July 29th, 2023

This Sunday is usually called the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, and the Gospel Reading that is attached to this Sunday continues in what is usually called chapter thirteen of the Gospel according to Matthew. But the text is only the last few verses of that chapter [44-52], and then we will move on to the next chapter this next Sunday.

When it comes to the writings of this website, we are a bit farther ahead in this gospel account. Last week we covered ‘the metamorphosis’ (usually called ‘the transfiguration’), and this week we are continuing with the last few verses of what is usually called chapter seventeen in the Gospel according to Matthew [17:14-27].

What follows is a somewhat-literal translation of what transpires after Jesus comes down from that (quite literally) mountaintop experience with his three closest disciples. Now the historical presents are when a verb should appear in something like the past tense, but it appears in the present. They have been appearing with some regularity in this account, and they will appear in bold print within the following text:

And coming toward the crowd, he approached him, a man, falling on knees to him and saying, “Lord, pity, of me, the son, because he is moonstruck and badly, he suffers; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to the disciples of you, and not they were able, him, to heal.”

Now, answering, the Jesus said, “O generation, faithless and having been perverted, until when, with you, shall I be? Until when shall I endure you? Bring to me, him, here.” And he rebuked it, the Jesus, and it came out from him, the demon, and he was healed, the boy, from the hour, that.

Then, approaching, the disciples, to Jesus, according to their own, they said, “Why we, not were able to throw out it?”

Now the one says to them, “Because of the few-faith of you. For, amen, I am saying to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard, you will say to the mountain, this, ‘Remove from here, there,’ and it will be removed. And nothing will be impossible to you.”

Now, gathering together, they, in the Galilee, he said to them, the Jesus, “Is about, the Son of the Man, to be delivered over into hands of men, and they will kill him, and in the third day, he will be raised.” And they grieved greatly.

Now, coming, they, into Capernaum, they approached, the ones the didrachmas taking, to Peter, and they said, “The teacher of you, not pays the didrachma?”

He says, “Yes.”

And coming into the house, he preceded him, the Jesus, saying, “What to you, it seems, Simon?” The kings of the earth, from whom do they take toll or poll-tax? From the sons of them, or from the strangers?”

Now, saying, “From the strangers.”

He said to him, the Jesus, “Then, indeed, free are the sons. Now that not, we may scandalize them, going into sea, throw a hook, and the coming up, first fish, take. And opening the mouth of it, you will find a stater; that, taking, give to them for me and you.”

The two previous historical presents were significant in that they were not of the verb, ‘to say’. That is by far the most common verb in this gospel account. These two verbs had to do with the so-called ‘transfiguration’ were ‘to take with’ and ‘to lead up’. These historical presents are in contrast with the ones that are in the text when the devil was tempting Jesus, way back in chapter four, where he ‘takes’ Jesus to some high places and tries to get him to think about a kingdom that had more to do with power than love.

This ‘mount of metamorphosis’ is an important one and a very positive one. And the previous historical present to this mountaintop experience was also a positive situation, where Jesus first asked the disciples about what people are saying about his identity, and then HE SAYS a question, asking the disciples for a response. And Peter gives a very positive answer (see Matthew 16:16).

Now before that, there are some negative contexts for the historical presents. Jesus first fed the five thousand with just a little to start with (see Matthew 14:13ff), and when it comes to feeding four thousand, the historical presents are connected to the statements that the disciples do not think that they have too much to work with—even when they have the Son of God right there with them (see Matthew 15:32ff). The historical present before that has to do with the disciples saying to Jesus that he offended some important religious leaders, and before that, those religious leaders are coming to Jesus and asking why his disciples are doing some bad things (also see Matthew 15:1ff).

We are heading toward the end of this gospel account. But now things are different. Now Jesus is different—since he just recently appeared with his face as the sun and his garments, white as light. Obviously that change was not permanent. But it certainly changed things.

You may wish to think of this ‘transfiguration’ as a new teaching point. This event may also be compared to the creation account, where the first day is when light was created (see Genesis 1). This day is often overlooked, since the sun will be created later in the week. But having the creation of light, completely distinct from (and before the creation of) the sun, that is a good reminder of what is truly important in this life.

These historical presents that happen after ‘the light’ could be called negative as well. The disciples were not able to cast out the evil spirit, and Peter is confronted regarding the issue of Jesus paying his taxes. Despite that, positive changes continue to happen. The positive ramifications continue, and good things continue to happen despite all the negative. And A LOT more of that will be seen. (And a lot of that is seen today.)
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