(Gospel of John 11:1 - 11:44)
A man named Lazarus lay ill at Bethany, the town where his sisters Mary and Martha lived. (Mary was the one who would pour expensive aromatic oil on Jesus' feet and wipe them with her hair.) As their brother was sick, the two sisters sent this word to Jesus: "Sir, your dear friend is gravely ill."
However, when Jesus received the message, he declared, "This illness will not result in death; its purpose is to reveal the glory of God and to bring glory to the Son of God." So even though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, he remained where he was for two days after he had received word of Lazarus' illness. After that time, though, he said to his disciples, "Let’s return to Judea."
But his disciples protested, "Rabbi, it was only a little while ago that the Judeans were trying to stone you. And now you're going back there?"
Jesus responded, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who go abroad during the day do not stumble because there is light in the world by which to see. But, at night, they are apt to stumble, because there is no light." He then told his disciples, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him."
His disciples remarked, "If he sleeps, Master, then he will get better." (They assumed that Jesus was referring to natural sleep when, in fact, he was speaking of Lazarus' death.)
Jesus finally told his disciples bluntly, "Lazarus is dead. For your sakes, I'm glad I wasn't there, so that you see and believe for yourselves. Let's go to him."
Thomas, who was known as the Twin, said to the other disciples, "Let’s go, too, so we can die with Jesus."
By the time Jesus had arrived, Lazarus had been in his tomb for 4 days. As Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about 15 stadia away, many Judeans had visited Martha and Mary to console them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Oh, sir, if you had only been with him, he would not have died. But even now I know that God will grant to you whatever you may ask of him."
"You brother will rise again!" Jesus proclaimed to her.
"Yes, I know," she answered. "He will rise again during the resurrection of the Last Day."
Jesus told her, "I am the means of resurrection to life everlasting. Those who believe in me will live again after they have died. And those now living who believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
"Yes, Master," she replied. "I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God who has come into the world." After she had made this declaration, she returned home and taking her sister Mary aside, confided to her, "The Rabbi's here and he's asking for you." Hearing this, Mary rose quickly and went out to him. Jesus had not yet entered the village but was still at the place where he had stopped to talk to Martha. The Judeans who had been with Mary in the house consoling her noticed how hastily she got up and went out, so they followed her, thinking she was going to the burial place to mourn.
When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet. "Master, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died," she said. When Jesus saw her weeping and saw that the Judeans who had followed her also wept, he was disturbed and deeply moved.
"Where have you interred him?" he demanded of them.
"Master, come and see," they said. And Jesus began to weep.
At this, some of the Judeans observed, "See how much Jesus loved him," but others carped, "You'd think that someone who had cured a blind man could have kept this man from dying."
Jesus, who was again overcome with emotion, arrived at the tomb, which was a cave sealed by a large stone. "Roll away the stone," he bid them.
Martha, the sister of the deceased, warned him, "But, Master, he has been dead for four days; by this time there will be a terrible stench."
Jesus reassured her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would witness the glory of God?" The stone was rolled aside. Jesus looked up to the sky and said, "Thank you, Father, for hearing me. Of course you always hear me, but I have spoken aloud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they may believe that you have sent me."
Jesus then called out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!”
The dead man, his hands and feet still bound by linen strips and his face wrapped in a headcloth, did emerge.
“Unwrap his grave clothes and let him go on his way," Jesus told them.
Notes
1. Bethany was a small town near Jerusalem, specifically 15 stadia, or about two miles away. It is to the east of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. It should be noted that this is a different place from the Bethany (also called Bethabara), situated on the other side of the River Jordan, where John the Baptist was earlier interrogated by the Pharisees.
2. Jesus, unlike his disciples, seems unconcerned that he is risking his life by returning to Judea, on the other side of the River Jordan. One of them, Thomas, accompanies Jesus with the belief that he will be killed and the disciples with him.
3. Lazarus is apparently a close friend of Jesus, but when he is deathly ill and his sisters send word for Jesus to come to him, Jesus tarries for two days. Why does he do this? He does not hurry to Bethany, where he lies ill, to heal him. It is in his interest to let Lazarus die. He has preternatural knowledge of Lazarus' death and seems to want Lazarus well in his tomb before he arrives. Everything seems a set up for a miracle. This is an opportunity for Jesus to really show off his stuff. Jesus wants his friend dead so he can raise him. And he wants him already moldering in his grave so that there is no doubt about his death. It seems that other people, even friends, are mere tools to promote Jesus' status as a divine healer. Jesus doesn't care if others suffer as long as he can use them in one of his miracles. In fact, he seems callously unconcerned that he arrived too late to heal his friend Lazarus and is moved to emotion only when he is brought to the tomb and sees how others are mourning for his friend.
4. In referring to her brother, Martha states what was probably a prevalent belief among her people, that the dead are to be resurrected on the Last Day. This would contradict any belief that, upon death, the good go to Heaven and the bad go to Hell.
5. Jesus not only claims that those who are dead, and had believe in him, will be raised from the dead and live again, he says that those who are alive and believe won’t die at all. The first claim cannot be disproven, but the second was obviously not fulfilled. Most translations muddle the meaning of this passage. The King James Version’s “he that liveth and believeth in me” incorrectly suggests belief in him and adherence to his teaching, not what it really says. It is common that biblical passages that are patently false are purposely made obscure by translators so as not to discomfit unquestioning believers.
6. The resurrection of Lazarus is, from a dramatic standpoint, really lame. A stone is rolled away from the cave. Jesus calls upon his Father. The Father doesn't answer so that anyone can hear him. Jesus calls to Lazarus to come out of the cave and he does so, still wrapped in burial clothes. That's it! The emergence would make a good scene for a horror film, but is emotionally unsatisfying. What is the reaction of those viewing this? What is Lazarus' physical and mental condition? Why doesn't he say something? Why doesn't Jesus say something? Why don't the sisters run to embrace him?
7. In past miracles, Jesus seems to accomplish them on his own, but for this one, involving the raising of the dead, he needs to ask directly for his Father's help. This would lead one to believe that the powers of the Son of God were limited. He could only do so much on his own. For the really big things, like the resurrection of the dead, he would need the Father’s personal assistance.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Rejection of Jesus' Claims of Divinity
(Gospel of John 10:22 - 10:42)
In winter, at the time of Hannukah, the Festival of Dedication of the Temple, Jesus was in Jerusalem walking in the courtyard of the Temple under the Portico of Solomon. The people gathered around him and demanded, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense. If you are the Messiah, tell us straight out!"
"I have already told you," Jesus replied. "but you won't believe me. The miracles I perform in my father's name is my proof, but you do not believe me because you are not sheep of my flock. My sheep listen to my voice. I know them. And they follow me. I will give to them everlasting life so they may never die. No one will snatch them from me, for they were delivered to me by my Father. Since he is superior to all, no one can snatch them from the hands of my Father. And the Father and I are one."
The people picked up stones to throw at him, at which Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many good works of the Father. For which of these are you stoning me?"
"We are not stoning you for any of your good works," the mob responded, "but for blasphemy! You are only a man and yet you claim to be a god."
Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in the Law that, 'I have said that you are gods'? If those who were divinely inspired were called 'gods,' -- and the Scripture cannot be challenged -- then how can the one whom God has sanctified as his very own and sent into the world be blaspheming when he says, 'I am God's Son'? If I am not doing the works of the Father, then don't believe in me. But, if I am, then believe in them even if you disbelieve in me, so that you may then see and believe that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."
Once again they tried to arrest him, but he slipped away from them and escaped. He returned to the other side of the River Jordan where John had earlier been baptizing. Jesus remained there. Many people came to see him, saying, "John didn't perform any miracles, but all he said about this man is true." And many people there believed in Jesus.
Notes
1. Solomon’s portico (a roof supported by a row of columns) was on the eastern courtyard of the Temple. In the Temple of Solomon (whose construction was completed in 827 BC), it was the area where the king passed judgments. The huge retaining wall (600 feet high!) on which it rested extended to the valley below and was the only part of the original Solomonic Temple that was not destroyed by the Chaldeans in 586 BC. The area, containing cloisters housing the Levite priests, was large, about 75 by 35 feet.
2. Hanukkah (or Chanukah), also known as the Festival Of Lights, celebrates the re-dedication of the Second Temple. This occurred after the Maccabean Revolt that, in 160 BC, secured religious freedom for the Hebrews and semi-autonomy from the Seleucid Empire for much of Palestine. The Second Temple had been completed in 516 BC during the reign of the Persian king Darius the Great after the Persians, destroying the Chaldean Empire and establishing suzerainty over its territories, allowed the Hebrews to return from exile and re-establish religious practices. Around 20 BC, it was renovated by Herod the Great, the King of Judea, which was at that time an autonomous nation, but a client state of Rome. It became known as Herod’s Temple and was the Temple Jesus knew. It, however, was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD during the First Jewish-Roman War.
3. Jesus must again justify his claim to divinity. The miracles that he has performed are his major proof. He is not challenged on that. No one presents the argument that the miracles could be the work of the Devil or that Jesus might be inspired or aided by some powerful spirit being who is not God. (Fourteen-hundred years later such arguments would employed against the self-proclaimed Daughter of God, Joan of Arc, when she was tried, albeit by a sophisticated group of clerics.)
4. Jesus dismisses those who don't believe him as not being his sheep and, therefore, incapable and unworthy of believing. The logic is circular. It is rather like telling someone that if he accepts my argument, he is wise and good; if he rejects my argument, it's no wonder, because he is stupid and evil.
5. The crowd listening to Jesus at the Temple are about to stone him for the blasphemy of declaring that he is a god. Jesus explains that those who are divinely inspired have always been called "gods" in Scripture. This is beside the point, because he does not claim to be merely a prophet. He asserts that it is correct that he call himself the "Son of God" for the simple reason that he is. By accepting the undeniable authenticity of his miracles they will then realize the truth of his claim. Still, Jesus offers no other proof than the miracles he has performed. Although one would think he would have the power to do, the Son of God does nothing to impress his doubters. The Father does not speak from the sky or hurl a thunderbolt at the doubters. Jesus does not do anything really spectacular like making himself invisible, changing shape, or flying about -- things that would be truly convincing. Instead, Jesus, with few exceptions, relies upon minor miracles that can be dismissed as conjuring tricks or traditional faith healing.
6. Jesus, in passing, mentions that the Scriptures cannot be challenged. This is, of course, an essential tenet of the Judaic religion, that the works of what we know as the Old Testament are infallible and absolute truth; its history is accurate, its laws are to be observed, its rituals followed, its prophecies fulfilled. Jesus must work within that traditional framework so that he will be seen to be true to the old religion and not a heretic. He is obliged to use Scripture to justify himself and what he says and does.
7. Jesus, escaping from those who would stone or arrest him, goes to the other side of the River Jordan, where he is more appreciated, mostly by the followers of John the Baptist. We may know little of Jesus' physical appearance, but he was apparently ordinary-looking enough to avoid detection in a crowd and agile and nimble enough to affect these numerous escapes.
In winter, at the time of Hannukah, the Festival of Dedication of the Temple, Jesus was in Jerusalem walking in the courtyard of the Temple under the Portico of Solomon. The people gathered around him and demanded, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense. If you are the Messiah, tell us straight out!"
"I have already told you," Jesus replied. "but you won't believe me. The miracles I perform in my father's name is my proof, but you do not believe me because you are not sheep of my flock. My sheep listen to my voice. I know them. And they follow me. I will give to them everlasting life so they may never die. No one will snatch them from me, for they were delivered to me by my Father. Since he is superior to all, no one can snatch them from the hands of my Father. And the Father and I are one."
The people picked up stones to throw at him, at which Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many good works of the Father. For which of these are you stoning me?"
"We are not stoning you for any of your good works," the mob responded, "but for blasphemy! You are only a man and yet you claim to be a god."
Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in the Law that, 'I have said that you are gods'? If those who were divinely inspired were called 'gods,' -- and the Scripture cannot be challenged -- then how can the one whom God has sanctified as his very own and sent into the world be blaspheming when he says, 'I am God's Son'? If I am not doing the works of the Father, then don't believe in me. But, if I am, then believe in them even if you disbelieve in me, so that you may then see and believe that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."
Once again they tried to arrest him, but he slipped away from them and escaped. He returned to the other side of the River Jordan where John had earlier been baptizing. Jesus remained there. Many people came to see him, saying, "John didn't perform any miracles, but all he said about this man is true." And many people there believed in Jesus.
Notes
1. Solomon’s portico (a roof supported by a row of columns) was on the eastern courtyard of the Temple. In the Temple of Solomon (whose construction was completed in 827 BC), it was the area where the king passed judgments. The huge retaining wall (600 feet high!) on which it rested extended to the valley below and was the only part of the original Solomonic Temple that was not destroyed by the Chaldeans in 586 BC. The area, containing cloisters housing the Levite priests, was large, about 75 by 35 feet.
2. Hanukkah (or Chanukah), also known as the Festival Of Lights, celebrates the re-dedication of the Second Temple. This occurred after the Maccabean Revolt that, in 160 BC, secured religious freedom for the Hebrews and semi-autonomy from the Seleucid Empire for much of Palestine. The Second Temple had been completed in 516 BC during the reign of the Persian king Darius the Great after the Persians, destroying the Chaldean Empire and establishing suzerainty over its territories, allowed the Hebrews to return from exile and re-establish religious practices. Around 20 BC, it was renovated by Herod the Great, the King of Judea, which was at that time an autonomous nation, but a client state of Rome. It became known as Herod’s Temple and was the Temple Jesus knew. It, however, was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD during the First Jewish-Roman War.
3. Jesus must again justify his claim to divinity. The miracles that he has performed are his major proof. He is not challenged on that. No one presents the argument that the miracles could be the work of the Devil or that Jesus might be inspired or aided by some powerful spirit being who is not God. (Fourteen-hundred years later such arguments would employed against the self-proclaimed Daughter of God, Joan of Arc, when she was tried, albeit by a sophisticated group of clerics.)
4. Jesus dismisses those who don't believe him as not being his sheep and, therefore, incapable and unworthy of believing. The logic is circular. It is rather like telling someone that if he accepts my argument, he is wise and good; if he rejects my argument, it's no wonder, because he is stupid and evil.
5. The crowd listening to Jesus at the Temple are about to stone him for the blasphemy of declaring that he is a god. Jesus explains that those who are divinely inspired have always been called "gods" in Scripture. This is beside the point, because he does not claim to be merely a prophet. He asserts that it is correct that he call himself the "Son of God" for the simple reason that he is. By accepting the undeniable authenticity of his miracles they will then realize the truth of his claim. Still, Jesus offers no other proof than the miracles he has performed. Although one would think he would have the power to do, the Son of God does nothing to impress his doubters. The Father does not speak from the sky or hurl a thunderbolt at the doubters. Jesus does not do anything really spectacular like making himself invisible, changing shape, or flying about -- things that would be truly convincing. Instead, Jesus, with few exceptions, relies upon minor miracles that can be dismissed as conjuring tricks or traditional faith healing.
6. Jesus, in passing, mentions that the Scriptures cannot be challenged. This is, of course, an essential tenet of the Judaic religion, that the works of what we know as the Old Testament are infallible and absolute truth; its history is accurate, its laws are to be observed, its rituals followed, its prophecies fulfilled. Jesus must work within that traditional framework so that he will be seen to be true to the old religion and not a heretic. He is obliged to use Scripture to justify himself and what he says and does.
7. Jesus, escaping from those who would stone or arrest him, goes to the other side of the River Jordan, where he is more appreciated, mostly by the followers of John the Baptist. We may know little of Jesus' physical appearance, but he was apparently ordinary-looking enough to avoid detection in a crowd and agile and nimble enough to affect these numerous escapes.
The Good Shepherd
(Gospel of John 10:1 - 10:21)
"Truly I tell you, anyone enters the sheep pen not by the gate, but by surreptitious means is a thief and a rustler. He who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep respond to his voice. He summons his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has gathered all the sheep belonging to his flock, he walks ahead and leads them. They follow because they recognize the sound of his voice. They can’t be led by a stranger. They will run away from him because they won't heed his voice."
Jesus used this analogy in his preaching, but his listeners didn't know what he was talking about. Therefore, he explained furthered, "Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All those who came before me were thieves and robbers, and the sheep never listened to them. I am the gate: those who enter by me will find safety. They may come and go and find good pasturage. The thief comes to steal, to kill and destroy. I come so that they may live and prosper."
"I am the Good Shepherd. He is one who will sacrifice himself for his sheep. A hired hand will run away when he sees a wolf. He'll abandon the sheep, for the sheep don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. The wolf will then attack and scatter the flock. The hired hand flees because he has no personal interest in the sheep he tends.
"I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. I will sacrifice myself for my sheep. And I have other sheep who are not of this flock. I will bring them along as well. They will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.
"The reason my Father loves me is because I am willing to sacrifice my life -- only to reclaim it. No one can take my life from me; I will give it voluntarily. I have the authority to sacrifice my own life and reclaim it when I wish. This is what the Father has commanded me to do.
The people who heard these things were divided in their reaction to them. Some declared, "He's possessed by a demon and raving mad. Why listen to him?" But others opined, "These aren't the words of someone possessed by a demon. Can a demon cure a blind man?"
Notes
1. In an analogy, Jesus identifies himself as the gate of the sheep pen, as the true shepherd, and as the Good Shepherd. Although Jesus makes more than one identification and more than one analogy here, the people being the sheep and the preacher/prophet/Messiah being the shepherd is a simple and obvious analogy, one famously used in the familiar 23rd Psalm. Yet, his allegorically challenged audience of oh-so-literal simpletons don't seem to catch the meaning and he has to elaborate.
2. Others who have preached to the Hebrew people, who have perhaps claimed to be a prophet or the Messiah are dismissed by Jesus as frauds, those who intend to steal the sheep, that is, steal the people's trust and lead them astray.
3. The hired hands who, unlike the Good Shepherd, run away when a wolf appears are probably meant to represent the religious leaders of the time who lacked a total commitment to their flock and placed their own interests above that of their congregation.
4. Jesus makes an intriguing reference to gathering other flocks that will be eventually merged to a larger flock with him as shepherd. Does he simply mean converts from other cities and regions, from Gentile nations, or something more?
5. Again Jesus alludes to his death and crucifixion. He clearly states that that will occur only because he wishes it, that he will give his life willingly; no one will take his life, or be able to take his life, except in accordance with his will, and that he has been given the authority from God the Father to choose when he will die -- also that his death will not be permanent, but that he will regain his life, be reborn, be resurrected.
"Truly I tell you, anyone enters the sheep pen not by the gate, but by surreptitious means is a thief and a rustler. He who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep respond to his voice. He summons his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has gathered all the sheep belonging to his flock, he walks ahead and leads them. They follow because they recognize the sound of his voice. They can’t be led by a stranger. They will run away from him because they won't heed his voice."
Jesus used this analogy in his preaching, but his listeners didn't know what he was talking about. Therefore, he explained furthered, "Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All those who came before me were thieves and robbers, and the sheep never listened to them. I am the gate: those who enter by me will find safety. They may come and go and find good pasturage. The thief comes to steal, to kill and destroy. I come so that they may live and prosper."
"I am the Good Shepherd. He is one who will sacrifice himself for his sheep. A hired hand will run away when he sees a wolf. He'll abandon the sheep, for the sheep don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. The wolf will then attack and scatter the flock. The hired hand flees because he has no personal interest in the sheep he tends.
"I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. I will sacrifice myself for my sheep. And I have other sheep who are not of this flock. I will bring them along as well. They will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.
"The reason my Father loves me is because I am willing to sacrifice my life -- only to reclaim it. No one can take my life from me; I will give it voluntarily. I have the authority to sacrifice my own life and reclaim it when I wish. This is what the Father has commanded me to do.
The people who heard these things were divided in their reaction to them. Some declared, "He's possessed by a demon and raving mad. Why listen to him?" But others opined, "These aren't the words of someone possessed by a demon. Can a demon cure a blind man?"
Notes
1. In an analogy, Jesus identifies himself as the gate of the sheep pen, as the true shepherd, and as the Good Shepherd. Although Jesus makes more than one identification and more than one analogy here, the people being the sheep and the preacher/prophet/Messiah being the shepherd is a simple and obvious analogy, one famously used in the familiar 23rd Psalm. Yet, his allegorically challenged audience of oh-so-literal simpletons don't seem to catch the meaning and he has to elaborate.
2. Others who have preached to the Hebrew people, who have perhaps claimed to be a prophet or the Messiah are dismissed by Jesus as frauds, those who intend to steal the sheep, that is, steal the people's trust and lead them astray.
3. The hired hands who, unlike the Good Shepherd, run away when a wolf appears are probably meant to represent the religious leaders of the time who lacked a total commitment to their flock and placed their own interests above that of their congregation.
4. Jesus makes an intriguing reference to gathering other flocks that will be eventually merged to a larger flock with him as shepherd. Does he simply mean converts from other cities and regions, from Gentile nations, or something more?
5. Again Jesus alludes to his death and crucifixion. He clearly states that that will occur only because he wishes it, that he will give his life willingly; no one will take his life, or be able to take his life, except in accordance with his will, and that he has been given the authority from God the Father to choose when he will die -- also that his death will not be permanent, but that he will regain his life, be reborn, be resurrected.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Jesus Cures a Blind Man
(Gospel of John 9:1 - 9:41)
When Jesus was out walking, he came upon a blind man, one who had been blind since birth. The disciples asked Jesus, "Rabbi, why was this man born blind? Was is it due to his sins or the sins of his parents?"
"It is due neither to his own sins nor to the sins of his parents. He was born blind so that the power of God might be revealed in him. --- I must accomplish the tasks commanded by the one who sent me while it is yet daylight, for when it is dark no one can work. As long as I am on earth, I am the light of the world!"
With that Jesus spat on the ground and formed some mud with his saliva. He spread the mud over the eyes of the blind man and then told him, "Go wash it away in the pool of Siloam." (Siloam means "sent")
The blind man went and washed his eyes and when he returned home -- he was able to see! Soon his neighbors and those who had seen him begging were inquiring, "Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg?" Some declared, "Yes, it certainly is," but others said, "No, it just looks like him." But the man himself insisted, "I am that man!"
"How, then were you cured of your blindness?" they asked him.
"The man called Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. I went there and washed and I could then see!"
"Where is this man?" they asked, but he told them he didn't know.
The man who had once been blind was brought before the Pharisees, because the act of healing had taken place on the Sabbath. The Pharisees interrogated the man, who could only respond, "He put the mud on my eyes and when I washed it away, I could see!"
A number of the Pharisees concluded, "This man Jesus cannot be from God, for he violates the Sabbath," but others argued, "How could some cheap fraud perform such a miracle?" There was a sharp division of opinion among the Pharisees on this matter, and so they asked the formerly blind man what he thought, for he was the one who had been cured.
"He is a prophet!" was the man's reply.
The authorities would not believe that he had been blind and then cured of his blindness until they had summoned his parents. "Is this your son?" they asked them. "You say he was born blind, how is it that he can now see?"
The parents replied, "We know for sure that this is our son and that he was born blind, but how he was cured of his blindness and who cured him, we do not know. You must ask him. He is of age and can speak for himself." (The parents were cowed by the religious authorities, for they had already ruled that anyone who believed that Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. That's why they said only, "You must ask him. He is of age and can speak for himself.")
The formerly blind man was summoned to appear before the Pharisees a second time. They told him, "The truth is that credit for this miracle belongs to God alone. This man Jesus we know to be a charlatan."
"I don't know whether he's a charlatan or not. All I know is, I used to be blind, but now I can see," the man replied.
They persisted in interrogated him. "What did he do to you? How did he cure your blindness?"
He answered, "I've told you that before! Weren't you listening? What do you want to hear it again for? Are you interested in becoming his disciples?"
At that the Pharisees mocked him and rejoined sharply, "You are his disciple, we are the disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we don't even know where he came from."
The man answered them. "Well, that's funny. Here's a man who cured my blindness and you don't even know where he came from. We know that God doesn't hear the prayers of charlatans, but does listen to those who worship and obey him. Since the beginning of the world, no one has ever heard of someone being born blind and then cured of that blindness. Surely this man couldn't have done such a thing unless he was sent by God."
The religious authorities retorted, "You were born steeped in sin and yet you have the gall to lecture us!" And they booted him out of the synagogue.
When Jesus heard that the man had been expelled, he sought him out, and finding him, he asked of the man, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
"Who may he be?" the man asked. "Please tell me, sir, so I may believe in him."
"You have seen him," Jesus told him. “He is speaking to you now!"
"Yes, Master, I do believe," said the man, bowing in adoration.
Jesus told him, "I came into this world to make clear the distinction between those who are blind but will be made to see and those who see, but will be made blind."
There were some Pharisees standing nearby who overheard this conversation. They challenged Jesus, "So you think we are blind?"
Jesus answered them "If you were truly blind, there would be no sin in that, but because you falsely claim that you can see, you remain guilty of sin."
Notes
1. The correlation between physical sight and spiritual understanding is brought out in this incident. The man is physically blind, but by giving him his sight Jesus has also given him spiritual insight which the sighted Pharisees lack. The spiritual blindness of the Pharisees is not a result of honest ignorance, which is forgivable, but of willful error, their rejection of Jesus. Here, spiritual sight, understanding, is judged solely upon one's acceptance or rejection of Jesus as the divine Messiah sent by God. No one who disbelieves in Jesus can possibly possess spirituality.
2. One imagines that Jesus made the mud with his saliva rather than with water, because his essence must have been necessary to endow the mud with some magical property. Whether the water at the pool was Shiloam was also necessary for the miracle is an open question. So is why he choose to accomplish the miracle in this particular way.
3. The cured blind man becomes, with his acquired sight, pretty feisty, admirably so, for he bravely tells off the Pharisees. As a result he is kicked out of the synagogue, but later he finds Jesus, or vice versa. It seems that the man had never seen his healer before. His was, of course, blind when Jesus put the mud on his eyes and apparently after he washed off the mud and could see, he did not go back to find Jesus, or was unsuccessful in locating him. Jesus, though, looked him up, concerned about the trouble had gotten into with the Pharisees.
4. Jesus’ explanation to the formerly blind man why he came into the world is often mistranslated. He did not come to pass judgment, but to use judgment to make the distinction between two types of people, those who are spiritually ignorant but will be enlightened (by him) and those who falsely believe they are already enlightened, but will be left in ignorance.
5. It seems strange that Jesus is always performing his miracles on the Sabbath. Is he going out of his way to antagonize the Pharisees and challenge their overly strict doctrines? Doesn't he ever get the urge to work a wonder on a lazy Monday or some odd Thursday?
When Jesus was out walking, he came upon a blind man, one who had been blind since birth. The disciples asked Jesus, "Rabbi, why was this man born blind? Was is it due to his sins or the sins of his parents?"
"It is due neither to his own sins nor to the sins of his parents. He was born blind so that the power of God might be revealed in him. --- I must accomplish the tasks commanded by the one who sent me while it is yet daylight, for when it is dark no one can work. As long as I am on earth, I am the light of the world!"
With that Jesus spat on the ground and formed some mud with his saliva. He spread the mud over the eyes of the blind man and then told him, "Go wash it away in the pool of Siloam." (Siloam means "sent")
The blind man went and washed his eyes and when he returned home -- he was able to see! Soon his neighbors and those who had seen him begging were inquiring, "Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg?" Some declared, "Yes, it certainly is," but others said, "No, it just looks like him." But the man himself insisted, "I am that man!"
"How, then were you cured of your blindness?" they asked him.
"The man called Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. I went there and washed and I could then see!"
"Where is this man?" they asked, but he told them he didn't know.
The man who had once been blind was brought before the Pharisees, because the act of healing had taken place on the Sabbath. The Pharisees interrogated the man, who could only respond, "He put the mud on my eyes and when I washed it away, I could see!"
A number of the Pharisees concluded, "This man Jesus cannot be from God, for he violates the Sabbath," but others argued, "How could some cheap fraud perform such a miracle?" There was a sharp division of opinion among the Pharisees on this matter, and so they asked the formerly blind man what he thought, for he was the one who had been cured.
"He is a prophet!" was the man's reply.
The authorities would not believe that he had been blind and then cured of his blindness until they had summoned his parents. "Is this your son?" they asked them. "You say he was born blind, how is it that he can now see?"
The parents replied, "We know for sure that this is our son and that he was born blind, but how he was cured of his blindness and who cured him, we do not know. You must ask him. He is of age and can speak for himself." (The parents were cowed by the religious authorities, for they had already ruled that anyone who believed that Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. That's why they said only, "You must ask him. He is of age and can speak for himself.")
The formerly blind man was summoned to appear before the Pharisees a second time. They told him, "The truth is that credit for this miracle belongs to God alone. This man Jesus we know to be a charlatan."
"I don't know whether he's a charlatan or not. All I know is, I used to be blind, but now I can see," the man replied.
They persisted in interrogated him. "What did he do to you? How did he cure your blindness?"
He answered, "I've told you that before! Weren't you listening? What do you want to hear it again for? Are you interested in becoming his disciples?"
At that the Pharisees mocked him and rejoined sharply, "You are his disciple, we are the disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we don't even know where he came from."
The man answered them. "Well, that's funny. Here's a man who cured my blindness and you don't even know where he came from. We know that God doesn't hear the prayers of charlatans, but does listen to those who worship and obey him. Since the beginning of the world, no one has ever heard of someone being born blind and then cured of that blindness. Surely this man couldn't have done such a thing unless he was sent by God."
The religious authorities retorted, "You were born steeped in sin and yet you have the gall to lecture us!" And they booted him out of the synagogue.
When Jesus heard that the man had been expelled, he sought him out, and finding him, he asked of the man, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
"Who may he be?" the man asked. "Please tell me, sir, so I may believe in him."
"You have seen him," Jesus told him. “He is speaking to you now!"
"Yes, Master, I do believe," said the man, bowing in adoration.
Jesus told him, "I came into this world to make clear the distinction between those who are blind but will be made to see and those who see, but will be made blind."
There were some Pharisees standing nearby who overheard this conversation. They challenged Jesus, "So you think we are blind?"
Jesus answered them "If you were truly blind, there would be no sin in that, but because you falsely claim that you can see, you remain guilty of sin."
Notes
1. The correlation between physical sight and spiritual understanding is brought out in this incident. The man is physically blind, but by giving him his sight Jesus has also given him spiritual insight which the sighted Pharisees lack. The spiritual blindness of the Pharisees is not a result of honest ignorance, which is forgivable, but of willful error, their rejection of Jesus. Here, spiritual sight, understanding, is judged solely upon one's acceptance or rejection of Jesus as the divine Messiah sent by God. No one who disbelieves in Jesus can possibly possess spirituality.
2. One imagines that Jesus made the mud with his saliva rather than with water, because his essence must have been necessary to endow the mud with some magical property. Whether the water at the pool was Shiloam was also necessary for the miracle is an open question. So is why he choose to accomplish the miracle in this particular way.
3. The cured blind man becomes, with his acquired sight, pretty feisty, admirably so, for he bravely tells off the Pharisees. As a result he is kicked out of the synagogue, but later he finds Jesus, or vice versa. It seems that the man had never seen his healer before. His was, of course, blind when Jesus put the mud on his eyes and apparently after he washed off the mud and could see, he did not go back to find Jesus, or was unsuccessful in locating him. Jesus, though, looked him up, concerned about the trouble had gotten into with the Pharisees.
4. Jesus’ explanation to the formerly blind man why he came into the world is often mistranslated. He did not come to pass judgment, but to use judgment to make the distinction between two types of people, those who are spiritually ignorant but will be enlightened (by him) and those who falsely believe they are already enlightened, but will be left in ignorance.
5. It seems strange that Jesus is always performing his miracles on the Sabbath. Is he going out of his way to antagonize the Pharisees and challenge their overly strict doctrines? Doesn't he ever get the urge to work a wonder on a lazy Monday or some odd Thursday?
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Disputations
(Gospel of John 8:12 - 8:59)
Jesus again addressed the people and told them "I am the light of the world! If you follow me, you need not walk in darkness, but may bask in a life-giving light."
The Pharisees answered him, “What you say proves nothing, because you are testifying on your own behalf."
"Although I do testify on my own behalf, my claims are true. I know where I came from and where I'm going. You have no idea. You judge only by material standards. I am judging no one, and, if I did, my judgment would not be mine alone, but would also be that of the Father who sent me. In your law, it is written that testimony is accepted as valid if it is corroborated by two witnesses. I am one witness and the Father who sent me is the second."
"Well, where is your father?" the Pharisees asked.
"You know neither me nor my Father. If you did know me, you would know my Father as well."
Jesus had this exchange while he was teaching in the area of the Temple where the offering boxes were located. He was not arrested there, for his time had not yet come.
Jesus also said to them, "I am departing and you will search for me. But you will die in a state of sin, for where I am going, you cannot come."
The religious authorities speculated, "Is he going kill himself? Is that what he means when he says 'where I am going, you cannot come'?"
Jesus explained, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world, I am not. I have told you that you will die in a state of sin, and you will do so, unless you accept that I am who I claim to be."
"Who are you?" they demanded.
"I am exactly who I've always claimed to be," he answered. "Indeed, there is much I could say of you, much to condemn, but I tell you only the truth I have heard from the one who sent me."
It did not dawn on them that he was talking about God the Father. And so Jesus added, "When you have raised up and exalted the Son of Man, you will realize that I am he, that I have done nothing on my own behalf and have said only what was taught to me by the Father. He who sent me is always with me. He does not forsake me because I always do what pleases him."
As he spoke, there many who came to believe in him. To those Judeans who did believe he said, "If you continue to follow my teachings, you are truly my disciples. You will then know the truth and that truth will liberate you."
They questioned him, "We are the descendants of Abraham and have never been anyone's slaves. How then can we be liberated?"
Jesus replied, "I tell you truly, that anyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is forever a member of the family. Thus, if it is the Son that liberates you, then are free forever. I know well that you are Abraham's descendants. Yet, there are many of you who want to do away with me because you cannot find a place in your heart for my message. I am telling you what I have been taught by my Father; you are doing what you were taught by your father."
"Our father is Abraham," they responded.
"If you were really Abraham's children," Jesus told them, "then you would act as Abraham acted. You wouldn’t look for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth he heard from God. Abraham wouldn’t do such a thing. No, you’re acting like your true father!"
"We’re not bastards!” they protested. “Our only true father is God himself."
"If God were your father, then you would love me, because I have come from God. I have not come here on my own: I was sent by God. Why can't you understand my words? It's because you refuse to listen. You are the spawn of the Devil, and you crave to do his evil bidding. From the beginning, he was a murderer. He scorned the truth, for there is no truth in him. Lying comes naturally to his character, for he is not only a liar, he is the father of lies. That’s why, when I tell you the truth, you won’t believe me. Who among you can find me guilty of sin? If I tell the truth, why is it that you do not believe me? Whoever belongs to God, hears the words of God. The reason you don't hear is that you do not belong to God."
They responded by saying, "We’re right then in saying that you are a Samaritan possessed by a demon."
"I'm not possessed by a demon!" Jesus protested. "But I honor my father, and you dishonor me. I do not seek to glorify myself. God will do that. He is the true judge. ... Truly I tell you, anyone who follows my teachings will never taste death.”
The Judean people proclaimed, "Now we know you're possessed by a demon! Even Abraham died and so did the prophets. You mean to tell us that whoever follows you will never die? Are you greater than our father Abraham -- who died? Or greater than the prophets -- who died? Just who do you think you are?"
Jesus answered them by saying, "If I glorify myself, that glory is meaningless. It is God who glorifies me, he of whom you say, "He is our God." But you don't know him. I know him. If I said I didn't know him, then I would be a liar -- like you. But I do know him and I follow his teachings. Indeed, Abraham took joy in looking forward to my coming. When he saw it, he was glad."
The Judeans mocked, "You're not even 50 years old and Abraham has seen you!?"
Jesus told them, "Truly I tell you, even before Abraham was born, I lived."
At that, the Judeans picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus took cover, and losing himself in the crowd, he exited the Temple grounds.
Notes
1. These disputations, some with the Pharisees and the religious leaders, some with Judean people who had come to the Temple, (it’s not always clear whom he’s speaking to) reveal the weakness of Jesus' debate points and his reliance on circular logic. He offers no real evidence that he is who he says he is, the Son of God. He takes the stance of "I know what I'm talking about, you don't because you are not me and, therefore, are ignorant." His audience is intelligent and morally good only if they accept him. If they reject him, they are stupid and depraved. There is no allowance for honest disagreement. And Jesus makes no effort to convince his listeners by logical argument; he expects them to suspend rationality and submit to unquestioning belief and obedience to him. Failing to win over his audience, he becomes bitterly dismissive of it, and, like most who lose the debate on the facts, he turns to ad hominem attacks: he reviles his opponents as offspring of the Devil, liars. If they are liars, he, perforce, must be telling the truth.
2. These dialogues sound like nothing more than interchanges in an insane asylum between a delusional lunatic and his exasperated doctors. The lunatic fervently believes he is Napoleon, or, in this case, God's son, and nothing can sway him from that conviction. He expects everyone else to believe in him. If they do not, they are evil, tools of Satan. He knows everything. He, only he, knows God. He, only he, can save mankind and bestow upon those who believe in him the gift of everlasting life. Jesus' rant differs little from that of the fantasy-prone schizophrenic. It is no wonder the Judeans regarded him as possessed by a demon -- in modern parlance, a nut case.
3. Interesting that the Judeans arguing with Jesus claim they are free men because they are descendants of Abraham, apparently forgetting the long, memorialized history of the Hebrew people in bondage, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and their present state of subservience to Rome. As many at that time who awaited for spiritual Messiah yearned for a political liberator who could free them from the yoke of Roman rule and re-establish an independent Hebrew state. Jesus here claims the truth will unburden them from the bondage of sin. The truth is apparently the realization that Jesus is the Messiah or the Son of God. (Liberation from the slavery of sin apparently doesn’t entail things like repentance and reformation, discipline, self-denial, respect for others, etc.)
4. Jesus, who is a rival of Moses and Abraham for the allegiance of the Hebrew people, claims precedence over them by asserting that he has lived for ever. His listeners don't buy it, and when he claims to have seen and talked to Abraham, it’s the last straw, they have had enough of his assault upon their credulity. They go get stones to throw at him, the ancient equivalent of getting the hook, with potentially lethal consequences. Since his Father is apparently unwilling to protect him with an invisible force field or something, Jesus cedes the field and gets the heck out of there.
5. Jesus makes a reference to the Devil, exactly what we think of as the Devil, a purveyor and personification of evil. Even though the Devil is regarded as a central character in the Christian world view, he made a fairly late appearance in Judaic theology. Moses, for instance, never talks about the Devil. The reptilian tempter in Eden, or even the Satan of Job is never identified as the Devil per se, and the antagonists of the Old Testament Jehovah are nearly always rival national gods.
6. Jesus makes continual references to his being “raised “up” or “exalted." Meant literally as well as figuratively, it is a foreshadowing of his crucifixion, when he is be raised up physically and spiritually exalted in his ascent to heaven.
7. When the Judeans reject Jesus they accused him of being possessed by a demon, but also revile him (incorrectly) as being a Samaritan, which, to a Judean, is apparently just as bad. Samaritans practiced a non-standard form of Judaism and, as we have seen from history, even recent history, minor discrepancies in religious belief and practice can engender unreasonable hatred and violence.
Jesus again addressed the people and told them "I am the light of the world! If you follow me, you need not walk in darkness, but may bask in a life-giving light."
The Pharisees answered him, “What you say proves nothing, because you are testifying on your own behalf."
"Although I do testify on my own behalf, my claims are true. I know where I came from and where I'm going. You have no idea. You judge only by material standards. I am judging no one, and, if I did, my judgment would not be mine alone, but would also be that of the Father who sent me. In your law, it is written that testimony is accepted as valid if it is corroborated by two witnesses. I am one witness and the Father who sent me is the second."
"Well, where is your father?" the Pharisees asked.
"You know neither me nor my Father. If you did know me, you would know my Father as well."
Jesus had this exchange while he was teaching in the area of the Temple where the offering boxes were located. He was not arrested there, for his time had not yet come.
Jesus also said to them, "I am departing and you will search for me. But you will die in a state of sin, for where I am going, you cannot come."
The religious authorities speculated, "Is he going kill himself? Is that what he means when he says 'where I am going, you cannot come'?"
Jesus explained, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world, I am not. I have told you that you will die in a state of sin, and you will do so, unless you accept that I am who I claim to be."
"Who are you?" they demanded.
"I am exactly who I've always claimed to be," he answered. "Indeed, there is much I could say of you, much to condemn, but I tell you only the truth I have heard from the one who sent me."
It did not dawn on them that he was talking about God the Father. And so Jesus added, "When you have raised up and exalted the Son of Man, you will realize that I am he, that I have done nothing on my own behalf and have said only what was taught to me by the Father. He who sent me is always with me. He does not forsake me because I always do what pleases him."
As he spoke, there many who came to believe in him. To those Judeans who did believe he said, "If you continue to follow my teachings, you are truly my disciples. You will then know the truth and that truth will liberate you."
They questioned him, "We are the descendants of Abraham and have never been anyone's slaves. How then can we be liberated?"
Jesus replied, "I tell you truly, that anyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is forever a member of the family. Thus, if it is the Son that liberates you, then are free forever. I know well that you are Abraham's descendants. Yet, there are many of you who want to do away with me because you cannot find a place in your heart for my message. I am telling you what I have been taught by my Father; you are doing what you were taught by your father."
"Our father is Abraham," they responded.
"If you were really Abraham's children," Jesus told them, "then you would act as Abraham acted. You wouldn’t look for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth he heard from God. Abraham wouldn’t do such a thing. No, you’re acting like your true father!"
"We’re not bastards!” they protested. “Our only true father is God himself."
"If God were your father, then you would love me, because I have come from God. I have not come here on my own: I was sent by God. Why can't you understand my words? It's because you refuse to listen. You are the spawn of the Devil, and you crave to do his evil bidding. From the beginning, he was a murderer. He scorned the truth, for there is no truth in him. Lying comes naturally to his character, for he is not only a liar, he is the father of lies. That’s why, when I tell you the truth, you won’t believe me. Who among you can find me guilty of sin? If I tell the truth, why is it that you do not believe me? Whoever belongs to God, hears the words of God. The reason you don't hear is that you do not belong to God."
They responded by saying, "We’re right then in saying that you are a Samaritan possessed by a demon."
"I'm not possessed by a demon!" Jesus protested. "But I honor my father, and you dishonor me. I do not seek to glorify myself. God will do that. He is the true judge. ... Truly I tell you, anyone who follows my teachings will never taste death.”
The Judean people proclaimed, "Now we know you're possessed by a demon! Even Abraham died and so did the prophets. You mean to tell us that whoever follows you will never die? Are you greater than our father Abraham -- who died? Or greater than the prophets -- who died? Just who do you think you are?"
Jesus answered them by saying, "If I glorify myself, that glory is meaningless. It is God who glorifies me, he of whom you say, "He is our God." But you don't know him. I know him. If I said I didn't know him, then I would be a liar -- like you. But I do know him and I follow his teachings. Indeed, Abraham took joy in looking forward to my coming. When he saw it, he was glad."
The Judeans mocked, "You're not even 50 years old and Abraham has seen you!?"
Jesus told them, "Truly I tell you, even before Abraham was born, I lived."
At that, the Judeans picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus took cover, and losing himself in the crowd, he exited the Temple grounds.
Notes
1. These disputations, some with the Pharisees and the religious leaders, some with Judean people who had come to the Temple, (it’s not always clear whom he’s speaking to) reveal the weakness of Jesus' debate points and his reliance on circular logic. He offers no real evidence that he is who he says he is, the Son of God. He takes the stance of "I know what I'm talking about, you don't because you are not me and, therefore, are ignorant." His audience is intelligent and morally good only if they accept him. If they reject him, they are stupid and depraved. There is no allowance for honest disagreement. And Jesus makes no effort to convince his listeners by logical argument; he expects them to suspend rationality and submit to unquestioning belief and obedience to him. Failing to win over his audience, he becomes bitterly dismissive of it, and, like most who lose the debate on the facts, he turns to ad hominem attacks: he reviles his opponents as offspring of the Devil, liars. If they are liars, he, perforce, must be telling the truth.
2. These dialogues sound like nothing more than interchanges in an insane asylum between a delusional lunatic and his exasperated doctors. The lunatic fervently believes he is Napoleon, or, in this case, God's son, and nothing can sway him from that conviction. He expects everyone else to believe in him. If they do not, they are evil, tools of Satan. He knows everything. He, only he, knows God. He, only he, can save mankind and bestow upon those who believe in him the gift of everlasting life. Jesus' rant differs little from that of the fantasy-prone schizophrenic. It is no wonder the Judeans regarded him as possessed by a demon -- in modern parlance, a nut case.
3. Interesting that the Judeans arguing with Jesus claim they are free men because they are descendants of Abraham, apparently forgetting the long, memorialized history of the Hebrew people in bondage, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and their present state of subservience to Rome. As many at that time who awaited for spiritual Messiah yearned for a political liberator who could free them from the yoke of Roman rule and re-establish an independent Hebrew state. Jesus here claims the truth will unburden them from the bondage of sin. The truth is apparently the realization that Jesus is the Messiah or the Son of God. (Liberation from the slavery of sin apparently doesn’t entail things like repentance and reformation, discipline, self-denial, respect for others, etc.)
4. Jesus, who is a rival of Moses and Abraham for the allegiance of the Hebrew people, claims precedence over them by asserting that he has lived for ever. His listeners don't buy it, and when he claims to have seen and talked to Abraham, it’s the last straw, they have had enough of his assault upon their credulity. They go get stones to throw at him, the ancient equivalent of getting the hook, with potentially lethal consequences. Since his Father is apparently unwilling to protect him with an invisible force field or something, Jesus cedes the field and gets the heck out of there.
5. Jesus makes a reference to the Devil, exactly what we think of as the Devil, a purveyor and personification of evil. Even though the Devil is regarded as a central character in the Christian world view, he made a fairly late appearance in Judaic theology. Moses, for instance, never talks about the Devil. The reptilian tempter in Eden, or even the Satan of Job is never identified as the Devil per se, and the antagonists of the Old Testament Jehovah are nearly always rival national gods.
6. Jesus makes continual references to his being “raised “up” or “exalted." Meant literally as well as figuratively, it is a foreshadowing of his crucifixion, when he is be raised up physically and spiritually exalted in his ascent to heaven.
7. When the Judeans reject Jesus they accused him of being possessed by a demon, but also revile him (incorrectly) as being a Samaritan, which, to a Judean, is apparently just as bad. Samaritans practiced a non-standard form of Judaism and, as we have seen from history, even recent history, minor discrepancies in religious belief and practice can engender unreasonable hatred and violence.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Jesus and the Adulteress
(Gospel of John 7:53 - 8:11)
After this interchange, everyone went home, save Jesus, who went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning, he returned to the Temple. A crowd gathered, and he sat down and taught them. The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought to him a woman who had been caught committing adultery. Making her stand before the assembly, they addressed Jesus, "Rabbi, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The Law of Moses commands us to stone such a woman to death. What say you?" (They did this in order to bait Jesus, so that they might have some charge to bring against him.)
Jesus, though, just stooped down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. When they kept demanding an answer from him, he stood erect and challenged them, "Very well, let the one among you who has never committed a sin throw the first stone at her." He stooped down again and continued writing in the dirt.
When everyone heard what he said, they began to drift away, one by one, the oldest first, until there was no one left there except Jesus and the accused adulteress who stood before him. Jesus straightened up and questioned her, "Madam, where are they, your accusers? Is there no one here to condemn you?"
"There's no one, sir," she replied.
"Well then, I won't condemn you either. Be on your way and sin no more."
Notes
1. This entire section is a doubtful authenticity. No early Greek version included it and others place it, or a version of it, in other parts of John or in Luke. It was, however, in the Latin Vulgate of the 4th Century, which was declared authoritative by the Catholic Council of Trent in the mid 16th Century.
2. It's not explained what Jesus was writing in the dirt. Was it something important, or was it just his way of ignoring the Pharisees who had come to pester him and show him up?
3. The fact that Jesus was depicted as writing in the dirt is taken as evidence that he could write. and, therefore, was literate. However, it could be that he was only drawing, rather than writing in the dirt. The text is not really clear here. One would think, though, since he was a rabbi he would know how to read and write, even though he is described as being untrained. And if he was the Son of God, he would not only know how to read and write, he would know everything!
4. In this incident Jesus brings to light an intriguing moral point. Should punishment be exacted upon an individual who is no worse than those punishing him. If Jesus had invited anyone who had never committed adultery to throw the first stone, then the moral of the tale would be obvious: don't accuse and punish people for sins you are guilty of yourself. It would be an indictment of hypocrisy. But Jesus calls upon someone who had never committed a sin of any kind to throw that first stone, to administer the punishment. If judges and executioners are to be perfect men who have never been guilty of committing a sin, how could any crime be punished?
5. Jesus is continually at odds with Moses and the Pharisees who interpret literally the laws he supposedly promulgated. The law of Moses demands that an adulteress be stoned to death, but Jesus does not question the law or the severity of the punishment. He does not fall into the trap the Pharisees had set for him: they want him to publicly disagree with the Scriptures. He refuses to do so, but he does prevent the punishment from being carried out, circumventing the law. One suspects that Jesus believes the death penalty for adultery is too severe, but he will not come out and say so. He does not say, "punishing adultery with the death penalty may have been appropriate for the Israelites who lived during the time of Moses, but in this moderns age more leniency should be exercised. The adulteress should be allowed to repent, to change her ways, and be forgiven." He, disappointingly, does not tell the Pharisees that.
6. Jesus tells the adulteress to mend her ways and sin no more, but by not punishing her he has removed the negative incentive to sin. When one is not punished for bad behavior, when there is no price to pay for misconduct, when every sin is to be forgiven, there is no discouragement for immorality. There are, of course, positive inducements and rewards for morality, but Jesus does not touch upon them here. He does not take the opportunity to tell the woman why she shouldn't sin. He does not say, "Live a moral life, and you'll be happier, or "Don't sin and you'll earn life everlasting."
After this interchange, everyone went home, save Jesus, who went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning, he returned to the Temple. A crowd gathered, and he sat down and taught them. The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought to him a woman who had been caught committing adultery. Making her stand before the assembly, they addressed Jesus, "Rabbi, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The Law of Moses commands us to stone such a woman to death. What say you?" (They did this in order to bait Jesus, so that they might have some charge to bring against him.)
Jesus, though, just stooped down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. When they kept demanding an answer from him, he stood erect and challenged them, "Very well, let the one among you who has never committed a sin throw the first stone at her." He stooped down again and continued writing in the dirt.
When everyone heard what he said, they began to drift away, one by one, the oldest first, until there was no one left there except Jesus and the accused adulteress who stood before him. Jesus straightened up and questioned her, "Madam, where are they, your accusers? Is there no one here to condemn you?"
"There's no one, sir," she replied.
"Well then, I won't condemn you either. Be on your way and sin no more."
Notes
1. This entire section is a doubtful authenticity. No early Greek version included it and others place it, or a version of it, in other parts of John or in Luke. It was, however, in the Latin Vulgate of the 4th Century, which was declared authoritative by the Catholic Council of Trent in the mid 16th Century.
2. It's not explained what Jesus was writing in the dirt. Was it something important, or was it just his way of ignoring the Pharisees who had come to pester him and show him up?
3. The fact that Jesus was depicted as writing in the dirt is taken as evidence that he could write. and, therefore, was literate. However, it could be that he was only drawing, rather than writing in the dirt. The text is not really clear here. One would think, though, since he was a rabbi he would know how to read and write, even though he is described as being untrained. And if he was the Son of God, he would not only know how to read and write, he would know everything!
4. In this incident Jesus brings to light an intriguing moral point. Should punishment be exacted upon an individual who is no worse than those punishing him. If Jesus had invited anyone who had never committed adultery to throw the first stone, then the moral of the tale would be obvious: don't accuse and punish people for sins you are guilty of yourself. It would be an indictment of hypocrisy. But Jesus calls upon someone who had never committed a sin of any kind to throw that first stone, to administer the punishment. If judges and executioners are to be perfect men who have never been guilty of committing a sin, how could any crime be punished?
5. Jesus is continually at odds with Moses and the Pharisees who interpret literally the laws he supposedly promulgated. The law of Moses demands that an adulteress be stoned to death, but Jesus does not question the law or the severity of the punishment. He does not fall into the trap the Pharisees had set for him: they want him to publicly disagree with the Scriptures. He refuses to do so, but he does prevent the punishment from being carried out, circumventing the law. One suspects that Jesus believes the death penalty for adultery is too severe, but he will not come out and say so. He does not say, "punishing adultery with the death penalty may have been appropriate for the Israelites who lived during the time of Moses, but in this moderns age more leniency should be exercised. The adulteress should be allowed to repent, to change her ways, and be forgiven." He, disappointingly, does not tell the Pharisees that.
6. Jesus tells the adulteress to mend her ways and sin no more, but by not punishing her he has removed the negative incentive to sin. When one is not punished for bad behavior, when there is no price to pay for misconduct, when every sin is to be forgiven, there is no discouragement for immorality. There are, of course, positive inducements and rewards for morality, but Jesus does not touch upon them here. He does not take the opportunity to tell the woman why she shouldn't sin. He does not say, "Live a moral life, and you'll be happier, or "Don't sin and you'll earn life everlasting."
Jesus at the Festival of Sukkot
(Gospel of John 7:01 - 7:52)
After this, Jesus traveled throughout Galilee, but did not wish to do so in Judea, where the religious establishment was desirous of having him put to death. However, when the Hebrew Festival of Sukkot drew near, Jesus' brothers urged him, "Why don't you leave Galilee and go to Judea so that your disciples there may witness your miracles. No one who wishes to build a public reputation can act privately. If you are able to perform these wonders, you must show yourself to the world!" (You see, even his brothers did not believe in him.)
Jesus answered them, "No, it's not the right time for me to go. But you can go anytime. The world can't hate you. It hates me, because I am testimony that the ways of the world are evil. You go to the festival. But I'm not going, for my time has not quite come yet." After this pronouncement, Jesus remained in Galilee.
However, after his brothers had departed for the festival, Jesus went, too, but secretly, not publicly. The religious authorities were on the lookout for him at the festival and kept inquiring whether anyone had seen him. There was a great deal of buzz about Jesus among the public there. Some declared that he was a good man, while others believed he was duping the masses. But no one talked about him openly for fear of offending the Judean authorities.
Not until the festival was half over did Jesus go to the Temple courtyard and begin teaching there. When they heard him, the Judeans were amazed that a man who had never been properly trained had so much knowledge of Scripture.
“What I teach does not come from me, but from God who sent me," Jesus told them. "Anyone dedicated to the will of God will know if the teaching comes from God or if I am merely speaking on my own behalf. He who speaks on his own seeks glory for himself, while he who seeks glory for the one who sent him is a man of true teachings; there is nothing false about him. Did not Moses give you the law? And yet, none of you obeys it. Why are you seeking to kill me?"
"You're possessed by a demon! Who's seeking to kill you?" questioned the crowd.
Jesus responded, "I perform one miracle on the Sabbath and all of you are dumbfounded. Don’t you perform circumcisions on male children on the eighth day, in accordance with the law given to you by Moses? (Actually our ancestors practiced circumcision long before Moses.) And so that the law be not broken, will you not perform the circumcision on a Sabbath and thus do work on that day? So why then are you so upset with me for healing a man's whole body on the Sabbath? Don't judge merely by appearances, judge fairly."
Many of the people of Jerusalem posed the question, "Isn't this the man the authorities want to put to death? Well, here he is, speaking publicly -- and they don't have a word to say to him! Have they concluded that he is the Messiah? We know, though, where this man is from. When the Messiah arrives, nobody'll know where he's from."
Jesus, who was still teaching in the Temple courtyard, replied to them, "Yes, you do know me and where I'm from, but I'm not here on my own authority. He who sent me is the true God -- but you don't know him. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.'
The authorities then tried to arrest him, but they did not succeed in laying a hand on him -- for his time had not yet come. Many, though, in the crowd believed him and declared, "If the Messiah does appear, could he perform more miracles than this man has?"
The Pharisees heard such opinions voiced by the crowd. Therefore, they had the chief priests order the Temple guards to seize Jesus.
Jesus told them, "I will be among you for a only little while longer, then I will be returning to him who sent me. You will then search for me, but you won't find me. Where I will be, you cannot come."
The religious authorities asked each other, "Where does this man intend to go where we can't find him? Will he go to the scattered communities of Hebrew expatriates who live among the Greeks and teach them? What does he mean when he says, 'You will then search for me, but you won't find me,' and 'Where I will be, you cannot come'?"
On the final day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted to the crowd, "Anyone who is thirsty, come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink. For the scriptures says, 'From the hearts of those who believe in me rivers of life-giving water will flow.' (When Jesus said "life-giving water" he was referring to the Spirit Divine that would be received by all who believe. But that spirit had not been given, for Jesus had not yet achieved his glory.)
When the crowd heard him say this, some of them declared, "This man must surely be the Prophet," while others declared, "He is the Messiah." But there were those who questioned, "How can the Messiah come from Galilee? Don't the Scriptures say the Messiah will come from among the descendants of David and from Bethlehem, a town of David?" Thus there was a divided opinion about Jesus among the people. Some wanted him to be arrested, but no one laid a hand on him.
When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the chief priests and the Pharisees demanded of them, "Why didn't you bring him in?"
"No one has ever spoke the way he does, " the guards explained.
"You mean he's taken you in, too?" the Pharisees rejoined. "Do any of the leaders, any of the Pharisees believe in him? No! A curse has fallen upon this mob because it's ignorant of the law."
Nicodemus, a member of the Pharisees who had earlier visited with Jesus, spoke up in protest, "Our law doesn't convict a man without a hearing to determine what he's done -- does it?"
The other Pharisees put him down, "Surely you're not from Galilee, too? Do some research and you'll find that the Prophet does not come from Galilee."
Notes
1. Sukkot, or the Festival of Tabernacles, or the Festival of Booths, or is one of three important holidays during which Hebrews were supposed to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Mentioned in Leviticus, it grew out of the Exodus-mandated Harvest Feast. It is seven days in length and is celebrated during the month of Tishri (from late September to late October), beginning the fifth day after Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. It is a joyous celebration that commemorates the 40 years during which the Israelites lived in the deserts of Sinai after the Exodus and before their settlement in Canaan. Palm-draped booths are erected to simulate the life-style of the wandering Israelites. Celebrants eat and even sleep inside them during the holiday.
2. Jesus' brothers are not only doubters, they want to goad him into going to Judea, where there is a reasonable expectation he will be killed. Interesting that those who presumably knew Jesus best did not believe in him and were apparently so contemptuous of his claim to divinity they didn't mind seeing him executed for it. Of course, it often happens that one's family is hard to impress; a family member who manifests greatness is usually viewed by others in the family with jealousy or resentment.
2. Jesus bears false witness and practices deception when he flat out tells his brothers he is not going to the Festival of Sukkot and then secretly does so. Then, he claims that he, the one sent by God, has nothing false about him. A contradiction here? One might justify the deception and lie he told his brothers, but one does not find in Jesus' message the desirability of convenient falsehoods.
3. Halfway through the festival Jesus starts to teach and preach at the Temple. Did anyone invite him to do so? Surely those administering the Temple were antagonistic to him at the very least. But he did draw a crowd and, at first, the religious establishment did nothing to stop him. Perhaps they wanted to give him enough rope to hang himself, that is, to discredit himself with his preposterous claim that he was the Son of God. The Pharisees probably thought the crowd would reject him totally and when it didn't, they blame its ignorance, and, although they don't say so here, its stupidity and gullibility.
4. Jesus was being discredited as the Prophet or the Messiah because he was from Galilee. for prophecy dictated that Bethlehem be the provenance of the Messiah. So we see the rationale behind the nativity story placing Jesus' birth in Bethlehem. Whether Jesus was actually born in Bethlehem or if the nativity story was concocted to fulfill the prophecy cannot be known. The reader awaits Jesus' profession that he was born in Bethlehem and is a descendant of King David.
After this, Jesus traveled throughout Galilee, but did not wish to do so in Judea, where the religious establishment was desirous of having him put to death. However, when the Hebrew Festival of Sukkot drew near, Jesus' brothers urged him, "Why don't you leave Galilee and go to Judea so that your disciples there may witness your miracles. No one who wishes to build a public reputation can act privately. If you are able to perform these wonders, you must show yourself to the world!" (You see, even his brothers did not believe in him.)
Jesus answered them, "No, it's not the right time for me to go. But you can go anytime. The world can't hate you. It hates me, because I am testimony that the ways of the world are evil. You go to the festival. But I'm not going, for my time has not quite come yet." After this pronouncement, Jesus remained in Galilee.
However, after his brothers had departed for the festival, Jesus went, too, but secretly, not publicly. The religious authorities were on the lookout for him at the festival and kept inquiring whether anyone had seen him. There was a great deal of buzz about Jesus among the public there. Some declared that he was a good man, while others believed he was duping the masses. But no one talked about him openly for fear of offending the Judean authorities.
Not until the festival was half over did Jesus go to the Temple courtyard and begin teaching there. When they heard him, the Judeans were amazed that a man who had never been properly trained had so much knowledge of Scripture.
“What I teach does not come from me, but from God who sent me," Jesus told them. "Anyone dedicated to the will of God will know if the teaching comes from God or if I am merely speaking on my own behalf. He who speaks on his own seeks glory for himself, while he who seeks glory for the one who sent him is a man of true teachings; there is nothing false about him. Did not Moses give you the law? And yet, none of you obeys it. Why are you seeking to kill me?"
"You're possessed by a demon! Who's seeking to kill you?" questioned the crowd.
Jesus responded, "I perform one miracle on the Sabbath and all of you are dumbfounded. Don’t you perform circumcisions on male children on the eighth day, in accordance with the law given to you by Moses? (Actually our ancestors practiced circumcision long before Moses.) And so that the law be not broken, will you not perform the circumcision on a Sabbath and thus do work on that day? So why then are you so upset with me for healing a man's whole body on the Sabbath? Don't judge merely by appearances, judge fairly."
Many of the people of Jerusalem posed the question, "Isn't this the man the authorities want to put to death? Well, here he is, speaking publicly -- and they don't have a word to say to him! Have they concluded that he is the Messiah? We know, though, where this man is from. When the Messiah arrives, nobody'll know where he's from."
Jesus, who was still teaching in the Temple courtyard, replied to them, "Yes, you do know me and where I'm from, but I'm not here on my own authority. He who sent me is the true God -- but you don't know him. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.'
The authorities then tried to arrest him, but they did not succeed in laying a hand on him -- for his time had not yet come. Many, though, in the crowd believed him and declared, "If the Messiah does appear, could he perform more miracles than this man has?"
The Pharisees heard such opinions voiced by the crowd. Therefore, they had the chief priests order the Temple guards to seize Jesus.
Jesus told them, "I will be among you for a only little while longer, then I will be returning to him who sent me. You will then search for me, but you won't find me. Where I will be, you cannot come."
The religious authorities asked each other, "Where does this man intend to go where we can't find him? Will he go to the scattered communities of Hebrew expatriates who live among the Greeks and teach them? What does he mean when he says, 'You will then search for me, but you won't find me,' and 'Where I will be, you cannot come'?"
On the final day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted to the crowd, "Anyone who is thirsty, come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink. For the scriptures says, 'From the hearts of those who believe in me rivers of life-giving water will flow.' (When Jesus said "life-giving water" he was referring to the Spirit Divine that would be received by all who believe. But that spirit had not been given, for Jesus had not yet achieved his glory.)
When the crowd heard him say this, some of them declared, "This man must surely be the Prophet," while others declared, "He is the Messiah." But there were those who questioned, "How can the Messiah come from Galilee? Don't the Scriptures say the Messiah will come from among the descendants of David and from Bethlehem, a town of David?" Thus there was a divided opinion about Jesus among the people. Some wanted him to be arrested, but no one laid a hand on him.
When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the chief priests and the Pharisees demanded of them, "Why didn't you bring him in?"
"No one has ever spoke the way he does, " the guards explained.
"You mean he's taken you in, too?" the Pharisees rejoined. "Do any of the leaders, any of the Pharisees believe in him? No! A curse has fallen upon this mob because it's ignorant of the law."
Nicodemus, a member of the Pharisees who had earlier visited with Jesus, spoke up in protest, "Our law doesn't convict a man without a hearing to determine what he's done -- does it?"
The other Pharisees put him down, "Surely you're not from Galilee, too? Do some research and you'll find that the Prophet does not come from Galilee."
Notes
1. Sukkot, or the Festival of Tabernacles, or the Festival of Booths, or is one of three important holidays during which Hebrews were supposed to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Mentioned in Leviticus, it grew out of the Exodus-mandated Harvest Feast. It is seven days in length and is celebrated during the month of Tishri (from late September to late October), beginning the fifth day after Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. It is a joyous celebration that commemorates the 40 years during which the Israelites lived in the deserts of Sinai after the Exodus and before their settlement in Canaan. Palm-draped booths are erected to simulate the life-style of the wandering Israelites. Celebrants eat and even sleep inside them during the holiday.
2. Jesus' brothers are not only doubters, they want to goad him into going to Judea, where there is a reasonable expectation he will be killed. Interesting that those who presumably knew Jesus best did not believe in him and were apparently so contemptuous of his claim to divinity they didn't mind seeing him executed for it. Of course, it often happens that one's family is hard to impress; a family member who manifests greatness is usually viewed by others in the family with jealousy or resentment.
2. Jesus bears false witness and practices deception when he flat out tells his brothers he is not going to the Festival of Sukkot and then secretly does so. Then, he claims that he, the one sent by God, has nothing false about him. A contradiction here? One might justify the deception and lie he told his brothers, but one does not find in Jesus' message the desirability of convenient falsehoods.
3. Halfway through the festival Jesus starts to teach and preach at the Temple. Did anyone invite him to do so? Surely those administering the Temple were antagonistic to him at the very least. But he did draw a crowd and, at first, the religious establishment did nothing to stop him. Perhaps they wanted to give him enough rope to hang himself, that is, to discredit himself with his preposterous claim that he was the Son of God. The Pharisees probably thought the crowd would reject him totally and when it didn't, they blame its ignorance, and, although they don't say so here, its stupidity and gullibility.
4. Jesus was being discredited as the Prophet or the Messiah because he was from Galilee. for prophecy dictated that Bethlehem be the provenance of the Messiah. So we see the rationale behind the nativity story placing Jesus' birth in Bethlehem. Whether Jesus was actually born in Bethlehem or if the nativity story was concocted to fulfill the prophecy cannot be known. The reader awaits Jesus' profession that he was born in Bethlehem and is a descendant of King David.
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