August 12th, 2023

We continue on within the season of Pentecost, and this Sunday is typically called the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost. The Gospel Reading for this Sunday is again from what is typically called the fourteenth chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew [14:22-33], and it immediately follows what was last week’s text. For this website, last week’s writings went over what was typically called the eighteenth chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew, and so, since this next section that immediately follows is the start of a non-sermon section, it may be helpful to see a bigger picture to what is involved in this gospel account.

The whole of the Gospel according to Matthew is said to have five sermons, and the fourth one is said to be chapter eighteen. The last ‘intermission’ between sermons (and being composed of chapters fourteen through seventeen) had a distinctive ‘from then’ [16:21], and that began the final section of this gospel account, that of the long journey of Jesus to the cross. So, if that journey has already been made clear, what does this next non-sermon section accomplish? In particular, what is Jesus doing before his last sermon?

Various verbs have been ‘highlighted’ through the use of the historical present (when one is expecting a past-tense verb, but it appears in the present), and by far the most common word that has been used is the verb ‘to say’. And in the earlier chapters, after the first sermon, it is usually Jesus who is doing that verb. After the middle sermon, other people are connected to that verb, until we have the so-called ‘transfiguration’, where Jesus does the verbs in the historical present to take up the disciples to a very special place and time. Now we are back to others doing the verbs, and this is happening much more frequently.

What follows, therefore, is a somewhat-literal translation of the nineteenth chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew. The words in bold print are the historical presents. You may wish to note the small number of times that Jesus is the one speaking the historical present. But when he does speak, he does so with authority. Below Jesus is speaking the historical present only when he speaks of the authority of Moses—the guy with which he had the recent transfiguration event! Jesus is gradually lessening his role as speaker, but he is getting closer to his role as savior. And he is doing that with authority. Here, then, is chapter nineteen [verses 1-30]:

And it happened when he ended, the Jesus, the words, these, he departed from the Galilee, and he came into the borders of the Judea, across the Jordan. And they followed him, crowds, many, and he healed them there. And they approached him, Pharisees, tempting him and saying, “If it is lawful a man to release the wife of him for every case?”

Now he, answering, said, “You did read that the one creating from beginning, male and female, he made them, did you not?” And he said, “For the sake of this, he will leave, a man, the father and the mother, and he will join to the wife of him, and they will be, the two, into flesh, one. So no longer they are two, but on the contrary, flesh, one. Therefore, what the God yoked together, a man not let separate.”

They say to him, ‘Therefore, why Moses did command to give a book of o divorce certificate and to release her?’

He says to them, “Moses, toward the hardheartedness of you, he allowed you to release the wives of you; now from beginning, not it has been so. Now I am saying to you that whoever releases the wife of him, not for fornication, and he marries another, he commits adultery.

They say to him, the disciples of him, “If so is the case of the man with the wife, not it is better to marry.”

Now he said to them, “Not all comprehend the word, this, but on the contrary, to whom it has been given. For there are eunuchs who, from womb of a mother, they were born so, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by the men, and there are eunuchs who made eunuchs themselves because of the kingdom of the heavens. The one being able to receive, let him receive.”

Then they were brought to him, children, that the hands he might place upon them and pray. Now the disciples rebuked them. Now the Jesus said, “Allow the children, and not prevent them to come to me; for of such is the kingdom of the heavens.” And placing upon the hands, them, he went from there.

And, behold, one approaching him said, “Teacher, who good thing should I do that I may have life eternal?”

Now he said to him, “Why me, you question about the good? One is the good; now if you want into the life to enter, keep the commandments.”

He says to him, “Which?”

Now the Jesus said, “The not you will kill; Not you will commit adultery, not you will steal, not you will bear false witness, honor the father and the mother, and you will love the neighbor of you as yourself.”

He says to him, the young man. “All these things I have guarded. What still do I lack?”
He said to him, the Jesus, “If you want, perfect to be, go, sell of you the possessions and give to poor, and you will have treasure in heavens, and come, follow me.” Now, hearing, the young man, the word, he went away, grieving, for he was having properties, many.

Now the Jesus said to the disciples of him, “Amen, I am saying to you that a rich man, with difficulty will enter into the kingdom of the heavens. Now, again, I am saying to you, easier it is a camel through an eye of a needle to enter, than a rich man to enter into the kingdom of the God.”

Now, hearing, the disciples were astounded greatly saying, “Who then is able to be saved?”

Now, looking upon, the Jesus, he said to them, “With men, this impossible is, now with God, all things, possible.”

Then, answering, the Peter said to him, “Behold, we, ourselves have left all and followed you; what then will be to us?”
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Now the Jesus said to them, “Amen, I am saying to you that you, the ones having followed me, in the regeneration, when he sits, the Son of the Man, upon a throne of glory of him, you will sit, also, yourselves, on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of the Israel. And all who left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for the sake of the name of me, a hundredfold he will receive and life, eternal, he will inherit. Now many will be first, last, and last, first.”