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July 27th, 2024

7/27/2024

This Sunday’s title, the ‘Tenth Sunday after Pentecost’, continues the progression away from the festival of Pentecost. And this Sunday’s Gospel reading of Mark 6:45-56 progresses along toward the cross within the Gospel according to Mark. The writings that are given on this website progress much the same way, with the same Gospel account, but we are much further along within that account.

The last part of last week’s writing could be called the institution of the Lord’s Supper. After that event, the text contains the information that a hymn was sung, and then the group went out to the Mount of Olives. That amount of information was left for this week’s writing.

This week’s writing will contain all the information that is available from this account regarding the disciples’ time with Jesus in that special Garden on that special night. It is interesting that all three similar accounts point out that the arresting party comes while Jesus is still speaking. (Please feel free to compare Matthew 26:47, Mark 14:43, and Luke 22:47.)

This is an important time. These are important words. But they are cut off; they end. And that is much the same thing with the four gospel accounts. They do not have additions. We do not have six gospel accounts now. The four work very well together. It also could be said that the teachings have limited importance. But the sacrifice of the God-man is all-important. It may be rude to interrupt someone who is talking, but this qualifies as a very important event.

It should also be noted, for those who are new to these writings, that there are a lot of words in bold print. These are historical presents, when a verb could be in the past tense, but it is given in the present. These verbs have to do with authority and glory, who Jesus is and what he came to do. They also connect with the meaning of a throne for a king.

The translation that follows may be called ‘somewhat-literal’, and the text is what may be called Mark 14:26-42 (and you may wish to look at other translations and study bibles for additional help with this text):

And having sung a hymn, they came out into the Mount of the Olives. And he says to them, the Jesus, “All you will be scandalized, that it has been written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep, they will be scattered.’ But on the contrary, after the, to be raised, me, I will go before you into the Galilee.”

Now the Peter responded to him, “If also all, they will be scandalized, but on the contrary, not I.”

And he says to him, the Jesus, “Amen, I am saying to you, today, in this, the night, before the twice, a rooster to sound, three times, me, you will deny.”

Now the one, more exceedingly he was speaking, “If it is necessary me, to die with you, certainly not you, I will deny.” Now, similarly, also all, they were saying.

And they come into a place of which the name, Gethsemane, and he says to the disciples of him, “Sit here while I pray.” And he takes along the Peter and the Jacob and the John with him, and he began to be marveled out and to be distressed, and he says to them, “Very grieved is the soul of me, until death; remain here and watch.”

And having come forward a little, he was falling upon the ground, and he was praying that, if possible it is, it might come by from him, the hour, and he was saying, “Abba, the Father, all possible for you; remove the cup, this, from me; but on the contrary, not what I, myself, am wanting, but on the contrary, what you….”

And he comes and he finds them sleeping, and he says to the Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? You did, did you not have the power, one hour to watch? Watch and pray, that not you come into temptation; on the one hand, the spirit, eager; on the other hand, the flesh, weak.”

And again, having come away, he prayed the same word, having said. And again, having come, he found them sleeping, for they were, of them, the eyes, being weighed down, and not they knew what they should answer him.

And he comes the third, and he says to them, “Sleep the now and rested? It is enough; it came, the hour; see, he is betrayed, the Son of the Man, into the hands of the sinners. Rise, let us go; see, the one betraying me has drawn near.”

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July 2oth, 2024

7/20/2024

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This Sunday’s title is the ‘Ninth Sunday after Pentecost’. This Sunday’s Gospel reading of Mark 6:30-44 follows last week’s reading. And with the writings of this website, we are continuing our progression in that same way, within that same Gospel account, but with these writings we are getting much closer to the end.

The translation below is what may be called a ‘somewhat-literal translation’, and it may be helpful to look in other translations and/or a good study bible to increase your comprehension of the text. This translation is designed to give you a somewhat-closer familiarity with the Greek. The text itself is ultimately designed to give you Jesus. The words in bold print are what is typically called ‘historical presents’, and in this case, they all ultimately point to that all-important one, Jesus. What follows is Mark 14:12-21:

And in the first day of the unleavened, when the Passover, they were sacrificing, they say to him, the disciples of him: “Where you want, having come out, we should prepare, that you may eat the Passover?” And he sends out two of the disciples of him, and he says to them, “Go into the city, and he will meet you, a man, a jar of water, carrying; follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the house-despot, ‘The teacher says, “Where is the guest room of me, where the Passover with the disciples of me, I may eat?”’ And he, to you, he will show an upper room, mega, having been spread, ready; and there, prepare for us.” And they came out, the disciples, and they came into the city, and they found just as he said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

And evening, having happened, he comes with the twelve. And reclining, they, and eating, the Jesus said: “Amen, I am saying to you that one from you will betray me, the one eating with me.”

They began to be sad and to say to him, one by one: “Not I?”

Now the one said to them, “One of the twelve, the one dipping with me into the one dish. Because, on the one hand, the Son of the Man goes as it has been written about him; on the other hand, woe to the man, that, through whom the Son of the Man is betrayed; good for him if not he was born, the man, that.”

And eating, they, having taken a loaf, having blessed, he broke, and he gave to them, and he said, “Take; this is the body of me.” And having taken a cup, having given thanks, he gave to them, and they drank of it, all. And he said to them, “This is the blood of me, of the covenant, the being poured out on behalf of many. Amen, I am saying to you that no more, certainly not, will I drink of the fruit of the vine until the day, that, when it, I drink, new, in the Kingdom of the God.”

It is interesting that the last part of this text, the institution of the Lord’s Supper, has no historical presents. This is different. This is a special gift, and it comes in a very special way.

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July 13th, 2024

7/13/2024

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This Sunday’s title is the ‘Eighth Sunday after Pentecost’ [and the Gospel reading follows last week’s reading, this week’s reading being Mark 6:14-29; and this progression will continue for a while]. And within the writings of this website, we are continuing our progression in that same way, within that same Gospel account, but we are significantly later in the book. With this writing we are on chapter fourteen. And you might say that this is the beginning of the end.

If you are familiar with the writings of this website, you would guess that the following text is translated in what may be termed a ‘somewhat-literal translation’, and you would be right. But even if you are familiar with these writings, you may find it helpful to look in other translations and/or a good study bible to increase your comprehension of the text. What follows is Mark 14:1-11:

Now it was the Passover and the unleavened, after two days. And they were seeking, the archpriests and the scribes, how him, in trickery, having seized, they should kill. For they were saying, “Not in the feast, lest there will be a riot of the people.”

And being, he, in Bethany, in the house of Simon, the leper, reclining, he; she came, a woman, having an alabaster vial of ointment, of nard, of pure, of costly; having shattered the alabaster vial, she poured over, of him, the head. Now there were some, being angry to themselves: “Into what, the waste, this, of the ointment, has happened? For it was possible, this, the ointment, to be sold, over denarii, three hundred, and to be given to the poor.” And they were snorting at her.

Now the Jesus said, “Leave her; why to her, troubles, you cause? A good work she worked in me. For always the poor, you have with yourselves, and whenever you want, you are able, to them, good, to do; now me, not always, you have. What she had, she did; she anticipated to anoint the body of me, into the burial. Now amen, I am saying to you, wherever it is proclaimed, the gospel, into all the world, also what she did, this one, will be spoken into a remembrance of her.”

And Judas Iscariot, the one of the twelve, he came out toward the archpriests, that him, he might betray to them. Now the ones having heard, they rejoiced, and they promised him, silver, to give. And he was seeking how him, well-timed, he should betray.

Did you know that snorting is a very close thing to being angry? There are a lot of ways to state anger. And if there a lot of words for something, it is probably an important or well-used topic. And there are a lot of ways God could state his anger over sin.

Now there are certainly a lot of words for good news. And it was mentioned before that in the above text is the last time the word ‘gospel’ is used within this account (although the longer ending also contains the word). But that will be covered in the future, at the end of the church year (God willing).

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July 6th, 2024

7/6/2024

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You probably guessed it. This Sunday’s title is the ‘Seventh Sunday after Pentecost’ [with the Gospel text being Mark 6:1-13]. And within these writings we are continuing our progression within the Gospel according to Mark, and we are doing that in the way that it was laid out by the writer. And with this writing we are finishing up with what is typically called chapter thirteen.

Jesus is continuing his talk about the ‘end times’. But this topic is in a slight contrast to what was spoken before, with Jesus giving some details about the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. And this slight change in subject may be seen in the strong use of the word ‘but’, translated below as ‘but on the contrary’. That word is not used too often.

It probably should be noted as well that the word translated as ‘suddenly’, near the end of the section below, is the only time that word is used within this gospel account. There seem to be a lot of Greek words for things happening quickly (see also Mark 9:8).

This sermon in chapter thirteen is, by far, the longest section of Jesus simply talking within the Gospel according to Mark. But anytime that Jesus talks, it is not simple; it is important. And when this gospel account begins with saying that this is the ‘beginning’ of the Gospel, that is a significant starting point. And this chapter may be one of the closest things to an ending point, mainly because the regular ending of this account may leave a person hanging [spoiler alert!].

There are a lot of ways in which a text may be translated. Here is what may be termed a ‘somewhat-literal translation’ of Mark 13:24-37 [and you may find it helpful to look in other translations and/or a good study bible to increase your comprehension of the text]:

“But on the contrary, in those, the days, after the affliction, that; the sun will be darkened, and the moon, not, it will give the light of it, and the stars will be out of the heaven, falling, and the powers, the ones in the heavens, they will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of the Man coming in clouds with power, much, and glory.

And then he will send out the angels and they will assemble upon the eclectic of him, out of the four winds from extremity of earth, until extremity of heaven. Now from the fig tree, learn the parable: When already the branch of it, tender, it becomes, and it puts out the leaves, you know that near, the summer is; so also you, when you see these things happening, you know that near, he is, at gates. Amen, I am saying to you that certainly not, it will pass away, the generation, this, until which these things, all, happen. The heavens and the earth, they will pass away, now the words of me, certainly not, they will pass away.

Now concerning the day, that, or the hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, not even the Son, if not the Father. Look; be awake, for not you know when the time is. As a man, away from home, having left the house of him, and having given to the slaves of him, the authority, to each the work of him, and to the doorkeeper, he commanded that he should watch. Therefore watch, for not you know when the lord of the house, he comes, either late or at midnight or at cockcrow or early; lest having come suddenly, he finds you sleeping. Now the to you, I am saying, to all I am saying, watch.”

In last week’s writing this writer had made the point that this was one of the last times that the word ‘gospel’ was given in this account. Obviously it appears many times within the epistles. And it is another time within the longer ending of this account. But the word ‘gospel’ is rare in this account. And that could be said also of the word ‘glory’. That is the last time the word will be used within this account (and the only other times it is used in this entire account are at 10:37 and 8:38).

That word ‘glory’ has to do with ramifications. And it could be said again—because we do not have to deal with this too often—a king’s throne also has to do with glory. The throne often details the ramifications of the person who usually sits on that throne. We usually think of chairs as a place of rest. This type of ‘chair’ is much more significant. And when it comes to the One who is sitting on that very special ‘chair’, that is certainly significant. It all depends on him.

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