Part 2
The moral of this story is larger than that small pool in Bethesda, and even larger than physical sickness. Before God calls us, we live in spiritual sickness. We are spiritually blind, deaf and lame. Due to
the results of sin our lives may be bleak indeed, yet we still cling to them, often justifying the causes and effects of which we are victims, sometimes longing for something better, yet all too often comfortable in our spiritual sickness or at least accepting of it. When God calls us, he gives us the opportunity to be free from our spiritual illnesses and disabilities, but that opportunity is based on an acceptance of real change in our lives – as Jesus told the lame man: "See, you are well! Sin no more" (John 5:14 ESV). That is a huge change for our human minds and when the call comes, God does not just reach down and heal us from sin. He asks us, in effect, "Do you want to get well?" – then we must confirm that we do. We must choose the responsibility as well as the gift.
Just as the man healed of his physical ailment at Bethesda had to choose to begin a new life with responsibilities and work that had not been there before, so we have to count the cost and make the decision that we want to start a new life of spiritual health. Then, just as Jesus told the man he healed, we must act to keep sin out of our lives in order to stay spiritually healthy and not revert to spiritual sickness.
That is doubtless why Jesus asked the lame man if he wanted to be well – he wanted to ascertain that the man would be receptive to his message of the need to change from that point onwards, that he would be willing to do what was necessary for the miracle to continue. The question was originally given to that one individual, but it was recorded for our benefit. It's a question that applies to all of us as much as it did to the man at the pool of Bethesda!
16. WHY THE HEALINGS WITH MUD AND SPIT? Three accounts in the New Testament tell us how, on different occasions, Jesus healed individuals in a very strange way. In the first case, near Decapolis Jesus healed a man who was deaf and near-mute by putting his fingers into the man's ears, then spitting and touching the man's tongue (Mark 7:31-37). Later, in Bethsaida, he healed a blind man by spitting on the man's eyes and putting his hands on him (Mark 8:22-26). On another occasion, in Jerusalem Jesus healed a man born blind by spitting on the ground, making mud with the saliva, and putting it on the man's eyes (John 9:6).
Numerous suggestions have been made to explain why Jesus utilized such strange actions in the course of these healings. Perhaps the most common explanation is that he was "recreating" the person's hearing or sight using mud as a symbol of the original creation of man from the "dust of the earth" (Genesis 2:7). This might account for the possible reference to creation made by those who witnessed the miracle recorded in John: "Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind" (John 9:32 ESV). But this may be no more than an expression (Acts 3:21, etc.), and the idea does not explain the use of saliva alone in the two accounts that do not mention mud.
Another explanation is that just as he rejected human religious traditions in other cases, Jesus used mud in direct contradiction of Jewish traditions that prohibited healing on the Sabbath by mixing mud with spittle. This idea is based on the fact that the Mishnah specifically states "To heal a blind man on the Sabbath it is prohibited to inject wine in his eyes. It is also prohibited to make mud with spittle and smear it on his eyes" (Shabbat 108:20), but apart from the fact that, again, only one of the three recorded miracles involved making mud, the Mishnah dates to after the time of Jesus. It is even possible that the prohibition against healing with mud and spittle came about as a result of Christ's miracle.
A better understanding of these miracles is gained by considering the evidence we find in the book of John. It is important to remember that John's Gospel does not simply follow the pattern of the other three gospels which were written much earlier. Instead,
John – who doubtless had seen the other gospels – went to lengths to supplement their accounts with additional information that he remembered, but which the other gospels did not include.
Keeping this in mind, it is important to note the context of John's account. In John chapter 8 the apostle carefully records an extended argument between Jesus and the Jews who opposed him. Throughout this account we see that Jesus repeatedly stressed his Sonship and relationship with the Father: "Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" "You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also" (John 8:19), "They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father" (John 8:27, etc.). At one point in this chapter the Jews even made a thinly veiled accusation against Jesus "…We are not illegitimate children…" (John 8:41), and Jesus' response was to stress, once again, his true Sonship: "… If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me … My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me" (John 8:42, 54). Beliefs of the Time Now, getting back to the mud and spit miracles, we should note that saliva was widely believed to have healing properties in the ancient world. For example, the classical writers Celsus, Galen, and Pliny all mention its medicinal properties – especially the saliva of distinguished persons – and it is even said that the Emperor Vespasian was urged to spit in the eyes of a blind man in order to heal him. So it is perhaps not surprising that the Jews of the First Century seem to have had a tradition that the saliva of a legitimate, firstborn heir could have healing properties against several infirmities – including blindness (Talmud, Bava Batra 126b).
So given the widespread beliefs in its medicinal properties, it is possible that Jesus used saliva in some of his healings as a physical sign that he was healing the person involved. But the background of Jesus' legitimacy and Sonship found throughout John chapter 8 suggests that it was this issue that was the specific context for the healing in John 9 – and perhaps the other, related situations. By using saliva in these healings, Jesus demonstrated not only his ability to perform miracles, but also that he was indeed a legitimate and firstborn son – the Firstborn Son of God.
17. NOTHING LOST Those who try to find errors in the Bible sometimes claim that similar-sounding stories – such as the miracles of the feeding of the five thousand and of the feeding of four thousand by Jesus – are examples of varying traditions where no one knew exactly what had happened. But the two stories of the miracles of feeding the crowds provide a good example of the fallacy in such thinking and how it completely misses the underlying message the Bible is giving us.
The "feeding of the five thousand" is mentioned in all four gospels (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:31-44; Luke 9:10-17; and John 6:5-15). The story tells us that Jesus fed the hungry crowd that followed him by dividing five loaves of bread and two fish. After the miraculous feeding was completed, it is recorded that the disciples collected twelve baskets full of broken pieces that were left over. The "feeding of the four thousand" is recounted in the gospels of Mark and Matthew (Matthew 15:32-38 and Mark 8:1-9) and tells us that seven loaves and several fish were divided among a crowd. After this miracle the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Those who claim these are garbled accounts of the same story miss an essential piece of information. Mark and John tell us that the first miracle occurred on the western – Jewish – side of the Sea of Galilee and that Jesus and the disciples then crossed over to the eastern – Gentile – side of Galilee where the second miracle was performed. The Other Side of the Sea The people of the primarily Gentile Decapolis on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee were notorious to the Jews for their pagan beliefs and practices (Mark 5:11; etc.). It is clear, for example, that these people kept swine (Mark 5:13) and doubtless ate and sacrificed them – both abominations in biblical Jewish culture (see Isaiah 65:3-4; 66:3). Both the Jewish Talmud and some of the Christian church fathers record the tradition that the pagan inhabitants of that area were believed to be the descendants of the seven ancient Canaanite nations driven out of the Promised Land in the time of Joshua (Joshua 3:10; Acts 13:19). Nevertheless, Matthew and Mark
both make it clear that Jesus went to these people, preached to them and compassionately healed their sick. His miracles on Galilee's far side show God's desire to also include the people of that region in his outreaching mercy.
Just as we are told that twelve baskets of leftover food were picked up on the western side of Galilee (doubtless suggesting the spiritual food available for all the twelve tribes of Israel), so seven baskets of food were picked up on the eastern side of Galilee (doubtless symbolizing the seven groups of people of the Gentile Decapolis). So a careful reading of the gospel narratives shows that the details of the two similar miracles were likely not garbled, but completely meaningful in what they individually symbolized.
We can perhaps find a lesson of great personal value in these stories also. In his account of the feeding of the five thousand with the bread and fish, the apostle John tells us:
Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten (John 6:11-13). Notice also that Christ's command to gather up the remaining pieces of bread included the careful instruction "let nothing be wasted" or, as we might say today "don't lose any of it!" Clearly, there was no shortage of food, so the stress on not losing any of the fragments of food must have had another reason behind it. In fact, soon afterward Jesus began to teach the people a spiritual lesson based on what they had seen in the miraculous feeding.
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe… All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out… And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day" (John 6:35-39 ESV, emphasis added).
Living Lessons First, Christ stressed that he is the Bread of Life and that those in him become, as it were, pieces or crumbs of that same bread. But while Jesus could have just verbally stressed the idea that "… your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish" (Matthew 18:14), this point was apparently important enough that he drove it home by means of these miracles which were not only signs of Jesus' messianic identity (John 6:14), but also living lessons in God's intent to save all of his human family.
We may know intellectually that our Father is not willing that anyone be lost, but in our times of failure or discouragement we should remember the extent to which Christ made that point for us. The work of picking up twelve, then later seven more baskets of small fragments of food must have made a deep impression on the disciples. We too can be sure that if we had helped to pick up nineteen baskets of bread crumbs, the point that God does not want to lose even the least of us would be a lesson we doubtless would never forget.
18. THE LAST MIRACLE
Unlike Jesus' first miracle when he changed many large jars of water into wine, or the succeeding miracles and signs he performed such as the feeding of the huge crowds that followed him, his last miracle may seem small by comparison; yet it is just as indicative of his nature as any of the acts of compassion carried out during his ministry. In some ways, this small miracle may show his nature even more than the others.
All the gospels describe the arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion, and all of them describe the fact that in the tense moments of the arrest one of Jesus' followers drew a sword and struck a servant of the high priest, a man named Malchus, severing his ear. John's Gospel reveals that it was the impetuous Peter who did this, and who was stopped from further violence by Jesus (John 18:10).
It is unlikely that Peter was aiming specifically at the servant's ear, and the injury was probably sustained when Peter swung the sword at the man's head and Malchus ducked – narrowly avoiding death, but sustaining the loss or partial loss of his ear.
It would not be surprising if this non-life-threatening injury had been ignored in the turmoil that must have accompanied Jesus' arrest, but Luke adds a detail in this regard which none of the other gospel writers has. Luke tells us that Jesus "…touched the man's ear and healed him" (Luke 22:51). Miracles Have Contexts We must see this miracle in context. Jesus knew the terrible death that awaited him and had only just finished the agonizing prayer in which his sweat was "like drops of blood" (Luke 22:44). When the soldiers and officers of the high priest came upon him in the dark and tumult of the arrest, Jesus' mind must have been full of what was happening and what was about to happen to him. Humanly, anyone in this situation would hardly be thinking about one of the arresting group being hurt in the disturbance.
Yet the mind of Christ was such that even within that dark and emotionally tumultuous night, despite the shouting, running and confusion that clearly ensued, Jesus noticed the one who had been
injured, focused on that and sought the man out, using his last miracle to help an enemy before he chose to forgo any further use of the divine power at his disposal in order to endure the things he knew he must suffer.
The many miracles and signs wrought by Jesus during his human ministry showed his compassion and care for others, but these were done in times of relative quiet and security. In Jesus' last miracle, even as he was led away to his death, he still showed the love that placed his own needs, his own self, not first, but last.
The miracle of Malchus is one which teaches all of us a lesson. To truly walk in the footsteps of the One we follow we must remember that important opportunities to help others may occur when it is natural for our minds to be on our own problems rather than on the problems of others. But at times like that, if we can still keep others foremost in our minds, we too can serve with the same spirit that guided the last miracle of Jesus.
PART FOUR:
SERMONS
Even more characteristically associated with the life of Jesus than the miracles he performed, his teachings form the very basis of the Christian faith. Some of these teachings were given in the course of everyday life, but the majority that have been preserved for us were given in the form of sermons (or "discourses" as theologians often call them) which included announcements, stories, parables, and discussions of the law. These sermons were delivered in both formal settings such as synagogues and informal ones such as open mountainsides, but all contain details that can help us better understand the message of Jesus …
19. WHAT JESUS SAID
Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to have had the opportunity to listen to Jesus as he preached and taught? It is clear from the size of the crowds he drew that people loved to listen to him, but did he repeat the same sermon in different locations, or did he always have something new to talk about? What was the focus of his teaching? Was it always the same?
We can get some idea of what Jesus spoke about from the four gospels, of course, but even the gospel writers admit that they only scratched the surface in recording what they did. John tells us: "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written" (John 21:25). While John speaks specifically of Jesus' deeds, the same could doubtless be said of the words Christ spoke.
But we can certainly get a good idea of what Jesus preached about from the gospels. If we try to count the verses on specific subjects, the exact results depend, of course, on which translation we use. If we use the New International Version as an example and add up the verses on the different subjects Jesus spoke on, we come up with some interesting facts. Counting Verses Actually, the New International Version has done some of the work for us. The NIV "QuickView Bible" includes an infographic that summarizes some of the teachings of Jesus as they were recorded in the gospels. According to this list, there are 717 verses in the NIV New Testament on the subject of "Spiritual Life" in the words of Jesus, but this is so broad as to not be very helpful – most of what Jesus spoke about had some relation to spiritual life! It's more illuminating to realize, as the graphic also shows, that the next largest category of Jesus' teaching (with 323 verses) was the "Last days and Judgment." That's something to think about in itself. Next is "Sin and Forgiveness" (198 verses) – again worth thinking about – and the "Kingdom of God" (123 verses).
Some of the smaller categories are interesting, too. The NIV statistics show that Jesus spoke of his own divinity in only 23
verses, though we should remember these words were spoken mainly to his disciples, privately, rather than in his public teaching. Forty-four verses show Jesus speaking about marriage and the family, and these were often answering questions people brought to him rather than being the subject of sermons – and that is actually fewer verses than on the subject of money and treasure (52 verses).
But this last fact should alert us to something. A great many of those verses on money and treasure were part of parables speaking of the kingdom of God – so those verses could be added to that category. In a similar manner, a great many of the 323 verses that show Jesus speaking of the "Last days and Judgment" could be added to the kingdom category as well. So, when we pull all the verses together where Jesus was speaking about the kingdom, this actually becomes by far the largest category. Centrality of the Kingdom We probably should not be surprised by this finding. All of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) show that the kingdom was central to the teaching of Jesus:
• Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness (Matthew 9:35). • After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:14-15).
• But he said, "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent" (Luke 4:43). These and many other verses make it clear that the kingdom of God really was the main subject that Jesus preached about. Matthew tells us that Jesus commanded his disciples to preach the same message: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the
whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14).
The Gospel of John, which was written after the others, does not need to repeat many of these things, but it often clarifies details about the kingdom – as when John records for us:
Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again … Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit" (John 3:3-5). Today, most sermons about Jesus concentrate on his person and redeeming work, which is a vital part of the gospel, of course. But thinking about the subjects Jesus actually preached on the most should remind us that the message of the kingdom of God is still at the core of the gospel and something that we should not neglect. It's certainly a lesson we can all keep in mind as we read the four gospels – so that we do not miss the actual focus of what Jesus taught in his sermons.
20. WHY THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT? The "Sermon on the Mount" is only one of the many sermons or discourses of Jesus recorded in the four gospels, but it is a central part of the teaching of Jesus that we all know and love – probably because it demonstrates the essential nature of the Christian way of life as much as any part of Scripture. Many of us have memorized parts of the sermon as found in Matthew's Gospel (chapters 5-7), but how much time have we spent thinking about the setting of the sermon as opposed to the sermon itself?
We tend to take for granted that the sermon was given on a mountain because we know that Jesus frequently climbed mountains (Luke 6:12; John 6:15; etc.) – but he usually did this to get away from people, to be alone and to pray. In this case we are told he atypically went up on a mountain with his disciples.
Going to the Mountain The New International Version tells us: "Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them" (Matthew 5:1-2). This gives the impression that Jesus simply went up on the side of a mountain – the lower slopes. But "side" is not in the original Greek (or in most translations), and the Greek anebē eis to oros "he went up into a mountain" conveys the sense that he ascended onto the mountain – certainly well up toward, or to, its summit.
This wording is interesting, because when we compare it with the Old Testament account of how Moses went up onto Mt. Sinai to receive the law from God, we find "When Moses went up on the mountain …" (Exodus 19:3; 24:12), and the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures which many of the writers of the New Testament used) translates this with exactly the same words used of Jesus ascending the mountain: anebē eis to oros.
Many Jewish readers of the first century would have recognized the beginning of this story of the Sermon on the Mount as being identical to the beginning of the story of Moses receiving God's law. This would have struck a deep chord for those readers because
every devout Jew knew that God had told Moses: "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him" (Deuteronomy 18:18). Every devout Jew expected this prophet like Moses, and the similarities between Jesus and Moses were clear for those ancient readers who knew the Hebrew Scriptures. The Prophet Like Moses For example, the infant Moses and Jesus both escaped death when a ruler attempted to kill all the male Jewish children in the area, both hid in Egypt as children, both gave up life in a kingly home to lead a humble life of service, both fasted forty days and nights, both communicated directly with God, both performed miracles, both provided the people with bread to eat, both sent out 12 individuals, both chose 70 individuals, both taught with authority – and both ascended a mountain for the giving of commands and instruction from God. With that background in mind, we can see the significance of the fact that throughout the first third of the Sermon on the Mount the law of Moses is mentioned repeatedly, using the formula "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago …. But I tell you …." For example:
You have heard that it was said to the people long ago 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment (Matthew 5:2122, and see also verses 27, 31, 33, 38, 43). Within the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made it clear to his followers that he was not doing away with or replacing the law given through Moses (Matthew 5:17-19). Instead, in this pivotal sermon – the longest connected teaching of Jesus in the New Testament – he gave us new insight into God's spiritual laws, increasing our understanding of their intent and raising the keeping of those laws to a higher level. As we will see in the next chapter, it is a level that we perhaps cannot attain without God's help, but the Sermon on the Mount clearly shows that it nevertheless represents a higher level to which we are called.
21. BLESSED ARE …
As Jesus gathered his disciples and began his Sermon on the Mount, he gave his disciples a list of "Beatitudes" – things that make us blessed or happy, as we read in Matthew 5:3-11:
• Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. • Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. • Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
• Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. • Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. • Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
• Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Just as Moses gave Israel first the Ten Commandments and then the various minor laws that showed the application of the broader, underlying laws, so the Beatitudes present us with attitudes or states of being that underlie much of what Christ gave in his Sermon on the Mount.
The Beatitudes do not fall into easily recognizable groups, as the Ten Commandments do (in having laws relating to God and laws relating to our fellow human beings). But the Beatitudes are principles that do reflect the outcome of our proper attitudes toward or relationships with both God and others.
The Poor in Spirit Although we can find great depth of meaning in all of the Beatitudes, they are all straightforward and simple to understand – except perhaps for one. It is only the first – "Blessed are the poor in spirit" – that requires some thought as to what exactly the attitude is that is being described. Although being "poor in spirit" is often understood as a kind of meekness, this is unlikely to be its meaning as "Blessed are the meek ..." is mentioned as a separate Beatitude. So what exactly does it mean to be "poor in spirit," and why is this the first of all the Beatitudes?
Basically, being "poor in spirit" means being humble, but in a specific spiritual sense. To be poor in spirit means that we recognize our total spiritual bankruptcy before God. It means that we understand not only that we have nothing we can offer God in terms of our own salvation, but also that we are totally dependent upon his Spirit to properly fulfill his law. This reality has seldom been better expressed than by Mother Teresa, who explained spiritual poverty in one of her letters:
God cannot fill what is full. He can fill only emptiness – deep poverty – and your "yes" [to God's call] is the beginning of being or becoming empty. It is not how much we really "have" to give – but how empty we are – so that we can receive fully in our life and let him live his life in us … Take away your eyes from yourself and rejoice that you have nothing. When we understand the meaning of spiritual poverty, we see that it stands in total contrast to an attitude that is condemned in the Church of Laodicea mentioned in the book of Revelation: "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked" (Revelation 3:17). The spiritual poverty of the Laodiceans is not the same as being poor in spirit – it is a poverty that is empty, and not being filled by God. Proceeding from Poverty Many scholars feel that the Beatitudes are not simply randomly ordered; rather, they show a progression through the Christian life
from its foundational first steps of humble repentance to the point where our lives become active forces for good, even ultimately drawing persecution from those who hate God's way of life that has become evident in us. Whether this understanding of the order of the Beatitudes is correct or not, being "poor in spirit" is listed first and can certainly be seen as necessary for all the qualities that follow it.
Just as the first Commandment – to have no other God – ultimately forms the foundation of all the Ten Commandments, so the first Beatitude, that we be poor in spirit, ultimately forms the foundation for Christian lives in which we live the law of God at the level of its spiritual intent – while realizing our own poverty in our inability to do this ourselves and our need for the help of God.
Can you imagine the revolutionary nature of that thought as Jesus delivered it in his sermon on the mountain? Nothing like that is to be found in the Old Testament. Nevertheless, Jesus made it clear that we are blessed not to the degree we do things for God, but to the degree we allow him to act in our lives.
22. ANOTHER LOOK AT THE LORD'S PRAYER
The "Lord's Prayer" is a profound outline or guide for prayer. Although the guide Jesus gave his disciples is short, it provides a framework for every necessary topic of prayer. Beyond telling us WHAT to pray, the Lord's Prayer also shows us in at least three ways HOW to pray!
The prayer is found in two places in the gospels – in Matthew 6: 9-13 in its fuller form in the Sermon on the Mount, and in Luke 11: 2-4 in an abbreviated form. This fact alone seems to prove that the prayer is a guide on essential topics to pray about, rather than a prayer with specific words to be learned and repeated by rote as some believe.
Looking at the longer form of the prayer in Matthew, there are seven specific petitions or requests directed to God; but rather than looking at those petitions individually, as is often done, let's look at some of the overall aspects of the prayer outline Jesus included in his sermon that can be helpful in teaching us how to pray. The Prayer and the Commandments The overall structure of the Lord's Prayer is actually similar to the structure of the Ten Commandments. The first section relates more directly to our relationship with God, and the second section to our relationships with others. There are even some basic but noticeable points of similarity: "I am the Lord Your God …" - "Father in Heaven"; "You shall not take my name in vain" - "Hallowed be your name," etc. This is not surprising, of course, because in both the Commandments and the Lord's Prayer we are looking at the same things - our relationship with God and with others.
When we understand this, we begin to see that the Lord's Prayer is not about asking for the things that we think will make us happy or that we want, but for qualities that show our love for God and others. If the Ten Commandments show us how to love God and others (Matthew 22:37-40), the Lord's Prayer teaches us how to ask for help to do that properly.
Remembering this dual stress of the Commandments and the Lord's Prayer is truly important. Rather than seeing the prayer as an unrelated list of requests, we begin to see it as a prayerful "walk through" of key areas of our relationship with God and with others. That fact in itself gives us an important clue as to how Jesus' prayer outline can be expanded, as we use it, to include all kinds of things relating to our spiritual relationship with God and the rest of his family.
Humanly it may be easy to expand "Give us today our daily bread" by mentioning our many physical needs, but how much do we expand on requests such as "hallowed be your name"? Realizing the dual stress of the prayer helps us to better balance the things for which we pray. First Person Plural Another basic thing to remember as we look at the model we are given is that there isn't a single "I" or "my" in this prayer – only "us" and "our" in the plural. Considering how obvious this fact is, there seems to be a clear lesson – once again to focus our prayers on our relationship with God and with others.
Seen this way, the Lord's Prayer is very different from the individual list of personal wants and needs we are often tempted to offer given the problems of everyday life that we all face. There is certainly nothing wrong in praying for ourselves, and the prayer outline does not deny us the ability to ask for the needs we have. It just puts our personal requests in the context of "our" communal needs, helping us to keep our minds on the fact that the problems of others are just as real – and sometimes much more serious – than those we face.
Prayer Triage When we kneel before God dozens of things come into our minds – the many needs and concerns of our own lives and those of family, friends, and others. These many individual-level needs are in addition to things God shows us are even bigger needs – of worldwide scale. Sometimes it's hard to know where to start and where to end. That fact underscores one of the great purposes of
the model we have been given – putting things in the right context and priority. Think of the Lord's Prayer as prayer triage.
Jesus' guide to communication with our Father sorts through all those clamoring thoughts and needs and puts our concerns and requests in the right order. Matthew 6:7-8 tells us that "your Father knows what you need before you ask him;" but even though God already knows what our most urgent needs are, the prayer outline puts things in perspective for us. Putting It All Together None of the recorded prayers of Jesus or the disciples after the time the outline was given follow the wording of the Lord's Prayer (showing again that it is not a prescribed set of specific words to be prayed), although each recorded prayer in the New Testament stresses some aspect found within the guide. Perhaps we could say that while spontaneous - and especially urgent - prayers will often take their own form, the Lord's Prayer provides a guide for those occasions when we wish to seek God in regular and more extensive prayer.
Although God is doubtless more concerned with the content rather than the form of our prayers, the guide Jesus gave us covers all the main aspects of our relationship with God and with others; it constantly directs our focus outward to include the needs of others; and it helps us to bring order and priority to the requests we make. Seeing these things helps us to keep in mind what regular prayer should be all about.
23. DID JESUS REALLY MEAN THAT? "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire" (Matthew 18:8-9 NKJV). These verses have sometimes been taken literally and, sadly in extreme cases, used as a reason for bodily mutilation or removal of a hand, foot or eye. But is this what Jesus meant for his followers to do? Figuratively Speaking First, we must remember that Jesus often used figurative language in the sermons he gave instructing his disciples and the crowds he taught. In fact, Jesus specifically used the eye and the hand with clear figurative intent on other occasions.
Consider two other examples we also find in the Gospel of Matthew: "The eye is the lamp of the body" (Matthew 6:22), and "when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" (Matthew 6:3). Clearly neither of these statements is meant to be understood literally. The eye is not really a "lamp" and the hand cannot really "know" anything – so Jesus was using ideas he associated with these body parts to teach a lesson that was easy to visualize and remember.
Secondly, it is clear that sin is caused by the mind and not by any bodily part or organ (James 1:14-15), and it is not possible for a hand or eye to sin of itself. For example, if our eye is involved in lusting, taking it out does not remove the sin because the mind can still continue to lust. If our hand is involved in stealing, removing the hand does not remove the temptation to steal from the mind and it is still possible to steal with the other hand or in some other manner. The only way we can actually remove a sin is to effect an inward change of the mind, as Jesus himself taught (for example, Matthew 23:25-27).
When People Are Problems When we remember that Jesus often spoke figuratively using metaphors, similes, and parables, we can understand that in speaking of a hand, foot, or eye that causes us to sin, he was really referring to someone or something in life that might be instrumental in causing us to sin.
In fact, there is good indication that in Matthew 18:8-9 and in Mark 9:43-47 Jesus was actually referring to people in our lives who might cause us to sin. Mark 9:43-47 appears directly after the statement that "If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea" (Mark 9:42).
The context would seem to indicate, then, that Jesus was referring to individuals who might cause sin to occur and who must be "cut off" even if they are as close to us as a part of our own body.
In Matthew 5:29 a similar figure of speech regarding removing a hand or eye is used in a different context, that of adultery, but once again there is no reason not to conclude that it is the person involved in the adulterous behavior that we must remove from our life, not a physical body part.
In fact, this principle of Matthew 18:8-9 was applied directly by the early Church in removing or "cutting off" any individual who was part of the "body" of Christ (Romans 12:5) and who caused others in the Church to sin (1 Corinthians 5:1-13; etc.).
Finally, we must remember that the law of God forbade selfmutilation or disfigurement (Leviticus 19:28; etc.) and that Jesus never taught against the principles of that law (Matthew 5:17).
So the lesson for us is to always be sure to look at the direct context of the sayings of Jesus in the teachings he gave rather than taking single thoughts or verses out of that context. We must remember that Christ often taught using analogies and parables that convey important lessons rather than literal directives. We also must remember that in considering all his sermons and teachings together, Jesus never gave his followers instructions that would be contrary to the spirit of the law of God as it was expressed in the Scriptures. Keeping these basic principles in mind will help us to understand many of the seemingly difficult parts of the sermons Jesus gave that are recorded for our benefit.
24. THE HIGH COST OF LOVE
In his book The Cost of Discipleship, the theologian and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer famously distinguishes between what he called "cheap grace" and "costly grace." While Bonhoeffer defined cheap grace as requiring nothing from us and being ultimately meaningless, he characterized costly grace, on the other hand, as something that takes something from us, something that hurts, something that costs: "the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him."
Exactly the same can be said of Christian love. Love that does not cost us anything ultimately accomplishes little and has little depth. It is so often only costly love that makes a real difference in the lives of others. There is a wonderful example of this principle in the Gospel of Luke – though it is one that we often read over – in the story of Zacchaeus the tax collector:
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham" (Luke 19:1-9).
By way of back-story to this account, Luke tells us that as Jesus approached Jericho he healed a blind man at which the people praised God (Luke 18:35-42). As he entered Jericho then, Jesus was a hero – beloved of the city's inhabitants who had gone out to meet him as he approached. But in Chapter 19 Luke tells us that Jesus was only passing through the town and that he declined to stay overnight. This doubtless disappointed many citizens, especially as Middle Eastern culture meant that as a teacher of God's word (to say nothing of the fact that he was regarded as a famous prophet who healed by the power of God), Jesus doubtless would have been offered hospitality and would normally have accepted it.
But as Jesus left Jericho, a strange scene unfolded. Zacchaeus, the chief regional tax collector for the Roman occupation, desired to see Jesus and so he ran down the road a little way and climbed up a sycamore tree to get a better view. The fact that it is mentioned that it was a sycamore-fig tree is interesting as those trees usually have a profuse covering of large leaves and it is very possible that Zacchaeus chose the tree as one from which he could see Jesus as he passed by, but not be seen by crowds that thronged around the Teacher.
As the local tax collector and thus a "collaborator" in the eyes of many, Zacchaeus may well have been the most disliked individual in the city. Tax collectors often charged far more than the actual Roman tax rates and pocketed the extra cash – as Luke tells us was true in this case (Luke 19:8). So positioning himself in the leafy tree might well have been a conscious and prudent decision on the part of Zacchaeus. A hated tax collector caught in the swirl of a large crowd could easily come to harm.
Yet Luke tells us that when Jesus drew near to where the collaborator was, he called out and not only greeted the man, but openly stated that he would like to spend the night in his home. We have to concentrate on this situation to really understand the effect of this behavior on the inhabitants of Jericho. Not only had the teacher declined the hospitality of "decent" citizens, but now, after
indicating he would not stay the night, he changed his mind in order to stay in the home of the most hated man in town. Not only was Zacchaeus hated, but as a tax collector he was "unclean" and anyone who entered his home, ate there, or stayed the night, would automatically also be made unclean.
The reaction of the crowd as recorded by Luke is understandable in these circumstances: "All the people saw this and began to mutter, 'He has gone to be the guest of a sinner'" (Luke 19:7). Because of his reaching out to Zacchaeus in love, Jesus incurred the total displeasure of not just a few, but of "all the people." The famous prophet and teacher, the beloved healer of one of their own citizens, instantly became an object of local displeasure and perhaps even anger and scorn.
A Sermon Without Words Nevertheless, as Luke shows, the love that Jesus extended to the hated individual was repaid by the man's true and thorough repentance and his promise to more than restore all of the excess money he had taken from his neighbors (Luke 19:8). We must remember that Zacchaeus already knew the law of Moses, already knew that it was wrong to cheat and steal. It was not hearing an exposition of the law that changed the tax collector, but seeing the "living sermon" demonstration of love that Jesus made to him. Zacchaeus was moved and transformed by that love, but it was not free. Jesus immediately paid a price for the expression of his love, but he did so knowing full well that the cost of real love is often high – a fact we must also be willing to accept.
PART FIVE:
SACRIFICE
Although the four gospels tell their stories in their own unique ways, all of them show the life of Jesus proceeding inexorably to its great goal – the sacrifice of the Son of God for mankind. That sacrifice was foretold in amazing detail in the prophecies of the Old Testament, and some of the smallest events, actions, and words of Jesus' final week can be seen to have fulfilled those prophecies. In many of these details there are lessons we can learn regarding the attitude that made the supreme sacrifice possible, and the faith we need to have to make sacrifice a part of our lives, too …
25. A SACRIFICE FORETOLD
It is often said that the New Testament is concealed in the Old, and that the Old Testament is revealed in the New. That is nowhere truer than in the prophecies regarding the promised Messiah found in the Hebrew Scriptures. The writers of the four gospels all point out some of these prophecies, and if we put them all together we find there are dozens of Old Testament predictions that were fulfilled in the life of Jesus.
We have looked at some of those prophecies in the course of this book. When we come to the climactic sacrifice of Christ in his betrayal and execution, we find that more – and more detailed – predictions were fulfilled in the last days of his earthly ministry than in any other part of his life.
Looking at the final week of Jesus' life, beginning with his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we find amazingly detailed prophecies being fulfilled regarding the Messiah's sacrifice. Here are just some of those prophecies and some of the fulfillments recorded in the gospels:
Zechariah 9:9 He would ride on a donkey in a triumphal
John 12:12-16
entry into Jerusalem.
Psalm 8:2 He would be praised by little children. Matthew 21:16
Isaiah 53:3 He would be rejected by his own people. John 1:11; 7:5
Psalm 41:9 He would be betrayed by a friend. Matthew 26:20-23 Zechariah 11:12-13 His price would be 30 pieces of silver. Matthew 27:9 Zechariah 11:13 His betrayal money would be used to buy a potter's field.
Matthew 27:10
Psalm 35:11 He would be falsely accused. Mark 14:57-58
Isaiah 53:7 He would be silent before his accusers. Mark 15:4-5
Isaiah 50:6 He would be struck and spit upon. Matthew 26:67
Zechariah 9:9 He would be called King. Matthew 27:37
Isaiah 53:12 He would be executed with criminals. Matthew 27:38
Psalm 22:16 His hands and feet would be pierced. John 20:25-27
Psalm 69:21 He would be given vinegar and gall to
Matthew 27:34
drink.
Psalm 22:7-8 He would be mocked. Luke 23:35
Psalm 22:18 His clothes would be gambled for. Matthew 27:35-36
Psalm 109:4 He would pray for his enemies. Luke 23:34
Psalm 22:1 He would appear to be forsaken by God. Matthew 27:46 Zechariah 12:10 His side would be pierced. John 19:34
Isaiah 53:9 He would be buried with the rich. Matthew 27:57-60
Psalm 16:10 He would be raised from the dead. Matthew 28:2-7 Looking through these examples from among the many prophecies fulfilled in the death of Christ, we cannot fail to realize the incredible degree of detail that was foretold regarding that sacrifice. But there are also lessons we can learn from many of these predicted events. In the following chapters we will look at some of these aspects of the sacrifice of Jesus and the lessons they have for us.
26. CELEBRATION BEFORE THE STORM Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). The Gospel of Luke recounts how Jesus fulfilled the words spoken by the prophet Zechariah as he entered Jerusalem in a "triumphal entry" during the climactic week at the end of his ministry (Luke 19:28-44). Luke tells us how Jesus instructed two of his disciples to go to a nearby home where they would find a young donkey and to bring it to him. He told the disciples that if anyone challenged them, they were to simply say: "The Lord needs it" (Luke 19:31). The disciples did this – explaining to the donkey's owners what Jesus had told them.
This initial part of the story is interesting in itself. Jesus was, in effect, invoking the ancient principle of angaria (from a Babylonian word meaning "mounted messenger") by which kings, rulers and other individuals with official responsibilities could requisition property for official use. Angaria originated in the earliest postal systems in the ancient Persian, Greek and later Roman cultures where an animal could be "requisitioned" from its owner to carry the mail on the next stage of its multiple-staged journey, somewhat equivalent to the "Pony Express" of the American frontier. In the Judea of Jesus' day, under Roman rule, animals could be commandeered in this way for the emperor's service, and the right was also expanded to include the needs of the king, and even magistrates and rabbis. A Messenger Received in Joy This incident was, then, the prelude to the actual triumphal entry in which the crowds provided what we would call today a "red carpet" entry for Jesus by covering the road with their capes and the branches of trees to welcome him as he rode on the donkey into the city (Luke 19:35-37). The scene was not unlike a humbler version of the great Roman "Triumphs" in which the grateful citizens
celebrated the procession of heroes who had served the people. In fact, the similarity with a Roman Triumph is more than superficial, because the Triumph was a civil and religious ceremony which was held to publicly "celebrate and sanctify" the success of a commander who had led his forces to victory in the service of the people.
But Jesus rejected the aggrandizing nature of the pagan Triumphs which fed the cult of personalities in Roman and other cultures, and he did this by riding humbly on a young donkey – the antithesis of the great horses of conquering kings and heroes – while fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 in every detail. Yet Jesus did accept the people's praise (Luke 19:40), and the details of the story from beginning to end show that a triumphal entry – a symbolic victory celebration – was intended.
The words of the crowds who welcomed Jesus in this triumphal entry are important. Luke tells us (Luke 19:38) that the crowds quoted from the great messianic Psalm 118 – which is why the Pharisees attempted to silence them (Luke 19:39). This is the same psalm that contains, in vs. 22, the statement so significantly quoted by Jesus (for example in Luke 20:17): "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." But also this psalm contains clear references to the triumphal entry of the Messiah:
• I look in triumph on my enemies (Psalm 118:7).
• I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done (vs. 17).
• Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord (vs. 19).
• Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar (vss. 26-27).
Although Luke only cites a few of the words from Psalm 118, the psalm is in fact a full prophetic description of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. What Was the Victory? But if this was a triumph, what was the victory? Jesus had not yet defeated sin and death on the cross, and he had not yet completed the work he came to accomplish in this regard. Yet there was one way in which a victory was celebrated. The primary purpose of the angaria, by which Jesus obtained the donkey on which he rode, was to deliver a message. And at this point, at the end of his ministry, Jesus had successfully delivered the news of the kingdom of God to the point that it was now established and would continue to spread throughout the world. He had also lived the perfect life needed in order that he could give himself as a sacrifice for all humankind.
In that sense, Jesus had fully triumphed in his work when he came to Jerusalem as "... your king who comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9, emphases added). The entry of Jesus into Jerusalem prior to his death was indeed a triumph: it celebrated Jesus' righteous life and the fact that he had succeeded in delivering the message that he brought into the world.
There is surely a lesson in this for us. In following Christ as his disciples we do not attempt to mimic everything he did, of course, but we should certainly follow in many of his steps, as he commanded us. The dual nature of Christ's fulfilled mission – of living in obedience to God and carrying his message – is a dual opportunity and goal for every one of his followers, also. To focus only on our own obedience or only on the message we were commissioned to carry is not a complete fulfillment of the calling we have been given. To the extent that we are able, with God's help, to live lives pleasing to God and to serve him in carrying his message, we too participate in the victory of Jesus.
27. THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER I told them, "If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter"—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord (Zechariah 11:12-13). Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver … Then what was spoken by … the prophet was fulfilled: "They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me" (Matthew 26:14-15; 27:9-10). This is certainly one of the most strikingly detailed prophecies fulfilled in the final week of Christ's life. Had the prophecy foretold only the amount of money for which the Messiah would be betrayed, it would have been amazing enough, but the prediction of the specific purpose for which the money would be used makes it startling in its clarity and detail.
But think about the money itself. Have you ever wondered how much the amount for which Jesus was betrayed would be relative to our own time? Matthew, the tax collector, is the only gospel writer who mentions the exact amount. He tells us that it was enough to purchase a field in the time of Jesus, but we don't know whether it was a very large or a very small field, so that information doesn't help much.
We are also unsure as to exactly what the thirty pieces of silver were. They seem to have been silver coins – but we do not know which coins. There are several possibilities. All weighed about fourteen to fifteen grams (about half an ounce in weight), but the various possible coins ranged between twenty-five to ninety percent silver content, so it is impossible to determine their value without knowing which coins they were.
Yet the Bible does tell us the value of those thirty pieces of silver. We should remember that Matthew's Gospel was written to a Jewish audience. His readers would have been well aware of the
biblical significance of the payment, as the Law of Moses prescribed exactly that amount as the compensation for the death of a slave (Exodus 21:32). We should see the added ironic significance here as thirty pieces of silver was not the price of a slave – as that would differ widely depending on age, health and other factors – but the normalized compensation for a slave's death.
It is likely that the religious authorities to whom Judas betrayed Jesus had this price in mind as one they spitefully felt was appropriate. They certainly would have remembered the scripture in Exodus – though they may not have thought of the prophecy in Zechariah 11 they were unwittingly fulfilling. If they did have that scripture in mind, they would have remembered Zechariah's sarcasm in calling thirty pieces of silver a "handsome amount."
It is interesting that Matthew gives us two contrasting accounts a few verses apart of the value set on Jesus by different people. In Matthew 26:6-9 we find the story of how someone who loved Jesus paid a great sum of money to provide the perfume to symbolically anoint him for his death, whereas in Matthew 26:14-15 those who did not love him unappreciatively paid to arrange his death.
The story has powerful lessons for us, too. Sadly, in our sins and failures, we have all betrayed the love the Son of God has shown us. It is significant that Matthew chose the same Greek word that he uses of Judas' betrayal (paradidomi) to describe the actions of the religious leaders who condemned Jesus (Matthew 27:18) and also of the Roman Governor Pilate (Matthew 27:26). We can extrapolate to say that ultimately we have all betrayed Jesus.
But there is also a more positive lesson for us in Matthew's account. A little earlier in his gospel Matthew records Jesus' own words regarding his purpose in life – that he came "… to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28). We should never forget that the word "serve" here literally means much more than "occasional help," but total, slave-like service.
The price paid for Jesus was more fitting than those who betrayed him guessed. The thirty pieces of silver were indeed the price for the death of a slave, and for that purpose Jesus was born – to serve and to be a sacrifice. It is also the reason for our calling in him: if we are to follow in the steps of Christ to the fullest degree possible, we must realize that we are not called merely to find our own salvation. We are called to serve others and to be willing to sacrifice to do so.
28. THE CROWN OF THORNS Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they slapped him in the face (John 19:1-3). In these words, John summarizes the brutal beginnings of the crucifixion of Jesus. Matthew, in his gospel, adds the detail that the Roman soldiers also put a staff in Jesus' right hand (Matthew 27:29), which clearly imitated the emperor's scepter, just as the purple robe and crown of thorns also imitated the emperor's other regalia.
The mockery of the soldiers is clear. Charged as "King of the Jews" (Matthew 27:37), and hence as someone attempting to take the place of the emperor, the imperial attributes of robe, scepter and crown were intended as a cruel, insulting joke. But the mocking soldiers were doubtless unaware of how richly symbolic their parody actually was.
Roman emperors did not wear golden crowns like many Eastern kings, and the crown of thorns given to Jesus was doubtless intended as a parody of the Roman Civic Crown given to military heroes who saved the lives of others. Like the crown of thorns, the Civic Crown (Latin: corona civica) was formed of plant material: of leaves of the oak tree woven into a circle. But so high was the honor of this crown that it became part of the imperial regalia and was worn by all the emperors from the time of Augustus. Wearing it, the emperor was often hailed as the "savior" of the people. Biblical Thorns Ironic or not, the richness of the symbolism that God allowed in the crown of thorns also finds much earlier foreshadowing in the Bible itself. Not only does the biblical story of humanity's "fall" tell us that as a result of sin the earth would produce "thorns and thistles" (Genesis 3:17-19), but also the crown of thorns is more specifically foreshadowed in the story of Abraham's sacrifice of his son, Isaac. Genesis 22:13 tells us that the sacrifice of Isaac was transferred to
the sacrifice of the male sheep God provided that was caught by its horns in a "thicket." The Hebrew word used for thicket is sebak, probably signifying the Palestine Buckthorn (Rhamnus lycioides or Rhamnus palaestinus), a bush or small thorn tree which grows on hillsides in much of Israel. Its botanical name Rhamnus refers to its intertwined, prickly branches. The ram "caught by the horns" in such a tree was thus essentially a sacrificial sheep with thorns intertwined around its head, and the ram became a substitutionary sacrifice for Isaac, just as Jesus became a substitutionary sacrifice for everyone.
So the crown of thorns given to the Messiah and intended as a cruel parody to mock him was, in fact, a fitting symbol for the One who took upon himself the thorny result of our human sin, who willingly acted as a substitutionary sacrifice for all, and whose bravery infinitely eclipsed that of heroes who may have saved others (Romans 5:7). It may have been intended as a parody, but no one else ever qualified to receive such an exalted crown as the one made of thorns worn by Jesus.
It may seem hard to relate the crown of thorns given to Christ to our own lives, but we can find something to consider in our own striving to follow him. For his own reasons, God allows us to endure some thorns in our lives, too (2 Corinthians 12:6-8). But we should not lose sight of the fact that those thorns are according to his will and that some of the seemingly negative and even destructive things that happen in our lives may be used by God to his purposes in the overall fulfillment of his plan for us.
29. THE PSALM OF THE CROSS
Two of the gospel writers – Matthew and Mark – record that near his death Jesus called out with what might seem to be a strange statement:
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46 ESV) And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34 ESV) While Matthew records Jesus' words in Hebrew, Mark records them in Aramaic (the language in which they were probably uttered); but the words are almost identical, and the meaning is the same.
These words have long been interpreted as showing that at that point in time Jesus symbolically bore the sins of the whole world and that God – who cannot look at evil (Habakkuk 1:13) – turned away from his Son who was left in near-despairing isolation. Because sin cuts off from God, the argument is made, and Jesus at that moment represented all sinners – so God totally cut himself off from his perfect Son because of our sins.
But is that what those terrible words really signify? Did God really turn away from his only Son who had lived a life of perfect obedience – obedience all the way to death itself (Philippians 2:8)? Although that may possibly be the case, we do not have a scripture saying that. And how do we mesh that concept with the fact that it was because God loved sinners so much that he sent his Son to die for them? (John 3:16). Or the fact that God looks on and deals personally with every sinner he calls, and that we have it on scriptural authority that "nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ"? (Romans 8:38-39). A Few Words for Many There is another – and far more positive – way to understand those troubling words of Jesus. Jewish rabbis have long utilized the
principle of referring to a scriptural passage by means of a few of its words, knowing that their hearers would mentally supply the rest of the passage. This method of teaching and reference (called in Hebrew remez, meaning "a hint") was certainly used in Jesus' time and we see him employing it frequently. For example, in Matthew 21:15 when the children of Jerusalem shouted praises in his honor and the priests and teachers of the law became indignant, Jesus responded by quoting only a few words from Psalm 8:2: "From the lips of children and infants, you have ordained praise." But the religious leaders would have fully realized that the rest of that psalm states the enemies of God would be silenced by children's praises.
We see Jesus using this technique so often that when we turn to his words spoken on the cross "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" we can see that this is almost certainly what Jesus was doing. The words Jesus uttered are the opening words of Psalm 22 – the great messianic psalm that foretells even the smallest details of the Messiah's death. Every biblically literate Jew present at the crucifixion would have been reminded of the prophecies made in that psalm – the insults of the mocking crowd (vss. 6-8), the dying thirst of God's servant (vs. 15), the "dogs"/Gentiles (vs. 16) who pierced his hands and feet (vs. 16), the casting of lots for his garments (vs. 18) – simply by the "hint" of Jesus quoting the psalm's opening verse.
We should remember, too, that these words were the only ones we are told Jesus spoke "with a loud voice" (this fact is recorded by both Matthew and Mark) on the Cross. These were the words – few though they were – that Jesus spoke in his agony to all present – and those present would have likely recognized the intent of the small remez that referenced the whole of the psalm from which it was taken. Seen this way, we realize that Jesus' words "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" were his last great teaching. These words were an abbreviated reference to Psalm 22– the final proof he offered that he was, indeed, the One who was prophesied. A Fuller Understanding Understanding Jesus' words in this way – as a remez of Psalm 22 – is not to argue that sin cuts us off from God, but to urge us not to presume that this is why Jesus uttered these words. We should