Are You Talking To Me?

The real conflict in the story of Zacchaeus is between the ones who murmur that Jesus is going to be the guest of one who is a sinner and Jesus’ declaration that he is also a son of Abraham. That Zacchaeus received Jesus‘s invitation with joy and immediately made haste and came down from the tree should not surprise anyone who has been paying attention to Luke. We had heard, earlier in Luke, that Jesus’ mission was not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance (6:32). Zacchaeus, as a tax collector, would surely fit the bill. That’s why it is critical that we understand Jesus’ words in verses 9 and 10 as being addressed to the ones who are murmuring. The fact that he says that Zacchaeus is “also a son of Abraham” indicates he is addressing Jews, that is, ones who might consider themselves Abraham’s children based on genealogy. And he is presenting Zacchaeus as an example of one who through his behavior proves to be a true son of Abraham. This is precisely according to what John the Baptist had preached to them earlier in Luke: “Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham” (3:8).

Notes:
ἵστημι (histémi) - to make stand
πρὸς (pros) - to, towards
Luke 3:8; 6:32
Luke 24:36; John 20:19, 26; 21:4

“Ruff Enuff” performed by MonoNeon and Prince.

He did this once for all when he offered up himself.

In chapter 8 of Hebrews, Jesus is called the high priest who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens. He is then called the minister/or, more literally the “liturgist” of the sanctuary, that is, the holy place, which is called “the true tent pitched not by man but by the Lord.” There are two emphases in this part of Hebrews and they are related: one is on Jesus’ high priestly sacrifice being made in the heavenly Jerusalem; and the other is that the holy place where his performed this “once for all” offering is depicted as a tent! Some of us might be windering…couldn’t he do better than a tent? It sounds primitive. It sounds basic. And in the setting of a wilderness, a mere tent wouldn’t provide sufficient covering. But that’s exactly the point. All of the protection that Jesus, or anyone for that matter, needs is provided by God in his words of instruction. This motif of God leading his people in the wilderness and feeding them with his words is found throughout the biblical narrative, beginning with the Law all the way through the Four gospels. And consistently, what is emphasized is not how ornate or impressive the place is where those words are uttered, but rather the teaching itself. In Isaiah chapter 54, the announcement that the Lord’s people will be comforted and consoled is made using shepherd terminology; and the dwelling place of Sarah, the one who had been barren is depicted clearly as a tent:

“Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;

break forth into singing and cry aloud,

you who have not been in labor!

For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married,” says the LORD.

2“Enlarge the place of your tent,

and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.

3For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities.”

In the epistle to the Hebrews, the “once for all” offering of Jesus is made not in an earthly temple but in the Jerusalem above; additionally the one who makes the offering is referred to as a “minister of the sanctuary,” which sanctuary is said to be a tent set up by the Lord. The instruction to us, as hearers of the text, is clear - we are to submit fully to the will of God; and we are to keep moving, since the habitation he has prepared for us is still ahead.

Notes:
Exodus 40:36-37
Mark 14:36
Romans 12:1
Hebrews 11:10

On The Priesthood by St. John Chrysostom.
“Bobbi Jo” performed by Prince.

After his baptism and before the start of his preaching, Jesus is led by the spirit into the wilderness and is tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-11). He doesn’t wage a war with the tempter, nor does he argue. His only defense is “the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:16). To each temptation Jesus references what is written. All his responses are taken from Deuteronomy, which is the second giving of the Law; that is to say, the definitive expression of God’s will for his people after he had brought them through the wilderness and as he was about to bring them into Canaan. Jesus knows he isn’t wrestling with flesh and blood. Having Deuteronomy in his back pocket (in a manner of speaking), he employs the only offensive weaponry allowed in Scripture. And it is sufficient.

St. Gregory of Nyssa commemorated on January 10 in the Orthodox Church.

“A Couple of Miles” performed by the Flesh.

A Light 66.

Inclusio.

“Isn’t this where…we came in?”

If you’ve ever listened to Pink Floyd’s the Wall, you will notice that the album closes with the same piece of music that it opens with. Similarly, another Pink Floyd album, Dark Side of the Moon, begins and ends with the sound of a heartbeat. In literature, when a word or motif appears at the beginning and at the end of a work, scholars call it inclusio (a Latin phrase meaning “enclosure”). The evangelist Mark employs this literary device in his Gospel. Galilee is mentioned early on as the place where Jesus comes from; and it is to Galilee that his disciples are directed to go, if they want to see him, after his resurrection. The purpose of inclusio is usually to bracket off a section of the work in order to zero in on it. In Mark, “Galilee” bookends the entirety of the Gospel, and the message this conveys to the hearer is powerful and unmissable.

In this episode, we look at Mark 1:35-39 and how it anticipates “literarily” the ending of the Gospel in Chapter 16. That ending, in turn, sends the hearer back to the beginning of the Gospel to hear the story again.

In the gospel of John, the call of Andrew, the apostle with the Greek name, precedes the call of Simon, whose name is derived from Aramaic. For this reason, Andrew is referred to as the “First-Called.” In the narrative, Andrew goes and tells his brother that they have found the Christ. The same pattern is repeated in the call of Phillip - a classic Greek name - who goes and finds Nathanael, who is explicitly identified as “an Israelite.” In this, John seems to be reversing the Scriptural sequence of “Jew first, then Greek” (Romans 2:9-10).

Tune in to this bonus episode of A Light to the Nations as we discuss the importance of Andrew as “first called” and how it relates to calling Jesus “the Lamb of God.”

Notes:
The Rise of Scripture by Paul Nadim Tarazi (OCABS Press, St. Paul, MN, 2017).
“Ruff Enuff” performed by Prince featuring MonoNeon.

On November 21 in the Holy Orthodox Church the feast day of the Entrance of the Theotokos in the Temple is celebrated. The epistle reading assigned for this feast is Hebrews 9:1-7, which speaks of the regulations for worship under the first covenant and describes the two parts of the tabernacle, called the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. In that text, the author of Hebrews emphasizes that the tabernacle had to be prepared before sacrifices could be offered. On this feast day, that preparation is applied to Mary, the Theotokos. When we speak of her being prepared, we don’t want to understand that this somehow qualified her to be the mother of Jesus. Mary is depicted in the Gospels as highly favored and full of grace. If her preparation somehow makes her worthy, that diminishes the grace and her election becomes a reward, something owed to her. The preparation is for Mary’s benefit, not God’s.

Notes:
Hebrews 9:1-7
Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28
κατασκευάζω (kataskeuazó) - to prepare thoroughly
πρόθεσις (prosthesis) - presence, presentation

“Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Book” performed by Dead Can Dance.

This episode looks at the remembrance in the Orthodox Church of Archangel Michael, the Chief Commander of the Bodiless Powers, in light of the reading at Vespers from Joshua Chapter 5. The victory granted to Joshua and the children of Israel is based on their adherence to the commandments of the Lord. The sword drawn in the hand of the supreme commander of the army of the Lord is not merely an instrument of war, but something more dreadful. Scripturally speaking, it is the Lord’s judgment.

Notes:
Joshua 5:13-15
Exodus 3:1-5
Genesis 3:24
Ephesians 6:11-17

“Fortune Presents Gifts Not According To The Book” performed by Dead Can Dance.
“Koran” performed by Delirium.

In the previous passage, verses 21-28, the direction of movement was out. Here, it is in - from the synagogue (representing Judaism of the diaspora) to the “house” of Simon (representing the temple, thus the Judaism of Jerusalem). And in that house, Jesus does exactly what he had done to the demon-possessed man - he brings healing through the gospel. This parallel is meant to show that the Jews in Jerusalem are in no different a position than those in diaspora: both need the gospel.

Join me in a discussion of Mark 1:28-34.

Notes:
2 Samuel 7:5-7
Galatians 1:1, 15-16; 2:9
εὐθὺς (evthys) - immediately
οἶκος (oikos) - house
στῦλοι (styli) - pillars
δοκέo (dokeio) - to seem, to appear so
πενθερὰ (penthera) - mother-in-law

https://www.ocabspress.org/new-testament-products/vol-41-mark-part-1
“Rumeta” performed by 3rd Eye Girl.
Photo by Tim Mossholder: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-and-white-concrete-building-3690734/