Today,, we;ll look at
As we prepared to go more in depth into Matt 8-10,
we noted yet another literary structural outline:
"TPH"
Twice, Matthew makes almost identical statements, which might lead us to draw an inclusio around them:
And he went throughout all Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues and
preaching the gospel of the kingdom and
healing every disease and every affliction among the people.
(Matt. 4:23)
AND
And Jesus went through all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
preaching the good news of the kingdom and
healing every disease and sickness.
(Matt 9:35)
Maybe Jesus only did three things in this section.
Q>Who is Jesus in Matthew?
A>The one who teaches, preaches and heals.
Question:
-why healings highlighted in this section? (stay tuned..think about possible answers
-Is this a hemistiche?
-Since this threefold ministry is so intentionally signaled, might it not mean that in other places in Matthew
that when one or two of the three is mentioned, the third is implied, hidden somewhere, or conspicuous by its absence?
How about 11:1?:
-
How about 15: 29-30:
Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he
went up on a mountainside and sat down (implies teaching ).
Great crowds came to him (so now you expect to see him teaching, but he is healing instead...or is healing a firm of teaching here?)
bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.
--
For some helpful commentary on the "literary world" implications of Jesus' three activities...
teaching
preaching
healing
.....click to read these sections of David Bauer's commentary.
--------
One writer comments:
- These three activities were his chief occupations in public ministry. Think of what Jesus did:
- He was teaching in their synagogues. What was a synagogue service like? We have some insight in two New Testament passages: Luke 4:16-21, where Jesus began to teach about his own ministry. We also have Acts 13:15ff, where Paul used the invitation to speak as an opportunity to preach the gospel based upon the history of Israel. In the service, a reading from the Law and the Prophets, which followed prayers, would be followed by a distinguished Rabbi, either resident or visiting, being invited to teach concerning a point of the Law or the Prophets. He would read a text and explain and apply it. This is what Jesus evidently did. And the traditions of the synagogue required that the teacher be attractive in his appearance and presentation, as well as intelligent and godly. Interestingly enough, such a teacher did not have to be ordained. And his message was to be tactful and not too personal. That Jesus taught often in the synagogues of the land, tells us that he was a welcome teacher and respected. No wonder he was referred to as "Rabbi."
- The text tells us that he also was actively preaching the Gospel/good news of the Kingdom. You are of course aware that the word, gospel, means good news. And the substance of the gospel is given in verse 22, to wit that the Kingdom of Heaven was near. It is referred to elsewhere as the gospel of peace (Rom 10:15), the gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 9:13), and its message was simply that the Kingdom of Heaven had come. To the Jews this would be good news, as it would mean that the Lord was announcing the reign of Messiah (Isa 9:6,7) and peace between Himself and Israel (Isa 52:7). God had come to rule and thus to show his love and concern for his people. And that is the essence of the gospel.
- We want to be careful not to distinguish too closely between teaching and preaching, though, because he did both at the same time, cf. the next three chapters. Teaching would emphasize a systematic presentation of the truth. Preaching or proclamation would emphasize declaration of the truth, as opposed to giving a systematic presentation of it. In his teaching he gave the details of what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.
- Finally, and this is what usually catches our attention most in this passage, he healed the sick. The text says, he healed (literally) all chronic diseases and all occasional sicknesses among the people. The word, all, would place him in different category from other healers that were also going about the land. Perhaps the word would best be translated as the NIV does, every, because not all in the nation were healed. These other healers did not heal every case. They had their successes and their failures, but Jesus healed every disease he came into contact with, with no failures. The question needs to be asked, though, why? ..
- Notice how these three ministries are tied together. What ties them together is the Kingdom of Heaven. The public teaching of Jesus focused upon the grace of God in coming to rule over his people and show his love and concern for them as their King. The healings were a tangible, easy to understand demonstration of the truth and power of the Kingdom. Jesus did not simply heal for the sake of making people feel better or improve their quality of life. Rather, those who were healed had an obligation to worship and serve the Lord, even to repent-cf. John 5:1-14. That is why, when Jesus preached he proclaimed the message that he did, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. This is an important point, one that is missed by some in the healing movement in Pentecostal Church circles. We are mistaken if we separate healing from the gospel's message and focus on it or any other miraculous part of the gospel instead of on the Kingdom of God. -Link
RECURRENCE OF THE PHRASE "the other side" IN CHAPTERS 8-10:
------------------
It's called THE OTHER SIDE....The circle is the Sea of Gallilee. On the NW corner, you see the "Orthodox Triangle" of Three Jewish Villages (Capernaum, Korazim, Bethsaidad)
vs. the SE side (OR "THE OTHER SIDE"...the pagan side of the "Decapolis"/Ten Cities.
We'll take a field trip all the way to the dreaded "other side" of the lake today..
We watched two Van Der Laan videos:
"When Storms Come"
and
"Piercing the Darkness"
Too bad these are not online..but here and here are some notes.
And here's the slideshow of the first "field trip" we'll take today:
>>"When Storms Come (Sea of Galilee)"
From that slideshow, pay special attention to a)why bodies of water had negative "historical world" symbolism and b)"The Orthodox Triangle" vs. "the other side": the Decapolis,
More: here is a significant VanDer Laan article on the Sea of Galilee which touches on its symbolism.
Here also are notes on water:
>>"Piercing The Darkness (Decapolis on the Other Side of the Lake" (CLICK)
-------------------
- Note the cross-cultural implications of Jesus' two feedings of the multitude:
-
see:
(diagram below by John Stevenson, see 2nd link above)
Feeding of the 5,000Feeding of the 4,000Mark 6:34-44Mark 8:1-9Took place after the multitude had been with Jesus for one day. Took place after the multitude had been with Jesus for three days. The multitude was mostly Jewish. The multitude would have been mostly Gentile. Took place near Bethsaida on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Took place in the Decapolis on the southeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus used 5 loaves and 2 fish. Jesus used 7 loaves and a few small fish. There were 12 small baskets of leftovers. There were 7 large baskets of leftovers.
Q>Who is Jesus in Matthew?
A>The one who is not afraid to go to "THE OTHER SIDE"
Note: This article will help you prep for the midterm exam:
Jesus’ Death and the Powers: Cultural Exlusivism
HISTORICAL WORLD/INTERCALATION IN CHAPTERS 8-10:
(Note: we didn't get to this section in class today, so will cover it Monday)
To help with CHAPTERS 8-10, h a provocative threefold question..
Which would you choose:
- 1)Drink wine mixed with rubber, alum, and garden crocuses?
- '2) Eat Persian onions and yell out'Kum, Kum, Kum !'?
- 3) Carry around the ashes of an ostrich egg in a cloth?
You can read more about the intriguing reasons WHY at this link..
..but you'll remember an amazing "historical world" lesson:
These were the main options/remedies that would be given in that culture the bleeding woman we meet in Matthew 9..
And if you look at how the story is obviously INTERCALATED in three gospel accounts with another story (the young girl, daughter of Jairus, a synagogue ruler..
See also the "drop down" versions of same story in Mark 8 and Luke 5
you'll be able to do some quick comparing/contrasting the two stories,
and note that we are to get the "Literary world" message that Jesus is indiscriminate and inclusive in who he heals:
Older (a woman suffering for 12 years and younger ( a 12 year old girl),
poorer and richer...
what other comparisons/contrasts do you find?
This is evidence for how meaningful the historical world context can be,
This is especially true in parables..
----
and you will soon have whole "Parable Presentation" due....so we started talking about them today.
How striking
1) literal meaning of Greek word "parable": Taking two things that have nothing in common and asking "What do they have in common?" A creative comparison told in story form. Thus the point is often "hidden" or "unobvious" at first..
-Link
More:
If Jesus "never opened his mouth once (at least to 'outsiders') without speaking an analogy-metaphor-parable," (Matt 13:34-35).. what a genius!
And then surely the essence of genius is to do the same: our primary job as interpreters/communicators is to find, exploit, and communicate connections between two apparently unrelated things; modeling the great connectedness of all things in the Freakonomic Kingdom.
2) the one primary point
of a parable
is that
a parable has
one primary point"
(Note that is a chiasm!).
Parables may have allegorical components, but are not usually allegories. Press and push for the ONE PRIMARY POINT>
3)Sub point of the main point:
this quote from Eugene Peterson helps us get how offensive Jesus' parables were to religious folk:
Kraybill, from your Upside Down Kingdom textbook:
"the parables sizzle into the minds of the religious heavyweights:
your attitude is the opposite of God's" p. 158
------------------
4)
Remember the "Teenage Affluenza" video that we watched, for which students used
terms like:
HERE"S WHAT WE"LL DO IN CLASS 2/24 for your Parable Presentations assignments (You do not have to work ahead and prepare for this, but if your party would like to, it would be useful.)
PARABLES
We have already hit some parables in Matthew (ch 7), and soon will find many more (ch 13);and you will soon have whole "Parable Presentation" due....so we started talking about them today.
How striking
1) literal meaning of Greek word "parable": Taking two things that have nothing in common and asking "What do they have in common?" A creative comparison told in story form. Thus the point is often "hidden" or "unobvious" at first..
A parable is a succinct story, or word-picture/picture in words.. in prose or verse, that illustrates a lesson. It is a type of analogy.[1].the New Testament dozens.
..The word "parable" comes from the Greek παραβολή (parabolē), meaning "comparison, illustration, analogy",[3] ...often comparaing two items that seem incongrous, disparate, and have nothing to do with each other... Christian parables have recently been studied as extended metaphors,[5] ..
Unlike the situation with a simile, a parable's parallel meaning is unspoken and implicit, though not ordinarily secret...The New Testament parables are thought by scholars such as John P. Meier to have been inspired by mashalim, a form of Hebrew comparison. The Tanakh contains only five parables;
-Link
More:
“The greatest thing by far is to be master of analogy....it is also a sign of genius, since a good metaphor implies an intuitive perception of the similarity in dissimilars.”
(Poetics, 1459 a 5-8, "The Basic Works of Aristotle")
If Jesus "never opened his mouth once (at least to 'outsiders') without speaking an analogy-metaphor-parable," (Matt 13:34-35).. what a genius!
And then surely the essence of genius is to do the same: our primary job as interpreters/communicators is to find, exploit, and communicate connections between two apparently unrelated things; modeling the great connectedness of all things in the Freakonomic Kingdom.
2) the one primary point
of a parable
is that
a parable has
one primary point"
(Note that is a chiasm!).
Parables may have allegorical components, but are not usually allegories. Press and push for the ONE PRIMARY POINT>
3)Sub point of the main point:
this quote from Eugene Peterson helps us get how offensive Jesus' parables were to religious folk:
"gnostics delight in secrecy. They are prototypical insiders. They think that access to the eternal is by password and that they know the password. They love insider talk and esoteric lore. They elaborate complex myths that account for the descent of our spiritual selves into this messy world of materiality, and then map the complicated return route. They are fond of diagrams and the enlightened teachers who explain them. Their sensitive spirits are grieved by having to live surrounded by common people with their sexual leers and stupid banana-peel jokes and vulgar groveling in the pigsty of animal appetite. Gnostics who go to church involuntarily pinch their noses on entering the pew, nervously apprehensive that an insensitive usher will seat a greasy sinner next to them. They are however enabled to endure by the considerable compensation of being ‘in the know’ (gnostic means ‘the one who knows’). It is a good feeling to know that you are a cut above the common herd, superior to almost everyone you meet on the street or sit beside in church.
It is inevitable that gnostics will boycott the creation theater and avoid its language as much as possible, for metaphor is an affront to their gossamer immaterialities and inner-ring whispers, a loud fart in the salon of spirituality.” (Answering God, 75-76)
Kraybill, from your Upside Down Kingdom textbook:
your attitude is the opposite of God's" p. 158
------------------
4)
Remember the "Teenage Affluenza" video that we watched, for which students used
terms like:
- subversive
- satirical
- inductive
- abductive
- interactive
- juxtaposing
- convicting
- evolving
- comedic
- abductive
- pointed
- ironic
- interactive
- offensive (to some)
in describing? These are all great sub-definitions of a parable.
HERE"S WHAT WE"LL DO IN CLASS 2/24 for your Parable Presentations assignments (You do not have to work ahead and prepare for this, but if your party would like to, it would be useful.)
>)Sit at the table marked by your party name.
>>>From 11-11:11:30
For the first fifteen minutes read, as a group, the parable assigned to you. Discuss it, use some "three worlds theory" to decide what you think the main point is. Consider the literary context: what comes before/after the parable, etc. Take into consideration any info from the "historical world" you may be aware of; you might want to peek at what the Bible Background Commentary has to say about yout parable (linked below, and one is in class to be shared).
(Note: you are not reading as if you were a member of your "party" this time)
Sadducees Party
The Lost Sheep, Matthew 18:12-14, see whole chapter for context here
(see pages in the BBC here)
Pharisees Party
The Good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37, see whole chapter for context here
(see pages 217-218 in the BBC here)
Zealots Party
The Friend at Midnight, Luke 11:1-13, see whole chapter for context here
(see page 218-220 in the BBC here)
Essenes Party
The Prodigal Son ,Luke 15: 11:32, see whole chapter for context here
(see page 232-233 in the BBC here)
For the last fifteen minutes , discuss and prepare to act out (in NO MORE THAN 3 MINUTES) a modern-day version of the parable: a modern-day situation, modern-day characters. In other words, if Jesus were telling this parable to us today, how might he get his point across to our world? [NOTE: there is a difference between simply changing a few elements to set the same story in modern terms, and using a different story to communicate the same message. The point of this activity is the latter.]
Rememner Stein offers these three possible reasons Jesus teaches in parables:
1. To conceal his teaching from those “outside”
2. To illustrate and reveal his message to his followers
3. To disarm his listeners—they force a response somehow, leave you wrestling, are provocative
>>>From 11:30-12;00
Three minutes presentations in class! Read the parable to the class, and then give your presentation .
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