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A Sabbath Day's Journey

By: Rev. Paul Landgraf
What is a Sabbath day's journey? First of all, it is a Jewish expression. We measure distances in meters or yards. The Jews had a certain distance that they could walk on Saturday before it would be considered work. So their synagogues that they went to on Saturday could not be very far away. The word appears only in Acts 1:12 and indicates a distance of about three-quarters of a mile.

With that in mind, I think it is important to remember the origins of Christianity. Just because we have an Old Testament, it does not mean that we call it the 'Outdated Testament'. Much of the Old Testament has a literary structure that we are not aware of because of our modern emphasis on chapter and verse divisions. Within many of these blogs, I try to get the reader to see a bigger picture, a larger perspective that often includes the Old Testament and the environment that was present when the New Testament was seeing the Light of the day.

Second, a Sabbath day's journey is intentionally short. These 'journeys' with a text, almost always one of the three readings for that Sunday, are deliberately brief discussions. This blog was never designed to be a comprehensive look at any text. Sometimes a specific word is studied in detail. But, as a whole, a blog entry, by itself, is meant to be quite brief.

Finally, since the term 'Sabbath day's journey' appears in Acts, it is meant to appeal to a wide variety of people. This blog is meant for those who cannot come on Sunday mornings. And it is also for those who do come on Sunday mornings but would also like a further study of the text. It is also for those who live somewhere else in the world (besides Drake and Freedom, Missouri, USA) and would simply like a further study of the text. It was meant to get these different groups of people to start thinking about the biblical texts. Part of the reason for this blog is that I am not able to have a bible class on Sunday mornings with either congregation, and so, to have a blog like this seemed like a good idea. I hope it is helpful for you, in whatever situation you may be.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. And thank you for taking the time to read this!

July 15th, 2023

7/15/2023

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This Sunday is what is known by many as the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost. And this Sunday’s Gospel Reading jumps to Matthew 13[:1-9, 18-23]. The appointed readings are about to catch up with where we are in these writings. Currently we are just a little farther ahead, in chapter fifteen.

Last week’s focus for these writings contained a good portion of Matthew 15:[1-31], and what follows is a somewhat-literal translation of the rest of that chapter, along with some of the next chapter as well [15:32-16:20]. Those subjects and verbs that are in bold print are historical presents, when the past tense is expected but the present tense is given. Recently those historical presents have been quite negative and have pointed to the heightened tension between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day. 

There are three historical presents within the section below. The last two historical presents both are by Jesus, and both have him asking questions. The question of who Jesus is seems to be significantly more important than how many breads the disciples have. The text seems to be leading the reader or listener to contemplate what it means for Jesus to be the christened one, the Christ. 

Now the Jesus, having called toward the disciples of him, he said, “I am compassionate upon the crowd, because already days, three, they remain toward me, and not they have anything they may eat; and to dismiss them hungry, not I want, lest they faint in the way.”

And they say to him, the disciples, “From where, for us, in a desert, breads, so many, so as to satisfy a crowd such as this?”

And he says to them, the Jesus, “How many breads have you?”

Now they said, “Seven, and a few small fishes.” And having commanded the crowd to recline on the ground, he took the seven breads and the fishes and, giving thanks, he broke and gave to the disciples, now the disciples to the crowds. And they ate, all, and they were satisfied. And the excess of the fragments they took, seven baskets full. Now the ones eating were four thousand men, apart from women and children. And having dismissed the crowds, he went away into the boat, and he came into the borders of Magadan.

And, approaching, the Pharisees and Sadducees, tempting, they asked of him a sign from the heaven to show to them. Now he, answering, said to them, “Evening happening, you say, ‘Good weather, for it is red, the heaven. And in the morning, today, stormy weather, for it is red, being dark, the heaven.’ On the one hand, the face of the heaven you know to discern, but on the other hand, the signs of the times you not are able. A generation, evil and adulterous, a sign it seeks out, and a sign, not it will be given to it, except the sign of Jonah.” And leaving them, he went away.

And coming, the disciples, into the other side, they forgot breads to take, now the Jesus said to them, “See and beware from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 

Now they reasoned in themselves, saying, “Breads not we took.”

Now, knowing, the Jesus said, “Why reason in yourselves, few-faiths, that breads, not you have? Not yet, you understand, neither you remember the five breads of the five thousand and how many baskets we took? Neither the seven breads of the four thousand, and how many other hampers you took? How not you understand that not concerning breads I said to you? Now beware from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that not he said to beware from the leaven of the breads, but on the contrary, from the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Now coming, the Jesus, into the parts of Caesarea of the Philippi, he questioned the disciples of him, saying, “Whom they say, the men, to be the Son of the Man?” 

Now, they said, “The ones, on the one hand, John the Baptist, now others, on the other hand, Elijah, now others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

He says to them, “Now you, who, me, you say to be?”

Now, answering, Simon Peter said, “You, yourself, are the Christ, the Son of the God of the living.”

Now, answering, the Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, because flesh and blood not has revealed to you, but on the contrary, the Father of me, the One in the heavens. Now also to you I am saying that you, yourself, are Peter, and upon this, the rock, I will build of me the Church, and gates of Hades not will prevail against it. I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever you bind upon the earth it will be, having been bound in the heavens, and whatever you loose upon the earth it will be, having been loosed in the heavens.” Then he ordered the disciples that to no one they should say that he, himself, is the Christ.
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July 8th, 2023

7/8/2023

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This Sunday is what is typically known as the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost. And the Gospel Reading for this Sunday is from Matthew 11[:25-30], and in these weekly writings we have been examining that gospel account in a progressive fashion, but we have been going at our own pace. Currently we are just a little farther ahead, in chapter fifteen, but the appointed readings will soon be there in just a few weeks.

Since we have been near the center of this gospel account, that has given us a good opportunity to have a broader look at what is called the ‘historical present’ within this gospel account. (That is when the verb would normally be in the past tense, but it is given in the present.) Last week’s writing made connections between these historical presents and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Last week’s writing also gave a somewhat-literal translation of the first part of what is below, a significant part of what is usually called chapter fifteen, since it contained an important historical present. And the word ‘then’ right in front of the historical present was used often in this gospel account to connect people to the significant actions of Jesus on earth. The addition in the text of the description of the religious groups, that they come from the significant city of Jerusalem, also connects to his significant actions. This helps one to see the purpose of Jesus going toward the cross (just outside of Jerusalem) and, after that, to go away from the empty tomb (also near Jerusalem). The historical presents below (in bold) help the reader or listener to get an idea of the heightening tension between Jesus and the important ‘Jerusalem-ers’ of his day.

What follows is a good portion of chapter fifteen of the Gospel according to Matthew [15:1-31], in a somewhat-literal translation (and you should feel free to compare it to other translations and to read what some study bibles have to say regarding the text):

Then, they approach the Jesus, from Jerusalem, Pharisees and Scribes, saying, “On account of what the disciples of you transgress the tradition of the Elders? For not they wash the hands of them whenever bread they eat.”

Now he, answering, he said to them, “On account of what, indeed, do you yourselves transgress the commandment of the God on account of the tradition of you? For the God said, ‘Honor the father and the mother’, and ‘The one speaking evil of the father or mother, by death, let him die.’ Now you, yourselves, say, ‘Whoever says to the father or the mother, “A Gift”, whatever by me, you would have benefitted, certainly not will not honor the father of him,’ and you annulled the word of the God on account of the tradition of you. Hypocrites! Well, he prophesied about you, Isaiah, saying, ‘The people, this, with the lips, me he honors, now the heart of them, far, is away from me. Now in vain they worship me, teaching teachings, ordinances of men.’”

And calling forward the crowd, he said to them, “Hear and understand; not the thing entering into the mouth defiles the person, but on the contrary, the thing coming forth out of the mouth, this defiles the person.”

Then, approaching, the disciples say to him, “You know that the Pharisees, having heard the word, they were offended.” Now he, answering, said, “Every plant which not he planted, the Father of me, the heavenly, it will be uprooted. Leave them. Blind they are, guides of blind; now a blind man, a blind man, if he guides, both into a ditch they will fall.”

Now, answering, the Peter, he said to him, “Explain to us the parable, this.”

Now he said, “Thus, also, you, yourselves unintelligent are? You do understand, do you not, that everything entering into the mouth, into the stomach it goes, and into a drain it is thrown out? Now the things coming forth out of the mouth, out of the heart it comes forth, and those defile the person. For out of the heart come forth thoughts, evil, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnessings, blasphemies. These things are the ones defiling the person; now the unwashed hands to eat, not defiles the person.”

And going out from there, the Jesus withdrew into the parts of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman, a Canaanite, from the borders, those, coming out, she cried out, saying, “Pity me, Lord, Son of David; the daughter of me, badly, is demon possessed.” Now he, not he answered her a word.

And, approaching, the disciples of him, they were asking him, saying, “Dismiss her, because she is crying out behind us.”

Now he, answering, said, “Not I was sent, except into the sheep, the lost, of a house of Israel.”

Now she, coming, was worshipping him, saying, “Lord, help me.”

Now he, answering, said, “Not it is good to take the bread of the children and to throw to the dogs.”

Now she said, “Yes, Lord, for also the dogs, it eats from the crumbs, the falling, from the table of the lords of them.”

Then, answering, the Jesus said to her, “O woman, great of you the faith; let it be to you as you desire.” And she was healed, the daughter of her, from the hour, that.

And removing from there, the Jesus came by the Sea of the Galilee, and going up into the mountain, he sat there. And they approached him, crowds, many, having with themselves lame, maimed, blind, crippled, mute, and others, many, and they cast them at the feet of him, and he healed them, so that the crowd, to marvel, seeing mute speaking, crippled healthy, and lame walking, and blind seeing, and they glorified the God of Israel.
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Much could be said about the above text. Much has already been said by many people. The endpoint given (‘… and they glorified the God of Israel.’) is different from other reactions to Jesus’ miracles, mainly because of the rarity of the title, ‘God of Israel’. It is a good reminder as to what nation God is connected. After all, Jesus was just present in parts of both Tyre and Sidon. But when he went to Jerusalem, he went for all people of all time.
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July 1st, 2023

7/1/2023

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This Sunday is what is typically known as the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, and the Gospel Reading for this Sunday is from Matthew 10[:34-42]. And we are getting somewhat closer to where the readings are for this study; we are walking at our own pace through this gospel account.

The previous writing for last week laid out, in its entirety, what is usually known as chapter fourteen of the Gospel according to Matthew. It was a long reading (thirty-six verses), and not many additional comments were made because of its length. But it was pointed out that there were just a few cases of what is usually called the historical present. (That is where the past tense is expected in a verb but the present tense is given.) And an ‘offer’ was made to try to see a pattern in the use of those historical presents.

It should be stated, first of all, that there seems to be a connection between historical presents and the so-called ‘living’ creatures of Yahweh’s throne. And the living creature that is usually connected to the Gospel according to Matthew is that of a man. Therefore, it should not be surprising that the vast majority of the historical presents in this gospel account have to do with the verb, ‘to say’. (As you well know, a man is often known for saying things.) And especially after the first sermon of Jesus in this account, there are a lot of times that ‘he says’, and this verb will continue to show up in this gospel account.

The second thing to notice is that the historical presents, when they appear, usually have to deal with the ramifications of something. Something is said or something happens first, and that thing is described in the past tense, then something is said or done, and that is described in the present tense. This also fits with the connection to the living creature of Yahweh’s throne, since the purpose of a throne was (and still is) to show the ramification or the result of the important person sitting on it.

In this way, it could be said that the gospel accounts are a result of sin. And the historical presents are, in a sense, a result of sin; and it should be pointed out that no historical presents appear in the Greek translation [the language of the New Testament] of the Old Testament book of Genesis before the Fall.

In response to the above point, someone might bring up the point that historical presents have appeared at the beginning of a section of the text in this gospel account. One instance is at Matthew 9:14, where the text says that [in a somewhat-literal translation—and the other translations will be in the same form].

Then, they approach him, the disciples of John, saying….

Before this Jesus was talking to his disciples. Now the disciples of John are coming to Jesus. This is a significant change in the direction of the document. And it seems that this is at the beginning of a section.

It could also be said that the very next verse that we will be looking at, Matthew 15:1, has the historical present in its first statement as well:

Then, they approach the Jesus, from Jerusalem, Pharisees and Scribes, saying, “On account of what the disciples of you transgress the tradition of the Elders? For not they wash the hands of them whenever bread they eat.”

In response to the above point that these sentences are at the beginning of a section, the small but important word ‘then’ at the beginning of both of those statements helps to see those statements in a much bigger context. That word, when it appears, reminds the reader or listener that they are still in the middle of a progression, but it is a much larger one.

How far back does this progression go? It may be helpful to look back at chapters one and two of this gospel account. After Jesus was born, Herod was looking to kill him. He was going to kill Jesus because he was said to be a king. And when the account of Jesus was given his name, it was said that he would save his people from their sins [Matthew 1:21]. Each time the word ‘then’ comes up after this beginning, it helps the reader or listener to see the bigger structure—and a very positive one.

In both the Matthew 9 and the Matthew 15 passage, there are connections to Jesus’ death and resurrection. In Matthew 9:14-15, a somewhat-hidden reference is made to the time when the bridegroom will be taken away—an oblique reference to the death and resurrection. And in Matthew 15, the Pharisees and the Scribes FROM JERUSALEM are going to have some unresolved issues with Jesus that will lead to his death.

Also, when Jesus gets a little bit closer to Jerusalem, the writer has this rare construction [Matthew 16:21]:
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From then, he began, Jesus Christ, to show to the disciples of him that it was necessary, him into Jerusalem to go and many things to suffer from the Elders and Chief Priests and Scribes and to be killed and on the third day, to be raised.

The start of that sentence, with the phrase ‘From then’, is rare in Matthew; it only appeared otherwise in Matthew 4:17, and there is a purpose in that. It helps to give a slightly larger structure to this account of the life AND DEATH (AND RESURRECTION) of Jesus, in much the same way that there is a larger, fivefold structure in the sermons of Jesus in this account.

Speaking of the death of Jesus, the historical presents in chapter fourteen of the Gospel according to Matthew seem to point to negative things as well. Here is their use (and a little of the context), just as a reminder of where they were:

Now she, being brought forward by the mother of her, “Give to me,” she [the daughter of Herodias] says, “here on a plate the head of John the Baptist.” [Matthew 14:8]
Now they [the disciples] say to him, “Not we have here, except five breads and two fishes.” [Matthew 14:17]

Now immediately, the Jesus, stretching out the hand, he took hold of him [Peter], and he [Jesus] says to him, “Few-faith, why did you doubt?” [Matthew 14:31]

This also follows the direction of the previous non-sermon section. After the second sermon, in chapters 11 & 12, there was only one historical present, one of Jesus’ words, very positive words, words of healing, but then there is a significantly negative response after that; the religious leaders now want to destroy him [see Matthew 12:13-14].
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The direction seems to be depressing. And it also seems to continue past that. The death of Jesus is certainly not the end. But the death is an important part because of the sacrifice of the Son in our place. And that brings the issue into the present. And because of Jesus, what comes to us is actually a present, a gift.
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June 24th, 2023

6/24/2023

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This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, and the Gospel reading for this Sunday is a portion of the tenth chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew, a part of the second of the five sermons in that gospel account. In these writings we are a little bit ahead of that, as we just finished looking at the third of the five sermons, and we are moving on to what is commonly known as the fourteenth chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew.

If one would consider what has been often overlooked in this section, what may be most interesting is the use of what is commonly known as the historical present. That is where a past tense verb is expected, but a present tense is used.

What follows is the entirety of so-called chapter fourteen, in a somewhat-literal translation. Since it is so long, comments regarding it will be saved for next week’s writing; and the historical presents are in bold print; perhaps you see a pattern in their usage:

In that, the appointed time, he heard, Herod, the tetrarch, the report of Jesus, and he said to the servants of him: “This is John the Baptist. He himself was raised from the dead, and, on account of this, the powerful deeds work in him.” For the Herod, seizing the John, he bound him, and in prison, he put away, on account of Herodias, the wife of Philip, the brother of him; for he was saying, the John, to him, “Not it is permitted for you to have her.” And wishing, him, to kill, he feared the crowd, because as a prophet, him, they had.

Now on the birthday, happening, of Herod, she danced, the daughter of the Herodias, in the midst, and it was pleasing to Herod, from where, with an oath, he confessed to her, to give whatever she might ask. Now she, being brought forward by the mother of her, “Give to me,” she says, “here on a plate the head of John the Baptist.” And, being grieved, the king, on account of the oaths and the ones reclining at table with him, he commanded to be given, and sending, he beheaded the John in the prison. And it was brought, the head of him, on a plate, and it was given to the maid, and she brought to the mother of her. And approaching, the disciples of him, they took the corpse, and they buried him, and, coming, they reported to the Jesus.

Now hearing, the Jesus, he departed from there in a boat into a wilderness place according to his own. And hearing, the crowds followed him, on foot, from the cities. And going out, he saw a great crowd, and he was compassionate over them, and he healed the without strength of them.

Now evening happening, they approached him, the disciples, saying, “Wilderness is the place, and the hour already has passed; dismiss the crowds, in order that, going away into the villages, they may buy for themselves foods.” 

Now the Jesus said to them, “Not a need, they have, to go away; give them, you, to eat.”
Now they say to him, “Not we have here, except five breads and two fishes.”

Now he said, “Bring to me, here, them.” And having commanded the crowds to recline on the grass, taking the five breads and the two fishes, looking up into the heaven, he blessed, and breaking, he gave to the disciples the breads, then the disciples to the crowds. And they ate, all, and they were satisfied. And they took the excess of the fragments, twelve baskets full. Now the ones eating were men, about five thousand, apart from women and children.

And immediately he compelled the disciples to embark into the boat and to go before him into the other side, until he would dismiss the crowds. And having dismissed the crowds, he went up into the mountain, according to his own, to pray. Now evening happening, alone, he was there.

Now the boat, already stadia, many, from the land, it was away, being harassed by the waves, for it was, contrary, the wind. Now in fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking upon the sea. Now the disciples, seeing him upon the sea, walking, they were terrified, saying, “A phantasm it is.” And from the fear, they were crying out.

Now immediately he was speaking, the Jesus, to them, saying, “Be of good cheer, I am. Stop being afraid.”

Now, answering him, the Peter, he said: “Lord, if you are, command me to come toward you upon the waters.”

Now he said, “Come.”

And going down from the boat, the Peter walked upon the waters, and he came toward the Jesus. Now seeing the wind, strong, he feared, and beginning to be drowned, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

Now immediately, the Jesus, stretching out the hand, he took hold of him, and he says to him, “Few-faith, why did you doubt?”

And going up, they, into the boat, it ceased, the wind. Now the ones in the boat worshipped him, saying, “Truly, of God, Son, you are.”
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And crossing over, they came upon the land, into Gennesaret. And recognizing him, the men of the place, that, they sent into all the region around, that, and they brought to him all the evil having, and they were exhorting him that only they might touch the fringe of the garment of him, and as many as they touched, they were thoroughly saved.
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June 17th, 2023

6/17/2023

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This Sunday is the Third Sunday after Pentecost, and for the last two of these writings, the focus has been on the majority of what is known as chapter thirteen of the Gospel according to Matthew. What follows now are the final few verses of that chapter (in a somewhat-literal translation; verses 53-58):

And it happened, when he ended, the Jesus, the parables, these, he removed from there. And coming into the native town of him, he was teaching them in the synagogue of them, so as to be astounded, them, and to say: “From where to this man, the wisdom, this, and the powerful deeds? This is the one of the carpenter, son, is he not? The mother of him, called Mary, and the brothers of him, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas, are they not? And the sisters of him, all with us they are, are they not? Therefore, from where to this man, these things, all?” And they were scandalized in him.
Now the Jesus said to them: “A prophet is not un-honored, except in the native town and in the house of him, is he not?” And not he did there powerful deeds, many, because of the unbelief of them.

It is interesting, first of all, that the description of the content of the sermon is described in one word, that of ‘parables’. It was previously mentioned that there were seven parables, and these seven parables are in the middle of five sermons. It seems that there are odd numbers of things so that there may be an important center, along with an important middle and ending.

What may be helpful at this point in time is to see the different reactions after Jesus ‘ended’ each of the five sermons that are given in this gospel account. At the end of the first one, the crowds were ‘astounded’ at his teaching (7:28). At the end of the second one, it is the same as the one above, that he ‘removed’ from there (11:1), to teach and proclaim in their cities. At the end of this sermon, the third one, he ‘removed’ from there, but he came to his native town, and they were ‘astounded’, the same word as after the first sermon (13:53-4). At the end of the next one, the fourth one, he ‘removed’ from there again (19:1). At the end of the fifth and last one, it is similar in structure but it specifically states that he ended ALL these words. Then he tells his disciples that basically he is going to be crucified (26:2). What is interesting is that, before the final sermon, there is another occurrence of the crowds being ‘astounded’, when Jesus gives an answer to the Sadducees which makes them see their mistakes (22:33).

Very much like last week, the occurrences of the significant words will be placed into a summary with the numbers of the sermons. Hopefully what follows is helpful:

1 ENDED … CROWDS ASTOUNDED
2 ENDED … REMOVED
3 ENDED … REMOVED … NATIVE TOWN ASTOUNDED
4 ENDED … REMOVED
CROWDS ASTOUNDED 5 ENDED ALL(!) … CRUCIFIED
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Perhaps it is not surprising that a structure much like last week is seen, one with a significant beginning, middle, and end. This is not to say that a structure was imposed upon the reality of what happened. But there certainly was a ‘structure’ to the life of Jesus. And there may be a structure in the gospel account that is not found in the other gospel accounts because that account is connected to the living creature of a man. And, at the very end, there is certainly an importance to that very special man being crucified.
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June 11th, 2023

6/11/2023

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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.
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June 3rd, 2023

6/3/2023

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This Sunday is the only Sunday of the year that is specifically devoted to a teaching of the Church, more specifically the holy Trinity—three Persons and one God. As was mentioned in last week’s writing, this is somewhat in the middle of the church year, and we are also at somewhat of a midpoint in our walk through the Gospel according to Matthew.

Jesus heads to the cross in all four gospel accounts, but in the Gospel according to Matthew, he heads there as a teacher. And as a teacher, he gives out some significant sermons, and we are approaching the third of his five major sermons, and these sermons may be connected to the first five books of the Old Testament (more on that another time).

Either way, the third or central sermon is a significant one. In much the same way, a trip has a significant middle. Some of the same things Jesus stated earlier will be stated again, but that does not necessarily make them clearer. What makes this third sermon difficult in seeing its level of importance is that it is a series of parables. Parables are not always clear, and that is somewhat the point. Those who were already rejecting Jesus heard the parables and thought he was crazy. And those who received Jesus as a gift from their heavenly Father continued to receive his gifts through the words of these parables.

The following sermon has a unique structure. For one thing, there are a significant number of interruptions. The temptation with such a complicated structure is to impose a predetermined structure on the words. In an effort to avoid that, for this sermon, what is given is the ENTIRE text, including the interruptions, and by reading through it (perhaps a few times), one may see some important signals that will be brought up in more detail in the writing for next week. To be helpful, some of those similarities have been put in bold print.

This is going to make this week’s writing significantly longer than normal, but I hope that it does not bother you too much. So, what follows is a somewhat-literal translation of what is the third of Jesus’ five sermons and the vast majority of chapter thirteen in the Gospel according to Matthew—almost to the end [verses 1-52]:

In the day, that, going out, the Jesus, of the house, he sat beside the sea; and they were assembled to him, crowds, many, so as, him, into a boat, embarking, to sit, and all the crowd on the shore stood.

And he was speaking to them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, he went out, the one sowing, to sow, and in the sowing of him, some, on the one hand, fell beside the path, and, coming, the birds devoured them. Now others fell on the rocky places where not it had earth, much, and immediately it sprang up, on account of not to have depth of earth; now the sun, having risen, it was scorched, and on account of not to have root, it was dried up. Now others fell on the thorns, and they came up, the thorns, and they choked them. Now others fell on the earth, the good, and they gave fruit, the one, a hundred, and the other, sixty, and the other, thirty. The one having ears, let him hear.”

And, approaching, the disciples said to him, “Why in parables do you speak to them?”
Now he, answering, said, “Because to you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens, now to those, not it has been given. For who has, it will be given to him, and he will have abundance; now who, not he has, even what he has will be taken from him. On account of this, in parables to them, I am speaking; because, seeing, not they see, and hearing, not they hear, neither do they understand.’ And it is fully fulfilled to them the prophecy of Isaiah, the one saying: ‘In hearing, you will hear, and certainly not understand, and seeing, you will see, and certainly not perceive. For waxed gross, the heart of the people, this, and with the ears, heavily, they heard, and the eyes of them, they closed; lest they see with the eyes and with the ears, they hear, and with the heart, they understand, and they turn back, and I will heal them.’”

“Now, of you, blessed the eyes, because they see, and the ears of you, because they hear. For, amen, I am saying to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see which you see, and not they did see, and to hear the things which you hear, and not they did hear.”

“Therefore, you, yourselves, hear the parable of the sowing one. All hearing the word of the kingdom and not understanding, he comes, the evil one, and he seizes the thing having been sown in the heart of him; this is by the path, sown. Now the thing on the rocky places sown, this is the one, the word hearing, and immediately with joy, receiving it; now not he has root in himself, but on the contrary, short-lived it is, now occurring tribulation or persecution on account of the word, immediately, he is scandalized. Now the thing in the thorns sown, this is the one, the word hearing, and the anxiety of the age and the deceit of the riches chokes the word, and unfruitful it becomes. Now the thing on the good earth sown, this is the one, the word hearing and understanding, who indeed bears fruit and makes one, on the one hand, a hundred, on the other hand, sixty, on the other hand, thirty.”

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. Now in the sleeping, the men, he came, of him, the enemy, and over-sowed tares in between the wheat, and he went away. Now when it sprouted, the grass, and fruit it made, then it appeared, also, the tares. Now approaching, the servants of the housemaster said to him, ‘Lord, we, good seed sowed in your field, did we not? Therefore, from where has it tares?’ Now he said to them, ‘An enemy man, this, he did.’ Now the servants say to him, ‘Therefore, do you want, going away, we may collect them?’ Now he says, ‘No, lest, collecting the tares, you root up together with them the wheat. Leave, to grow together, both, until the harvest; and in appointed time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers, “Collect first the tares and bind them into bundles, to burn them, now the wheat, gather into the barn of me.”’”

Another parable he set before them, saying, “Like is the kingdom of the heavens to a grain of mustard, which, taking, a man sowed in the field of him; which less, on the one hand, it is of all the seeds, on the other hand, when it grows, greater of the herbs it is, and it becomes a tree, so as to come, the birds of the heaven, and they dwell in the branches of it.”

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.”

These things, all, he was speaking, the Jesus, in parables to the crowds, and without a parable, nothing, he was speaking to them, so that, it was fulfilled, the thing spoken through the prophet, saying, “I will open, in parables, the mouth of me; I will utter things having been hidden from a foundation of a world.”

Then, dismissing the crowds, he came into the house. And they approached him, the disciples of him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” Now he, answering, said, “The one sowing the good seed is the Son of the Man. And the field is the world. Now the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom. Now the tares are the sons of the evil. Now the enemy, the one sowing them is the devil, and the harvest, completion of the age, it is, now the reapers, angels they are. Therefore, as they are collected, the tares, and with fire they are consumed, thus it will be in the completion of the age. He will send out, the Son of the Man, the angels of him, and they will collect out of the kingdom of him, all the scandals and the ones doing the lawlessness, and they will throw them into the furnace of the fire; there it will be, the wailing and the gnashing of the teeth. Then the righteous with shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of the Father of them. The one having ears, let him hear.”

“Like it is, the kingdom of the heavens, to treasure, having been hidden in the field, which, finding, a man hid, and from the joy of him, he goes and sells all things he has, and he buys the field, that.”

“Again, like it is, the kingdom of the heavens, to a man, a merchant seeking good pearls. Now finding one, valuable pearl, going away, he sells all things what he had, and he buys it.”

“Again, like it is, the kingdom of the heavens, to a net thrown into the sea, and from every kind, gathering, which, when it was filled, bringing up upon the shore and, sitting, collected the good into vessels, now the bad out, they threw. Thus, it will be in the completion of the age; they will go out, the angels, and they will separate the evil men from the midst of the righteous, and they will throw them into the furnace of the fire; there it will be, the wailing and the gnashing of the teeth.”

“Do you understand these things, all?” They say to him, “Yes.”
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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.”
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May 27th, 2023

5/27/2023

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This Sunday is the Day of Pentecost. And the rest of the church year is basically the Sundays after Pentecost. You might see this Sunday as a type of midpoint in the church year. And as we have been going through the Gospel according to Matthew as it is laid out from beginning to end, we are not yet at the midpoint of this entire gospel account (and his big move toward the cross and his tomb), but we have seen some ‘secondary’ midpoints within the chapters (which also point to that cross and the empty tomb), and we are certainly very close to the midpoint of looking at the third of the five sermons within this gospel account.

We are about to approach the third sermon of this gospel account. Between the second and third sermon there are basically three times that the word ‘then’ comes up, and then some significant action follows. The first one was given in the last section of the text and dealt with some unrepentant people. And Jesus has some harsh words for them. In the text that follows, there are two more times that the word comes up. It is interesting that, with this first ‘then’, Jesus does a miracle that some misinterpret as showing that he is in league with Satan, but Jesus points out how illogical that accusation is. And with the second ‘then’, some leaders ask him for a sign, and Jesus points them to his death and resurrection—with a great amount of similarity to the prophet Jonah. The ramifications of that cross and empty tomb are already becoming somewhat clear.

It is also interesting that, at the first non-sermon section, there was an interruption that pointed to Jesus’ resurrection (by a miracle of raising someone back to life; see Matthew 9:18ff). And there is also an interruption in the text below, and this one leads to a different type of ‘resurrection’, that of being in a new family, one with God as Father and Jesus as a brother. This is certainly another miracle, although it is certainly very hidden.

Here is a somewhat-literal translation of that next section [Matthew 12:22-50]:

Then he was brought to him, a demon-possessed man, blind and mute, and he healed him, so as the mute to speak and to see. And they were beside themselves, all the crowds, and they said, “This is not the Son of David, is it?”

Now the Pharisees, hearing, said, “This man does not throw out the demons except in the Beelzebub, ruler of the demons.”

Now, knowing the thoughts of them, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself not it will stand. And if the Satan, the Satan, he throws out, against himself he was divided. Therefore, how will it stand, the kingdom of him? And if I, in Beelzebub, I throw out the demons, the sons of you, in what do they throw out?”

“On account of this, they, judges, they shall be of you. Now if in Spirit of God I myself throw out the demons, then it came upon you, the kingdom of the God. Or how he can, anyone, to enter into the house of the strong man and the vessels of him to seize, if not, first, he binds the strong man? And then the house of him he will plunder. The one not being with me, against me he is, and the one not gathering with me, he scatters.”

“On account of this I am saying to you, all sin and blasphemy will be forgiven to the men, now the of-the-Spirit blasphemy, not it will be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of the Man, it will be forgiven to him; now whoever speaks against the Spirit, the Holy, not it will be forgiven to him, neither in this, the age, nor in the coming. Either make the tree good and the fruit of it good, or make the tree corrupt and the fruit of it corrupt; for out of the fruit, the tree is known. Offspring of vipers, how can you, good things, to speak, evil being? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good man, out of the good treasure, he throws out good things, and the evil man, out of the evil treasure, he throws out evil things.”

“Now I am saying to you that every word, idle, which they will speak, the men, they will render concerning it a word in a day of judgment; for from the words of you, you will be justified, and from the words of you, you will be condemned.”

Then they answered him, some of the scribes and Pharisees, saying, “Teacher, we wish, from you, a sign to see.”

Now he, answering, said to them, “A generation, evil and adulterous, a sign it seeks, and a sign not will be given to it, except the sign of Jonah, the prophet. For as he was, Jonah, in the belly of the sea monster three days and three nights, so he will be, the Son of the Man, in the heart of the earth, three days and three nights. Men, Ninevites, will stand up in the judgment with the generation, this, and they will condemn it, because they repented into the proclamation of Jonah, and, behold, a greater thing of Jonah, here. A queen of the south will be raised in the judgment with the generation, this, and they will condemn it, because she came out of the limits of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and, behold, a great thing of Solomon, here.”

“Now when the unclean spirit goes out from the man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and not he finds. Then he says, ‘Into the house of me I will return from where I came out.’ And, coming, he finds, standing empty, having been swept and having been furnished. Then he goes and he takes with himself, seven other spirits, more evil of himself, and entering, he dwells there. And it becomes, the last things of the man, that, worse of the first. Thus it will be also, the generation, this, the evil.”

Still he, speaking to the crowds, behold, the mother and the brothers of him stood outside, seeking to him to speak. Now he said, someone, to him, “Behold, the mother of you and the brothers of you, outside, they are standing, seeking to you to speak.”
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Now he, answering, said to the saying to him, “Who is the mother of me, and who are the brothers of me?” And stretching out the hand of him upon the disciples of him, he said, “Behold, the mother of me and the brothers of me. For whoever does the will of the Father of me, in the heavens, he, of me, brother and sister and mother, he is.”
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May 20th, 2023

5/20/2023

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This Sunday is ‘The Seventh Sunday of Easter’, the last Sunday of the Easter season. But worship still continues on the day that Jesus rose from the dead. And with these writings we continue to make our way through the Gospel according to Matthew.

We are going through a non-sermon section of that gospel account, what are typically considered chapters eleven and twelve, and in the last writing we came upon the first ‘then’ of this section, and the point was made that that ‘then’ could be considered a midpoint. But we are going to be coming up other words that are considered time references at the beginning of the next sections as well, and this will eventually include two more ‘then’ statements. How do they connect?

Much could be said, but what should probably be said first is that our current, twenty-first century culture is very much based on time. And we are used to things happening so quickly, and when that does not happen, it is so easy to lose one’s patience.

When we hear the word ‘then’, we might think that something happened immediately after the previous things. (We will direct our attention to the word ‘immediately’ when we deal with the Gospel according to Mark.) For now, the word ‘then’ helps to give some order to things. But things do not have to happen immediately in close succession.

A good example of this slower pace in the Gospel according to Matthew could be found in the beginning of chapter three. At the end of chapter two, Joseph and Mary, with the baby Jesus, start dwelling in Nazareth, and the prophecy came true that he will be called a Nazarene. Then the next chapter starts out by saying: ‘Now in those days, John the Baptist arrives, proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea.’ Jesus is much older at that point. There is an awful LOT in ‘those days’.
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After the first ‘then’, there will be two time-related phrases of an ‘appointed time’. These seem to connect to the ‘then’, and then we get to a significant high point in this non-sermon section, that of a low point when it comes to what Jesus’ enemies think of him, and when we come to what the Old Testament has said of him. There will be two more times that the word ‘then’ comes up within this non-sermon section, and this section of translation will come up right before the next ‘then’. These time references seem to connect one another and give a wide range of reactions to Jesus and the path toward which he moves, that of his death and resurrection.

We will also come to the only historical present of this entire non-sermon section, the point when he heals the man with a withered hand. And the result of this is huge, that the Pharisees want to destroy him. This may be considered a low point—or a high point when we eventually come to the cross—and eventually the empty tomb.
Here is a somewhat-literal translation of that section [Matthew 11:25-12:21]:

In that, the appointed time, answering, the Jesus said: “I confess to you, Father, Lord of the heaven and of the earth, because you hid these things from wise and cunning, and you revealed them to infants; yes, the Father, because thus, well-pleasing it was before you. All things to me were delivered by the Father of me, and no one fully knows the Son except the Father, neither the Father anyone fully knows except the Son and to whom if he wills, the Son, to reveal. Come toward me, all the laboring and being burdened, and I will give rest to you. Take the yoke of me upon you, and learn from me, because meek I am and lowly in the heart, and you will find rest to the souls of you, for the yoke of me, gentle, and the burden of me, light, it is.”

In that, the appointed time, he went, the Jesus, on the Sabbath through the grainfields; now the disciples of him hungered, and they began to pluck heads and to eat. Now the Pharisees, seeing, said to him, “Behold, the disciples of you are doing what not it is lawful to do in a Sabbath.”

Now he said to them, “Not did you read what he did, David, when he hungered and the with him, how he entered into the house of the God and the Loaves of the Presentation he ate, which not lawful it was for him to eat, neither those with him, except for the priests only? Or not did you read in the Law that on the Sabbaths the priests in the temple, the Sabbath they profane, and guiltless they are? Now I am saying to you that, than the temple, a greater, it is here. Now if you had known what it is: Mercy I desire and not sacrifice, not you would condemn the guiltless. For Lord, he is, of the Sabbath, the Son of the Man.”

And departing from there, he came into the synagogue of them. And behold, a man, a hand having withered, and they questioned him saying, if it is lawful on the Sabbaths to heal, in order that they might accuse him.

Now he said to them, “What will there be of you, a man, who he will have sheep, one, and if it falls, this, on the Sabbath, into a ditch, not he will lay hold of it and raise? Therefore, how much surpasses a man than a sheep. So that, it is lawful on the Sabbaths, good to do.

Then he says to the man, “Stretch out of you the hand.” And he stretched out, and it was restored, healthy, as the other. Now going out, the Pharisees, a counsel, they took, against him, thus him, they might destroy. Now the Jesus, knowing, departed from there.

And they followed him, crowds, many, and he healed them all, and he warned them that not manifest, him, they should make; that might be fulfilled, the spoken through Isaiah, the prophet, saying, “Behold, the servant of me whom I chose, the beloved of me, into whom it was delighted, the soul of me. I will put the spirit of me upon him, and judgment to the nations he will announce. Not he will quarrel, nor he will shout, nor he will hear, anyone, in the streets, the voice of him. A reed, having been bruised, not he will break, and flax, smoking, not he will quench, until he throws out into victory the judgment. And in the name of him, nations will hope.”
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May 13th, 2023

5/13/2023

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This Sunday is named ‘The Sixth Sunday of Easter’, and with that name you probably can tell that we are nearing the end of the Easter season. The Gospel reading for this Sunday [John 14:15-21] continues right after the previous week’s text, and in much the same way, our study continues in the Gospel according to Matthew, right after the previous text.

Last week’s writing ended the second of the five sermons within this account. The point was brought up that there is a structure to the sermons of Jesus that helps us to focus on the oft-overlooked midpoint of a text. This may help us to see a beautifully intricate message within the text.

As the previous non-sermon section of this gospel account put some emphasis on a ‘then’ section of the text—which, by the way, may also function as a type of midpoint—that introductory word may also be found in this section, but this time in more than one place. The following, somewhat-literal translation will go until after the first ‘then’ [Matthew 11:1-24]:

And it happened when he ended, the Jesus, directing to the twelve disciples of him, he removed from there to teach and to proclaim in the cities of them.
Now the John, hearing in the prison the works of the Christ, sending through the disciples of him, he said to him, ‘You, yourself, are the coming one, or another may we expect?’

And, answering, the Jesus said to them, ‘Going, report to John the things which you hear and you see. Blind men see again, and lame men walk, lepers are cleansed, and deaf men hear, and dead men are raised, and poor men are evangelized. And blessed is whoever is not scandalized in me.’

Now these, going, he began, the Jesus, to say to the crowds about John, ‘What you went out into the wilderness to behold, a reed by wind being shaken? But on the contrary, what you went out to see, a man in soft material having been clothed? Behold, the ones, the soft material wearing, in the houses of the kings, they are. But on the contrary, what you went out to see, a prophet? Yes, I am saying to you, and more of a prophet. This is he about whom it has been written: Behold, I myself am sending out the messenger of me before face of you, who will prepare the way of you before you.’

‘Amen, I am saying to you, not has arisen in those born of women, a greater of John the Baptist. Now the lesser in the kingdom of the heavens, greater of he is he. Now from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of the heavens is violently treated, and violent men seize it. For all the prophets and the law until John, they prophesied. And if you are willing to receive, he himself is Elias, the one about to come. The one having ears, let him hear.’

‘Now to what will I compare the generation, this? Like it is to children, sitting in the marketplaces who, calling to the others, they say, “We piped to you and not you danced; we lamented and not you mourned.” For he came, John, neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “A demon he has.” He came, the Son of the Man, eating and drinking, and they say, “Behold, a man, gluttonous and a wine drinker, of tax collectors a friend and of sinners.” And it was justified, the wisdom, by the works of her.’

Then he began to reproach the cities in which it happened, the very many powerful things of him, because not they repented: ‘Woe to you, Chorazin; woe to you, Bethsaida, because if in Tyre and Sidon they happened, the powerful things, the having happened in you, long ago in sackcloth and ashes they would have repented. However, I am saying to you, for Tyre and Sidon more tolerable it will be in day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, not until heaven were you exalted? As far as hades you shall descend; because if in Sodom they happened, the powerful things, the having happened in you, it would have remained until the today. However, I am saying to you that in land of Sodom more tolerable it will be in day of judgment than for you.’

The important events that were brought up from the last non-sermon section were a somewhat-oblique reference to Jesus’ death and resurrection. What helped to get the attention of those two things was an historical present, and there has been no historical present in this chapter so far.

At the very beginning of this text, there is a somewhat hidden reference to Jesus’ death and resurrection in the very beginning of this section, that Jesus went out to teach and proclaim. Note that the text does NOT say that Jesus went out and did lots of miracles.
We can see this emphasis on the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection a bit more clearly on with his ‘to do’ list of things that he gives to the disciples of John, with the last thing on that list is that he evangelizes the poor. Note that the item immediately before that is that he raises the dead. What could be better than that? Something that gives ETERNAL life.

This is connected to what Jesus was ‘anointed’ to do. Note also near the beginning of the text above that John hears about the works of the ‘Christ’. Perhaps he was hoping for a miracle that would allow him to get out of prison.
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At the beginning of the last paragraph above is the first ‘then’ of the text. How is this first ‘then’ a midpoint? It will be clearer in the weeks to come, but this may be considered a type of reaction to the death and resurrection of Jesus. There are some who are unrepentant. They have chosen to place their trust in their own ‘miracles’. (This is not a great point on which to end, but if you would like to go farther into the biblical text, there is some definitely good news ahead.)
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