Week of 6 May 2008
1: And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,
2: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son,
3: and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come,
6: others seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
7: The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8: Then he said to his servants, `The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy.
9: Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.'
10: And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11: "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment;
12: and he said to him, `Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.
13: Then the king said to the attendants, `Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.'
The point here is dispensationalist, eschatological, and Christological: Jesus' offered feast is not accepted, proving those "chosen" (the Jews) were unworthy and thus cast out of the kingdom, their places taken by those previously cast out (gentiles). This and other such interpretations are based on form critical standards. Form critics try to place a parable in Jesus' or the evangelist's lifetime and read them from that point of view when Jewish Christians were obviously battling traditional Jews.
14: For many are called, but few are chosen."
15: Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle him in his talk.
17: Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"
18: But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?
19: Show me the money for the tax." And they brought him a coin.
20: And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?"
21: They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." "Render (give) unto Caesar" has become an idiom. The point is to trap Jesus into treason, but Jesus refuses to be trapped & speaks of 2 different worlds instead. (The issue is what kind of king Jesus is.)
36: "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"
37: And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
38: This is the great and first commandment.
39: And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
40: On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."
41: Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,
42: saying, "What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David."
43: He said to them, "How is it then that David, inspired by the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,
44: `The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I put thy enemies under thy feet'?
45: If David thus calls him Lord, how is he his son?"
Jesus quotes Psalm 110, a major messianc psalm, and rejects his own genealogy! He argues that King David, his ancestor, himself calls Jesus "Lord," so Jesus comes before and is greater than David.
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1: Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.
2: But he answered them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another, that will not be thrown down."
9: "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.
Here (v. 9) appears the motif of the "tribulation" (worldly trouble) to come before the Final Judgment.
10: And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another.
See Micah 7.
13: But he who endures to the end will be saved.
14: And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come.
Note the unviversalist strain ("to all nations").
15: "So when you see the desolating sacrilege spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
16: then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains;
Jesus uses the notorious "abomination" of the Temple, which took place in 164 (placing a pig in the Temple) but gives it future meaning.
20: Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath.
Note that Jesus still observes the Jewish sabbath, or expects others to!
21: For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.
29: "Immediately after the tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken;
30: then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory;
Refers to the "son of Man" image in Daniel.
31: and he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
34: Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till these things take place.
35: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
36: "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
42: Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
45: "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?
46: Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing.
48: But if that wicked servant says to himself, `My master is delayed,'
49: and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with the drunken,
50: the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know,
51: and will punish him, and put him with the hypocrites; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.
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1: "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
2: Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
3: For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them;
4: but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
5: As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6: But at midnight there was a cry, `Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'
7: Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps.
8: And the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'
9: But the wise replied, `Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.'
10: And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.
11: Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, `Lord, lord, open to us.'
12: But he replied, `Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'
13: Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
14: "For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property;
15: to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
16: He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more.
17: So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more.
18: But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.
19: Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20: And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, `Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.'
21: His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.'
22: And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, `Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.'
23: His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.'
24: He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, `Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow;
25: so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'
26: But his master answered him, `You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed?
27: Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.
28: So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.
29: For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
30: And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.'
31: "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
32: Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
33: and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.
34: Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
This is a key text: the elect and damned are judged not by what they do, but by what they do not do; and these standards all involve social charity, not theological issues such as affirming Jesus as Lord or church ritual:
35: for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
36: I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'
37: Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?
38: And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee?
39: And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?'
40: And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.'
41: Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;
42: for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43: I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'
44: Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?'
45: Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.'
46: And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
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7: a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head, as he sat at table.
8: But when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste?
9: For this ointment might have been sold for a large sum, and given to the poor."
10: But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me.
11: For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.
12: In pouring this ointment on my body she has done it to prepare me for burial.
13: Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."
14: Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
15: and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.
16: And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
17: Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the passover?"
18: He said, "Go into the city to a certain one, and say to him, `The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at your house with my disciples.'"
19: And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the passover.
20: When it was evening, he sat at table with the twelve disciples;
21: and as they were eating, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
22: And they were very sorrowful, and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I, Lord?"
23: He answered, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me, will betray me."
25: Judas, who betrayed him, said, "Is it I, Master?" He said to him, "You have said so."
26: Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."
27: And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you;
This is the New Covenant (New Testament), which ends the old Covenant of Blood with the perfect blood of Jesus. No animal could be equal to the sins of the world; only the perfect sacrifice could end the system of sacrifice. In the future, there will be a sacrifice of praise; a symbolic sacrifice of Communion.
28: for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
The symbolism of wine appears throughout both Old and New Testaments. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, "I am the Vine." And the OT is compared to old wine, and the NT to new wine. Noah planted a vineyard after the Noachide Covenant. Jesus' first sign in the Gospel of John was turning water into wine for the wedding feast in Cana. The hymn in v. 30 was a Hallel (praise) psalm. In v. 31 Jesus quotes Zechariah:
30: And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31: Then Jesus said to them, "You will fall away because of me this night; for it is written, `I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'"
33: Peter declared to him, "Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away."
34: Jesus said to him, "Truly, I say to you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times."
35: Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you." So said all the disciples.
36: Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsem'ane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go yonder and pray."
37: And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zeb'edee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.
38: Then he said to them, "My soul is sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me."
The two most dedicated God-followers in the Bible, Jesus and Paul, did not have their prayers answered! God decides which prayers will help the individual in their spiritual life:
39: And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt."
40: And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour?
41: Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
42: Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, thy will be done."
43: And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
44: So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words.
45: Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46: Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand."
47: While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people.
48: Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I shall kiss is the man; seize him."
49: And he came up to Jesus at once and said, "Hail, Master!" And he kissed him.
50: Jesus said to him, "Friend, why are you here?" Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.
51: And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
52: Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
53: Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?
54: But how then should the scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?" Then the disciples forsook him and fled.
Jesus is alone and becomes the model for individual suffering. Jesus becomes a type of the Individual.
59: Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death,
60: but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward
61: and said, "This fellow said, `I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.'"
62: And the high priest stood up and said, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?"
63: But Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him, "I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God."
64: Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."
Another reference to Daniel (v. 64).
65: Then the high priest tore his robes, and said, "He has uttered blasphemy. Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy.
66: What is your judgment?" They answered, "He deserves death."
67: Then they spat in his face, and struck him; and some slapped him,
68: saying, "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?"
69: Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a maid came up to him, and said, "You also were with Jesus the Galilean."
70: But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you mean."
71: And when he went out to the porch, another maid saw him, and she said to the bystanders, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth."
72: And again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man."
73: After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you."
74: Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know the man." And immediately the cock crowed.
75: And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, "Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.
It is no accident that Jesus chose Peter to be the Rock of the church; Jesus knew that Peter was weak. Peter too, then, becomes a model for weak humanity, who, by faith, can become strong.
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3: When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders,
4: saying, "I have sinned in betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself."
5: And throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself.
11: Now Jesus stood before the governor (Pontius Pilate); and the governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You have said so."
15: Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted.
16: And they had then a notorious prisoner, called Barab'bas.
17: So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you, Barab'bas or Jesus who is called Christ?"
18: For he knew it was out of envy they had delivered him up.
19: Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much over him today in a dream."
20: Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the people to ask for Barab'bas and destroy Jesus.
21: The governor again said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barab'bas."
22: Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified."
23: And he said, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified."
Some scholars see an apology for Pilate here, since the evangelists (Gospel writers) could not offend or accuse the Roman government; so the Jews are put in a bad light, the Romans excused. V. 25 is one of the most notorious verses in the whole Bible, seeming to condemn all Jews in the future, the basis of antisemitism. Mel Gibson refused to delete the line in his film of this Gospel, but did delete the subtitle. (The line was spoken in church Latin, though the Bible is in Greek.)
24: So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves."
25: And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!"
26: Then he released for them Barab'bas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
27: Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the praetorium, and they gathered the whole battalion before him.
28: And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe upon him,
29: and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
30: And they spat upon him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.
31: And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.
32: As they went out, they came upon a man of Cyre'ne, Simon by name; this man they compelled to carry his cross.
33: And when they came to a place called Gol'gotha (which means the place of a skull),
34: they offered him wine to drink, mingled with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.
35: And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots;
36: then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
37: And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, "This is Jesus the King of the Jews."
38: Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.
45: Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.
46: And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, la'ma sabach-tha'ni?" that is, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
51: And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom; and the earth shook, and the rocks were split;
A symbolic act, meaning the Temple era is over; a New Law has replaced the Old Law (Covenant).
<>52: the tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,
53: and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
54: When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe, and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"
55: There were also many women there, looking on from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him;
56: among whom were Mary Mag'dalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zeb'edee.
57: When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathe'a, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus.
58: He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.
59: And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud,
60: and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed.
61: Mary Mag'dalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the sepulchre.
62: Next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate
63: and said, "Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, `After three days I will rise again.'
64: Therefore order the sepulchre to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away, and tell the people, `He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first."
65: Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can."
66: So they went and made the sepulchre secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
There must have been gossip that the Resurrection was a plot; so the Gospel writer wishes to make clear that this could not be so, since there was a Roman guard over Jesus' tomb.
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1: Now after the sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Mag'dalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulchre.
2: And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.
3: His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.
4: And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.
5: But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
6: He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
7: Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him."
8: So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
9: And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Hail!" And they took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
It's important that Jesus rise in body, not just in spirit; hence v. 9. The nature of the resurrection has been disputed. A distinction is held between a physical and a bodily resurrection: a physical resurrection suggests the earthly body, but a bodily resurrection suggests in the form of a new heavenly body, as St. Paul says.
10: Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."
16: Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.
18: And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20: teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."
The Gospel ends on a note of universalism and trust: "make disciples of all nations" and "I am with you always." This is called "The Great Commission."
