Greek Texts studies for Luke 5:1-11 For the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 5:1-11

v1 εγενετο (γινομαι) aor.  “it came about” - used to indicate a new narrative.

ην εστως "was standing" - had been standing. The imperfect of the verb to-be with the perfect participle forming a periphrastic pluperfect.

Γεννησαρετ gen. "[the lake] of Gennesaret" 

του θεου (ος) gen. "[the word] of God" - a subjective genitive, "the message God reveals", or an ablative genitive of source, "the message from God that Jesus proclaims." 

v2 ειδεν (οραω) aor. "he saw" - Jesus spots two boats on the edge of the lake, one of which can serve as a preaching platform, given that the crowd is crushing in on him. 

εστωτα (ιστημι) perf. part. standing [beside the lake] adjectival limiting "boats"; "two boats which were beside the lake." Can also mean, "He saw two boats drawn up on the lakeside".

αποβαντες (αποβαινω) aor. part. "left there [by the fishermen]" – i.e. the fishermen had left them and were

επλυνον (πλυνω) imperf. "washing" nets following a night of fishing.

v3 εμβας (εμβαινω) aor. part. "he got [into]" - embarked, "he boarded 

twn ploiwn (on) gen. "[one] of the boats" 

Σιμωνος (Σιμων) gen. "which was Simon’s" – an idiom, Christ uses Peter's boat as a pulpit, casting the “net of the gospel" over his hearers.

επαναγαγειν (επαναγω) aor. inf. "to put out" - Jesus asked Peter to "put out to sea."

καθισας (καθιζω) aor. part. "then he sat down" and εδιδασκεν (διδασκω) "taught"

v4 λαλων (λαλεω) pre. part. "[after he had finished] speaking" 

επαναγαγε (επαναγω) aor. imp. "put out" into το βαθος "deeper water" – literally the deep - may imply a particular spot on the lake. Is the son of a carpenter telling the fisherman where to fishier asking them to go out to where fish usually are?

χαλασατε (χαλετω) aor. imp. pl. "let down" - The plural command implies that it is addressed to Peter and those with him in the boat.

v5 αποκριθεις (απορκρινομαι) aor. pas. part. "[Simon] answered]" – A Semitic construction, redundant.

επιστατα (ης ου) voc. "Master" - an expression of respect, possibly a recognition of Jesus' authority. Matthew and Mark prefer the term "teacher" or "rabbi".

κοπιασαντες (κοπιαω) aor. part. "we've worked hard" - participle expressing action "we have toiled all night and caught nothing." - the sense is of wearisome work.

χαλασω (χαλαω) sing. fut. "I will let down" - Peter's response to Jesus' command.

τα δικτυα (ον) "the nets" - Nets (plural) used for deep water fishing.

v6 ποιησαντες (ποιεω) aor. part. "when they had done [so]" - participle is adverbial forming a temporal clause.

συνεκλεισαν (συγκλειω) aor. "they caught" - they shut up. 

πολυ adj. "a large number" and thus the miraculous nature. It is unclear what type of miracle it is- Jesus' knowledge (he knew where the fish were), or that he caused the fish to be there)? Some have argued Jesus could see the fish but Peter’s response belies this.

ιχθυων (υς ος) gen. "of fish" 

διερρησσετο (διαρρησσω) imperf. pas. "began to break" - burst, split, torn.

v7 κατενευσαν (κατανευω) aor. "they signaled" - by the nodding of heads- word is chosen because their hands were full and their voices would not carry to the other boat.

τοις μετοχοις (ος) dat. "their partners" - boats usually in pairs so Peter and his crew are signaling to their business partners, James and John, probably still on the beach.

σου ...συλλαβεσθαι (συλλαμβανω) aor. inf. "to [come] and help" - give a hand.

βαθιζεσθαι (βαθιζω) pres. pas. inf. "they began to sink" - The present tense is inceptive with the emphasis at the beginning of the action.

v8 ιδων (ειδον) aor. part. "when [Simon Peter] saw this" προσεπεσεν (προσπιπτω) aor. "he fell at τοις γονασιν (υ ατος) dat. "[Jesus'] knees" - Peter throws himself at the "knees" rather than his "feet" possibly indicates Peter knelt before Jesus with his head level with Jesus' knees. Of course, Jesus could already be on his knees in squatting fashion, rather than standing.

λεγων (λεγω) pres. part. "and said" 

εξελθε (εξερχομαι) aor. imp. "go away"  depart – an echo of the xcall of Isaiah.

κυριε (ος) voc. "Lord"  Here, "Supreme Lord", rather than just "Sir".

οτι  - because. expressing reason. Peter's response is interesting - not a full-blown recognition of Jesus nor an act of repentance, but it evidences a recognition of his own unworthiness before which prompts the question; must we begin a gospel presentation by telling the congregation they are sinners?

v9 θαμβος (ος) "[were] astonished" [had seized him]. In the Synoptics amazement is a pre-faith response to Christ’s words and works.

v10 μη φοβου (φοβεω) pres. imp. "be not afraid" Lk 2 et al, the proper response to epiphany

απο του νυν "from now on" - things will be different 

εση ζωγρων (ζωγρεω) pres. part. "you will catch [men] the sense is "rescue". This story is Luke's version of the call of all the disciples but is more about their vocation.

v11 γαγοντες (καταγω) aor. part. "so they pulled [their boats] up" – i.e. beached them, αφεντες (αφιημι) aor. part. "left [forgave, remitted, abandoned….everything]" - "they" indicates it is Peter and his partners who leave their profession behind and follow Jesus. 

παντα "everything" - John 21 implies they still owned their boats and homes, what is the "everything" then? Possibly the sense of leaving their old lifestyle behind.

ηκολουθησαν (ακολουθεω) aor. "followed" –to follow as a disciple, student or a protégé’.

Give Us the Fisherman

Christ says: Give me this fisherman, this man without education or experience, this man to whom no senator would deign to speak, not even if he were buying fish. Yes, give me him; once I have taken possession of him, it will be obvious that it is I who am at work in him. Although I mean to include senators, orators, and emperors among my recruits, even when I have won over the senator I shall still be surer of the fisherman.

The senator can always take pride in what he is; so can the orator and the emperor, but the fisherman can glory in nothing except Christ alone.

Remember this fisherman then, this holy, just, good, Christ-filled fisherman. In his nets cast throughout the world he has the task of catching this nation as well as all the others. So remember that claim of his: “We have confirmation of what was prophesied. ” — St Augustine 

Three sentences stand out in today’s mass readings: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah); “For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” (Paul of Tarsus); “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (Simon Peter). 

In a biblical scheme of things, these can and are considered a typical if not required part of the standard call narrative of a prophet. The sequence goes like this: a) there is a theophany, b) within the theophany there is a specific call to the future prophet to start a new life of being God’s living and walking reminder of the will and acts of God, c) the future prophet, by this time in a state of bowel moving terror, declines for what seem like valid reasons, d) God dismisses the prophet’s objections, e) God sets out the new life that the prophet will lead. Our three sentences above are part “c)” in the sequence of prophet call events.

In the book of Luke we have already read one call narrative. It was early on and part d) was slightly modified, but it is the call of Mary of Nazareth to become the bearer of God. In that encounter, the tone seems to be more one of asking permission, or that is how it is usually interpreted and read. 

We have also had a prophetic call by proxy: The calling of John the baptist. John does not get a voice in it at all. Instead, Zechariah is called to become his father and after that all is set up for John’s ministry. He is never asked in any Gospel account whether he wants to be part of this. It just happens. One might say that while Jeremiah is called before he is born, from his mother’s womb (Jer 1:5), John is called before he is even conceived. In Jeremiah, we also have a followup in which God basically says: “You were born for this.”

In the calling of Peter, we have an added little twist. Somehow Jesus has just gotten done preaching which Peter probably expected of Jesus who had a name as a preacher by then. What Peter, Andrew, James,and John — and Zebedee for that matter — did not expect was that Jesus knew their business better than they did. 

We might look at it as a call all in its own. Jesus calls them to do the job they already did and thought they had completed for the day. They, like all good prophets and probably anyone ever called to do the will of God, reply that what Jesus suggests is foolishness. Jesus’ answer is a boat sinking under the weight of fish, the very prize Bar-Jonah and Bar-Zebedee Seafood LLC is seeking. 

In a way, Simon Bar-Jonah’s call is like that of Ezekiel. The theophany overwhelms him. Ezekiel has to be called a second time after sitting speechless at the banks of the Kabar for three weeks. Simon needs a second assurance as well.

It is charming to read the call narratives in state not quite unlike John the Baptist. In a Lutheran pew there sit many who like John became followers of Jesus before they could speak of think and in most of our cases, arrangements for our baptisms was made before we were born.

There also sit many who were baptized in older years. Yet, for most of them even, that moment, though remembered, has been morphed by the process of remembering. Science says that we remember things in a peculiar way. Something happens and reprograms our brains with a trace of itself. As we remember it that part of the brain restructures once more. As we remember again we do not really remember. Instead we remember that we remembered. This is how stories of the good old days come stories of the good old days. 

It might be pointless for us to ask each other to remember our calling. It might however not be strange to remember our calling if by that we mean the invitation to the work to which we have been set. Like Isaiah, Paul and Peter, it is important to have a clear sense who we are in the scheme of the things done for God. There can never be even the slightest sense of worthiness. Luther’s sacristy has this right: I am not worthy to speak or touch. This cannot happen because of me. It must happen in spite of me. Only you, O Lord, can make it happen. 

But what if what God intends through our work does indeed happen? What if the boats do get into danger of sinking, so to speak? These are times of peril for us. Pride crouches at the door. A sense of overwhelming might wait for us. Maybe even an Elijah like despair: “It will not matter. It will not be enough.”

We are all in need of the attitudes of Isaiah, Paul, and Peter. It is the only attitude that is capable of carrying on whether the boat is full or empty right then. It is the attitude that remembers who God is and even more recalls what we are not. It is in this manner that confession is good for the soul and it should probably attend our prayer more. 

The proud count fish and speak of their heavenly visions. The servants of God speak of the thorns in their side and the suffering of their lives but then witness to the greatness of Jesus Christ. 

Texts for the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany, January 27th, 2019

First Reading: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

1All the people [of Israel] gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. 2Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. 3He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. 5And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 8So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

  9And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. 10Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Psalm: Psalm 19

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

12For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

  14Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many members, yet one body. 21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; 24whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. 26If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

  27Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31aBut strive for the greater gifts.

Gospel: Luke 4:14-21

14Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. 15He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

  16When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

 18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

  because he has anointed me

   to bring good news to the poor.

 He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

  and recovery of sight to the blind,

   to let the oppressed go free,

 19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

A Greek Text Study of Luke 4:14-21

Greek Study Luke 4:14-22

V14 υπεστρεψεν "returned", expresses space/sphere,  so "empowered, or full of the Spirit", or accompaniment, "equipped with 

του πνευματος (α ατος) gen. "[the power] of the Spirit" - ablative, expressing source.

φημη (η) "news" - in a neutral sense - not in the sense of the English transliteration, "fame".

καθ (κατα) της περιχωρου (ος) "through the [whole] countryside" - surrounding region. meaning "throughout Galilee".

v15 εδιδασκεν (διδασκω) imperf. "he taught" - he was teaching. Imperfect expressing ongoing action, probably iterative, repeated action; "he went on teaching", Barclay.

δοξαζομενος (δοξαζω) perf. pas. part. "everyone praised [him]"  A strong word, usually reserved for God. The cause of the praise is usually attributed to Jesus' miracles, but Luke links it to his teaching.

v16 hn teqrammenoV (trefw) perf. pas. part. "he had been brought up" – idiom, he had been fed, nourished, reared. The perfect participle with the imperfect forms a periphrastic pluperfect serving to emphasize the duration of his living in Nazareth as a child and young man. 

των σαββατων (ον) gen. "the Sabbath day."

το ειωθος (ειωθα) perf. part. {as was his}custom" - his habit ie Jesus was a pious Jew.

αναγνωναι (αναγινωσκω) aor. inf. "to read" - infinitive expresses purpose, "he stood up [in order] to read." In the synagogue service the rabbi teacher stood read and sat to teach. There was probably a cycle of readings, first from Torah followed by a reading from the Prophets. The reading was in Hebrew with a translation in Aramaic.

  

v17 του προφητου (ος) gen. "[the scroll] of the prophet" – an idiomatic sense; "the scroll which contains the writings of Isaiah the prophet".

αναπτυξας (αναπτυσσω) aor. part. "unrolling" ευρεν (ευρισκω) aor. "he found"  Jesus found the reading in the scroll indicating it wasn't part of the Pericope.  The scroll would have already been open ready for the reader. It could just mean Jesus "found on the page."

ην γεγραμμενον "it is written" - the imperfect with the perfect participle forms a periphrastic pluperfect. Establishing a tense separation between the reading Jesus found and what was written.

  

v18 κυριου (ος) gen. "[the Spirit] of the Lord" – ablative of origin, "the Spirit poured out from the Lord.

επι "is on/over [me]" -  Spacial - expressing the fact that the Spirit has come upon Jesus to enable his ministry he is "consecrated", set apart, to perform. This ministry is defined in four infinitival phrases: "to communicate ..", "to proclaim ..", "to release .." and "to preach .. (v19)."

εινεκεν + gen. "because" - for the sake of. Causal clause, "for this reason [he anointed me]." "Anointed" in the sense of commissioned to undertake a particular task. 

ευαγγελισασθαι (ευαγγελιζω) aor. inf. "to preach good news" – i.e. to communicate. 

απεσταλκεν, "he has sent", In the NT this word usually includes the content of the communication, namely the announcement of the coming kingdom of God and the invitation to enter ("repent and believe"). The word by itself simply means "important communication."

πτωχοις dat. adj. "the poor" identifying for whom the preaching is performed.

κηρυξαι (κηρυσσω) aor. inf. "to proclaim/preach” - a purpose clause.

αφεσιν (ις εως) "freedom,forgiveness, remission, pardon”, from captivity. Clearly tapping into the slavery imagery, exodus and exile, but in the sense of "freedom from slavery to sin", so "forgiveness."

αιχμαλωτοις (ος) dat. "the prisoners" identifying for whom the freedom is performed.

αναβλεψιν (ις εως) "recovery of sight" - restoration of sight- spiritual sense is intended. Due to sin, people are blind to the Word of God and divine revelation is withheld.

τυφλοις dat. adj. "for the blind".

αποστειλαι (αποστελλω) aor. inf. "sent to” εν αφεσει (ις εως) [to release] in freedom, liberty. a modal phrase expressing manner, "to send away in freedom the τεθραυσμενους (θραυω) perf. pas. part. "oppressed" - down-trodden.

v19 κηρυξαι (κηρυσσω) aor. inf. "to proclaim" - the fourth and final infinitive

ενιαυτον (ος) "the year" – era 

κυριου (ος) gen. "of the Lord's" an idiom, "this is God's year to act!"

δεκτον adj. "favor" - acceptable, welcome, agreeable, favorable, acceptable", the year in which God's will and purpose in Christ is operative for salvation. This may relate to the fulfilment of Jubilee, Leviticus 25, the fiftieth year when slaves are released, debts cancelled, etc. In Christ, Jubilee is spiritually realized, which, of course, is the point Jesus draws from the texts.

v20 πτυξας (πτυσσω) aor. part. "he rolled up [the scroll]" - temporal, so when.

αποδους (αποδιδωμι) aor. part. "gave it back to".υπηρετη (ης ου) "the assistant”. 

εκαθισεν (καθιζω) aor. "sat down" - he sat down. took the preacher's seat!

παντων gen. adj. "[the eyes] of everyone" ησαν ατενιζοντες "were fixed [on him]" – i.e. focused. a periphrastic imperfect. The word expresses an intense focused gaze and is used by Luke at important moments when people's attention is concentrated.

v21 ηρξατο (αρχω) aor. "he began" The use of this word differs depending on the context. Often it serves to emphasize the importance of what is said. 

σημερον adv. "today" - emphatic serving to underline the fact that the fulfilment of Isaiah's prophecy is palpable.

πεπληρωται (πληροω) perf. pas. "is fulfilled" – completed happening now.

εν τοις ωσιν υμων "in your hearing" – literally in the ears.  It is unclear what is "in the ears." Is it scripture, or that which is fulfilled. Probably the latter - the promise is being realized at the moment of their hearing. 

v22 εμαρτυρουν (μαρτυρεω) imperf. "spoke well of" - witnessing, bearing testimony to, speaking of. What better place than a synagogue to gather a quorum of witnesses to the truth!   Yet, the question that follows evidences skepticism on the part of the congregation, so possibly "everyone noticed what he said", a dative of disadvantage; "everyone spoke up against him" as they 

εθαυμαζον (θουμαζω) imperf. "were amazed" - ongoing action. Amazement is an important initial response to the gospel; the kind of response a person makes when confronted with theophany. Mark plays with this response: his gospel begins and ends with people being amazed; "amazement" is a sot of pre faith response.

της χαριτος (ις ιτος) gen. "[the words] of grace”. Possibly an objective genitive, so "words about grace". The word "grace" χαριτος is translated in many ways: "winning words" ,"well spoken", " wonderful things said", "beautiful words", "astonished by his eloquence", "the words of charm" – idiomatically - "They were astonished words of such grace should fall from his lips".

τοις εκπορευομενοις (εκπορευομαι) pres. part. "that came" 

ουχι "[Isn't this Joseph's son?]" - This negation is used where a question presumes a positive answer. The question evidences the skepticism of the congregation. Familiarity breeds contempt.

A Reflection on Luke 414-21

Sometimes it happens that when you start to pray, you find you can pray well. At other times, even when you have expended great effort, you may find your efforts frustrated. This experience is to make you learn that you must exert yourself constantly, for having once gained the gift of prayer, you must be careful to keep it safe (29. Philokalia 1:179). — Evagrios of Pontus

A beginning note: The lectionary disassembles an episode in the ministry of Jesus this week and next week. Jesus walks into he synagogue in Nazareth and all does not go well. This week’s half of the episode leaves off before the conflict happens. I chose not to separate things this week or next week. So, you will hear that Jesus’ sermon is not well received even though Sunday’s text does not quite get there this week.

It is texts like Luke 4 that give rise to the idea that Luke writes a social justice Gospel. That notion is really hard to argue with since it is generally held that Luke writes into a rich community and since his stories seem to, in part, want to answer the question: “How can a rich man be saved?” The rich fool and Lazarus give details.

The themes in the reading that Jesus is given to speak on in the synagogue are not new to us. They are contained in the canticles of Mary and Zachariah from chapter 1:  Restoration and redemption, and both canticles anticipate or announce the imminent presence of God and Messiah. We, the readers of Luke’s Gospel, already know that Jesus is that Messiah. His birth came with angels’ song and his baptism with the very voice of God. 

Speaking of the voice of God, Alan Rickman just died. Long before he played Snape in Harry Potter he got to be the voice of God: Metatron, in the movie Dogma, but that is another story. But still, his best line is: “All who are not dead or from a parallel dimension do well to hold their ears right about now,” right before the true vocalization of God makes the banished angel Bartleby’s head explode. 

In a way, Jesus should probably have prefaced his sermon in Nazareth in Luke 4 with Rickman's/ Megatron’s line. In a way, it made his listeners’ heads explode. How could he claim the words of ancient prophecy, of ancient lore, to be referring to himself? How dare he! But then, remember, that you and I are by now of a parallel dimension. We know, having read the first 3 chapters, who Jesus is. Nazareth, on the other hand, is deaf to this. 

Ancient words read by the faithful have a function in the faith where they are treasured. They serve as a voice of wisdom, history, identity, and, yes, God. We ponder them and rearrange and reset our lives and our living by what they say to us. We hear them and rebel against them too. As a matter of fact, that seems to be the more common response. We find  ways to shield ourselves from the voice. We hold our ears so to speak, so that the true awesome creating and killing voice of God can somehow not get to us. 

Yet there are certainly times when we have taken our hands away from our ears — maybe to scratch our nose — when it suddenly intrudes and when that happens, all manner of things get wrecked like moneychangers’ tables in the Temple; and some things get healed as well. 

In Nazareth, God was about to do an old thing, that is God was about to fulfill the words of ancient prophets, a fulfillment that really ought to have been looked forward to. Unknown prophets like Simeon saw it and said so. (2:29ff) 

Is the fulfillment of God’s promises something we actually wish to see or are our spirits quietly whispering the refrain of Melville’s Bartleby: we “would prefer not to?” Melville’s Bartleby dies a much less fantastic and much less messy death than Dogma’s Bartleby. Melvin’s Bartleby starves, he preferred not to eat. 

Do you prefer God and God’s plan or do you prefer them not? When God’s great plan is read do you prefer it not come to be in your sight? If God’s voice sounds from the promises of prophecy do you prefer not to hear? 

“Of course not! That would be silly,” you say. And everyone in Nazareth agrees with you. But they still try to take Jesus to the cliff.

The Texts for the 25th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 32 2018

First Reading: 1 Kings 17:8-16

8The word of the Lord came to [Elijah,] saying, 9“Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.” 11As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 13Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. 14For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.” 15She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. 16The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

Psalm: Psalm 146

Second Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28

24Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; 26for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, 28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Gospel: Mark 12:38-44

38As [Jesus] taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

  41He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

A Reflection on Mark 12:38-44

Let us invest with the Lord what he has given us, for we have nothing that does not come from him: we are dependent upon him for our very existence. — Paul of Nola, 4/5th c

This is really not about the woman with the little coins. This is about Judas. 

What!? 

Let me explain slowly. We are at the end of a long day in the temple. It has begun with a prophetic act: Jesus cursed the fig tree for not bearing fruit, cleaned house at the temple courts, and has withdrawn. He comes back next day and the fig tree is withered. Prophecy has been proven. Temple and tree are judged.

A cryptic saying about telling this mountain to jump into the sea follows. Which is “this” mountain? Zion? By Faith can you imagine life without this mountain and the temple thereon? The saying is followed by a short discourse on praying and forgiving and having faith. 

After that, we argue with the scribes, pharisees and chief priests. At the end of that day, we come to the episode about the widow and her small coins. Jesus has condemned the temple — the fig tree episode — and it leadership — all the arguments in chapter 12 up to this point. Now he watches this woman give “all of her living” to the temple. 

It is not uncommon to see Jesus’ words as marveling at her faith. I am taking the tack that he is lamenting what she has been taught to do and believe. The temple is to bring forth fruit. It is to be a house of prayer. It also is to care for women like her. She ought to have more to show for that charge to the temple to take care of the widow and orphan than two copper coins. They, the temple authorities, ought to be giving to her. But they do not. Instead they invest in long flowing robes and in in the ever increasing splendor of the temple complex. (13:1) 

 Chapter 13 is a dark chapter in which Jesus predicts the downfall of the splendid temple. The destruction will be so great that heaven itself will split (15:38) open and the Son of Man will come in Glory. Another fig tree will be a signal to the faithful. The fig tree comes into leaf signaling summer. When you see it you will know that the Son of Man is on the way. Who is this fig tree and what becomes of the withered one?

By chapter 14 we are at Bethany. Another woman comes forward. She has expensive perfume worth a year’s wages, very well worth “all she had to live on,” and anoints Jesus with it. Complains immediately rise: “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked.  “It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the poor!” (14:4-5).

But Jesus replies: “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.” (14:6-9) And it is at that very moment that Judas rises and goes to the chief priests to betray Jesus. 

The question lingers: “Why did he do so and why then,” and that question is asked rightly. An obvious scenario suggests itself. Judas, the revolutionary, had beef with the chief priests. Hearing of the downfall of their source of power was good news to him. Hearing Jesus lament the widow’s gift to the heartless institution was right in line with Judas thinking. However, if you do not see the Son of Man in Jesus and do not notice the greening of the second fig tree, then Jesus is merely accepting the same wasteful rewards that the chief priests accepted in retaining the widow’s coins in the treasury. In that case, he is no better than them and Judas is merely the one who called him on his hypocrisy. How can one who came not to be served but to serve (10:45) accept this extravagant action by this woman?

Both women remain silent about their motives. One gives lavishly  to a corrupt institution that will be destroyed, the other anoints a Messiah whose time on earth is by that time very limited. The first has no idea that the temple is doomed. The latter probably does not grasp that death is the means by which Jesus will accomplish his saving ministry. If there is no temple and no resurrection then both have wasted greatly. 

I am fascinated by Judas, I admit it. It is easy to dismiss him as possessed in a simple reading of Luke’s report. (22:3) But the tempter’s power is the lie so that even in Luke’s scenario the lie has taken hold of Judas. At base that lie is that God cannot be trusted. (Ge 3) How can you trust either temple or Jesus — if you believe Jesus in the first place? Maybe he is just a convenient means to an end you already have in mind. Maybe the temple is that as well.

Somehow, both women are not of that mind. Both are giving excessive and unaffordable amounts. As Mark would say: “Their whole living.” They both seem to long for something worthy to put their Faith in. If that was not true, they would not be giving so immensely. Something would have been held back. 

Judas’ betrayal is not unrewarded. 30 pieces of silver are nothing to sneeze at. They were paid to him out of the temple treasury I would think so the temple was of some use to him after all. But where does he rest his faith now? And, by the way, the two copper coins contributed to his bounty. 

Faith is an all or nothing proposition. Israel has its faith in the temple. The church has her faith in Jesus, Lord, Savior and King. If Faith is indeed utter trust in the one in whom it is placed then that utter trust is acted out with our entire living. To hedge any part is to go the Judas road in the end. The widow gave in Faith to temple. The woman at Bethany gave to Jesus. Neither had any right to think that their gift would somehow pay off. They gave and had to rely on God to be trustworthy and good, something that the Lie tries ever so hard to deny. Judas’ allegiance was conditional. In the face of all that is predicted in Mark 13 can one really hedge ones bets and is it safe to be found with 30 pieces of silver?