Category NT Book 01 – Matthew

Sep 17 2012

Matthew 27 – The Crucifixion of Jesus

When morning came, the Sanhedrin had Jesus taken to Pilate.  When Judas saw that Jesus was condemned, he had a change of heart, and took the thirty pieces of silver back to them, saying that he had betrayed innocent blood.  But they are unimpressed.  So he threw it down in the temple and went and hanged himself.  Remorse, as we see, does not always include repentance.  The Sanhedrin has no problem with lies and the murder of an innocent man, but they want no part of this blood money, so they use it to buy a potter’s field.  The scripture that this fulfilled, referred to in verses 9-10, is from both Jeremiah 19:1-13 and Zechariah 11:11-13.

Jesus answers Pilate’s question of whether He was a king, but remains silent about the charges against Him.  We find in verse 20 that the chief priests and elders persuaded the people to choose Barabbas when Pilate offered to free one of them.  Fearing a riot, Pilate resigns himself to the will of the crowd, but uses the physical act of washing hands to declare his innocence of “this man’s blood.”  “Having scourged Jesus” is mentioned in passing, but this Roman form of flogging was anything but incidental.  It was a brutally painful beating with a whip weighted with sharp pieces of bone and metal. It was designed to lacerate, often exposing bone and intestines.  Crucifixion was an agonizing and tortuous death, but this beating would be equally painful.  An article about this scourging can be found at this link.

One traditional site of Golgotha is this hill with hollow eye sockets to look like the place of the skull. Another traditional site is in present-day Jerusalem, which in Jesus’ time was just outside the wall. It is called the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

He was mocked and spit upon, stripped and made to wear a crown made of thorns.  Then he was led away to be crucified.  They made a man named Simon of Cyrene to carry His cross, and when they reached Golgatha (which means Place of a Skull), they tried to give him wine mixed with gall (a very bitter herb that could also be poisonous) to drink.  It was intended to dull the sense of pain, but it was God’s will that He should suffer, and He refused.  As they crucified Him, “they divided his garments among them by casting lots” – referring to Psalm 22:18.  Verses 36-44 detail the continued derision, mocking and reviling inflicted on Him as He suffered.

Crucifixion was a slow and excruciatingly painful method of inflicting death, and their are many stories of the cruelty of Roman soldiers experimenting with different poses for crucified victims (Josephus, “Jewish War” 5.449–551).  Hanging by one’s arms caused great difficulty in breathing, only alleviated by the victim pushing up with their feet in order to take the weight off of the arms. But that caused severe pain in the feet, arms, legs, and back, making the exhausted victim slump down again, only to be barely able to breathe again. Finally, he would mercifully die of asphyxiation, if he had not already died as a result of the cumulative effects of the multiple physical traumas inflicted.

In verse 45, there was darkness all over the land from the 6th hour until the ninth hour (about noon to 3:00).  About the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” meaning, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  This is from Psalm 22:1.  This is one of the most puzzling verses in the Bible.  Jesus knows what is happening, and why He is doing it. One explanation that has been posed is that because Jesus did in fact become sin, at this moment Jesus felt the presence of God turn away from Him as He was dying.  Jesus then gave up the spirit with another cry.

Then in verse 51, the curtain of the Temple was torn from top to bottom.  It was between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, and was woven from 72 twisted plaits of 24 threads a piece. It was 60 feet high and 30 feet wide. No one was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place behind the curtain except the high priest, and then only on the Day of Atonement.  Being torn in two represents the removal of the separation between God and the people.  A high priest was no longer needed – Jesus is our high priest now.  More elaboration of this event, and what it symbolized, is in Hebrews 9:11–10:22.  Then the earth shook (Palestine sits on a major seismic rift), rocks were split, and tombs were opened.  As Matthew often groups events together topically, he then jumps ahead here in verse 53 to events after the resurrection, as many of the saints were raised and came out of the tombs to appear to many in the city.  We are not told whether they were taken to heaven after these eyewitnesses received these visits.  But clearly, God wanted many witnesses to understand the profoundly momentous significance of what had happened.

In verse 57, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came to Pilate that evening to request Jesus’ body.  He took the body and wrapped it in a linen shroud and placed it in his own tomb.  This fulfilled Isaiah 53:9.  Then he rolled a big stone in front of the entrance.  Then the chief priests, remembering how he had said that he would rise after 3 days, went to Pilate voicing their fears that Jesus’ disciples might come and steal the body.  So he gave them a guard of soldiers, and they sealed the tomb and stood guard.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Sep 16 2012

The Savior Slain and Risen \ Week 36 summary posted

This week, we will read first about the crucifixion.  Then we will spend the rest of the week with some details of the time after the Lord’s resurrection from the perspective of the gospels of Matthew, Luke and John.  We know from 1 Corinthians 15:5-9 that Jesus appeared to more than five hundred in the forty days before His ascension to heaven.  We will focus in the next few days mostly on the time from His appearance to the disciples onward.  Today though, let us spend a bit of time on the first hours of the day of His resurrection.

The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, one traditional site of Jesus’ burial. It is safe to say that it is not the tomb of Jesus, but it is useful as a realistic example.

We need to keep a few things in mind.  First, as is often the case with the Scriptures, events recorded in the four gospels are not always in chronological order.  Also, as we have discussed before, each of the four was written to a different audience; and we find things phrased differently, as well as additional events in one gospel not found in another.  Finally, we have seen time and again that there are some things we would like to know that the scriptures just do not tell us.  In this case, the commentator James Burton Coffman says it best: “…it was part of the Father’s wisdom to give men just the amount of revelation which would leave them free to make their own moral decision. ”

The resurrection accounts of the gospels are favorite citations for those unbelievers who feel compelled to invest their time trying to find alleged contradictions.  Of course, such allegations are baseless.  Putting the four gospel accounts together gives us a more complete picture of the events of that great morning.  For a complete comprehensive and easy to read harmonization of the four gospels, I recommend the following book (also available in Kindle format): “The Fourfold Gospel” by John McGarvey (ISBN-10 # 1936341018, ISBN-13 # 978-1936341016).

Keeping Coffman’s caveat  in mind, the following is a summary of the events in all four gospels (Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, and John 20:1-18) of the early morning of the resurrection up to Jesus’ first appearances to Mary Magdalene and the other women:

1.  Several women came to the tomb of Jesus before dawn on the first day of the week (Sunday) with spices to anoint His body.  From the four gospels, we know that group included at minimum Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James (Jesus’ mother), Salome, and Joanna.

2. The Sabbath ended at sundown on Saturday.  The key sentence in Luke 23:56 is that on the Sabbath, the women “rested according to the commandment.”  This means that they would not be preparing the spices and ointments until the Sabbath was over (at sundown).

3. The women set out for the tomb with the spices while it was still dark on the first day of the week.  The translation of the grammar used in Mark confuses many, but the key to understanding is that Mark 16:1-2 simply distinguishes the fact that when they went very early on the first day of the week, they did it in the morning – not just after sundown on Saturday!

4. There was a great earthquake, and an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and rolled away the stone and sat on it.  The fear that brought to the guards is stated – along with the statement that they became like dead men.  Perhaps they were just paralyzed with fear, or perhaps they were made unable to move.  We are not told.  The point is that the seal was broken, and the stone would not be allowed to be moved back in front of the tomb.

The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, one traditional site of Jesus’ burial. It is safe to say that it is not the tomb of Jesus, but it is useful as a realistic example.

5.  At this point, we know from John that it was Mary Magdalene who ran to tell Peter and John that (as she believes) someone has taken the body.  John and Mark both indicate that Mary had left the other women.  While she is gone, two angels speak to the women she had separated from, telling them that Jesus had risen and they must tell the disciples “and Peter” that He is risen and that they must go to Galilee. Many of the guards leave to go tell the Sanhedrin what has happened, while the other women leave to find the disciples.  It is important to get word to all the disciples.  But Peter is mentioned separately probably because it is important that in his grief, he does not think he would be cast off because of his denial (in Matthew 26:69-75).

6. Peter and John run to the tomb and eventually both go inside and leave, satisfied that Jesus is gone.  John “believes” but Peter is puzzled about what happened.  They went back home and the other women would come tell them (as well as the other disciples) what the angels had said to them.

7. Mary, back at the tomb weeping after Peter and John had left, now looks into it for the first time and sees it empty except for the angels – sitting at the head and foot where Jesus had laid.  Perhaps from her tears blinding her or perhaps prevented from truly “seeing” (as with the disciples in Luke 24:16), she does not react to the angels or recognize Jesus until He calls her name (John 20:16).  Jesus tells her not to delay by clinging to Him, but to go to tell the disciples that He is going to His Father (and their Father).

8. Mary does go and tell the disciples that she has seen the Lord.  The other women are met by Jesus on their way (Matthew 28:9); and they are allowed the delay briefly, as they take hold of His feet and worship Him.  Then He sends them to continue on to the disciples as well.

Summing Up

Each weekend, I am now posting a small PDF of one week of chapter summaries (on the website’s “Summaries” page), current to the beginning of the previous week.  I have posted the summary for Week 36 (September Week 1) of the schedule I am following.  This short PDF document contains condensed comments about John 12, Matt 24 and 25, John 13, and John 14, with hyperlinks to the ESV version of each chapter for listening or reading, and joins the summaries for other weeks already posted there.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Sep 14 2012

Matthew 26 – The Plot to Kill Jesus

 

Having read John’s account, we now move to Matthew’s account of the last supper and Jesus’ arrest.  Since the audience of the gospel of Matthew is the Jews, it makes sense that he would give full attention to certain details of the trial before the Sanhedrin.  Unlike John, who gives the event in more chronological order, Matthew includes the account of the anointing of Jesus by Mary (sister of Lazarus) here in verses 6-13.   he also gives us the details in verses 14-16 of Judas’ conspiracy with, and payment from, the chief priests for his promise to deliver Him.  We also read in verses 17-20 of Jesus sending disciples to a “certain man” to prepare to have Passover at his house.

A model of the way Caiaphas’ house may have looked in the time of Jesus. Caiaphas was the high priest who judged Jesus.

But it is in verses 3-5 that we read of chief priests and the elders plotting in Caiaphas’ palace to  “arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.”  They were fearful of arresting Jesus openly because of His popularity; and the Feast of Unleavened Bread brought thousands of Pilgrims to the city.  The last thing they wanted was an uprising.  In verses 20-25, Jesus foretells His betrayal by one of them, culminating in an actual exchange between Jesus and Judas.  What was it like to be told by the son of God that it would be better if His betrayer had never been born – knowing that you had already begun that process?  And Jesus’ confirmation that He knew in verse 25 must have been chilling, especially after the fact.

In verses 26-29, Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper.  The Passover, begun so long ago in Exodus 12 with the sacrifice of a lamb had pointed to this day.  Now this memorial would remind us of the sacrifice of “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).  Verse 28 (“…this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” is the fulfilling also of the new covenant promise of Jeremiah 31:31-34.

The hymn that they sung in verse 30 is most likely Psalm 113-118, which is known as the Hallel (meaning “praise”).  The scripture Jesus quotes in verse 31 is from Zechariah 13:7, telling the disciples that they will all fall away that very night.  He also predicts Peter’s denial, at which point they all declare that they will remain with Him even if they must die.  His prayer in Gethsemane occurs in verses 36-44.  The traditional site for this now holds the “Church of All Nations” (or “Basilica of the Agony“), which was built over a 4th century Byzantine church.  Note Jesus’ sorrow and fervent petition to God in verses 38-39.  Although He was divine, for our benefit He had the same emotions any man would have knowing the suffering that He was about to endure.

The Mount of Olives, looking from Jerusalem, with the Basilica of the Agony, traditional site where Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Today the garden is at the left of the basilica.

Judas betrays Him with a kiss in verse 49.  We know from John 18:10-11 that it was Peter that cut off the ear of one of Jesus’ captors (Malchus) in verse 51.  When Jesus rebukes him, He says “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?”  (we sing the song “He could have called Ten Thousand Angels”).  Jesus was of course  not going to call for help, but a Roman legion was 6,000 – so twelve of them would be 72,000.  As predicted, all of His disciples fled the scene.

Matthew skips past the meeting with Annas (John 18:12-14, 19-24) and begins next with the appearance before Caiaphas the High Priest and the Council (the Sanhedrin).  They had many witnesses coming forward, but none would give the false testimony they wanted in order to have Him put to death until at last two came and, in verse 61, misquoted Jesus’ actual statement of John 2:19-21.  He remained silent, making no correction,  when Caiaphas questioned Him about it.  But when asked if He was the Christ, He confirmed it with the Greek expression “you have said so” that He had also used with Judas in verse 25.  Then He added that they would see him at the right hand of “Power.”  Caiaphas declared this to be blasphemy, and they spit on Him and slapped Him, saying that He deserved death.  The outcome was assured now.

Peter’s denial in verses 69-74 went just as Jesus had said; and remembering the words of the Lord, Peter’s grief was intense.  Though this apostle would come to understand the necessity of what Jesus was to endure, we can only try to imagine the guilt he would bear.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

 

Sep 5 2012

Matthew 25 – The Final Judgment

Chapter 25 continues the theme of being prepared that Jesus began in the latter part of chapter 24.  No matter how many times Jesus says in scripture that no one knows what day or hour He will come, still people try to predict it even to this day.   The first parable especially emphasizes the importance of always being prepared.

The parable of the talents, a story about faithful stewardship — Matthew 25: 14-30.

The parable of the talents stresses that we have the responsibility for our own spiritual  growth, and for sharing it with others.  The “talent” in New Testament times was a fairly large amount of money.  The parallel for us is not so much any “talent” we might have as it is just using our abilities productively.  The Lord does not want us to be idle in His Kingdom.  Verse 32 (“Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats”) continues the theme from Matthew 24:40-41.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Sep 4 2012

Matthew 24 – Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

Chapters 24 and 25 are known as the Olivet discourse (Verse 3 – “As he sat on the Mount of Olives…”); and chapter 24 is the source of much discussion and confusion.  The disciples were impressed with the buildings of the temple, and pointed them out to Jesus.  But He tells them in verse 2 that “there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”  Now the total destruction of this temple was such a dramatic thing to envision, that the only thing they could think of to associate it with was the end of the world.  So their question to Jesus was when all of these things would happen.

Old city of Jerusalem, the Temple, and Dome of the Rock, as seen from the Mount of Olives.

The key to understanding this chapter (as is the case with all scripture) is to first examine the context, and then apply what follows using your God-given logic.  In chapter 23, Jesus had just delivered a very vocal rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees in the temple, calling them the “sons of those who murdered the prophets,” and saying “you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?”  He finishes up in verses 37-38 with His broken-hear-ted lament for the coming fate of Jerusalem:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate.”

In verses 4-35 of chapter 24, Jesus tells them privately of the fate that awaits Jerusalem, as well as what will become of them (they will be persecuted and put to death).  he even tells them of things that will happen before that Roman army does its work in AD 70 – many examples of which Josephus and other historians confirm.  If these verses were speaking of the end of the world rather than the destruction of Jerusalem, it would not matter if it was in the winter (verse 20) – much less, what day it was!  In verse 34, He tells them that all of these things will happen during their generation.  It is not until verse 36 that Jesus begins speaking of  the final judgment – “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”  The apocalyptic language throughout the chapter is what makes it difficult to separate.  But such imagery when the scripture prophesies destruction is common (see Isaiah 13:10-13 and Ezekiel 32:7-8, for example).  It is helpful to relate the chapter to Luke’s account in chapter 21, particularly as Matthew 24:15-16 relate to Luke 21:20-21.

For an excellent in-depth analysis, please refer to the article in this link.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Aug 21 2012

Matthew 16 – Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

The Pharisees and the Saduccees Come to Tempt ...

The Pharisees and the Sadducees Come to Tempt Jesus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Normally, the Pharisees and Sadducees were at odds, and had little to do with each other.  But Jesus was perceived by both groups as a threat to their power.  That is why they came together in verse one asking him for a sign – in order to try to get something to use against him as the Pharisees and scribes had done earlier.  Jesus points out their ability to understand meteorological signs (verse 2), but they are unable to understand the signs that He has done (because they choose not to).  In verse 4, he says that no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah  (a repeat of His earlier statement in the encounter in Matthew 12:38-40).  He had told them of His coming death and resurrection already, but they had not understood that either.

In verse 5, the disciples caught up with Him (Jesus had gone over on the boat without them after feeding the four thousand in chapter 15) and realized they had forgotten to bring any bread.  So when He tells them to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,”  they still have their minds on bread; and they do not properly understand the statement.  Jesus is using the word “leaven” in the sense of something that influences another – in this case, the corrupt doctrine and hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  It is their (the disciples) faith (verse 8) that is preventing them from understanding the way He wants them to understand Him.  Jesus focuses their minds by reminding them of the miracles of feeding the two groups of thousands and the abundant left-overs, and repeating the warning.  That has the desired effect, and they finally “get it.”

After they arrive in the district of Caesarea Philippi, Peter answers Jesus’ question of verse 15 with the knowledge that He is the son of God. Jesus declares that he was blessed to have such knowledge revealed to him by God Himself (verse 17).  Unfortunately, verses 18-19 are the subject of much confusion and controversy.  Many people get lost in scrutinizing the Greek and Aramaic words for rock, but the simple fact is that Jesus uses a play on words, as scripture very often does, with Peter’s name.  And despite his flaws (and maybe even because of them), most of us really just like Peter.  But the gospel is not about the glory of Peter.  It is about Jesus, and our hope of salvation through Him.

The two verses are not so difficult to understand when you put them in context with verse 20, with the preceding verses, and with Jesus’ previous words about building a house on the rock (Matthew 7:24)  The rock that Jesus is building on is the foundation of the son of God and His teachings; and his church or kingdom (Greek “ekklesia” – congregation or assembly) is the collection, or body, of people who have been saved by their obedience and faithfulness (Ephesians 2:19-22, 1 Corinthians 12:13).  When Jesus says that He will give him the keys to the kingdom (in contrast to the scribes and Pharisees who cause people to be shut out – see Matthew 23:13), He is speaking of the divine revelation of His word, that will be given to the apostles by the Holy Spirit (John 16:12-15) to impart to us to be saved.  That is when they will truly “get it.”  The next part of verse 19 is best translated in the New American Standard Version, which in the correct tense says  “and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”  Binding and loosing refer to forbidding and permitting, and the authority for their knowledge of it will be given to them.   This is repeated to all of them in Matthew 18:18.

Jesus then tells them to tell no one that He is the Christ.  Like Peter in verse 22, nobody would understand that the Christ has not come to rule as their earthly king anyway.  Only after He offers Himself in death will that understanding come.  Verse 21 (“From that time…”) is the first of four times from then until His arrival in Jerusalem, that He will tell them in Matthew of His imminent death and resurrection.  We tend to forget that as Jesus was also a man, Peter’s sentiment for keeping Jesus alive would be a temptation, knowing what He has to suffer.  It is in that light that we better understand His strong words to Peter in verse 23.

Verses 24-27 are the essence of what it means to be a Christian.  The knowledge of what the salvation of our souls means to us eternally should be enough to cause us to deny ourselves the worldly pleasures everyone finds so important – those things that would stand in the way of salvation.  If we do not, and we “gain the world,” we still will have lost everything.  The meaning of verse 28 is said by some to be that some of those present will see the Him come into His kingdom at His death and resurrection, which makes sense.  Others believe that it is the Transfiguration that comes in chapter 17, and is a preview of His divine glory to come.  Both answers have merit; and both may well be correct.  The point is that the time is coming soon.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Aug 17 2012

Matthew 15 – What Defiles a Person

The Pharisees and scribes that came from Jerusalem in verse 1 would have been of considerable import and influence during the day.  They accuse the disciples (and therefore, Jesus) of breaking the tradition of the elders by eating without having washed their hands.  This was not a matter of hygiene on their part, but is a good example of the extra-biblical customs they were fond of imposing upon people – this one is supposed to have been based on the ritual purity commandments for priests (i.e. Exodus 30:17-21), extending them to apply to people and situations beyond that of God’s word .

The response from Jesus is to throw it right back at them.  The Pharisees were breaking the commandment of God – not the traditions of elders!  By making a claim that their money or property was vowed as a gift to God, they would exclude it from their wealth in consideration of their parents in need, and be excused for not caring for them by their own interpretation of the law – and who knows if they ever actually would give the possessions anyway, even after they died?  Jesus does not mince any words in exposing this hypocrisy (verse 7-9).   The prophecy quoted in verses 8-9 is from Isaiah 29:13.  The disciples then point out the obvious to Jesus – that the Pharisees were offended by what He had said.  But Jesus is not surprised by the opposition of the Pharisees, and tells the disciples that they are intentionally blind to the gospel.  Verses 10-20 then are His lesson to them that it is not what goes into the body that corrupts us, but what comes from our hearts.

The conversation with the Canaanite woman in verses 21-28 seems to be harsh toward her, but we must realize that Jesus came to the regions of Tyre and Sidon (verse 21) not by accident – He would be expecting encounters with Gentiles!  Her faith did pass the test, and her daughter was healed.  Remember that He had already healed the Centurion’s servant.

He then goes on by the Sea of Galilee healing still more in verses 29-31.  Verses 32-39 detail the feeding of the four thousand – this was just the number of men, not including women and children.  This numeration, as well as that of the feeding of the five thousand could be an indication of what sort of size crowds the scripture speaks of in other places.  All were fed and satisfied with just seven loaves of bread and a few fish, and the seven baskets of food gathered up afterward represents more than what they even started with.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Aug 16 2012

Matthew 13 – Parabolic Discourse

The Book of Matthew is considered by many to have five major discourses by Jesus.  The first obviously was the Sermon on the Mount of chapters 5-7.  The second was chapter 10 – the Messiah’s preparation of His disciples for their mission.  Chapter 13 is made up almost entirely of His parables.  In fact, verse 34 says that He said nothing to the crowds on this occasion without a parable.

Landscape with the Parable of the Sower

Landscape with the Parable of the Sower (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As Jesus sat beside the sea, crowds gathered and he got into a boat and sat to address them.  Jesus  first tells the parable of the sower in verses 3-9.  We are not told about the chronology in the text, but most surmise that Jesus spoke all of the parables from the boat, and the explanation came later, after he went into the house in verse 36 (verse 34 seems to bear that out). When  the disciples came to ask Him why He spoke to the people in parables, He quoted from Isaiah 6:9-10 in verses 14-15, explaining that the difference between them (the disciples that want to learn) and the crowds (those that do not really want to understand, much less accept, the truth) is in their hearts. Those who do not understand and accept what He speaks of to them in plain speech, will never accept what He teaches in parables.  This may be the point He made to Nicodemus in John 3:12.

This is followed up by the explanation of the parable of the sower in verses 18-23, which is the key to understanding all of the parables.  In this case, Jesus is the sower, but it applies to us as sowers as we teach others about the kingdom.  It is up to the individual receiving the seeds to prepare their ground for their proper growth – to plow up the hard ground of their hearts (Jeremiah 4:3-4).

The parable of the weeds, or tares (verses 24-30), is like that of the net (verses 47-50), and refers to the fate of those who will not accept the truth.  It is not our job to gather up the weeds, lest we uproot the righteous as well. The parables of the mustard seed (verses 31-32) and leaven (verse 33) show that the kingdom may be starting very small, but will grow into something very large.  The parables of the hidden treasure (verse 44) and the pearl of great value (verses 45-46) demonstrate that those who truly understand the value of our place in His kingdom will be willing to give up anything in this ordinary world in order to attain it.  The prophecy He cites in verse 35 is Psalm 78:2.  Verse 52 means that true disciples who study God’s word will use their training for the kingdom to teach others, using knowledge of the old law with the new.

English: An etching by Jan Luyken illustrating...

English: An etching by Jan Luyken illustrating Matthew 13:47-48 in the Bowyer Bible, Bolton, England. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One might wonder why verses 53-58 are in this chapter, but all of God’s word teaches something.  The rejection of Jesus in His own hometown resulted in Him not wasting much time there (verse 58).  It illustrates very well the points that He made in the earlier parts of the chapter.  The hearts of the people there were hardened to the truth and they could not see.  The ground of their hearts needed plowing as well.

Side note: Though the scriptures do not tell us the location at the Sea of Galilee that Jesus gave the Parable of the Sower, there is a cove that has been suggested as that location.  Interesting studies have been conducted on the acoustics at that cove; and a great article with photos and a sound file made in a test is in this article at BilbePlaces.com.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Aug 8 2012

Matthew 7 – The Sermon on the Mount – part 3

Verse 1 is one of the few verses that many people who know little else about the Bible are familiar with; and it is wrongly used both as self-justification and to rebuke criticism of wrong-doing.  The verse denounces compassion-less condemnation and hypocritical judgment of others – not any judgment at all.  In fact, verse 6 requires judgment on our part, and if we could not judge at all, how could we ever determine what was right or wrong.  The problem also comes into play when people want to put us on the spot, asking if we believe one person or even a group of people will go to heaven.  Thank the Lord that such judgment is not our responsibility!  It sometimes takes tremendous courage to speak up to someone who is doing wrong.  You run the risk of hurting their feelings or more likely, making them angry – and even alienating yourself from people you care about.  But if you believe that someone is living in a way in which they risk losing their soul and you say nothing, is that not terribly wrong of you?

Verse 6 simply means that there comes a time when, try as we might, we must realize that we are not going to be able to persuade some people to serve the Lord, and we must move on.  Verses 7-11 do not make God the vending machine of prayer that grants every wish if we just ask for something.  Not all things we wish for are best for us or for His purposes. Certainly God answers prayers, and many times, that answer from our perspective is “yes,”  – other times we must be patient and see that His way is better for all in the long-term scheme.   But the good gifts spoken of here are more spiritual in nature, as Jesus is making the point that the kingdom is open to all, and not just a select few.

The Golden Rule of verse 12 should come naturally to those who love the Lord with all their heart, and their neighbor as themselves.  Verses 13-14 mean that though the way to heaven can be difficult with all of the temptation around us, the other way – the easy way – leads to destruction. Verses 15-20 are great advice for knowing who the many false prophets are – just like a good tree or a bad tree, you will know by their fruits.  What is the result of their influence on others?  This will always show the truth of the matter.

Verses 21-23 do not refer to people who are completely lacking in religious fervor.  The key point is the latter part of verse 21 “the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”  There are many who do great works and genuinely consider themselves to be righteous, but have never fully submitted to the Lord’s authority.  Partial obedience, or subverting God’s commands to fit  man’s own desires has never been good enough, and never will be – it is still disobedience (see James 2:8-11).  Note that those referred to in those verses listed the works that they had done, missing the point entirely concerning where salvation comes from. It comes from the Lord’s grace, and that grace does not negate the requirement for full obedience!

Most everyone who went to Bible class as a child knows something of the story of the wise man who built his house on the rock,  and the foolish man who built on the sand.  As Jesus concludes this powerful sermon, He uses this analogy to demonstrate that all of things that He is teaching us in this sermon constitute the foundation for the “house” that we are building with our lives.  By using all of these principles, we are building on a solid foundation (rock).  Ignoring some of them, we will still get the house built, and it may appear to be fine.  But when the storms of life come, the lack of a solid foundation may well result in disaster – and the final outcome (the eternal one) will certainly be a great fall.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Aug 7 2012

Matthew 6 – The Sermon on the Mount – part 2

Verses 1-8 are the Lord’s admonitions to us not to try to parade our righteousness before others, and likewise not to pray with an empty heart.  When we do good works, such as helping those who are in need, to attract the attention, admiration, or approval of others, it taints the very act we are doing by putting the focus on ourselves.  All good instead should be to the glory of God, living by His commandments and doing good because of the reign of the Lord in our hearts and lives.  The “empty phrases” of verse 7 are translated as “vain repetitions” in some versions, causing some to be critical of those praying fervently with over-used and repetitious phrases.  But such is not what Jesus was speaking about (just think of his own heart-felt prayers at Gethsemane in Mark 14:39), but many so-called pious pagans of the day would beseech their “gods” with endless empty chatter. Prayer to the Lord cannot be centered from the heart if the mind is not to be used in earnest.

Most people know verses 9-13 as the “Lord’s prayer.”  But that designation is ours and is unfortunate in some ways, as there is a tendency to use it in the very way that Jesus warned against in the previous verses!  It is an example and a model for our own prayers from our hearts – it was meant to teach us how to pray – with reverence and honor to the Lord, before presenting our petitions.  The “kingdom” was to come in the power of the God’s son which would be fulfilled through the crucifixion and resurrection (Mark 9:1 and Romans 1:4).

The references to fasting in verses 16-18 are not a command for us to fast, though there is nothing wrong with doing so.  The only time that the Old Testament Law required fasting was for the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29-31), but many other days had been added by the people themselves, especially after the events of the destruction of Jerusalem and Babylonian captivity.   And by now, the Pharisees had made it a weekly activity.  The problem came in the fact that people were purposely making themselves look more haggard than they were, so as to draw attention to themselves for their piety.

Verses 19-21 speak to the heart as well.  If we place the most value on the things of this world, we do so at the expense of our spiritual well-being.  The treasures we store in heaven are our own salvation and is all that will truly last.  The “eye” of verses 22-23 is similar to the heart in Jewish literature.  If the eye is healthy, the light that fills the heart comes from devotion to the Lord.

Verses 25-34 do not meant God’s people have no need to work for anything (see  2 Thessalonians 3:10).  But if we put our service to the Lord above all else, that means that we will of necessity be doing all that we should be doing that is right for ourselves as well.   If God takes care of the lowliest of His creation, why should we be worried for our own care?  If we had to spend an inordinate amount of time on that kind of worry, we would have less time to devote to what is important – our salvation and that of others.  Again, it is what we value most that determines where our heart lays.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.