May 6th, 2023

This Sunday continues our celebration of Easter, and it is called ‘The Fifth Sunday of Easter’, and we will continue to enjoy the broader perspective that usually comes with the Gospel according to John. The Gospel Reading is John 14:1-14, and at the start of it there is a small glimpse into what the Father’s house will be like.

As that gospel text is not too far from the literary middle of that gospel account, at the end of chapter twelve, last week’s weekly writing made the point that a midpoint may be a significant point within a sermon or a narrative. And since the midpoint is often overlooked in modern culture, with an emphasis at the beginning to catch the person’s attention or an emphasis at the end to make the whole thing memorable, midpoints can be extremely important for both the progression and the ultimate meaning of the work. The point was made last week that the middle and end of this sermon and other parts of this account may reflect the coming of Jesus, that one could say that he came at both the middle and end of time. But simply the middle may be an important point by itself.

As the middle and the end occurrence of the word ‘Father’ are important in the first sermon of Jesus, the middle word of the Lord’s Prayer, by itself, is significant. There is no history to this word, and it is usually translated as ‘daily’. All the other words are known. The very first and last words are especially familiar, being ‘Father’ and ‘evil’. But this middle word is, in a way, huge. What kind of bread will we receive from ‘Our Father’?

Jesus, in this second sermon, is clearly instructing his disciples. And he gave them a lot of commands. What is interesting about the commands within this sermon of Jesus is that the gentle commands, the third-person commands, are the middle commands. Commands are usually in the second person and a ‘you’ is understood (although not usually stated). In this case the middle command and the command immediately after it are the only gentle, the third-person commands.

Before that list of all the commands within this sermon can be given, it might be important to give the second half of the sermon. There are only a few commands within this part of the sermon, but there are still some important things to say within it. Here is the second half of the sermon, given in a somewhat-literal translation (Matthew 10:24-42):

“Not is a disciple above the teacher nor a slave above the lord of him. Enough for the disciple that he become as the teacher of him, and the slave as the lord of him. If the housemaster ‘Beelzebul’ they called, how much more the household members of him.”
“Therefore, do not fear them; for nothing is, having been veiled, which not, will be unveiled, and hidden which not, will be made known. What I am saying to you in the darkness, say in the light; and what into the ear you hear, proclaim on the housetops.”

“And do not fear from the ones killing the body, now the soul not having power to kill. Now fear, rather, the one having power both soul and body to destroy in Gehenna. Two sparrows of a farthing are sold, are they not? And one of them not will fall on the earth without the Father of you. Now of you, also the hairs of the head, all numbered, they are.”

“Therefore, do not fear; many sparrows you, yourself, excel. Therefore, all who will confess in me before the men, I myself also will confess in him before the Father of me, in the heavens; now whoever denies me before the men, I myself also will deny him before the Father of me, in the heavens.”

“Do not suppose that I came to throw peace upon the earth; I came not to throw peace, but on the contrary, a sword. For I came to divide a man against the father of him, and a daughter against the mother of her, and a bride against the mother-in-law of her. And enemies of the man, the household members of him.”

“The [brotherly] loving father or mother beyond me is not, of me, worthy. And the [brotherly] loving son or daughter beyond me is not, of me, worthy. And who takes not the cross of him and follows after me is not, of me, worthy. The finding the life of him will lose it, and the losing the life of him for the sake of me will find it. The receiving you, me receives, and the me receiving, receives the having sent me. The receiving a prophet into name of a prophet, reward of a prophet will receive, and the receiving a righteous man into the name of a righteous man, reward of a righteous man will receive. And whoever gives to drink one of the little, these, a cup of cold water, only into the name of a disciple, amen, I am saying to you, not at all will he lose the reward of him.”

What follows now are all the commands of the entire chapter-ten sermon, numbered (and versified) to be somewhat helpful. And they are also given in a somewhat-literal translation (and some of the words around them are also translated, to be helpful in finding them, especially near the end of the sermon when the commands are few and some of the same words are repeated). It is certainly okay for our loving Lord to give out his gentle commands in a hidden and gentle way.
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1. do not go (v. 5), 2. do not enter (v. 5), 3. go (v. 6), 4. proclaim (v. 7), 5. heal (v. 8), 6. raise (v. 8), 7. cleanse (v. 8), 8. throw out (v. 8), 9. freely give (v. 8), 10. do not provide (v. 9), 11. search out (v. 11), 12. remain (v. 11), 13. greet (v. 12), 14. let it come (v. 13), 15. let it return (v. 13), 16. shake off (v. 14), 17. therefore, be wise (v. 16), 18. Now beware (v. 17), 19. do not be anxious (v. 19), 20. flee (v. 23), 21. Therefore, do not fear (v. 26), 22. say in the light (v. 27), 23. proclaim on the housetops (v. 27), 24. do not fear from the ones killing the body (v. 28), 25. fear, rather, the one having power (v. 28), 26. Therefore, do not fear; many sparrows (v. 31), 27. Do not suppose that I came (v. 34).