gospel text for this Sunday is near the beginning of the Gospel according to John (1:43-51), and in the writings of this website, we are somewhat near the beginning of the Gospel according to Mark.

If you have been with us in this gospel account, you have noticed the increased frequency of the historical presents (when a verb is expected in a past tense, but it is written in the present). So far, the majority of the verbs in the historical present have been the verb ‘to say’. And we have looked a bit more carefully at the verbs that are something other than that.

The beginning of this gospel account gets our attention when Jesus is ‘thrown out’ (1:12) into the wilderness. After that, Jesus, along with some disciples, ‘enter’ into a synagogue, and the reaction is significant. After that synagogue, some different people come to him. A leper ‘comes’ (1:40), and those carrying the paralyzed man ‘come’ (2:3). And some significant reactions come after those two healings.

The coming and the saying of people toward Jesus at the beginning of the text below is another heightening. But one could also say that this heightening is different from the previous reactions. With the first miracle of healing the leper, Jesus is the focus of the reaction (1:45), and with the second healing, the healing of the paralytic, God is more the focus (2:7, 12). Now, in a not-so-obvious way, Jesus puts those two reactions together, using just some words. It is as if he is using a parable of a man and woman in marriage, to reference the great significance of God and man coming together in Jesus.

With this picture language, using various items, Jesus is pointing out his great significance, but in a very hidden way. A more obvious way, a way other than this picture language, that would show his divine power with some powerful miracles, but that would just scare people away. Jesus uses a more hidden way, using just a few words, and that shows his love. And to those who already believe in him, that would draw them closer. This new way of God, this ‘new testament’, is certainly significant. But it was not entirely clear at the time it was happening.

There is also the appearance of the word ‘again’, and we find Jesus doing similar things, but the level of the reaction to Jesus’ words and actions increases significantly. We certainly find that happening below in that synagogue, at the beginning of what is typically called chapter three.

Within this brief encounter in that synagogue, you will get a good idea of how high the tension really is. This is a very early and very significant hatred of Jesus. And within the actions of Jesus, you can see some of the traits of a lion who is moving around in his territory with some definite authority. He knows when to attack, and he knows when to refrain from attacking. He knows what he is doing.

The following attempt at a somewhat-literal translation of Mark 2:18-3:12 has the historical presents in bold print (and you may want to look up some of the parts in a study bible or in another translation, to help with understanding the text):

And they were, the disciples of John and the Pharisees, fasting; and they come and they say to him, “Because of what, the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, now the ones of you, disciples, not they fast?”

And he said to them, the Jesus, “Not they are able, the sons of the bridechamber, in which the bridegroom with them, he is, to fast? As much as time they have, the bridegroom with them, not they are able, to fast. Now they will come, days, when he is taken away from them, the bridegroom, and then they will fast in that, the day. No one a patch of cloth, unshrunk, he sews on a garment, old; now if not, it lifts, the fullness, from itself, the new, from the old, and a worse schism happens. And no one throws wine, new, into wineskins, old; now if not, it will burst, the wine, the wineskins, and the wine is destroyed and the wineskins. But on the contrary, wine, young, into wineskins, new.”

And it happened, he, in the Sabbaths, to go along, through the grainfields, and the disciples of him, they began, a way to make, plucking the grain-heads. And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why they do on the Sabbaths what not is permitted?”

And he says to them, “Never did you read what he did, David, when need he had, and he was hungry, himself, and the ones with him, how he entered into the house of the God, upon Abiathar, high priest, and the Breads of the Presentation, he ate, which not is permitted to eat, if not the priests, and he gave also to the ones with him, being?” And he was saying to them, “The Sabbath, on account of the man, it happened, and not the man on account of the Sabbath; so as Lord is the Son of the Man, also of the Sabbath.”
And he entered again into the synagogue. And he was there, a man, having been withered, having the hand; and they scrutinized him, if on the Sabbath he will heal him, that they might accuse him.

And he says to the man, to the withered hand having, “Rise, into the middle.”

And he says to them, “Is it permitted on the Sabbath, good to do or to do evil, life to save or to kill?” Now the ones were silent.

And having looked around at them with anger, being greatly grieved upon the hardness of the heart of them, he says to the man, “Stretch out the hand.” And he stretched out, and it was restored, the hand of him.

And having come out, the Pharisees immediately, with the Herodians, counsel they were giving against him, how him they should destroy.

And the Jesus, with the disciples of him, departed toward the sea; and a great multitude from the Galilee, they followed, and from the Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from the Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon, multitude, a great, hearing what things he was doing, they came toward him.

And he said to the disciples of him that a boat must remain for him, because of the crowd, that not they should press on him; for many he healed, so as to fall upon him, that him they might touch, as many as they had torments. And the spirits, the unclean, whenever him they beheld, they were falling before him, and they were crying out saying, “You, yourself, are the Son of the God.” And much he was warning them, that not him, known, they make.

The importance of the word ‘again’ was mentioned above, and it is not a bad thing to mention it AGAIN, especially since it appears in the text AGAIN, and it will continue to do so. Jesus can do the same things again and again, but there is a benefit to that. We sin again and again, and the benefit of that is that Jesus forgives. And it is the job of the pastor to pass that good news along. And as a lion covers his territory, Jesus covers the territory of sin.

It also should not be surprising that Jesus got angry. That is the first time that word is used within this gospel account. And it is the only time that word is used. That will not happen again, but, in other books of the New Testament, there is often talk of the wrath of God or the coming wrath.

Anger gets the attention of people. And that is not a bad thing, especially if the people in need of help are focused on something that is not very helpful. That is like having a hard heart. To be focused on the rule not to work on the Sabbath when they were speaking to the One who is our true Sabbath Rest is a definite focus on the wrong thing, ultimately the exalted self. Thanks be to Jesus for being willing to be lifted upon the cross for all the exalted-self sin.

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January 6th, 2024

1/6/2024

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One of the names for this Sunday is the First Sunday after Epiphany, and the other name that is a bit more familiar is ‘The Baptism of Our Lord’. The season of Epiphany started with the visit of the magi, Jesus being made known to some significant others. And remembering the baptism of Jesus is a good component of that season, a reminder of Jesus’ desired proximity to the sinfulness of human flesh.

With the writings of this website, we are going through the Gospel according to Mark, according to our own pace. The brief description of Jesus’ baptism was covered a few weeks ago. And our own pace has us, with this week’s writing, beginning chapter two of the text. And we will come upon a word that shows for the first time in the first few words of our text, and it will stay with us until near the end of the book. It is the word translated as ‘again’.

Many people associate the word ‘again’ with boredom. But that is certainly not the case here. Things that are done ‘again’ are never EXACTLY the same. There is a benefit attached to repetition. And there is included with a repetition, some type of progression, a significant movement forward in some special way.

Jesus has a limited time on earth. There is still some time for repetition. You could say that there is a method to his … movement.

You may note that, with the first time the word ‘again’ appears, Jesus is going back to Capernaum, the same place where he was before, with the same disciples. But things are not the same.

You might want to make a note of the reaction of the people. Before this, the reaction of the people was that Jesus was popular and that he had power over the unclean spirits. But now the reaction of the people brings God into the issue. The question is a good one: Who is able to forgive sins, to release us from sins, except God? Bringing God into the conversation is a significant step forward. And both the paralytic and the tax collector will rise at the words of Jesus.

So, what follows is my attempt at a somewhat-literal translation of what is commonly known as the second chapter of the Gospel according to Mark, basically the first half of that chapter (and the historical presents—a present tense verb where a past tense is expected—will be in bold print; and you may wish to look in a study bible or other translations for a more detailed study of a particular part of this text, Mark 2:1-17):

And having entered again into Capernaum, through days, it was heard that, in house, he is. And, were assembled, many, so that, no longer, to have room, not even, the ones toward the door, and he was speaking to them the word.

And they come, bringing toward him a paralytic, being carried by four. And not being able to bring near to him, because of the crowd, they unroofed the roof where he was, and having dug out, they lower the mattress where the paralytic was lying. And having seen, the Jesus, the faith of them, he says to the paralytic, “Child, they are forgiven, of you, the sins.”

Now they were, some of the scribes there, sitting and dialoguing in the hearts of them, “Why this one, thus speaks? He blasphemes! Who is able to forgive sins, except One, the God?”

And straightway, having known, the Jesus, in the spirit of him, that thus they dialogue in themselves, he says to them, “Why these things you dialogue in the hearts of you? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘They are forgiven of you, the sins’, or to say, ‘Rise and take the mattress of you and walk’? Now that you may know that authority, he has, the Son of the Man, to forgive sins upon the earth,” he says to the paralytic, “To you, I say, ‘Rise, take up the mattress of you, and go into the house of you.’”

And he arose and straightway, having taken up the mattress, he came out before all, so as to be stood out, all, and to glorify the God, saying, “Thus, never, we saw.”

And he came out, again, beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming toward him, and he was teaching them. And passing beside, he saw Levi, the one of the Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office, and he says to him, “Follow me.” And rising, he followed him. And it happens, to recline, he, in the house of him, and many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with the Jesus and the disciples of him, for they were many, and they were following him.

And the scribes of the Pharisees, having seen that he eats with the sinners and tax collectors, they were saying to the disciples of him, “With the tax collectors and sinners does he eat?!”

And having heard, the Jesus, he says to them, “Not a need they have, the ones being strong, of a physician, but on the contrary, the ones bad having. Not I came to call righteous ones, but on the contrary, sinners.”

With the talk of doing things again, the following point, in all likelihood, was not the first thing that came to your mind, but a lion is known to be highly territorial and will cover only a certain amount of territory for its food and other needs. And as a lion will use its ability to roar to cover its territory, there is often the verb ‘to say’ to give some type of authority within the situation. Jesus will often use his ability to speak within the text to show his authority in a relatively gentle way. (The almighty God could choose a much more powerful way to get the attention of everyone.) And the response of people to Jesus’ words and actions is significantly increasing. And that will continue on next week.

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