Jesus response is so good- he quickly sums up what has occurred- (probably wouldn't have had to be too quickly- I imagine it took them some time to dig through the roof – and then lower their friend down- and that Jesus paused as this was happening and every one watched as it took place) Perhaps when the man made it to the floor and the buzz of the crowd died away as they waited to see what would happen next- how will Jesus react to this- and he comes out with- Child your sins are forgiven- (BDAG has for one of its meanings- 3, one who is dear to another but without genetic relationship and without distinction in age, child- then has this reference as an example of that). What is the paralytic thinking at this stage? - Actually, that wasn't quite what I was after- the scribes in the room (were there one or two that felt a thrill?) were thrown into an inner turmoil – that spilt out into a grumbling among themselves- did the rest of the crowd pick up the implication so quickly- another example of the heritage of the place. - get the feeling the whole way through, that the crowd as a general rule is not as worried about such things- that on the whole they are not as worried full stop, that the thing that would have stuck with them was the man (they would have all known) getting up and walking out of there- and that pondering the full significance was too much to worry about.
perceived in his spirit- How did he know this? It doesn't read like he just overheard them mumbling- It sounds like a supernatural thing- or was he just good at reading faces- but then Jesus response- why do you raise such questions in your heart? This seems like something of a corrective to making Jesus too much just a normal human being- just a carpenter from Nazereth going about his business quietly to save the world. - I can have this train of thought of how Jesus was more of a man/human being than I've ever given him credit for in the past (which is true and good to realise) wonder about how he came to his knowledge of the father, himself and his vocation- think it may have all happened in a way that it happens for us to a large degree- with a few differences- no static in the way from sin as Paul Roe points out, But then things like this pull me up- it is very mystical – beyond my experience- and that somehow adds a bit of distance to the good carpenter from Nazareth. I wonder if this was the disciples experience on a fairly regular basis- It didn't seem that long ago we were having a barbie together and cooking fish on the beach, and now he's walking over the water towards us.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
A crowded room- 2:1-4
Chapter 2
And entering into Capernaum again after some days it became known that he was at home. - Is this Peter's place? Wherever it was Jesus considered at home there (en oikw). How long did he spend there all up? What did he do when he was at home? Did he do any woodwork for people? Don't hear anything of that in the gospels- get the feeling that he completely left that, for this particular task- and that there wasn't much down time in the three years- is that the case? Need to do myself a big calendar and map it all as well as I can.
(After the wedding in Cana John writes- “After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there a few days”- I wonder if there was a family connection there)
A crowd gathers around and he speaks to them 'the word'. - the message- not much room- not even around the door- since the man got let in through the roof, does that mean they were all crowded into the house? If so, I imagine it wouldn't be much more than 100 people- how big would have the house been? What was a normal design? The four friends can't get in the front door - because of the crowd- maybe 200 – a whole lot craning to see and hear around the door- take him up to the roof – and unroof it- digging through- they let down their friend on his mat- krabbaton. Doesn't seem like it was brief 'the word'. There is enough time for a sizable crowd to gather, then for the four to come and see they couldn't get in by the front door- then to go up on the roof, with their cargo, and dig a hole through it- and find things to lower him down with. Mark doesn't give us much of the teaching content- would get in the way of his fast paced story- but how good would it have been to be in that house and listening for a few hours? to what Jesus considered the word...
100 teenagers in the Pizza shop at Broken Hill- they didn't all fit in the shop- totally crowded in there and the overflow on the paved area outside, but there was some room to move around. Still can't be too too many- in future years you could talk to other people in the town – were you there that day in Peter's house when we were all crammed into the living room (are they only one roomed houses?) and Jesus was speaking and then there was this banging on the roof- yep got half the roof on my head... Surely there must have been some in Capernaum that became followers and cherished memories such as this- even if the majority of the town did a Uncle Andrew trick with it all (where he hears Aslan singing Narnia into existence and when he sees it is 'only a lion' tries his hardest to believe it wasn't singing and never had, but only roaring as any lion might in a zoo.)
And entering into Capernaum again after some days it became known that he was at home. - Is this Peter's place? Wherever it was Jesus considered at home there (en oikw). How long did he spend there all up? What did he do when he was at home? Did he do any woodwork for people? Don't hear anything of that in the gospels- get the feeling that he completely left that, for this particular task- and that there wasn't much down time in the three years- is that the case? Need to do myself a big calendar and map it all as well as I can.
(After the wedding in Cana John writes- “After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there a few days”- I wonder if there was a family connection there)
A crowd gathers around and he speaks to them 'the word'. - the message- not much room- not even around the door- since the man got let in through the roof, does that mean they were all crowded into the house? If so, I imagine it wouldn't be much more than 100 people- how big would have the house been? What was a normal design? The four friends can't get in the front door - because of the crowd- maybe 200 – a whole lot craning to see and hear around the door- take him up to the roof – and unroof it- digging through- they let down their friend on his mat- krabbaton. Doesn't seem like it was brief 'the word'. There is enough time for a sizable crowd to gather, then for the four to come and see they couldn't get in by the front door- then to go up on the roof, with their cargo, and dig a hole through it- and find things to lower him down with. Mark doesn't give us much of the teaching content- would get in the way of his fast paced story- but how good would it have been to be in that house and listening for a few hours? to what Jesus considered the word...
100 teenagers in the Pizza shop at Broken Hill- they didn't all fit in the shop- totally crowded in there and the overflow on the paved area outside, but there was some room to move around. Still can't be too too many- in future years you could talk to other people in the town – were you there that day in Peter's house when we were all crammed into the living room (are they only one roomed houses?) and Jesus was speaking and then there was this banging on the roof- yep got half the roof on my head... Surely there must have been some in Capernaum that became followers and cherished memories such as this- even if the majority of the town did a Uncle Andrew trick with it all (where he hears Aslan singing Narnia into existence and when he sees it is 'only a lion' tries his hardest to believe it wasn't singing and never had, but only roaring as any lion might in a zoo.)
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Asking
One other thing I was thinking, was about the asking- one of the reason's the ex leper got what he wanted was he asked (more importantly, he asked the right man). In the Magician's Nephew, Digory and Polly are on a journey with Fledge (a flying horse). There is plenty of grass for Fledge to eat where they stop, but no food for the children,
“Well, I do think someone might have arranged about our meals,” said Digory.
“I'm sure Aslan would have, if you'd asked him,” said Fledge.
“Wouldn't he know without being asked?” said Polly.
“I've no doubt he would,” said the Horse (still with his mouth full). “But I've a sort of idea he likes to be asked.”
A bit further on, something that relates to misdirected desire,
“Child,” he replied, “that is why all the rest are now a horror to her. That is what happens to those who pluck and eat fruits at the wrong time and in the wrong way. The fruit is good, but they loathe it ever after.”
“Oh I see,” said Polly. “And I suppose because she took it in the wrong way it won't work for her. I mean it won't make her always young and all that?
“Alas,” said Aslan, shaking his head. “It will. Things always work according to their nature. She has won her heart's desire; she has unwearying strength and endless days like a goddess. But length of days with a evil heart is only length of misery and already she begins to know it. All get what they want; they do not always like it.”
Surely, it wasn't just the actions of this one man that meant that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter. He would have been stirring massive curiosity by many of the things he was doing and saying...
When it says stayed out in the country- does that mean he was camping out there too? How did the people know where he was? Word of mouth I suppose.- the country is eremois- lonely, deserted, wild places. - the crowds found him where he was anyway- so what was the issue with the towns- Is he trying to teach the disciples at this stage? Was is so ballistic that they got no time to themselves at all? - that seems likely -
“Well, I do think someone might have arranged about our meals,” said Digory.
“I'm sure Aslan would have, if you'd asked him,” said Fledge.
“Wouldn't he know without being asked?” said Polly.
“I've no doubt he would,” said the Horse (still with his mouth full). “But I've a sort of idea he likes to be asked.”
A bit further on, something that relates to misdirected desire,
“Child,” he replied, “that is why all the rest are now a horror to her. That is what happens to those who pluck and eat fruits at the wrong time and in the wrong way. The fruit is good, but they loathe it ever after.”
“Oh I see,” said Polly. “And I suppose because she took it in the wrong way it won't work for her. I mean it won't make her always young and all that?
“Alas,” said Aslan, shaking his head. “It will. Things always work according to their nature. She has won her heart's desire; she has unwearying strength and endless days like a goddess. But length of days with a evil heart is only length of misery and already she begins to know it. All get what they want; they do not always like it.”
Surely, it wasn't just the actions of this one man that meant that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter. He would have been stirring massive curiosity by many of the things he was doing and saying...
When it says stayed out in the country- does that mean he was camping out there too? How did the people know where he was? Word of mouth I suppose.- the country is eremois- lonely, deserted, wild places. - the crowds found him where he was anyway- so what was the issue with the towns- Is he trying to teach the disciples at this stage? Was is so ballistic that they got no time to themselves at all? - that seems likely -
Thankfulness
A man with leprosy- an illness which perhaps means it not as hard for him as many to overcome that self dignity thing- on his knees before Jesus, with a statement of faith and hope- but perhaps not necessarily what Barclay would call Christian hope. Or maybe it was- I wonder how much this man knew of Jesus – had he seen him in action in other places- what had he noticed about his character? He would have known Jesus had healed other people- was it “well this is worth a punt?” a man on his knees doesn't really feel like that- more this disease has stripped me of nearly everything and in desperation with a thin sliver of hope- I will ask this man if he can heal me of this blight. Can only wonder- the story puts in place a few parameters – we know of this man's condition- and we know he was willing enough to fall at someone's feet and beg (and perhaps that willingness to ask does tell us a bit) but we don't particularly know what kind of man he was. It would seem there are some who suffer amazing things with incredible grace (Di Tyson from what I know- Pete Vol's mum from his descriptions, where something very limiting does not mean they give way to self centredness or become defined perhaps by the illness. There are many others who (understandably) do not handle such a situation well. This man's immediate response seems exuberant as well as disobedient (seems fairly understandable to a degree) He tells others what happened to him – lets them know it was Jesus who affected the change- there seems to be at least some kind of gratefulness there- but on the whole it does not seem that grateful or classy to me. - You have just been cured of an illness which meant you could be part of normal human society- (it could have been years or decades), and the man who you thought could cure you has- and he tells you not to tell anyone but to go and do a practical thing, get the official nod to recognise what I have just done here, so that you may enter back into society. Jesus gives him a strong warning – comes from embrimesamenos (used classically to denote 'scarce controlled animal fury' pg 118 France) It would seem from what France writes that normally the object of this word would be the object of strong disapproval- but because there doesn't seem a reason for Jesus to be doing that here, it is translated 'strictly charged' rather than scolded or worse. Whatever- It seems there should be no trouble for the man clearly picking up Jesus drift. I feel like the least I could do in a similar situation, was to respect the wishes of the man who had just given me my heart's desire. There are strings attached- and they are not burdensome strings- but the man does the exact opposite of what Jesus asked him.
Perhaps this gives us more insight into the man than what I was thinking- He got what he wanted from Jesus- then failed to respect him- I wonder if he ever 'came back' became really healed- understood what had happened to him as a 'sign' as John would put it, repented of what he had done.
I suppose it is possible- though it doesn't bode well, if you miss it in such a situation as this. Who knows – an instance of Aslan telling us not to worry- no one is ever told what would have happened, or that is someone else's story.
Thankfulness- calls forth some sort of response- and I think a right thankfulness draws us away from ourself to want to honour or praise or be grateful to someone or something else. Perhaps any other kind of thankfulness is not really that thankful- what would you call the ex lepers response then? He's telling everyone about it- obviously glad about what's happened- glad but not thankful?...
Hasn't got the grateful part- thankfulness with no grace. I suppose you can rejoice in something that is evil... but perhaps even there- though there may have been thankfulness there at the time- I think that would diminish- don't think you can be thankful for evil for eternity- if it's not good it becomes a horror- hold onto it and that leads to death- what Lewis talks about when he says in the end everybody gets what they want.
It was a rainy day yesterday- cleaning the house- didn't get as far as I wanted- watched God's must be crazy 2- poor cousin to it's predecessor- always a bad feeling, thinking you've just wasted 2 hours of your life watching a bad or dumb movie, a few other negative thought trains- Anyway- thankfulness out the window- forgive me please, and help me to see.
Perhaps this gives us more insight into the man than what I was thinking- He got what he wanted from Jesus- then failed to respect him- I wonder if he ever 'came back' became really healed- understood what had happened to him as a 'sign' as John would put it, repented of what he had done.
I suppose it is possible- though it doesn't bode well, if you miss it in such a situation as this. Who knows – an instance of Aslan telling us not to worry- no one is ever told what would have happened, or that is someone else's story.
Thankfulness- calls forth some sort of response- and I think a right thankfulness draws us away from ourself to want to honour or praise or be grateful to someone or something else. Perhaps any other kind of thankfulness is not really that thankful- what would you call the ex lepers response then? He's telling everyone about it- obviously glad about what's happened- glad but not thankful?...
Hasn't got the grateful part- thankfulness with no grace. I suppose you can rejoice in something that is evil... but perhaps even there- though there may have been thankfulness there at the time- I think that would diminish- don't think you can be thankful for evil for eternity- if it's not good it becomes a horror- hold onto it and that leads to death- what Lewis talks about when he says in the end everybody gets what they want.
It was a rainy day yesterday- cleaning the house- didn't get as far as I wanted- watched God's must be crazy 2- poor cousin to it's predecessor- always a bad feeling, thinking you've just wasted 2 hours of your life watching a bad or dumb movie, a few other negative thought trains- Anyway- thankfulness out the window- forgive me please, and help me to see.
Preaching and demonic extradition
Jesus travels throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons- a summary of a number of months I imagine- And these are the two elements he puts in of the time- preaching in Synagogues and driving out demons (does John have many demons being driven out?) It sounds like quite a few demons got driven out- seems like a fairly widespread ailment- once again wonder how widespread today- should I be thinking about how to drive them out? I suppose there's more than just 'exorcism' that drives them out- when the kingdom comes into a place it has not particularly been before. Perhaps Jesus would like us to get a hold of this first- how do you love your neighbour, say no to temptation, learn obedience and endurance- would seem that running around casting out demons is not for the immature- “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you? then they get a beating and run out naked and bleeding..
(Is this another case of demonic honesty not out of any desire to be honest, but in this case actually stating truth- Jesus I know- have had experience of him- seen him in all his glory- though this is some sort of horror like Jadis in the Magicians Nephew after she has eaten the apple- And whatever I think of him I know he is powerful, I know about Paul- he's been causing no end of trouble- trying to thwart what he's up to- but you- you have no idea what you are doing- or what you are up against- and in this case no idea of the one whose name you are carrying out these casting outs) – interestingly it seems they had had success before meeting with this demon- what does that mean?
Preaching in Synagogues- Israel such an interesting nation with this amazing heritage- Jesus could sound chords here in a way not possible in other countries- deeper, richer, with more complexities. Not many people seemed to get the whole score or even a large chunk of it in their heads at once- but it was there to be appreciated and understood- ah there's the Moses chord, ah was that an unmistakable messiah note. Jesus is not coming from the outside- what he brings is not entirely new, he is no alien with a bright light- but a Jewish man grown in Jewish soil... a man brought up to know appreciate the goodness and stoutness of the old wine of the Jews- had taken it in deeply- brings a new wine- more full bodied and zesty than the old- but it's still from the same vineyard- as Paul points out- the same stock; the same roots.
(Is this another case of demonic honesty not out of any desire to be honest, but in this case actually stating truth- Jesus I know- have had experience of him- seen him in all his glory- though this is some sort of horror like Jadis in the Magicians Nephew after she has eaten the apple- And whatever I think of him I know he is powerful, I know about Paul- he's been causing no end of trouble- trying to thwart what he's up to- but you- you have no idea what you are doing- or what you are up against- and in this case no idea of the one whose name you are carrying out these casting outs) – interestingly it seems they had had success before meeting with this demon- what does that mean?
Preaching in Synagogues- Israel such an interesting nation with this amazing heritage- Jesus could sound chords here in a way not possible in other countries- deeper, richer, with more complexities. Not many people seemed to get the whole score or even a large chunk of it in their heads at once- but it was there to be appreciated and understood- ah there's the Moses chord, ah was that an unmistakable messiah note. Jesus is not coming from the outside- what he brings is not entirely new, he is no alien with a bright light- but a Jewish man grown in Jewish soil... a man brought up to know appreciate the goodness and stoutness of the old wine of the Jews- had taken it in deeply- brings a new wine- more full bodied and zesty than the old- but it's still from the same vineyard- as Paul points out- the same stock; the same roots.
For this is what I came out to do
and simon and those with him? hunted him down – seek out, in a good sense- I wonder here if the reason we get Simon and his companions hunting for him, is because this is Peter's remembrance, with Mark writing that down... So how Mark would have heard the story (probably many times..) would be – I or we- got up and noticed Jesus was missing so I went out with the others to seek him out.
They come to Jesus with news (charming news if you were an introvert) everyone is looking for you- so they weren't the only ones out hunting- quite a buzz in the town.
Let us go to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” eis touto gar exelthon- for this purpose I came out- exelthon is interesting- is that coming from Nazareth- would seem to make sense.
Jesus has a very clear objective in mind- he doesn't overly try to persuade people- or provide too much hand holding- at various times he actually forces the issue- decide now- are you with me or not. - What does that mean for evangelism? I felt slightly uncomfortable at the recent meeting for a camp I'll be a leader at for kids from troubled backgrounds- they give them a really good experience- have a couple of talks, then an altar call type of thing at the end (the gospel talk calling for a response) they are years 6 to 8 kids. I'm not sure if that's quite right- it doesn't give them a lot of time to really digest what this is about- they are coming from hard places- they are still formulating all sorts of things- is there a slight hysteria here to get people into the kingdom? Jesus does however make this sort of need for decision very clear to people- makes it clear then leaves it to them...
They said half the girls on the last camp made 'decsions'- I wonder how much they made them? and in 10 years time how many will have made the decision- it seems like a fairly shallow (flippant?) way to go about informing people of such a serious undertaking- joyful- all pervading...
They come to Jesus with news (charming news if you were an introvert) everyone is looking for you- so they weren't the only ones out hunting- quite a buzz in the town.
Let us go to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” eis touto gar exelthon- for this purpose I came out- exelthon is interesting- is that coming from Nazareth- would seem to make sense.
Jesus has a very clear objective in mind- he doesn't overly try to persuade people- or provide too much hand holding- at various times he actually forces the issue- decide now- are you with me or not. - What does that mean for evangelism? I felt slightly uncomfortable at the recent meeting for a camp I'll be a leader at for kids from troubled backgrounds- they give them a really good experience- have a couple of talks, then an altar call type of thing at the end (the gospel talk calling for a response) they are years 6 to 8 kids. I'm not sure if that's quite right- it doesn't give them a lot of time to really digest what this is about- they are coming from hard places- they are still formulating all sorts of things- is there a slight hysteria here to get people into the kingdom? Jesus does however make this sort of need for decision very clear to people- makes it clear then leaves it to them...
They said half the girls on the last camp made 'decsions'- I wonder how much they made them? and in 10 years time how many will have made the decision- it seems like a fairly shallow (flippant?) way to go about informing people of such a serious undertaking- joyful- all pervading...
Under Galilean stars
Coming back to this the next day- I had another thought with this at the time- Jesus relationship with the Father does not happen in a vacuum- it is an expansion of what has come before- I don't know how this works- but I assume a fair bit (perhaps most) of Jesus knowledge here was appropriated the same way we appropriate this knowledge. He would have been soaked in the Hebrew scriptures, spent time under galilean stars communing with the Father- pondering things at the workbench (I feel what limits this train of thought a little is Luke's story when he was 12- did you not know I had to be in my Father's house?) - Still, did a certain amount of revelation have to happen before the son of God could come as a man (the old testament)- so that he could tap into that (as men do- but in this case with an unsullied vision)...
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