June 11th, 2023

This Sunday starts the numbering of the Sundays after Pentecost, and since Trinity Sunday was last Sunday, this Sunday will be the Second Sunday after Pentecost. Last Sunday’s Old Testament Reading happened to be extremely long and covered the entirety of the first chapter of Genesis, and last week’s writing for ‘A Sabbath Day’s Journey’ was also extremely long since it covered the entirety of Jesus’ third sermon in the Gospel according to Matthew, almost the whole of what is known as chapter thirteen of that biblical book. It was promised in this week’s writing that there will be a look back at the structure of that chapter, and a great number of the connecting phrases that were given in bold print last week will be put together in an attempt to see the text’s structure.

This is obviously a structure beyond what is called the chapter and verses of a text. But it is also an attempt to go too far and impose a structure on the text that is artificial or that does not fit with the purpose of such a writing.

A fundamental structural characteristic that may be seen in such a gospel account may be seen in the type of living creature that is typically connected to this gospel account, that of a man. Although this has been mentioned before, it may be useful to go over what are the first words of a man recorded in the Old Testament, that of Adam’s first words about Eve. Here is Genesis 2:23 (given in a somewhat-literal translation):

And he said, the man, “This, the now, bone from bones of me, and flesh, from flesh of me; to this she shall be called ‘woman’, specificity, from man, she was taken, this.”

It may be difficult to see such a thing in such a translation, but in the original language there are a total of thirteen words in what the man speaks, and the first word is ‘This’, the seventh or middle word is ‘to this’, and the last word is also ‘this’.

A slight similarity may be made to the structure of the seven parables that are given in this middle sermon of Jesus in the Gospel according to Matthew. What follows are some of the things that were highlighted in last week’s writing of that chapter, combined with a numbering of each parable, along with a few extra words to help understand the message and its context (and these words are also given in a somewhat-literal translation):

And he [Jesus] was speaking to them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, he went out, the one sowing, to sow…. NUMBER ONE

The one having ears, let him hear.”

Another parable he set before them, saying, “It was likened, the kingdom of the heavens, to a man sowing good seed in the field of him…. NUMBER TWO

Another parable he set before them, saying, “Like is the kingdom of the heavens to a grain of mustard…. NUMBER THREE

Another parable he was speaking to them, “Like is the kingdom of the heavens to leaven, which, taking, a woman hid in, of meal, measures three, until it was leavened, the whole…. NUMBER FOUR

These things, all, he was speaking, the Jesus, in parables to the crowds, and without a parable, nothing, he was speaking to them….

Then, dismissing the crowds, he came into the house….

…there it will be, the wailing and the gnashing of the teeth.

The one having ears, let him hear.”

“Like it is, the kingdom of the heavens, to treasure…. NUMBER FIVE

“Again, like it is, the kingdom of the heavens, to a man…. NUMBER SIX

“Again, like it is, the kingdom of the heavens, to a net…. NUMBER SEVEN

….there it will be, the wailing and the gnashing of the teeth.”

“Do you understand these things, all?” They say to him, “Yes.”

Now he said to them, “On account of this, every scribe, discipled in the kingdom of the heavens, like it is to a man, a housemaster, who throws out of the treasure of him new and old things.”

Here is a very basic summary of what was given above, given in a way which may be easier to see a connection to the first words of the man in Genesis.

1. SPEAKING … LET HIM HEAR

2. SET BEFORE THEM

3. SET BEFORE THEM

4. SPEAKING (REPEATED!) … THEN … WAILING AND TEETH-GNASHING … LET HIM HEAR

5. LIKE IT IS

6. LIKE IT IS

7. LIKE IT IS … WAILING AND TEETH-GNASHING

In the summary above, there seems to be a type of progression starting with speaking, then someone having ears to hear, then someone (hopefully) avoiding the wailing and gnashing of the teeth. There are significant points made at the beginning, middle, and end of this text. And although there is an ending here with a significant amount of negativity, it should be stated that this is not the end, given the context of this text. This is, after all, only the middle sermon of Jesus. And also, after the seven parables, the ending of Jesus’ words gives a very positive picture of the treasures of one of his disciples, one who has a variety of treasures, both new and old ones. In much the same way, both the New and Old Testaments continue to show us the treasures of an amazingly gracious God.
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He is a God who certainly has the attention of many. But in some situations that attention does not last too long. Next week’s writing will look at a significantly lower level of attention.