I hope all is well with you. Did you find many interesting links between these Gospel readings and our Old Testament readings? Side note: there is just too much in the NT that calls for comment; I can't possibly address it all. So, I am depending on you to ask me if you have questions.
SOMETHING THAT MIGHT HELP IN READING THE GOSPELS:
From time to time, Jesus refers to Himself in the third person as "the Son of Man." This has confused some because, in a very real sense, we are all children of mankind. Plus, just to keep things confusing, God and His messengers often called Ezekiel "son of man" when addressing him. What could Jesus mean by this phrase ... and in a way that distinguishes Him from the rest of us? And from Ezekiel?
The reference is to one of Daniel's visions (Daniel 7) where Daniel sees "one like the son of man," a personage that is pretty much universally considered to be the Messiah. There is always a bit of drift in a language (unless it’s a dead language like Latin ... or a language tightly controlled by the government like French), so its not such a surprise that this got shortened to "Son of Man" over the centuries between Daniel’s vision and the appearance of Jesus. There was no confusion among those who heard Jesus use the term ... they all understand the reference to the person in Daniel's vision.
See BR-36, the first September 7th comment for some more on this (Two paragraphs in length).
Blessings,
Steve
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We’re reading The One Year Chronological Bible, New Living Translation (Tyndale). It’s best with your own copy. Or, paste in this link to the daily reading schedule:
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This week's highlights:
Jesus claims to be the son of God. Keeping the Sabbath. Jesus continues to break the "rules." The first twelve Apostles called and sent. Sermon on the Mount. Non-Jews start to believe in and interact with Jesus. Like Elijah and Elisha before Him, Jesus resurrects a Widow's dead son. Jesus explains how John the Baptist relates to Elijah. Jesus anointed by an immoral woman. More women follow Jesus. The parable of the seeds. The first mustard seed illustration. Pearl of great price. Jesus calms the storm. Legion! The hem of His garment. Talitha Koum.
October 1st - John 5:6-7 - "Would you like to get well?" Jesus asked. "I can't, sir," the sick man said, "for I have no one to put me into the pool ...." Seems to me that conversation sums up many that we have with the Lord. He offers a new way to do things and we respond that the old way isn't working out for us. Missed opportunities.
October 1st - John 5:24 - "I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life."
October 2nd - Point of clarity: Thaddaeus in Mark 3:18 and Judas (son of James) in Luke 6:16 are the same person.
October 2nd - Matthew 5: 3-12; Luke 6:17-23 - Interesting translation of the "beatitudes." I like it because it makes plain something that most translations leave as confusing: regardless of their state of being —poor, mourning, humbled, needing justice, are merciful, hearts are pure, peacemakers, persecuted (for doing right), mocked, maligned— God has already blessed them all ... and continues to. None of them exist outside of God's blessings ... even if they are experiencing negative circumstances in their lives, God is already blessing them. Their circumstance, good or bad, does not drive how God regards them. In other words, instead of “Blessed are the ...” we should read it, “Already blessed are the ....”
October 2nd - Matthew 5:13-16 - The salt and light passage is actually Jesus upbraiding the Jewish people for not being what God intended for them to be: salt and light. They have lost their flavor and have hidden their light under a basket. Yes, we, too, should strive to be salt and light; but this passage was never about us.
October 2nd - Matthew 5:38-42 - "Anything beyond [a simple declaration of 'yes' or 'no' regarding our commitments] is from the evil one."
October 2nd - Matthew 5:44-45 - "Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven." Makes you think about how God views those who persecute Him (Saul, for instance, before he became Paul).
October 3rd - Matthew 7:12 - "This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets."
October 4th - Matthew 8:5-13 - The faith of the Roman officer provides an excellent opportunity for Jesus to underscore what the religious leaders should have already known from their studies of scripture: God's plan was always that Gentiles would be included in His blessing because of their faith, and that many Jews would be excluded because they lacked faith.
October 4th - Matthew 11:10-14 - Jesus makes clear that John is the Elijah everyone has been waiting for. How can that be? We christians usually reject reincarnation. Your thoughts?
October 4th - Luke 7:47 - "and they are many" ... there is no limit to how much God can forgive.
October 5th - Luke 8:1-3 - Jesus took with him: "some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases" on a tour of towns and villages to preach and announce the Good News about the Kingdom.
October 6th - Matthew 13:38 - "The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one." Makes me think of Stephen King’s The Stand.
October 6th - Mark 4:36 - "although other boats followed"
October 7th - The demoniac Jesus encounters in the Mark 5 and Luke 8 readings possesses incredible strength. Chains and shackles that would have held other people could not hold the one possessed by Legion!:"...he simply broke them ...."(!)
Next week:
More healing. Jesus rejected in His hometown. Jesus had sisters! The sending out of the twelve. Death of John the Baptist. Feeding the 5000+ & the 4000+. Jesus walks on water. Many disciples desert Jesus. Scraps from the Master's table. "Who do you say that I am?" The Transfiguration. "Who is the greatest in the kingdom? Parable of the lost sheep. Parable of the unforgiving debtor. Openly teaching in the Temple. A woman caught in adultery (somehow just by herself).
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