11/27/2007

Power or persuasion?

Luke 4:28-30 - All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

I've always wondered about this incident because so few details are given. Did Jesus use a bit of his divine power to quiet the mob? Did he become invisible to them? Did he just hold up his hand as if possibly to speak to the crowd but then just quietly walk away instead? Could the crowd in the end just not bring themselves to do it, especially seeing how Jesus (apparently) put up no fight?

What about me?

Luke 3:7-14 - John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

"What should we do then?" the crowd asked.

John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."

Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?"

"Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told

them. Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?"
He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely—be content with your pay."

I wonder why the tax collectors and soldiers asked what they, each as a group, should do? What did they think John would say? I mean, wasn't it obvious? Stop doing bad things!

I know what he'd say if I asked. What would he say to you?

11/25/2007

Jesus at 12

Luke 2:41-46 - Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

It's generally understood that the 3 days is counted as one day towards home, plus one day back to Jerusalem, plus one day searching the city for him. Even so, that's 2 nights that Jesus (at the age of a modern-day 6th grader) had to spend in the big city without his parents. I wonder who took him in. Was it one (or two) of the same teachers he was found studying with? Was there another relative in town? Maybe one the family had visited while there for the Feast?

Did Jesus spend the better part of those 3 days in the temple area? Did he wander around the town at all? What did he do for meals?

11/23/2007

Simeon

Luke 2:25-26 - Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

I wonder who Simeon was; that is, did he have a family? How old was he? What was his job? (We aren't told he was a prophet before he met Jesus.) How long did he live after seeing Jesus? Besides the prophesying, did God set him apart for any other special reason?

11/22/2007

I'm not deaf!

Luke 1:62 - Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child.

I wonder why the people thought they had to use sign language to communicate with Zechariah. He wasn't deaf; he was dumb. Perhaps it was out of a sort of respect for his handicap, but I think more likely it was sheer forgetfulness.

11/21/2007

One among many

Luke 1:1-4 - Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

I wonder how many others Luke knew of who had written about Jesus. How many more were there besides Matthew, Mark, and John? If there were only those 3, I doubt Luke would have said "many."

That said, those 3 and Luke himself (plus Paul and a few others later) are all we need. If there were more, they may not have been inspired by the Spirit anyway.

On the cross

I wonder if you know how long Jesus was on the cross. My first answer (due to a certain church tradition and without stopping to think) would have been wrong.

See Mark 15:25 and Mark 15:33-37.

11/19/2007

Don't I know you?

Mark 14:66-67 - While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him.
"You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus," she said.

I wonder how many times, at what distance(s), and how recently the servant girl had seen Peter with Jesus. Did she have a really good memory for faces? Had it not been that long ago? Was Peter that recognizable?

I also wonder, if Peter hadn't been associated with Jesus by those in the courtyard, would he still have been considered suspicious just for being there at that time of the night?

11/18/2007

Proper attire, Part 2

Mark 14:51-52 - A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

Some think that this young man was Mark himself. If it was Mark -- one of the 12 who had been with Jesus all evening -- why was he only wearing a linen garment? Why not a cloak or something underneath? Even if it wasn't Mark...same questions.

Why did they seize him in the first place? It was Jesus they wanted -- and already had.

11/17/2007

Two lepta

Mark 12:41-44 - Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

Who was she? Was there no one to help her after her husband died?

Do you think there were people who scorned her small offering, not knowing her situation as Jesus did? Yeah, me too.

Why did the monetary system include coins (lepta) worth so little? Inflation?

11/16/2007

Den of robbers

Mark 11:15-17 - On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written:
" 'My house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.' "

I wonder how long the "robbers" stayed out of the temple area. Were they back again a few hours later? The next day? The following week? Did they set up shop elsewhere to avoid another confrontation with Jesus?

I wonder if any of them joined the gang officially known as his enemies.

11/11/2007

Two by two

Mark 6:7-13 - Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.

These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."

They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

I wonder if any of the Twelve were surprised at Jesus' instructions. How long were they gone? What did Jesus do in the meantime? Probably more of the same things he had been doing -- preaching, healing, etc.

I wonder if any of the disciples' family members tagged along. It seems like they didn't, so maybe they weren't gone very many days. Though it does sound like each pair would go to more than one city or town.

11/08/2007

Talitha koum!

Mark 5:41 - He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ).

I wonder why Mark decided to write Jesus' actual words and then translate or rephrase them for us. Perhaps there's something here in the original language(s) that I'm missing.

11/05/2007

Levi

Mark 2:14 - As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.

Assuming there were people in line waiting to pay taxes at Levi's booth, I wonder if they were pleased or frustrated when Levi walked away from his job.

11/02/2007

Through the roof

Mark 2:1-12 - A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

I wonder what the people inside the building first thought when bits of the roof started falling on or around them. I wonder what the owner thought.

I wonder if any of the teachers of the law had a change of heart after hearing Jesus and seeing the miracle.

11/01/2007

We were asleep

Matthew 28:11-15 - While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

I wonder who "leaked the story to the press," so to speak. I can think of only 3 possibilities.
  • One of the chief priests and elders couldn't keep his mouth shut.
  • One of the soldiers couldn't keep his mouth shut.
  • Someone overheard the plot and couldn't keep his mouth shut.
My money is on the soldiers.

I wonder if they kept quiet about how much money they got. I wonder how long they kept it.