Matthew 21-18-22

Let’s remember to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” I like what Debbie said two days ago about the fig tree. It had leaves and looked good on the outside, but it had no fruit. She had reflected that back to activity in the Temple – a lot of religious activity, but to what end? That comparison is dramatic when we look at yesterday’s incident with Jesus’ teaching in the Temple and the crowd’s “hanging on every word”!

I was surprised that this is the second time in Matthew that Jesus mentioned faith that could move mountains – see also Mt. 17:20. I don’t like people playing games with this verse. Years ago during my first year “in the Lord” I was at a Bible camp at Fort Collins, Colorado, one of the gateways to the Rocky Mountains. In his introductory comments one of our leaders asked if we believed that our prayers could move Longs Peak, that mountain to his left. Naturally we agreed that we could do that – it’s what Jesus had said. I don’t remember his response to our reply, but clearly he did not ask us to pray for that outcome. Still, I remember being embarrassed at what I knew was a gap in my faith – a gap that continues to this day.

So I’ve wondered if Jesus was speaking in hyperbole – overstating the need for faith so as to make a point. But I’ve always rejected that possibility, knowing that God can do anything He chooses. He is the One Who created those mountains and if He wanted the mountain moved to the sea, it could be done! But what level of faith would it take??!! And what would be the need for a prayer like that? So I come to the conclusion that, yes, it could be done, but it would be a prayer to which God could easily say “No, I have other plans for that mountain.” As always, prayer of this sort needs to be our talking to God about His plans for us, not just any willy-nilly thought that crosses our mind. We need to be as serious in our approach to Him as He is in His love for us.

Slava Bohu!

Luke 19:45-48

Let’s remember to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” Jesus’ friends had been cautioning Him about going up to Jerusalem, fearing the fate that He might encounter. But He ignored their wishes, even to the point of teaching daily in the Temple (v. 47). Courage in the face of knowing that His time had come…!

Yesterday I mentioned that the chief priests and scribes were troubled by Jesus’ deeds (miracles and healings) and His words. Today Luke emphasizes His words: And He was teaching daily in the temple … <and> … all the people were hanging on His words. (vv. 47-48) The NASB is even stronger: …hanging on to every word He said. These sentences explain the Thursday midnight seizure and trial. The authorities could not take Him in the daytime because of His faithful followers. They had to wait until they could put together a rabble crowd in the middle of the night to make their moves. Their conniving and their cowardice are unthinkable! What a sorry bunch!

Slava Bohu!

Mark 11:12-19

Let’s remember to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” Other than the incident with the fig tree, there was one item surprisingly different between Matthew and Mark – Jesus’ healings and miracles in Matthew vs. Jesus’ teachings in Mark. In Matthew 21:14 …the blind and the lame came to Him and He healed them, leaving the chief priests and scribes indignant at “the wonderful things that He did” and the children singing out. In Mark 11:17 there are no healings and miracles, only Jesus’ teaching. But that set the Jewish leaders off: And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. (v. 18) So there is a difference between the Jewish leaders being indignant over the healings and miracles that He did and fearing Jesus for the crowds following His teaching. Both His deeds and His words got Him in trouble with the authorities.

As to the fig tree… Does anyone else wonder that the incident with the fig tree makes Jesus look bad? It’s not even the season for figs, yet when Jesus finds no figs He curses the tree never to bear fruit again. So, does Jesus look bad in this incident? If so, to me it’s just another reminder that the Gospel writers were not writing stories just to make Jesus look good. They were writing truth, making Him looking like the fully human being that He was.

Slava Bohu!

Matthew 21:12-17

Let’s remember to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” The cleansing of the Temple… The Chronological Study Bible points out a difference between Matthew’s and Mark’s accounts as to the day of Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple. Matthew has it on the same Sunday of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem while Mark has it on “The next day…” (Mark 11:12). The key in Matthew is verse 12 beginning with the word “Then…” immediately following the multitudes in the city introducing Jesus as “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” (v. 11) So we’ll never be able to reconcile these two accounts, except to surmise that something has been lost in the translations over the two millennia since this incident.

It is so strange to me how the chief priests and the scribes could have continued to be so firm in their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah: But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done … they became indignant… (v. 15) How could they see “wonderful things” – the blind and the lame being healed before their very eyes – and still fail to believe? I have blogged before about the healing in Jerusalem of the man born blind and of the raising of Lazarus in Bethany just two miles east of the city, with both occasions being either visible to or immediately reported to the chief priests. How could they remain so adamant in their rejection of Him??!! It is so confusing to me…

Slava Bohu!

John 12:12-19

Finally, today – up to date…!!

Let’s remember to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” John now adds a number of items that the Synoptic Gospels do not mention. First, …the great crowd that had come for the feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem…and went out to meet Him (v. 12-13). Simple, yet enlightening! As we read through the Synoptics it seems that the “very great multitude” consisted primarily of His disciples and followers and people from the Bethany and Bethphage area, such that any of the Pharisees in the crowd were probably local Jewish leaders. However, with pilgrims coming from Jerusalem to meet Jesus, it’s easy to imagine that a “very great multitude” could have formed. In addition, people who had come for the feast would surely have included a number of Galileans who had followed Jesus’ ministry for some time and were supportive of “one of their own”. A crowd “coming from Jerusalem” adds a lot to this triumphal entry.

Second, So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after Him.” (v. 19, NIV) Here we have members of “the Passover Plot”, Jewish leaders who have determined to have Jesus arrested and killed. They are part of the crowd that has met Jesus, either on the way or as He arrived in Jerusalem. John makes it clear that they were watching Him closely, hoping to find a time when they could apprehend Him. Later we learn that John “was known to the high priest” (John 18:15), when he intervened to get Peter into the courtyard. If he was known to the high priest, he clearly was known to other Jewish leaders. So we have another of John’s account of these Jewish leaders’ conversations; others included “the Passover Plot” itself (John 11:49-53). Awesome!

We have covered all four accounts of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The accounts differ in many respects, but they also each add clarity to our larger understanding of the Gospels. As 21^st century followers of Jesus, we have to be thankful for the efforts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to write these things down. With them all together, we come to know Jesus better – and with that we can’t help but love Him more and serve Him more faithfully!! GLORY!! Hosanna to the King!!

Slava Bohu!

Luke 19:28-44

And this one, one day late…

Let’s remember to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” …if these should be quiet, the very stones would cry out! (v. 40) This verse has always set well with me! It speaks of the intensity of the crowd, the magnitude of Jesus’ presence, and His awareness of His role in the peoples’ eyes. He also reveals His knowledge of His Father’s power. I believe that Jesus was speaking absolutely, not metaphorically. I believe He knew what His Father was capable of and that stones could cry out if they were asked to do so.

I wonder how much Jesus saw into the future when He wept over Jerusalem. The detail He provided came true, but the images He saw in those brief moments must have been even more powerful to leave Him weeping. All Jews regarded Jerusalem with a special fondness, and Jesus was no different. His love for the city is reflected in His weeping over its destruction. BTW, my Study Bible pointed out that this was only the second time that we have record of Jesus weeping, the other being at Lazarus’ tomb.

Slava Bohu!

Mark 11:1-11

Sorry for the two-day delay, folks – camping and no Internet service…

Let’s remember to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” Looking for differences in the Gospel writers’ accounts of Jesus’ triumphal entry… I see four things in Mark that are different from the other writers. First, each of the other three writers reports a “very great multitude” of people, or something to that effect. Mark simply says “many” when referring to the crowd. Second, each of the writers quotes the Old Testament verse, “Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord.” But only Matthew and Mark mention David. Matthew has the crowd calling Jesus the “Son of David”, while Mark says Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! (v. 10), without referring to Jesus in the more Messianic terminology. Third, Mark reports Jesus coming into Jerusalem and arriving at the Temple and looking around. Matthew is the only other writer who has Jesus arriving in Jerusalem, but then he does not mention the Temple. Finally, Mark has Jesus returning to Bethany after visiting the temple, when the hour was already late. So, with it all, in Mark the event and the crowd seem more subdued.

One other item… Whenever Carol and I read about Jesus sitting/riding on a colt, we go back to the old cities Fez and Meknez in Morocco where we saw donkeys absolutely overloaded with goods and still with an owner riding instead of walking alongside. We get a quick picture of how strong these animals are, but we also find ourselves troubled at the owner riding and adding to the donkey’s burden instead of walking alongside!

Slava Bohu!

Matthew 21:1-11

Let’s remember to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” I’m at a point where I might say, “I’m at a loss for words”, except that my heart is so full of joy that I can barely contain myself. We are almost two-thirds through our calendar year and our walk through the Gospels; Jesus is just now entering His final week. We will spend the last four months of the year on His Passion and His Resurrection appearances. Most recently He has raised Lazarus from the dead, He has been anointed with oil by Lazarus’ sister, Mary, and now He is on His way to the destiny that awaits Him in Jerusalem. A “very great multitude” (v. 8, NKJV) follows on the road behind and goes before Him, cutting branches from trees and even throwing their clothes on the road in front of Him. It’s a procession fit for a king and many in the crowd are expecting Jesus to be their King, their Messiah. Indeed, He is – but not in the manner that they were presupposing.

From our eight months of reading and study I now have a much better picture of the events leading up to this final week. I have a much better sense of the geography of the area – Galilee, Samaria, Judea, the Jordan River, Jericho, Bethany, the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, the Temple. I find myself in that crowd, following along quietly (as is my nature), but delighted to be part of this bit of History and waiting to see what happens next. The chief priests and the Pharisees are waiting for Him in Jerusalem. Will they recognize what the crowd sees and acknowledge Him as King or will they continue to confront Him and hatch their sinister plot to destroy Him? But that’s a few days off. For now, let’s rejoice! GLORY!!

Slava Bohu!

John 12:1-11

Let’s remember to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” A few days ago we saw the “Passover Plot” being hatched – the chief priests and the Pharisees plotting together to kill Jesus. The argument put forth was that one man could die instead of the whole nation. Well, today that plot has expanded, adding Lazarus to the chief priests’ hit list. However, Lazarus was not added to the list to “save a nation”, but only for the chief priests to “save face” since many Jews were believing in Jesus because of Lazarus. Various traditions have Lazarus living some thirty years after his resurrection. There was one interesting bit of information I found online: “According to tradition, <with one exception> Lazarus never smiled during the thirty years after his resurrection, worried by the sight of unredeemed souls he had seen during his four-day stay in Hades.” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazarus_of_Bethany Interesting.

There was one other peculiar item that I saw much earlier this year, that I reported on May 26 – that Judas Iscariot was the only non-Galilean of Jesus’ twelve apostles. That is interesting in and of itself, but for this lone non-Galilean to be the keeper of the moneybag is even stranger! Were Galileans not to be trusted? Recall, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

Finally, during my undergraduate years I wrote a paper based on verse 8: For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me. Written for a course on the Economics of Poverty, my paper was titled “Him, His Work, His Church, and His Poor”. The thesis of the paper was to rebut the notion that there will always be poor people, so why bother trying to help them or eliminate poverty. I remember getting very positive comments on the paper from my professor!

Slava Bohu!