One of the more misused sayings from the Gospels is Matthew 22:21’s, “Give to the Emperor the things that are the Emperors”. This verse has largely been used by modern Christians to separate their faith from ‘secular’ politics and justify many unchristian policies. Those who use this verse in that manner have lifted it from its context and have lost its meaning. Here are a few thoughts on how we might understand Matthew 22:15-22 better:
Jesus is not setting an all-time theological precedent. Rather, He needs to respond to a trap that the Pharisees have set. They have asked Him a question that will make Him a targeted rebel or a collaborator to the Roman occupation, both of which would effectively kill His ministry. This is an answer given under duress!
No Israelite was to have an engraved image of a person who claimed to be God (Exodus 20:4). The coin that the Pharisees have had the likeness of Caesar and the words “Tiberius Caesar, Son of the Divine Augustus” and “High Priest”. This would be offensive to any loyal Israelite, and the Pharisees possess it on Temple property! Jesus is shaming them here and setting up His retort and escape.
Jesus can now say that they should return the coin to the Emperor, which can be interpreted in a variety of ways: 1. If you lower yourself to use the idolatrous coins of the Empire you should pay the tax. 2. You should go ahead and give up all your imperial coins (which sounds like a rebel) 3. You should be compliant (collaborator).
Finally, Jesus muddies the water further by saying “Give to God the things that are God’s”. If we take Psalm 24 as a starting place (“the Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof”), then clearly God has a claim on everything. Essentially, Jesus puts the question then back to the Pharisees, and calls upon them to determine how their loyalty to God affects their political stance. In effect He says, “What does it mean to be loyal Israelites given your status as an occupied state?”, and now they are in the bind they tried to put Him in!
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Matthew 21: Cleansing the Temple?
Matthew 21 features the well known and frequently misunderstood story of Jesus “cleansing” the Temple. Considering that Jesus’ actions at the Temple are most likely responsible for His crucifixion, I believe that the story demands a full explanation (or at least as much as we can). I’m going to go through some questions about the event and see if it we can’t uncover some of its meaning and significance
How large was Jesus’ action in the Temple?
This is a key question, because a small event probably indicates Jesus was doing something of symbolic significance, whereas a large event probably indicates Jesus was actually trying to create a lasting change. All the evidence we have points to a small incident. A large incident would have drawn the Temple soldiers and would have led to Jesus’ immediate arrest. Furthermore, Jesus is not barred from entering the Temple in the coming days, so the authorities must not have perceived a physical threat from Him that a large-scale action would have created.
Did Jesus intend to “cleanse” the Temple?
No, at least not in the way that “cleansing” would have been understood by the crowds. “Cleansing” would have involved ritual purifications, including sacrifices, and a change of Temple leadership. An example of “cleansing” is found in 1 Maccabees 4:36-46:
Then Judas and his brothers said, ‘See, our enemies are crushed; let us go up to cleanse the sanctuary and dedicate it.’ 37So all the army assembled and went up to Mount Zion. 38There they saw the sanctuary desolate, the altar profaned, and the gates burned. In the courts they saw bushes sprung up as in a thicket, or as on one of the mountains. They saw also the chambers of the priests in ruins. 39Then they tore their clothes and mourned with great lamentation; they sprinkled themselves with ashes 40and fell face down on the ground. And when the signal was given with the trumpets, they cried out to Heaven. 41 Then Judas detailed men to fight against those in the citadel until he had cleansed the sanctuary. 42He chose blameless priests devoted to the law, 43and they cleansed the sanctuary and removed the defiled stones to an unclean place. 44They deliberated what to do about the altar of burnt-offering, which had been profaned. 45And they thought it best to tear it down, so that it would not be a lasting shame to them that the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the altar, 46and stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple hill until a prophet should come to tell what to do with them.
Obviously, this was a far larger action than Jesus’. And furthermore, the issue with saying Jesus “cleansed” the Temple is that He didn’t remove that which was “defiling” the Temple, which was the Temple’s leadership. Jesus partially restores the Temple to its proper function by allowing God’s activities (through Jesus’ ministry) to be recognized and celebrated, but the Temple function is only disrupted, and not “cleansed”.
3. Were there Old Testament precedents to what Jesus did?
Absolutely. There are several, and the biggest precedent was set by the Prophet Jeremiah, who disrupted the Temple to deliver a sermon and demonstration of judgment against the Temple and against Judea in general. Check out Jeremiah 7:1-4, 8-15:
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah, you that enter these gates to worship the Lord. 3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings, and let me dwell with you in this place. 4 Do not trust in these deceptive words: “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.” . . . 8 Here you are, trusting in deceptive words to no avail. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, 10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, “We are safe!”—only to go on doing all these abominations? 11 Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your sight? You know, I too am watching, says the Lord. 12 Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. 13 And now, because you have done all these things, says the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently, you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, 14 therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your ancestors, just what I did to Shiloh. 15 And I will cast you out of my sight, just as I cast out all your kinsfolk, all the offspring of Ephraim.
Here Jeremiah was telling the people that Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed and that they would go into exile- Jesus will give a very similar message to the crowd and to His disciples in Matthew 21,22 and 24 (just as John the Baptist did in Matthew 3). So here’s a key: Jesus’ action is connected to God’s judgment upon the Temple and its leadership.
4. What does Jesus mean by a ‘den of robbers’?
A better translation for this would be a ‘den of brigands’. There were, throughout Israel’s history, gangs of outlaws who hid in the caves in and around the mountains of Judah (even into the Roman era). This same word (lestai in Greek) was used to described these outlaws/rebels . . . it was a a word used for petty thievery, but for dangerous and violent brigands whose lives were the epitome of unholiness. And Jesus, like Jeremiah before him, is saying this is what the Temple leadership are like. The Temple was meant to be a “house of prayer”- that is a place where people come into God’s presence- and had become instead a place where Israel’s false shepherds consolidated their power and denied God’s Messiah His rightful place of leadership.
5. How might we interpret Jesus’ actions?
Many of the prophets of Israel performed prophetic “signs” (Jeremiah breaks a pot, Ezekiel lays on his side for almost a year, Isaiah walks around naked, etc.) to demonstrate a point. I believe Jesus’ overturning the table functioned in a similar way- it was a demonstration of God’s judgment on the Temple, and brought sacrifice to a halt, which was what Jesus claimed God would do in the near future.
Furthermore, Jesus’ actions were a symbol of His authority as the Messiah, the one who has a legitimate claim over Temple leadership. The King of Israel had the ability to command sacrifice or to halt it and Jesus’ is enacting that right on a symbolic scale. Jesus also demonstrates what true worship should look like in the Temple at this point by allowing the blind, lame and children to come to Him and receive healing. This event then, in a sense, is a brief moment of restoration of the Temple to its proper role of connecting people with God’s saving work. However, its brevity underlines its purpose of being a symbol of what God really desires from the Temple.
How large was Jesus’ action in the Temple?
This is a key question, because a small event probably indicates Jesus was doing something of symbolic significance, whereas a large event probably indicates Jesus was actually trying to create a lasting change. All the evidence we have points to a small incident. A large incident would have drawn the Temple soldiers and would have led to Jesus’ immediate arrest. Furthermore, Jesus is not barred from entering the Temple in the coming days, so the authorities must not have perceived a physical threat from Him that a large-scale action would have created.
Did Jesus intend to “cleanse” the Temple?
No, at least not in the way that “cleansing” would have been understood by the crowds. “Cleansing” would have involved ritual purifications, including sacrifices, and a change of Temple leadership. An example of “cleansing” is found in 1 Maccabees 4:36-46:
Then Judas and his brothers said, ‘See, our enemies are crushed; let us go up to cleanse the sanctuary and dedicate it.’ 37So all the army assembled and went up to Mount Zion. 38There they saw the sanctuary desolate, the altar profaned, and the gates burned. In the courts they saw bushes sprung up as in a thicket, or as on one of the mountains. They saw also the chambers of the priests in ruins. 39Then they tore their clothes and mourned with great lamentation; they sprinkled themselves with ashes 40and fell face down on the ground. And when the signal was given with the trumpets, they cried out to Heaven. 41 Then Judas detailed men to fight against those in the citadel until he had cleansed the sanctuary. 42He chose blameless priests devoted to the law, 43and they cleansed the sanctuary and removed the defiled stones to an unclean place. 44They deliberated what to do about the altar of burnt-offering, which had been profaned. 45And they thought it best to tear it down, so that it would not be a lasting shame to them that the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the altar, 46and stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple hill until a prophet should come to tell what to do with them.
Obviously, this was a far larger action than Jesus’. And furthermore, the issue with saying Jesus “cleansed” the Temple is that He didn’t remove that which was “defiling” the Temple, which was the Temple’s leadership. Jesus partially restores the Temple to its proper function by allowing God’s activities (through Jesus’ ministry) to be recognized and celebrated, but the Temple function is only disrupted, and not “cleansed”.
3. Were there Old Testament precedents to what Jesus did?
Absolutely. There are several, and the biggest precedent was set by the Prophet Jeremiah, who disrupted the Temple to deliver a sermon and demonstration of judgment against the Temple and against Judea in general. Check out Jeremiah 7:1-4, 8-15:
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah, you that enter these gates to worship the Lord. 3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings, and let me dwell with you in this place. 4 Do not trust in these deceptive words: “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.” . . . 8 Here you are, trusting in deceptive words to no avail. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, 10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, “We are safe!”—only to go on doing all these abominations? 11 Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your sight? You know, I too am watching, says the Lord. 12 Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. 13 And now, because you have done all these things, says the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently, you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, 14 therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your ancestors, just what I did to Shiloh. 15 And I will cast you out of my sight, just as I cast out all your kinsfolk, all the offspring of Ephraim.
Here Jeremiah was telling the people that Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed and that they would go into exile- Jesus will give a very similar message to the crowd and to His disciples in Matthew 21,22 and 24 (just as John the Baptist did in Matthew 3). So here’s a key: Jesus’ action is connected to God’s judgment upon the Temple and its leadership.
4. What does Jesus mean by a ‘den of robbers’?
A better translation for this would be a ‘den of brigands’. There were, throughout Israel’s history, gangs of outlaws who hid in the caves in and around the mountains of Judah (even into the Roman era). This same word (lestai in Greek) was used to described these outlaws/rebels . . . it was a a word used for petty thievery, but for dangerous and violent brigands whose lives were the epitome of unholiness. And Jesus, like Jeremiah before him, is saying this is what the Temple leadership are like. The Temple was meant to be a “house of prayer”- that is a place where people come into God’s presence- and had become instead a place where Israel’s false shepherds consolidated their power and denied God’s Messiah His rightful place of leadership.
5. How might we interpret Jesus’ actions?
Many of the prophets of Israel performed prophetic “signs” (Jeremiah breaks a pot, Ezekiel lays on his side for almost a year, Isaiah walks around naked, etc.) to demonstrate a point. I believe Jesus’ overturning the table functioned in a similar way- it was a demonstration of God’s judgment on the Temple, and brought sacrifice to a halt, which was what Jesus claimed God would do in the near future.
Furthermore, Jesus’ actions were a symbol of His authority as the Messiah, the one who has a legitimate claim over Temple leadership. The King of Israel had the ability to command sacrifice or to halt it and Jesus’ is enacting that right on a symbolic scale. Jesus also demonstrates what true worship should look like in the Temple at this point by allowing the blind, lame and children to come to Him and receive healing. This event then, in a sense, is a brief moment of restoration of the Temple to its proper role of connecting people with God’s saving work. However, its brevity underlines its purpose of being a symbol of what God really desires from the Temple.
Monday, July 25, 2016
Matthew 18-20: Kingdom Leadership
Scattered across Matthew 18-20 are a variety of Jesus’ teachings about leadership in the Kingdom of God. In short, Kingdom leadership is in many ways the inverse of secular leadership, as the greatest in the Kingdom are those who sacrifice themselves and dedicate themselves to serving others. Furthermore, Kingdom leaders recognize that God desires the most vulnerable of His people to be protected and cared for, and not just the people who society values. Here are the salient points of Kingdom leadership according to Jesus:
Matthew 18:1-5
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a child, whom he put among them, 3 and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
Matthew 18:10-14
“Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven. 12 What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
Matthew 19:13-15
Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.
Matthew 20:24-28
When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 26 It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
All of these verses point to what the King of Israel was always supposed to be, and the leadership of Israel in general. Note that these issues of leadership were near the heart of Jesus’ battle with the Pharisees, Scribes, and ultimately with the Chief Priests and Sadducees. All of Jesus’ criticism of these groups, and Jesus’ philosophy of leadership are echoes of Ezekiel 34, where Ezekiel describes illegitimate leadership and prophecies about a future shepherd who will lead in righteousness . . .
Ezekiel 34:1-6: The Bad Shepherds (Pharisees, Scribes, Sadducees, Chief Priests)
The word of the Lord came to me: 2 Mortal, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel: prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord God: Ah, you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the sheep. 4 You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and scattered, they became food for all the wild animals. 6 My sheep were scattered, they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill; my sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with no one to search or seek for them.
Ezekiel 34:11-19: The True Shepherd (Jesus)
For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. 12 As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.
17 As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats: 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture? When you drink of clear water, must you foul the rest with your feet? 19 And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have fouled with your feet?
Matthew 18:1-5
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a child, whom he put among them, 3 and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
Matthew 18:10-14
“Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven. 12 What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
Matthew 19:13-15
Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.
Matthew 20:24-28
When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 26 It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
All of these verses point to what the King of Israel was always supposed to be, and the leadership of Israel in general. Note that these issues of leadership were near the heart of Jesus’ battle with the Pharisees, Scribes, and ultimately with the Chief Priests and Sadducees. All of Jesus’ criticism of these groups, and Jesus’ philosophy of leadership are echoes of Ezekiel 34, where Ezekiel describes illegitimate leadership and prophecies about a future shepherd who will lead in righteousness . . .
Ezekiel 34:1-6: The Bad Shepherds (Pharisees, Scribes, Sadducees, Chief Priests)
The word of the Lord came to me: 2 Mortal, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel: prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord God: Ah, you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the sheep. 4 You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and scattered, they became food for all the wild animals. 6 My sheep were scattered, they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill; my sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with no one to search or seek for them.
Ezekiel 34:11-19: The True Shepherd (Jesus)
For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. 12 As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.
17 As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats: 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, but you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture? When you drink of clear water, must you foul the rest with your feet? 19 And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have fouled with your feet?
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Matthew 18: Gentiles and Tax Collectors
In Matthew 18 we find Jesus discussing norms and practices in the body of the disciples (i.e. the church). In 18:15-17 Jesus teaches the disciples how they should deal sin within the church. He says:
“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. 16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."
The end of verse 17 has been one of the most misused in church history (which is saying something). Many people have interpreted Jesus' words as meaning that those who sin in the church and do not repent should be thrown out and then shunned or pushed away. The problem with this interpretation is that Jesus did not shun tax collectors or Gentiles, or refuse their company. Rather, Jesus treated them as people who were outside the bounds of God's covenant and needed to be won over. So what Jesus is saying is that if folks inside the church refuse to repent we need to consider them as people who are still outside the Kingdom and in need of conversion. While this means their participation in the community will be limited, it does not mean that they should be considered "contaminants" to be avoided or the like.
“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. 16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."
The end of verse 17 has been one of the most misused in church history (which is saying something). Many people have interpreted Jesus' words as meaning that those who sin in the church and do not repent should be thrown out and then shunned or pushed away. The problem with this interpretation is that Jesus did not shun tax collectors or Gentiles, or refuse their company. Rather, Jesus treated them as people who were outside the bounds of God's covenant and needed to be won over. So what Jesus is saying is that if folks inside the church refuse to repent we need to consider them as people who are still outside the Kingdom and in need of conversion. While this means their participation in the community will be limited, it does not mean that they should be considered "contaminants" to be avoided or the like.
Thursday, July 21, 2016
Matthew 17: Transfiguration
The Transfiguration is perhaps the most “other-worldly” event in the Gospel of Matthew, and also one of the most difficult to understand. When we explore the allusions and connections with the Old Testament however, and previous events in the Gospel of Matthew, we can gain a better perspective on what is happening here. Let’s break down some of the events to consider the overall significance:
Jesus becomes “dazzling” like the sun (17:2).
Matthew’s words here echo Daniel 12:1-3: At that time . . . your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. 2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
This passage in Daniel was talking about the resurrection and the advent of the Kingdom of God. Clearly then, Jesus is shown here to possess the power of the Kingdom in Himself. The Kingdom of God has already arrived in Jesus then, even if not in its full power. That is the starting point for the revelation of the Transfiguration.
2. Moses and Elijah are seen with Jesus (17:3)
First off, Moses and Elijah are the two prophets who escape an ordinary death. Moses dies “at the Lord’s command” (Deut. 34:5 . . . almost like God calling him directly to heaven), and Elijah is taken up into heaven directly in 2 Kings 2:11. Jesus, we know, will be the one who defeats death. Furthermore, Deuteronomy 18:15 records Moses saying that God would raise up “a prophet like me” to lead Israel, and Jesus is clearly the recipient of that. Many Israelites at this time believed that “the prophet” would be one who would restore Israel. Finally, both Moses and Elijah encountered God and were commissioned on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:15-18, 33:18-23, and 1 Kings 19:8-13). Moses also indirectly shines with the glory of God and enters the cloud which accompanies God’s presence. The point of then here is that Jesus is set apart like Moses and Elijah, and already stands among them as a great prophet. He will be elevated even higher though by God . . .
3. God speaks to the disciples in the midst of the cloud of glory (17:5)
The “bright cloud” is the symbol of God’s presence. God lead the Israelites through the wilderness during the Exodus via cloud, Moses entered the cloud on Sinai, and the presence of God in the Tabernacle and Temple was in a cloud. Jesus then has lead the disciples into God’s presence. (And it should be noted that the cloud being outside of the Temple would be an issue . . . God was supposed to operate on Temple grounds.) God reaffirms exactly what He said to Jesus at his baptism to the disciples: Jesus is the Messiah (Son of God) and therefore the ultimate authority on earth for the disciples . . . they must listen to Him! Note that this comes directly after the story of Peter wanting Jesus to avoid violent death- what the disciples have to do is listen and trust that Jesus is what God has revealed Him to be even in the midst of an inglorious death on the cross. This vision must be what they remember even as He sacrifices Himself.
So then, we can say the Transfiguration shows us . . .
The power of the Kingdom has arrived with Jesus.
Jesus stands as the great prophet, leading an Exodus like Moses and in the prophetic tradition of Elijah.
Jesus is the Messiah- and must be listened to (i.e. obeyed)- even as He will give His life in sacrifice. . . the disciples must begin to trust His way and follow along.
Jesus becomes “dazzling” like the sun (17:2).
Matthew’s words here echo Daniel 12:1-3: At that time . . . your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. 2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
This passage in Daniel was talking about the resurrection and the advent of the Kingdom of God. Clearly then, Jesus is shown here to possess the power of the Kingdom in Himself. The Kingdom of God has already arrived in Jesus then, even if not in its full power. That is the starting point for the revelation of the Transfiguration.
2. Moses and Elijah are seen with Jesus (17:3)
First off, Moses and Elijah are the two prophets who escape an ordinary death. Moses dies “at the Lord’s command” (Deut. 34:5 . . . almost like God calling him directly to heaven), and Elijah is taken up into heaven directly in 2 Kings 2:11. Jesus, we know, will be the one who defeats death. Furthermore, Deuteronomy 18:15 records Moses saying that God would raise up “a prophet like me” to lead Israel, and Jesus is clearly the recipient of that. Many Israelites at this time believed that “the prophet” would be one who would restore Israel. Finally, both Moses and Elijah encountered God and were commissioned on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:15-18, 33:18-23, and 1 Kings 19:8-13). Moses also indirectly shines with the glory of God and enters the cloud which accompanies God’s presence. The point of then here is that Jesus is set apart like Moses and Elijah, and already stands among them as a great prophet. He will be elevated even higher though by God . . .
3. God speaks to the disciples in the midst of the cloud of glory (17:5)
The “bright cloud” is the symbol of God’s presence. God lead the Israelites through the wilderness during the Exodus via cloud, Moses entered the cloud on Sinai, and the presence of God in the Tabernacle and Temple was in a cloud. Jesus then has lead the disciples into God’s presence. (And it should be noted that the cloud being outside of the Temple would be an issue . . . God was supposed to operate on Temple grounds.) God reaffirms exactly what He said to Jesus at his baptism to the disciples: Jesus is the Messiah (Son of God) and therefore the ultimate authority on earth for the disciples . . . they must listen to Him! Note that this comes directly after the story of Peter wanting Jesus to avoid violent death- what the disciples have to do is listen and trust that Jesus is what God has revealed Him to be even in the midst of an inglorious death on the cross. This vision must be what they remember even as He sacrifices Himself.
So then, we can say the Transfiguration shows us . . .
The power of the Kingdom has arrived with Jesus.
Jesus stands as the great prophet, leading an Exodus like Moses and in the prophetic tradition of Elijah.
Jesus is the Messiah- and must be listened to (i.e. obeyed)- even as He will give His life in sacrifice. . . the disciples must begin to trust His way and follow along.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Matthew 15: the "Canaanite" Woman
One of the more troubling stories in the Gospel of Matthew is Jesus’ encounter with the “Canaanite” woman in 15:21-28. While most Christians don’t have a problem with Jesus’ focus on reaching “the lost sheep of Israel” it seems like Jesus is pretty prejudiced when this woman asks Him to help her daughter, as He refers to her as one of “the dogs”. So the question is: why does Matthew tell us this story? What is he trying to show us about Jesus through this potentially offensive (to a modern audience) story?
Issue #1: Redefining Purity
This story is a great example of why it’s important to read scripture in large chunks. Jesus has just finished having a showdown with the Pharisees about purity (15:1-20), in which He essentially claims that purity is not about exterior rituals (which the Pharisees use to determine who’s “in” and who’s “out”) but about the heart. All “loyal” Israelites would consider a Gentile woman unclean, and particularly one who is walking around with a demonized child. As such, they would have strictly avoided her. However, her belief in Jesus as the Messiah (“Son of David” she calls Him in 15:22) gets her an audience with Him. Her humility and persistence then result in Jesus “cleansing” her daughter of demons. Ultimately the woman shows herself to be one who is pure because of the state of her heart, and not because of proper observance of rituals. Jesus, in a sense, allows her to prove this level of faith (this purity of heart) by his very hard words towards her, and thereby shows exactly what the Pharisees are missing.
Issue #2: Reconciliation
Interestingly, when Mark tells this story (Mark 7:24-30) he refers to the woman as the “Syro-Phoenician” woman and not the “Canaanite” woman. Mark is correct in doing so, for there were no “Canaanites” left by the time this story took place . . . that tribe (or conglomeration of tribes) had vanished hundred and hundreds of years before. The Canaanites, however, were some of Israel’s bitterest enemies in the early years of the Judges, and “Canaanite” therefore is synonymous with “enemy” in the Old Testament. The point then that Matthew is making is that Jesus, through His ministry, is breaking down this rivalry and allowing for Gentiles to have reconciliation with Israel. When the “Canaanite” woman bows to him (15:25), the King of Israel, we see God’s plan to end the struggle between the Gentiles and Israel through the Messiah.
Issue #1: Redefining Purity
This story is a great example of why it’s important to read scripture in large chunks. Jesus has just finished having a showdown with the Pharisees about purity (15:1-20), in which He essentially claims that purity is not about exterior rituals (which the Pharisees use to determine who’s “in” and who’s “out”) but about the heart. All “loyal” Israelites would consider a Gentile woman unclean, and particularly one who is walking around with a demonized child. As such, they would have strictly avoided her. However, her belief in Jesus as the Messiah (“Son of David” she calls Him in 15:22) gets her an audience with Him. Her humility and persistence then result in Jesus “cleansing” her daughter of demons. Ultimately the woman shows herself to be one who is pure because of the state of her heart, and not because of proper observance of rituals. Jesus, in a sense, allows her to prove this level of faith (this purity of heart) by his very hard words towards her, and thereby shows exactly what the Pharisees are missing.
Issue #2: Reconciliation
Interestingly, when Mark tells this story (Mark 7:24-30) he refers to the woman as the “Syro-Phoenician” woman and not the “Canaanite” woman. Mark is correct in doing so, for there were no “Canaanites” left by the time this story took place . . . that tribe (or conglomeration of tribes) had vanished hundred and hundreds of years before. The Canaanites, however, were some of Israel’s bitterest enemies in the early years of the Judges, and “Canaanite” therefore is synonymous with “enemy” in the Old Testament. The point then that Matthew is making is that Jesus, through His ministry, is breaking down this rivalry and allowing for Gentiles to have reconciliation with Israel. When the “Canaanite” woman bows to him (15:25), the King of Israel, we see God’s plan to end the struggle between the Gentiles and Israel through the Messiah.
Monday, July 11, 2016
Matthew 14: Death of the Baptist
The execution of John the Baptist at the hands of Herod marks a turning point in Matthew’s Gospel. We will not see Jesus again teaching large crowds in Galilee, and in fact it is a safe assumption that Jesus’ trip up to the districts near Tyre and Sidon in Matthew 15-16 is a reaction to the threat of Herod arresting Jesus prematurely. Matthew has placed the story of John’s death right in the middle of his gospel, which is surely intentional. The death of John brings home the reality that Jesus’ movement will not be accepted by the established powers in Israel, and marks the point when the readers of the gospel are aware that there will be a significant conflict down the road for Jesus.
Herod is presented by Matthew as the example of the wicked, illegitimate king- the false shepherd- who stand in the way of Jesus’ work. In the brief story of his having John killed consider all that he does that contrasts with Jesus’ life and teaching:
He persecutes God’s servant (compare 5:11-12)
He puts more stock in pleasing humans than God (compare 10:28)
He indulges lust (compare 5:27-30)
He makes careless oaths (compare 5:33-37)
He cares more about his image than his people (compare 20:24-28)
Herod in this story looks like a typical, Gentile king in the Bible. In fact, he looks very much like Pharaoh in the story of the Exodus. It should perhaps not come as a surprise then that Matthew immediately goes into the story of the feeding of 5000, which obviously points us again towards Jesus as a new Moses, and leading a new Exodus to rebirth Israel.
While we in the United States don’t give much thought to the gospel facing this kind of political enemy, this story can serve as a great reminder to what many of our brothers and sisters face in parts of Africa and Asia. And it raises some questions for us: knowing that rulers like Herod exist and work against the gospel, what can we do about it? Do we use our political rights and abilities to advocate for our suffering family in Christ? Do we know about their struggle? If not, how can we change that? And how can we support gospel work in closed and dangerous parts of the world?
Herod is presented by Matthew as the example of the wicked, illegitimate king- the false shepherd- who stand in the way of Jesus’ work. In the brief story of his having John killed consider all that he does that contrasts with Jesus’ life and teaching:
He persecutes God’s servant (compare 5:11-12)
He puts more stock in pleasing humans than God (compare 10:28)
He indulges lust (compare 5:27-30)
He makes careless oaths (compare 5:33-37)
He cares more about his image than his people (compare 20:24-28)
Herod in this story looks like a typical, Gentile king in the Bible. In fact, he looks very much like Pharaoh in the story of the Exodus. It should perhaps not come as a surprise then that Matthew immediately goes into the story of the feeding of 5000, which obviously points us again towards Jesus as a new Moses, and leading a new Exodus to rebirth Israel.
While we in the United States don’t give much thought to the gospel facing this kind of political enemy, this story can serve as a great reminder to what many of our brothers and sisters face in parts of Africa and Asia. And it raises some questions for us: knowing that rulers like Herod exist and work against the gospel, what can we do about it? Do we use our political rights and abilities to advocate for our suffering family in Christ? Do we know about their struggle? If not, how can we change that? And how can we support gospel work in closed and dangerous parts of the world?
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Matthew 13: Wheat, Weeds and Pharisees
Jesus tells one of His most fascinating parables in Matthew 13:24-30 about wheat and weeds:
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ 28 He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
The point of the parable is to instruct the disciples on why it is not their job to carry out God’s judgment and eliminate evil from the world (or even from their own nation of Israel). Jesus claims that the disciples cannot eliminate evil or evil people without significant collateral damage because it is completely enmeshed with the good around it. Instead, the disciples are just to do their job (preaching the gospel, making disciples, healing, etc.) and entrust judgment and the “cleansing” of the field to God.
This is a great example of a place where Jesus sharply disagreed with the Pharisees. Both Jesus and the Pharisees wanted Israel, and the whole world, to be cleansed and renewed by God. However, the Pharisees believe they have the authority and the tools (by judging who keeps the Law) to do this. In fact, the Pharisees believed that until this sort of "weeding" (like what we say in 1 Maccabees in the post about the Pharisees) was done Israel would not be renewed by God.
It’s easy to sit back from our relaxed perspective today and say that it’s outrageous for the Pharisees to claim this power. However, it’s worth asking: how do we react when we then go on to read the story of Herod and John the Baptist? Many of us, just reading that story, would like to see Herod and his entourage “weeded” out of the field! And we didn’t even have to live under Herod! If we’re honest, we are often far more sympathetic to the Pharisees’ perspective (the world would be a better place if we could get rid of the weeds!) than we’d like to believe.
A few questions:
How have we seen these dynamics at play in our contemporary world? Do we see success in the modern efforts to “weed” out the evil in the world?
Who do we struggle to trust God’s judgment with? Who are we tempted to “weed out” ourselves (or have others do the weeding)?
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ 28 He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
The point of the parable is to instruct the disciples on why it is not their job to carry out God’s judgment and eliminate evil from the world (or even from their own nation of Israel). Jesus claims that the disciples cannot eliminate evil or evil people without significant collateral damage because it is completely enmeshed with the good around it. Instead, the disciples are just to do their job (preaching the gospel, making disciples, healing, etc.) and entrust judgment and the “cleansing” of the field to God.
This is a great example of a place where Jesus sharply disagreed with the Pharisees. Both Jesus and the Pharisees wanted Israel, and the whole world, to be cleansed and renewed by God. However, the Pharisees believe they have the authority and the tools (by judging who keeps the Law) to do this. In fact, the Pharisees believed that until this sort of "weeding" (like what we say in 1 Maccabees in the post about the Pharisees) was done Israel would not be renewed by God.
It’s easy to sit back from our relaxed perspective today and say that it’s outrageous for the Pharisees to claim this power. However, it’s worth asking: how do we react when we then go on to read the story of Herod and John the Baptist? Many of us, just reading that story, would like to see Herod and his entourage “weeded” out of the field! And we didn’t even have to live under Herod! If we’re honest, we are often far more sympathetic to the Pharisees’ perspective (the world would be a better place if we could get rid of the weeds!) than we’d like to believe.
A few questions:
How have we seen these dynamics at play in our contemporary world? Do we see success in the modern efforts to “weed” out the evil in the world?
Who do we struggle to trust God’s judgment with? Who are we tempted to “weed out” ourselves (or have others do the weeding)?
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