After evaluating my actions of analyzing and bringing new perspectives in biblical interpretation daily, I decided that my methods have been ineffective at best and simply time wasting at worst. As such, I will no longer write an analysis of the bible every day, but I will start working on an analysis on basis of books, starting with the Gospel. With that method, I can start formulating a coherent and rational conclusion about the bible and thus connect it with the truth, and perhaps I can deduce the actual story of the bible. However, that would require me to write down the full formulation of the truth first, and unfortunately I will do that first in my mother tongue of Indonesian. So for English speaking audiences, your time will come, I hope you can wait. Until then, have a nice day and God bless you.
Friday, August 10, 2018
Friday, 10th of August 2018
John 12:24-26
Jesus said, «Truly, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Those who love their life destroy it, and those who despise their life in this world keep it for everlasting life. Whoever wants to serve me, let him follow me and wherever I am, there shall my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Jesus said, «Truly, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Those who love their life destroy it, and those who despise their life in this world keep it for everlasting life. Whoever wants to serve me, let him follow me and wherever I am, there shall my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage is a very short three verse passage, but may be one with one of the greatest implications for Jesus' odd mind. Here, Jesus tells that if the grain dies, it will produce fruit, if it doesn't it will stay seed. Anyone who love their life will lose it and those who hate it will keep it. They who serve Him must follow Him and wherever Jesus is, the servant will be there also. If they serve Him, God will honor the one who serves Jesus. Well then, let us start dissecting this passage, shall we?
It is fairly obvious that the seed refers to Jesus, if He dies, it'll be good, if He doesn't die, He'll be what He still is, but really what is the actual meaning of this? Jesus dies for other people, so why is it that He only spoke of Himself, that is the grain of wheat? As such, I will complete it for Him, the complete version would be this. If the grain of wheat does not die, then all other plants will die, but if the grain falls and dies, it will grow and multiply, providing much food for other plants. Is that not the meaning of Jesus' death? That is to surrender His eternal life for others? To let His body be divided and eaten?
While the core message of the "They who keep their life will lose it ..." is practically obvious, that is if we become attached to our material life and material pleasures we will actually lose it, but here Jesus uses very strong words. He in fact uses the word love and despise, very strong words indeed. As such, according to Jesus, if we cherish our life, we will lose it, but if we despise it and loathe it, we will keep it, is that not contradictory to each person? The person who wishes life will lose it, but the one who clearly wants death is given life instead. This is not just about if we are attached to our life, but this is about whether we love or hate our life, which is wholly different from attachment. One can love life without being attached to it, so do we have a solution for the hate problem? In my opinion, it most likely means that if we hate our material life, or we are dissatisfied with the current systemic oppression of the human mind, then we will gain a better life in the kingdom. On the other hand, if we love the systemic oppression of the human mind, we will only lose that life, and may find the resulting conflicts about the truth absolute hell, or feel that the new order of truth is hell and so on.
The third verse is just another phrase of Jesus' fantasies of grandeur, and calls people who listens to Him and does what He wishes to do, that is the upholding of the truth, to be His servants. And that He will be served, this seems to contradict His words in Matthew 20:28, that is "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many," Furthermore, calling them servants makes no sense as this would contradict Jesus' core relationship with the Father, which I have not written about at all, but I will when the time comes. Basically, Jesus is separated from the world, for He is the literal other half of the Father, and thus everything else that exists is part of the Father. So Jesus is saying that the Father is the servant? Well that makes no sense at all. But again, Jesus is in the end, still human, as such we must understand His limits. There is not much I can say else about His messages, as such that is all I can say for now, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Thursday, 9th of August 2018
Matthew 16:13-23
Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. He asked his disciples, «Who do people say the Son of Man is?». They said, «For some of them you are John the Baptist, for others Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the prophets». Jesus asked them, «But you, who do you say I am?». Peter answered, «You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God». Jesus replied, «It is well for you, Simon Barjona, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. And now I say to you: You are Peter (or Rock) and on this rock I will build my Church; and never will the powers of death overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven». Then He ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
From that day Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that He must go to Jerusalem; He would suffer many things from the Jewish authorities, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. He would be killed and be raised on the third day. Then Peter took him aside and began to reproach him, «Never, Lord! No, this must never happen to you». But Jesus turned to him and said, «Get behind me, Satan! You would have me stumble. You are their king not as God does, but as people do».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. He asked his disciples, «Who do people say the Son of Man is?». They said, «For some of them you are John the Baptist, for others Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the prophets». Jesus asked them, «But you, who do you say I am?». Peter answered, «You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God». Jesus replied, «It is well for you, Simon Barjona, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. And now I say to you: You are Peter (or Rock) and on this rock I will build my Church; and never will the powers of death overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven». Then He ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
From that day Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that He must go to Jerusalem; He would suffer many things from the Jewish authorities, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. He would be killed and be raised on the third day. Then Peter took him aside and began to reproach him, «Never, Lord! No, this must never happen to you». But Jesus turned to him and said, «Get behind me, Satan! You would have me stumble. You are their king not as God does, but as people do».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
For technical purposes, there will be no summary, only meaning. First of all, why is it important that Jesus asked the disciples about who they think He is? Because Jesus wishes to see their integrity as a human being, are they independent rational beings capable of making their own rational judgement or do they depend on others to tell them what to think or how to think? Peter managed to prove himself worthy, and we must follow that example, we must be independent and not do things because Jesus or people tell us to, but because it is the truth, the whole truth.
It's ironic that Peter would go on betray Jesus' trust by worrying on material concerns while ignoring the spiritual issues. This made Jesus quite angry and He chastised Peter, calling him Satan even. And then Jesus comments that Peter is thinking what the flesh is thinking, not what God is thinking. This reminds us that there is something greater than our mere desires. The question is, do we wish to accept that fact or will we stay in our fleshy comfort zones? That is all for today, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 8, 2018
Wednesday, 8th of August 2018
Matthew 15:21-28
Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Now a Canaanite woman came from those borders and began to cry out, «Lord, Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is tormented by a demon». But Jesus did not answer her, not even a word. So his disciples approached him and said, «Send her away: see how she is shouting after us». Then Jesus said to her, «I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel».
But the woman was already kneeling before Jesus and said, «Sir, help me!». Jesus answered, «It is not right to take the bread from the children and throw it to the little dogs». The woman replied, «It is true, sir, but even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table». Then Jesus said, «Woman, how great is your faith! Let it be as you wish». And her daughter was healed at that moment.
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Now a Canaanite woman came from those borders and began to cry out, «Lord, Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is tormented by a demon». But Jesus did not answer her, not even a word. So his disciples approached him and said, «Send her away: see how she is shouting after us». Then Jesus said to her, «I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel».
But the woman was already kneeling before Jesus and said, «Sir, help me!». Jesus answered, «It is not right to take the bread from the children and throw it to the little dogs». The woman replied, «It is true, sir, but even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table». Then Jesus said, «Woman, how great is your faith! Let it be as you wish». And her daughter was healed at that moment.
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage may be the greatest proof of Jesus' humanity, racism. In summary, Jesus went away from the regions of Tyre and Sidon, then a Canaanite woman came and begged Jesus to heal her daughter, even calling Him the Son of David. Jesus ignored her, and His disciples asked Him to send her off, Jesus told the lady that He was only sent to the lost sheep of Israel. The woman kept kneeling and begged, thus Jesus chastised by saying that it is not right to take a bread from the children and throw it to dogs. The lady then answered that even the dogs eat crumbs of the bread. Jesus was astounded and remarked how great her faith was, thus her daughter was healed.
Is Jesus racist? Does Jesus favor Jews over other people or see Israel as the chosen nation and thus superior than all other nations? In fact, is Jesus a xenophobic racist nationalist? It seems that He was, at the time being. This is proven by Jesus comparing the gentiles to dogs, which are generally considered to be dirty animals at that time. So, does this tell us that Jesus is a false prophet? No, it merely shows that Jesus is in the end, still human. Furthermore, the message of the truth and His Jewish heritage got mixed up, and thus His attachment to Judaism led Him to speak of these racist statements. However, Jesus did change His beliefs when He saw the persistence of the woman, and thus healed her immediately.
What message can we pick from this passage, if at all? This passage tells us more about Jesus than His teachings, as such what it tells us is that we must always understand that Jesus is human, that suffers greatly at that. We use to see Jesus as the ultimate savior, the bread of life, as the Son of God. Yet, we forget and ignore the hidden sides of Christ, the suffering and broken sides of Jesus as a man. He was racist and arrogant as it seems, but it is only because the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. Without a home, Jesus would of course try to find somewhere for a home, yet He finds no comfort in any place. Attachment over attachment makes it no better, until He decides to let everything go, and die in our sake. That is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Tuesday, 7th of August 2018
Matthew 14:22-36
After the crowds have eaten their fill, Jesus obliged his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while He sent the crowd away. And having sent the people away, He went up the mountain by himself to pray. At nightfall, He was there alone.
Meanwhile, the boat was very far from land, dangerously rocked by the waves for the wind was against it. At daybreak, Jesus came to them walking on the lake. When they saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, thinking that it was a ghost. And they cried out in fear. But at once Jesus said to them, «Courage! Don't be afraid. It's me!». Peter answered, «Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you walking on the water». Jesus said to him, «Come». And Peter got out of the boat, walking on the water to go to Jesus. But, in face of the strong wind, he was afraid and began to sink. So he cried out, «Lord, save me!». Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and took hold of him, saying, «Man of little faith, why did you doubt?». As they got into the boat, the wind dropped. Then those in the boat bowed down before Jesus saying, «Truly, you are the Son of God!».
They came ashore at Gennesareth. The local people recognized Jesus and spread the news throughout the region. So they brought all the sick to him, begging him to let them touch just the fringe of his cloak. All who touched it became perfectly well.
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
After the crowds have eaten their fill, Jesus obliged his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while He sent the crowd away. And having sent the people away, He went up the mountain by himself to pray. At nightfall, He was there alone.
Meanwhile, the boat was very far from land, dangerously rocked by the waves for the wind was against it. At daybreak, Jesus came to them walking on the lake. When they saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, thinking that it was a ghost. And they cried out in fear. But at once Jesus said to them, «Courage! Don't be afraid. It's me!». Peter answered, «Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you walking on the water». Jesus said to him, «Come». And Peter got out of the boat, walking on the water to go to Jesus. But, in face of the strong wind, he was afraid and began to sink. So he cried out, «Lord, save me!». Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and took hold of him, saying, «Man of little faith, why did you doubt?». As they got into the boat, the wind dropped. Then those in the boat bowed down before Jesus saying, «Truly, you are the Son of God!».
They came ashore at Gennesareth. The local people recognized Jesus and spread the news throughout the region. So they brought all the sick to him, begging him to let them touch just the fringe of his cloak. All who touched it became perfectly well.
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage seems long and complicated, though has a short and simple message, that is a message of faith. In a bare summary, Jesus ordered the disciples to go ahead of Him while He went to the mountains alone to pray. Meanwhile, the boat that the disciples used was far from land and the wind was getting strong and the boat rocked hard. Then, they saw Jesus walking on the water, terrified they yelled that it was a ghost they see. Jesus tried to calm the disciples and Peter replied challenging Jesus, that if it was truly Him, then command Peter to walk. So He did, and Peter too walked on the water. But then wind struck and he began to fear and sink, he begged Jesus to save him, and Jesus chastised him for his little faith. Eventually the wind dropped and the disciples bowed proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God when He got on the boat.
The whole message of this passage is simple, that is the power and significance of having faith. Faith here does not equate blind belief by indoctrination, but a strong commitment and dedication to what is true, objectively and rationally. Scientifically, what Jesus did and Peter did was possible, but it required a very strong faith and dedication towards the truth. Or an unwavering commitment towards the truth. If we truly believe that we are able to walk on water, that we would walk on water, but if we have any ounce of doubt, we would sink into the sea of despair and death. As such, we too must have strong faith and not doubt, especially when it is true. Of course, Jesus does not want us to be not skeptical and believe everything, but it is to have a backbone. If have truly found and deduced that what we believe is true, why must we doubt? If it is even agreed with by other people, why should we be uncertain? Today's passage is more about our integrity, will we stand against the strongest of storms, or will we fall by even the softest of winds? That is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Monday, August 6, 2018
Monday, 6th of August 2018
Mark 9:2-10
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain. There his appearance was changed before their eyes. Even his clothes shone, becoming as white as no bleach of this world could make them. Elijah and Moses appeared to them; the two were talking with Jesus. Then Peter spoke and said to Jesus, «Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah». For he did not know what to say; they were overcome with awe.
But a cloud formed, covering them in a shadow, and from the cloud came this word, «This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him». And suddenly, as they looked around, they no longer saw anyone except Jesus with them. As they came down the mountain, He ordered them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man be risen from the dead.
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain. There his appearance was changed before their eyes. Even his clothes shone, becoming as white as no bleach of this world could make them. Elijah and Moses appeared to them; the two were talking with Jesus. Then Peter spoke and said to Jesus, «Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah». For he did not know what to say; they were overcome with awe.
But a cloud formed, covering them in a shadow, and from the cloud came this word, «This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him». And suddenly, as they looked around, they no longer saw anyone except Jesus with them. As they came down the mountain, He ordered them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man be risen from the dead.
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage describes an event usually known as the transfiguration of the Lord. Though I will focus more on the conversation between Jesus and the prophets. In summary, Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a high mountain, specifically Mount Tabor. Suddenly, Jesus' appearance changed into an divine looking being, shining light from His figure. Then, Elijah and Moses appeared, talking with Jesus, the trio of disciples were shocked and Peter asked if they should make three tents, two for the prophets and one for Jesus. At the same time, the prophets fade away, and God declared that Jesus is His beloved Son and that people must listen to Him. Jesus then ordered them to not tell anyone, until the resurrection.
What may be significant of this event? There is one very significant part of this event, that is Jesus' conversation with the prophets and the transition to God speaking. Now, the conversation wasn't recorded, but I am willing to bet and guess the contents of such conversation. The prophets were handing out their task to Jesus, and thus this marks the transition from traditionalist law to a law of truth. Jesus receives the responsibility, and thus the prophets and their laws are all annulled for it has been fulfilled, replaced with Jesus' new order of love and truth. This is evident by the prophets disappearing and God instructing the world to listen to Jesus, and not the prophets. And thus Jesus is appointed as the new and last prophet, as the messenger and savior of the world.
What of the actual transfiguration? Is it scientifically possible or what significance does it hold? Scientifically, of course it is possible, as Jesus is effectively God, thus transcend general biological limitations. Meanwhile, the significance of it is generally simple, that is it shows Jesus' true nature as not a normal human being, that He is more than most of the world. What message can we take though? It is simple, Jesus' arrival marks the time where we should change our old attitudes of following tradition and hearsay, and start to think for ourselves. Jesus wishes for us to be rationally independent, and follow Him not because He told us to, but because of our own heart to follow Him and serve the world in His quest of salvation. Yet, we usually like to blind ourselves with mere songs and prayers, now are we ready to open our eyes? That is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Sunday, 5th of August 2018
John 6:24-35
When people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, «Master, when did you come here?». Jesus answered, «Truly, I say to you, you look for me, not because you have seen through the signs, but because you ate bread and were satisfied. Work then, not for perishable food, but for the lasting food which gives eternal life. The Son of Man will give it to you, for he is the one the Father has marked».
Then the Jews asked him, «What shall we do? What are the works that God wants us to do?». And Jesus answered them, «The work God wants is this: that you believe in the One whom God has sent». They then said, «Show us miraculous signs, that we may see and believe you. What sign do you perform? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert; as Scripture says: ‘They were given bread from heaven to eat’». Jesus then said to them, «Truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven. My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. The bread God gives is the One who comes from heaven and gives life to the world». And they said to him, «Give us this bread always». Jesus said to them, «I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall never be hungry, and whoever believes in me shall never be thirsty».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
When people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, «Master, when did you come here?». Jesus answered, «Truly, I say to you, you look for me, not because you have seen through the signs, but because you ate bread and were satisfied. Work then, not for perishable food, but for the lasting food which gives eternal life. The Son of Man will give it to you, for he is the one the Father has marked».
Then the Jews asked him, «What shall we do? What are the works that God wants us to do?». And Jesus answered them, «The work God wants is this: that you believe in the One whom God has sent». They then said, «Show us miraculous signs, that we may see and believe you. What sign do you perform? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert; as Scripture says: ‘They were given bread from heaven to eat’». Jesus then said to them, «Truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven. My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. The bread God gives is the One who comes from heaven and gives life to the world». And they said to him, «Give us this bread always». Jesus said to them, «I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall never be hungry, and whoever believes in me shall never be thirsty».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage is a harsh reminder to us on believing Jesus. Do we truly believe Jesus down to His hidden sides, or do we only believe because of miracles? The passage opens with people trying to find Jesus but not finding Him. As such they went to Capernaum and found Jesus and His disciples on the other side. The Jews asked how Jesus got there, but Jesus answered harshly that they came not because they understood the signs, but only because they ate the multiplied bread and were satisfied. Jesus then reminded to work for eternal food, and not perishable food. The Jews asked again, what kind of work is willed by God.
Jesus answered that it is to believe in the One that is sent by God, i.e. Jesus Himself. The Jews seems to understand, and asked what kind of signs Jesus has performed, saying that their ancestors have ate the manna in the desert. Jesus then reminds them that it is not Moses who gave the food, but it is God who gave it from the heavens. Then Jesus said that the bread God gives is the One who comes from heaven and gives life to the world. The Jews asked Jesus for that bread, only for Jesus to answer that He is the bread of life, whoever comes to Him shall never go hungry, and those who believe shall never be thirsty.
This is quite the interesting passage here. In the first part, what Jesus means is that the Jews only believed in Jesus because He performed miracles, miracles that benefited them none the less, not because the Jews truly believes in the signs. What are the signs? Signs here refer to the actual teachings and sayings of Christ, and the general trend of society, which basically proves Jesus' words of warning. They do not believe Jesus because of the truth, they believe Jesus merely because Jesus can perform miraculous acts. Jesus harshly reminds them not to just work for perishable food, but for eternal food, that is the truth and the kingdom.
The Jews asked Jesus what work is to be done, and Jesus answers that they must believe in Him. Of course, this does not mean to acknowledge Jesus as king or as God, but to acknowledge His words, that is the truth and work towards it. Even then, the Jews question Jesus to give them signs, which shows that they only believe in Jesus in the surface, materially, if Jesus were not to perform signs, they would not believe. They used the example of the manna to compare Jesus with Moses, and thought that Moses was the one who made the manna fall, but Jesus reminds that it is God who gave it, and not Moses.
Then, Jesus tells the Jews that the bread of life is not manna, but it is the One who comes from heaven and gives life to the earth, the Jews asked for Jesus to always give that bread, and finally Jesus proclaimed that He is the bread of life. Why is it that Jesus describes Himself as one that gives life to the earth? This is because as He dies, He gives up His eternal life for everyone else, thus allowing them to have a second chance to fix their lives and not die eternally. And why is it that if we come to Jesus, we will never be hungry or thirsty? Of course this is a metaphor, but the point is Jesus bears the truth, and the truth is more valuable than anything else, that it shall satisfy us for all time.
One may wonder, is the manna miracle historical? That is, did it actually happen and is not just a Jewish fabrication? If it isn't, why did Jesus mention it? Again, Jesus is only human, and He is limited by human limits, and He lives in a Jewish community and is taught Jewish thoughts. As such, it is only sensible to think that Jesus would mix up Jewish teachings with the truth, thus this happens. On the other hand, is it actually possible that bread can come from the sky, scientifically speaking? Yes, but with a lack of historical evidence, it is unlikely.
Now, what can we learn from this passage from ourselves? There is one thing that we can learn, that we should believe Jesus truly and understand Him truly. You see, many of so called Christians now only believe Jesus by name, by songs, by scriptures, as such they only believe Him for the materialist wonders He has. They do not go deeper and try to understand or get to know Jesus personally. They go to Jesus not for eternal truth, but only for temporary pleasures and satisfaction. This is what must be avoided, when we believe in Jesus, do not go for the Gospel or the Church, but ask ourselves, who is Jesus in our life and why does it matter? We must not worship Him, but understand Him. However, when we truly understand Him, and follow Him we must sacrifice many things, are we ready and willing to do so? That is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Friday, August 3, 2018
Saturday, 4th of August 2018
Matthew 14:1-12
On one occasion the news about Jesus reached King Herod. And he said to his servants, «This man is John the Baptist. John has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him».
Herod had, in fact, ordered that John be arrested, bound in chains and put in prison be-cause of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had said to him, «It is not right for you to have her as wife». Herod wanted to kill him but he did not dare, because he feared the people who regarded John as a prophet.
On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst of the guests; she so delighted Herod that he promised under oath to give her anything she asked. The girl, following the advice of her mother, said, «Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a dish». The king was very displeased, but because he had made this promise under oath in the presence of the guests, he ordered it to be given her. So he had John beheaded in prison and his head brought on a dish and given to the girl. The girl then took it to her mother. Then John's disciples came to take his body and bury it. And they went to bring the news to Jesus.
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
On one occasion the news about Jesus reached King Herod. And he said to his servants, «This man is John the Baptist. John has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him».
Herod had, in fact, ordered that John be arrested, bound in chains and put in prison be-cause of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had said to him, «It is not right for you to have her as wife». Herod wanted to kill him but he did not dare, because he feared the people who regarded John as a prophet.
On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst of the guests; she so delighted Herod that he promised under oath to give her anything she asked. The girl, following the advice of her mother, said, «Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a dish». The king was very displeased, but because he had made this promise under oath in the presence of the guests, he ordered it to be given her. So he had John beheaded in prison and his head brought on a dish and given to the girl. The girl then took it to her mother. Then John's disciples came to take his body and bury it. And they went to bring the news to Jesus.
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage is a sad and tragic passage describing the fate of he who proclaimed for the preparation of the road towards God, of he who came before Christ and prepared the path for Him, that is John the baptist. The passage opens with Herod claiming that Jesus is in fact John who had risen, which is why He is powerful. It then cuts back to a flashback where John was killed. John was arrested by Herod because John had chastised Herod for taking the wife of his brother Phillip. Herod was outraged and wished to kill him, but feared the crowds who believed in John. However, on Herod's birthday, his wife's daughter danced and Herod was very pleased. Herod then said that he will give her anything she wants, and by the advice of her mother, the girl asked for John's head on a dish. Herod was greatly disturbed, but the deed was done. John was beheaded and his head served on a dish. His disciples buried the body and delivered the news to Jesus.
What can we learn from this tragic passage? If there is anything we can learn here, it's John's fate. How is it that John, a man who is supposed to be glorified for preparing for Christ, receives an undesirable end? That is a head on the platter, killed in a prison, what can be more disgraceful than such fate? This reminds us, that being a follower of Christ and a servant of the truth will not bring us wealth, fame, or power, it will only bring us the opposite. We will be rejected, we will suffer, we will sacrifice, but it is all to see how far we will go to get the most valuable thing in the world. Jesus has demonstrated this, by dying in every way possible so we get just one more chance, John has demonstrated this, letting his head be served on a dish to make way for Jesus. Now, are we prepared and willing to face suffering as well in the struggle for the truth? That is all I have to say for today, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Friday, 3rd of August 2018
Matthew 13:54-58
Jesus went to his hometown and taught the people in their synagogue. They were amazed and said, «Where did He get this wisdom and these special powers? Isn't He the carpenter's son? Isn't Mary his mother and aren't James, Joseph, Simon and Judas his brothers? Aren't all his sisters living here? How did he get all this?». And so they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, «The only place where prophets are not welcome is their hometown and in their own family». And He did not perform many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Jesus went to his hometown and taught the people in their synagogue. They were amazed and said, «Where did He get this wisdom and these special powers? Isn't He the carpenter's son? Isn't Mary his mother and aren't James, Joseph, Simon and Judas his brothers? Aren't all his sisters living here? How did he get all this?». And so they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, «The only place where prophets are not welcome is their hometown and in their own family». And He did not perform many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage is a repeat passage, but it is a significant passage, and I believe repeating it is not harmful. However, as usual I will merely add my thoughts here. Here, Jesus is shown to be rejected, by His own neighbors, His own kin, His own blood. How does one feel when they are rejected by those closest to them? We don't realize this everyday, but Jesus' believers are people far from home, people Jesus met in the streets, in the lakes, in various cities, but not His hometown. Instead, His folk mocked Him and rejected Him, this of course affected Jesus deeply. This event may be part of the reason why Jesus said that "the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." What can we analyze though in a logical perspective?
Why is it that His own kin would reject Him. It may be because of jealousy, or disappointment, how so? These people had known Jesus since He was young, as such they had formed hard rooted societal expectations of what Jesus should be. And when Jesus defies those expectations, it is understandable to say that they would be disappointed in Jesus. And of course, seeing that their own blood became so much greater than themselves certainly rubbed them the wrong way. They become jealous as they feel, "How can a mere son of a carpenter be what He is now? When we stay in the lower classes?" It is ironic that Jesus will eventually take the place as the suffering and oppressed to elevate His kin's status and free them from eternal death. As such, the rejection was caused by social stigma, disappointment, and jealousy.
It wasn't mentioned in this passage, but in the Mark version, it was described how Jesus was astounded and shocked that He was rejected. Did Jesus not foresaw this? The answer is simple. Jesus in the end is still limited as a human. Furthermore, Jesus is under pressure of saving humanity, He would of course expect people to believe Him, especially His closest ones. He trusts them as He has known them the most, yet His trust is betrayed by His own people, His own blood, His own family. Eventually, Jesus did speak out, claiming that prophets are rejected only in their own peoples and in their homes.
It is also interesting to note that due to the lack of faith, Jesus was unable to perform many miracles, this implies that there is a connection between lack of faith and miracles, is that so? Miracles do not happen because Jesus acted upon the sickly people, it is the sickly people that had faith in Christ, and thus their faith allowed Jesus to help them heal. This is why Jesus always said to the sick people that it is their faith that saved them, because the miracle happen as a result of the sick truly being open towards healing. On the other hand, the people in Jesus' hometown had no faith in Him, thus this made it impossible for Jesus to perform miracles, as the people does not desire it to happen. As such, if you will something hard enough, it will happen, as such, be careful with your wishes.
What can we learn for ourselves from this passage though? If there is one thing we can learn is to be accepting of the situation and to never give up. Jesus throughout His life has been misunderstood, rejected, and attacked, yet He keeps going with His mission. Even if His mentality begins to succumb, He still smiles for the children, and He still comforts the crying women of Jerusalem. It is this behavior of Christ that we must strive to follow. That is to persist and keep moving, even in deep rejection or denial by others. Thus, are we able to follow Jesus in His footsteps, and be unwavering in our struggle? That is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Thursday, 2nd of August 2018
Matthew 13:47-53
Jesus said to his disciples, «Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a big fishing net let down into the sea, in which every kind of fish has been caught. When the net is full, it is dragged ashore. Then they sit down and gather the good fish in buckets, but throw the worthless ones away. That is how it will be at the end of time; the angels will go out to separate the wicked from the just and throw them into the blazing furnace, where they will weep and gnash their teeth». Jesus asked, «Have you understood all these things?». «Yes», they answered. So He said to them, «You will see that every teacher of the Law who becomes a disciple of the Kingdom is like a householder who can produce from his store things both new and old». When Jesus had finished these parables, He left the place.
Jesus said to his disciples, «Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a big fishing net let down into the sea, in which every kind of fish has been caught. When the net is full, it is dragged ashore. Then they sit down and gather the good fish in buckets, but throw the worthless ones away. That is how it will be at the end of time; the angels will go out to separate the wicked from the just and throw them into the blazing furnace, where they will weep and gnash their teeth». Jesus asked, «Have you understood all these things?». «Yes», they answered. So He said to them, «You will see that every teacher of the Law who becomes a disciple of the Kingdom is like a householder who can produce from his store things both new and old». When Jesus had finished these parables, He left the place.
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage seems oddly familiar with the weeds parable, and I did explain the problems with that parable. As such, I will do the same with this one, and probably only repeat what I said previously, so here we go. This time, Jesus compares the kingdom with a big fishing net that is thrown to the sea and gathered many fishes. Good fish is kept, and bad fish is thrown away. Jesus went far enough to explain it, that the good fish are good people, whole the bad fish are bad people. This of course, erases any possibility of it simply being the removal of the bad characteristics and the retaining of the good characteristics. Jesus also ends with an odd cultural centered comment on teachers of law, more on that later.
If there is one thing that Jesus seems neurotic about, it's the day of judgement and His ideal kingdom of God. His ideal kingdom is a kingdom of perfectly good people, and that the bad people are just pests to be thrown off to hell. The problem is, this contradicts with His mission, that is to die so we don't need to die, and really by Jesus' logic, the kingdom will be empty, because in my opinion, there is no one that is truly fit for the kingdom. So again, why does Jesus keep saying that the sinful will be banished to hell? Even when He keeps telling us to forgive others and to love others, to even forgive our enemies and pray for those who persecuted us!
It would be good if Jesus is only mixing things up, as what He says is partly true, as sin warrants death, naturally, even without the condemnation of Jesus. As such, judgement happens every single moment of our life. When we commit sin, we become less free and when we commit virtues, we become more free, that's how it goes. Of course, it is logical that Jesus simply didn't say that He will in the end go to hell Himself so no one else does, but why would He do that? Why would He withheld information and act like it will happen, after all He spoke of the end days very often.
Jesus' statement on the end days are a mixture of two things, natural judgement and the final revolution. It is true that people are always judged naturally for their actions, and it is true that someday, Christ will return to enact the final war, the final conflict, and the final revolution to end all wars, conflicts, and bring peace to the world. However, those two events are separate, one describes a constant process that is a natural consequence while the other one is an eschatological concept that will inevitable happen, and can only be delayed but not cancelled or prevented. So, what is going on here?
Jesus mixing it up is odd, as it implies that He does not want to save people and only wishes to have it the easy way. Yet we all know that Jesus dies in the end and now is the sole inhabitant of hell. So, do we have a psychological argument for this phenomena? Well, yes we do, you see, Jesus had suffered from the early days of His life, as having the burden of knowledge is not easy, let alone knowledge of your death. As such, it is only natural that as a human, Jesus will have doubts along the way, and this doubt was planted deep in His mind, and thus we have the odd mixture of judgement and end days. Eventually, all of His doubts are resolved in Gethsemane, with God comforting Him one last time before death. In the end, Jesus is only human, like us, but He is an astounding Human, that we shall strive to follow. That is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Wednesday, 1st of August 2018
Matthew 13:44-46
Jesus said to the crowds, «The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. The one who finds it buries it again; and so happy is he, that he goes and sells everything he has, in order to buy that field.
»Again the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who is looking for fine pearls. Once he has found a pearl of exceptional quality, he goes away, sells everything he has and buys it».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Jesus said to the crowds, «The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. The one who finds it buries it again; and so happy is he, that he goes and sells everything he has, in order to buy that field.
»Again the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who is looking for fine pearls. Once he has found a pearl of exceptional quality, he goes away, sells everything he has and buys it».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage, while short, as in only three verses, has an important message on the nature of the kingdom. While the meaning seems quite straightforward, I will try to add my personal interpretations. The passage are two short parables, which compares the kingdom of heaven to a treasure or a pearl, and the ones who found it sold off everything to obtain it. In literal sense, this is idiotic, but we're here to examine this in a metaphorical sense, not a literal sense. The most straightforward interpretation is that the kingdom is the most valuable thing one can obtain, and in fact is worth more than everything else in the world. However we must ask deeper, why is it so valuable?
The answer can be found within the definition of the kingdom of heaven, which is a condition where the divine and absolute truth rules and is in supremacy, thus creating eternal peace and justice where love is the law. This is clearly the most valuable thing in the world, as it will give mankind everything that they need, and is the source of eternal life and happiness. Tell me, what can be more valuable than eternal life, peace, love, justice, and happiness? However, remember what the trader and the digger did? They sold off everything, to get what they wanted, and unfortunately, this applies to us as well, how so?
I believe the meaning of selling everything is quite straightforward, if it isn't, then I shall tell you. It means that in order to obtain what we wish, we must sacrifice everything that we have and everything that we are. Just as Jesus once said, they who wish to keep their life shall lose it, but those who lose it by the truth shall regain it. This is because in our current oppressive world, society is governed by a system that completely contradicts the truth, and generally will attempt at anything to destroy the truth. As such, we can only expect suffering and sacrifice at first when we attempt to find the truth. However, the most important thing is, are we ready to suffer and sacrifice to reach the truth? That is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Tuesday, 31st of July 2018
Matthew 13:36-43
Jesus sent the crowds away and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, «Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field». He answered them, «The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed are the people of the Kingdom; the weeds are those who follow the evil one. The enemy who sows them is the devil; the harvest is the end of time and the workers are the angels.
»Just as the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom all that is scandalous and all who do evil. And these will be thrown in the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. If you have ears, then hear».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Jesus sent the crowds away and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, «Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field». He answered them, «The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed are the people of the Kingdom; the weeds are those who follow the evil one. The enemy who sows them is the devil; the harvest is the end of time and the workers are the angels.
»Just as the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom all that is scandalous and all who do evil. And these will be thrown in the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. If you have ears, then hear».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage seems to be Jesus' personal explanation on the parable of the weeds and the wheat, yet of course, even Jesus' interpretations can still be interpreted. As such, since I have talked about the parable itself before, we will only talk about the meaning of the interpretation and whether it lines up with our interpretation and understanding. Now most of what Jesus said does line up with our past interpretation. And while we did say that the field represents humanity, technically humanity can be equated with the world. However this is not the actual problem with Jesus' interpretation.
It is true that the harvest is a metaphor for judgement day, however, what are angels? And what is it between Jesus and constantly condemning the sinful to their deaths? Did He not die for them especially? And Jesus was explicit in this passage, saying that He will be the judge and He will decide who gets to live and who gets to die. Well then, perhaps we can try to unravel this mess, one by one.
Demons are spirits that are incredibly depraved or very deep in the sinful condition, however are angels spirits that are incredibly enlightened? Regardless of the angels, what of the judgement day? Let us review the truth and the possible alternatives here. We know that God is the whole of existence and thus it would be illogical that God would discard part of Themselves to oblivion. While Jesus' words implies that sinful people will die, we too know that death is the logical consequence of sin, attachment leads to further attachment until a state of complete depravity. As such, I have another explanation.
Jesus in the judgement day may only be acting as someone who will show the path and thus automatically declare who is sinful because it shows what kind of acts are sinful and what acts are neutral or perhaps virtuous. This is equivalent to Jesus condemning them to death, though Jesus did not require to condemn or curse sinful people, as they are already on their death sentence since they sinned. As such, Jesus may simply be saying it weirdly, however this does not solve the problem, and it again boils down to angels.
The passage clearly states that the angels will weed out the evil ones and be the condemners to death, yet this again makes no sense at all. Even if we assume angels here to refer to incredibly virtuous and free spirits, and perhaps they are Jesus' agents, it still makes no sense. As it would seem to mean that these spirits would literally take evil humans and throw them to hell. All of this seems very mythological and weird, and it really is out of character for Jesus to say this, so is this really it? Perhaps it is, unless we try to compare this with the entire world.
Who in this entire earth is genuinely sinless? Or perhaps, who in this world even cares about the truth? Most who claim to are usually just masking their own desires in the name of the truth, what about people who genuinely look for the truth? I believe there are very few of them. As such, are we to believe that Jesus would condemn most of existence to hell? Does that not make sense? Certainly it does not. However, we must understand that Jesus only spoke of what will happen, but He never confirmed that it will happen exactly as He said. Not only that, the concept of judgement day directly contradicts His role in the world.
Why did Jesus came for the first time? Was it to spread the seeds of the Gospel? That was part of His task, but not the primary task in actuality. As such, what is His true goal on earth? Why did He came in flesh and blood as a servant? The answer is simple, it is to die, to die and thus save every human being from death. Instead of us going to the furnace, it is Jesus who opted to take our place and thus He is the one who burns, He is the who weeps, and He is the one who gnashes their teeth. As such, we know that the judgement day will happen, where the kingdom will be brought forth and realized, but instead of the weeds being thrown out, it is the sower Himself who sacrificed Himself, to save us, the weeds. So, why does Jesus kept saying about Him being a judge?
We know very well that no one will be sent to hell in judgement day, because Jesus paid the bail for us, and He's the one going to hell so we don't, but why does He like to say the opposite? The answer may be found in the context of His situation. First, He is human, and thus may be limited in some aspects and thus say nonsensical things. Or more sensible view is that since Jesus have not died in the context of this passage, He would be much more doubtful and fearful of death itself. As such, it may be possible that Jesus wishes to die first, but later on cut off the broken parts of God, and then reattach Himself to God, thus creating another scapegoat. However, we all know that Jesus eventually scrapped this idea, and decided to take on the full weight Himself. As such, that is all I have to say for now, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Monday, July 30, 2018
Monday, 30th of July 2018
Matthew 13:31-35
Jesus put another parable before them, «The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, that a man took and sowed in his field. It is smaller than all other seeds, but once it has fully grown, it is bigger than any garden plant; like a tree, the birds come and rest in its branches».
He told them another parable, «The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast that a woman took and buried in three measures of flour until the whole mass of dough began to rise». Jesus taught all this to the crowds by means of parables; He did not say anything to them without using a parable. So what the Prophet had said was fulfilled: ‘I will speak in parables. I will proclaim things kept secret since the beginning of the world’.
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Jesus put another parable before them, «The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, that a man took and sowed in his field. It is smaller than all other seeds, but once it has fully grown, it is bigger than any garden plant; like a tree, the birds come and rest in its branches».
He told them another parable, «The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast that a woman took and buried in three measures of flour until the whole mass of dough began to rise». Jesus taught all this to the crowds by means of parables; He did not say anything to them without using a parable. So what the Prophet had said was fulfilled: ‘I will speak in parables. I will proclaim things kept secret since the beginning of the world’.
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage seems to be another repeat passage if I remember correctly. For the very least, I have seen this passage once and analyzed, regardless I will give out my thoughts again. Both parables essentially tell us that the kingdom of heaven is a process, it does not become completed in a single revolution, but it evolves slowly and surely. While yes there will be an ultimate revolution that will change everything for the better, it must be known that to prepare for that revolution a long time of preparation is needed. As such, we must stay wary and careful until the revolution begins and Christ returns for the second time.
The first passage also tells how the kingdom will begin with something that seems insignificant. It will start with something that is smaller than all other things, and then it will grow into something that is larger and grander than all things. Actually, I have an even crazier idea, I am willing to bet that Jesus is actually forecasting His second coming. When He returns, He shall start as one that is insignificant, one that is overlooked and unknown, smaller than all people, yet He will then prove Himself to be who He truly is. He will then lead the revolution and liberate all of us from the dark forces of materialism. Until then, we can only do our part and wait in eternal hope. That is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Sunday, 29th of July 2018
John 6:1-15
Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, near Tiberias, and large crowds followed him because of the miraculous signs they saw when He healed the sick. So He went up into the hills and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Then lifting up his eyes, Jesus saw the crowds that were coming to him and said to Philip, «Where shall we buy bread so that these people may eat?». He said this to test Philip, for He himself knew what He was going to do. Philip answered him, «Two hundred silver coins would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a piece». Then one of Jesus' disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said, «There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?».
Jesus said, «Make the people sit down». There was plenty of grass there so the people, about five thousand men, sat down to rest. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks and distributed them to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish and gave them as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten enough, he told his disciples, «Gather up the pieces left over, that nothing may be lost». So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with bread, that is with pieces of the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.
When the people saw this sign that Jesus had just given, they said, «This is really the Prophet, he who is to come into the world». Jesus realized that they would come and take him by force to make him king; so He fled to the hills by himself.
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, near Tiberias, and large crowds followed him because of the miraculous signs they saw when He healed the sick. So He went up into the hills and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Then lifting up his eyes, Jesus saw the crowds that were coming to him and said to Philip, «Where shall we buy bread so that these people may eat?». He said this to test Philip, for He himself knew what He was going to do. Philip answered him, «Two hundred silver coins would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a piece». Then one of Jesus' disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said, «There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?».
Jesus said, «Make the people sit down». There was plenty of grass there so the people, about five thousand men, sat down to rest. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks and distributed them to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish and gave them as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten enough, he told his disciples, «Gather up the pieces left over, that nothing may be lost». So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with bread, that is with pieces of the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.
When the people saw this sign that Jesus had just given, they said, «This is really the Prophet, he who is to come into the world». Jesus realized that they would come and take him by force to make him king; so He fled to the hills by himself.
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage is interesting, why is it interesting? It is interesting as for how long this passage is, it's only a record of a the miracle of Jesus feeding over five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two pieces of fish. As such, it is to me quite insignificant in a teaching or ideological standpoint. Though from the material standpoint, this passage is very significant, as this miracle is one of the most over the top miracles Jesus performed. Healing may be possible by transferring energy and such, but multiplying food? And there's the part in the end where Jesus ran away because He realized the crowds will take Him by force and make Him king.
There is nothing that is impossible in the world of science, as in the end it boils down to energy. You just have to be able to manipulate the quantum fluctuations and energy levels and you can do anything. While transferring energy is very much possible, and with enough faith, you can do it as Jesus did multiple times. However, what about multiplying bread from five loaves to more than enough to feed five thousand people or more and still having twelve large baskets of it? Oh and the fish was also multiplied, but it wasn't spared because if you leave fish too long, it'll rot. Wouldn't this require more energy to be generated and converted to food? Yes it does, however if the energy is taken from the environment, wouldn't it cause some weird side effects? Well yes, which is why the energy actually came from somewhere else. And where is that? Well it's Jesus Himself, this makes sense as Jesus spiritually is still quite godly in nature, as such He has much more energy, probably infinite, and thus He can use His own energy to convert into bread and fishes.
Why did Jesus fled when He realized that He was about to be taken by force and made king? Well you see, because Jesus does not want to be idolized, He does not want us to constantly bow to Him and worship Him, because that's not the will of God. The will of God is for us to seek the truth and fulfill it as according to what we are, our potentials and talents. Jesus in this case was avoiding a cult of personality, which unfortunately somewhat persists today. Well that and if Jesus was taken away at that time, He won't be able to fulfill His mission, that is to save humanity. As such, this tells one thing, we should never fall down to the cult of personality of Jesus, what we should be doing is understanding Him and aid Him in His mission, not bow to Him or praise Him, that won't help. That is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Friday, July 27, 2018
Saturday, 28th of July 2018
Matthew 13:24-30
Jesus told his disciples another parable, «The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and left. When the plants sprouted and produced grain, the weeds also appeared. Then the servants of the owner came to him and said: ‘Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’. He answered them: ‘This is the work of an enemy’. They asked him: ‘Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?’. He told them: ‘No, when you pull up the weeds, you might uproot the wheat with them. Let them just grow together until harvest; and at harvest time I will say to the workers: Pull up the weeds first, tie them in bundles and burn them; then gather the wheat into my barn’».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Jesus told his disciples another parable, «The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and left. When the plants sprouted and produced grain, the weeds also appeared. Then the servants of the owner came to him and said: ‘Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’. He answered them: ‘This is the work of an enemy’. They asked him: ‘Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?’. He told them: ‘No, when you pull up the weeds, you might uproot the wheat with them. Let them just grow together until harvest; and at harvest time I will say to the workers: Pull up the weeds first, tie them in bundles and burn them; then gather the wheat into my barn’».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage tells another parable, one that we can freely examine since Jesus has not spoiled it for us. The parable is as follows, that the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a man who sowed seeds in his field. When people are unwary, the enemy came and spread weeds among the wheat, then left. Eventually the wheat grew, but so does the weeds and the servants asked if the weeds should be picked up. The sower declined as in the process it might uproot the wheat as well. As such, the sower instructs the servants to let it grow until harvest time, and only then will the wheat and weeds be harvested, but the weeds shall be tied up and burned. While the wheat is stored safely in the barn.
This is technically a metaphor for the day of judgement, or the ultimate conflict, the war to end all wars, the suffering to end all suffering. While at first glance this parable is still weird, it would be clearer if we analyze this. It is most obvious that the wheat are the truth while weeds are materialism, or mammon. We assume that the sower is God, but who is the enemy then? We know for sure that demons don't exist, or not inherently, as they are merely a representation of the most depraved parts of the consciousness. Yet the sower and the enemy then must be the same entity, well because they are. How does this make sense?
The sower reflects the truthful side of God, the one who is wise and seeks salvation. While the enemy reflects the depraved and deceitful side of God, one that despises the self and only wishes for destruction. Acknowledge that both the enemy and the sower has power over the fields, this hints towards the power equality of both entities. However, why would the sower wish to let the weeds grow first until harvest time before it is burned? And does it mean the elimination of all "undesirables"? No, of course not, the fields are not the world, the fields are ourselves, and the wheat is the truth while the weed is the forces of death. Now that it is cleared up, we can start to unravel the mystery of the wheat and weeds.
What does it mean that if we uproot the weed prematurely, it can uproot the wheat as well? This all have to do with the readiness of humanity to receive the ultimate salvation. You see, when the good and evil mixes, they become somewhat inseparable and it becomes hard to separate them. As such, if we wish to kill the evil prematurely, it may end up killing the good as well, and thus making it easier for evil to grow again. This also has to do with the good and evil being indistinguishable, like weeds and wheat, they become tangled and if uprooted, it is uprooted together. Another explanation is that the righteous people have not the truth rooted hard enough into them, and thus when the evil are uprooted, thus a conflict, it would kill the truth within the righteous, just like the seed that fell among rocky grounds. As such, we must wait for the right time to launch our revolution, and only then we will succeed. I believe that is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Friday, 27th of July 2018
Matthew 13:18-23
Jesus said to his disciples, «Now listen to the parable of the sower. When a person hears the message of the Kingdom but without taking it to himself, the devil comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed that fell along the footpath. The seed that fell on rocky ground stands for the one who hears the word and accepts it at once with joy. But this fickle and has no roots. No sooner is he harassed or persecuted because of the word, than he gives up. The seed that fell among the thistles is the one who hears the word, but then the worries of this life and the love of money choke the word, and it does not bear fruit. As for the seed that fell on good soil it is the one who hears the word and under-stands it; this bears fruit and produces a hundred, or sixty, or thirty times more».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Jesus said to his disciples, «Now listen to the parable of the sower. When a person hears the message of the Kingdom but without taking it to himself, the devil comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed that fell along the footpath. The seed that fell on rocky ground stands for the one who hears the word and accepts it at once with joy. But this fickle and has no roots. No sooner is he harassed or persecuted because of the word, than he gives up. The seed that fell among the thistles is the one who hears the word, but then the worries of this life and the love of money choke the word, and it does not bear fruit. As for the seed that fell on good soil it is the one who hears the word and under-stands it; this bears fruit and produces a hundred, or sixty, or thirty times more».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage is quite intriguing as it is almost very much straightforward, as this is literally Jesus explaining the meaning of one of His parables, that is the parable of the sower. As such, I'll only tell the meaning of the parable itself along with Jesus' explanation of it. In summary, the parable is about a sower who accidentally dropped some seeds unknowingly in their way to the garden. Some fell on a footpath but was eaten by birds, some fell on rocky ground but when grown had no roots and died, some fell among thistles but when it grew, the thistles choked the seedling and it died, the ones actually sown on good soil grew and bear fruit. It produced a hundred, or sixty, or thirty times more.
As Jesus said, the seed that fell on the footpath represented people who heard the truth, but didn't took it seriously. As such the seeds were taken away by the devil, though of course it's metaphorical. Having the truth taken away by the devil simply means the distortion or the loss of the truth. As when we don't care about it, it will eventually be replaced by the devil, that is the materialist desires. The seed that fell on rocky road has a straightforward explanation by Jesus, it is those who think they're on to something big with the truth, only to realize they're going to suffer. Though in my opinion, people should expect suffering, as Jesus Himself said that we will suffer inevitably if we wish to serve the truth and follow Christ. As such, I'd like to warn others that if you seek the truth, don't expect an easy road, as you are contradicting much of the world, and contradictions are sources of conflict.
The seed that fell near thistles represent those who can't commit themselves to the truth, as Jesus said, those who are distracted by their earthly worries and their love of money. Sometimes people seek the truth, but they are too focused on their materialist problems and monetary desires. Eventually, the truth will die within them and thus replaced with their materialism. This is like the seed that fell on the footpath, the difference being here the person actually cares about the truth. However they can not choose between God and mammon, and unlike mammon, the truth needs active effort to maintain and follow as we are fighting the current. While with mammon, we're just relaxing, as such if we don't make a choice, we'll most likely have the truth uprooted forcibly by the materialist system. This is especially true with rich people, specifically "philanthropists". What does it mean to be a philanthropist? You're still rich and conflict still happens, if a rich person truly cares about the world, they would surrender all of their wealth and power for the world, like what Jesus did.
The final group of seeds represent those who heard the truth and understood, as Jesus said. These are people who truly care about the truth, and is willing to face anything to fulfill their commitments, they are also willing to sacrifice all of themselves to do so. Of course, as of now only Jesus actually did it completely. Yes, there have been people doing similarly, but none has matched Jesus' act of sacrifice, just so that others can live. I am not saying what the selfless people did are pointless, it's that it is not whole, and just because something is not pure or perfect, does not make it worthless. People like Einstein, Newton, Comte, Marx, and all other people have contributed a lot of progress to the society. It's just that it does not fully encompass the truth, and thus the duty is now passed to us. Are we ready to give our all and let go of all for the truth and only the truth? That is all I have to say for now, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Thursday, 26th of July 2018
Matthew 13:10-17
The disciples went up to Jesus and asked, «Why do you speak to them in parables?». Jesus answered, «To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but not to these people. For the one who has, will be given more and he will have in abundance. But the one who does not have will be deprived of even what he has. That is why I speak to them in parables, because they look and do not see; they hear, but they do not listen or understand. In them the words of the prophet Isaiah are fulfilled: ‘Much as you hear, you do not understand; much as you see, you do not perceive’. For the heart of this people has grown dull. Their ears hardly hear and their eyes dare not see. If they were to see with their eyes, hear with their ears and understand with their heart, they would turn back and I would heal them.
»But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears, because they hear. For I tell you that many prophets and upright people would have longed to see the things you see, but they did not, and to hear the things you hear, but they did not hear it».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
The disciples went up to Jesus and asked, «Why do you speak to them in parables?». Jesus answered, «To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but not to these people. For the one who has, will be given more and he will have in abundance. But the one who does not have will be deprived of even what he has. That is why I speak to them in parables, because they look and do not see; they hear, but they do not listen or understand. In them the words of the prophet Isaiah are fulfilled: ‘Much as you hear, you do not understand; much as you see, you do not perceive’. For the heart of this people has grown dull. Their ears hardly hear and their eyes dare not see. If they were to see with their eyes, hear with their ears and understand with their heart, they would turn back and I would heal them.
»But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears, because they hear. For I tell you that many prophets and upright people would have longed to see the things you see, but they did not, and to hear the things you hear, but they did not hear it».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage is interesting that it actually differs with the Indonesian version, but since this passage is longer, I will refer to this passage. This passage tells of why Jesus generally speaks in parables, and His reasoning is quite odd at first glance. The passage opens with the disciples asking Jesus why He speaks in parables to the people, but not to them. Jesus answers by saying that the disciples already knew the truth of the kingdom, but the people did not, and thus those who have shall be give more, and those who have not shall be deprived of even more. Jesus continues by saying that the Jews look but do not see, hear but do not understand, and it is in the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. Then Jesus commends the disciples by saying they are blessed for having open eyes and ears, and that many prophets and righteous people long for it, but they do not receive.
Of course, the disciples don't need to be told in parables, as they already understand the truth of the kingdom. In fact, since they already have an understanding, they get more privileges, yet the people who does not, only gets more confusion with parables. Why is it so? I don't see this as Jesus seriously withholding information from the Jews, but He is merely describing how it is. If you already have a head start and a basic understanding, you would understand even more and it's easier to do so. However if you don't, you won't go anywhere and perhaps you'll be even more lost and farther from the truth. What of the looking but not seeing, hearing but not understanding part?
That part describes the mentality and ignorance of the Jews towards the truth. While it is addressed to the Jews at that time, it can be applied to the modern era and the current times as well. Signs of the truth is everywhere, people see it and they hear it as well, yet they do not perceive nor understand it, and they ignore the glaring signs. As such, since these peoples have no understanding in the truth, they will become more lost, their hearts become more dull, eyes become less daring to see, and ears harder to hear. And if this keeps on, I assure you, the suffering of the judgement day will be soon to come. That is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Wednesday, 25th of July 2018
Matthew 20:20-28
The mother of James and John came to Jesus with her sons, and she knelt down to ask a favor. Jesus said to her, «What do you want?». And she answered, «Here you have my two sons. Grant that they may sit, one at your right and one at your left, when you are in your kingdom». Jesus said to the brothers, «You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?». They answered, «We can». Jesus replied, «You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right or at my left is not for me to grant. That will be for those for whom the Father has prepared it».
The other ten heard all this and were angry with the two brothers. Then Jesus called them to him and said, «You know that the rulers of the nations act as tyrants, and the powerful oppress them. It shall not be so among you; whoever wants to be more important in your group shall make himself your servant. And if you want to be first, make yourself the servant of all. Be like the Son of Man who has come, not to be served but to serve and to give his life to redeem many».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/day/2018-07-25
Analysis
The mother of James and John came to Jesus with her sons, and she knelt down to ask a favor. Jesus said to her, «What do you want?». And she answered, «Here you have my two sons. Grant that they may sit, one at your right and one at your left, when you are in your kingdom». Jesus said to the brothers, «You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?». They answered, «We can». Jesus replied, «You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right or at my left is not for me to grant. That will be for those for whom the Father has prepared it».
The other ten heard all this and were angry with the two brothers. Then Jesus called them to him and said, «You know that the rulers of the nations act as tyrants, and the powerful oppress them. It shall not be so among you; whoever wants to be more important in your group shall make himself your servant. And if you want to be first, make yourself the servant of all. Be like the Son of Man who has come, not to be served but to serve and to give his life to redeem many».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/day/2018-07-25
Analysis
This passage is another repeat passage, as such I shall only give my thoughts about it. The first paragraph mainly tells us that following Christ, let alone being Christ, is not completely glorious, in fact it brings much more suffering and pain than anyone would. As when the brothers' mothers asked Jesus, He replied asking if the brothers can drink from the cup that Jesus will drink, that is the cup of suffering. The second paragraph merely reemphasizes this message, that if we wish to be significant, we must serve others, if we wish to be the first, we shall serve others as well. And Jesus ends the passage by saying that He came to serve, not to be served, and to give His life to redeem many. In conclusion, if we wish to fight and stand for the truth, we should not expect luxurious treatments or glory, yet we will find pain and suffering. I believe that is all I have to say for now, have a nice day and see you later.
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Tuesday, 24th of July 2018
Matthew 12:46-50
While Jesus was still talking to the people, his mother and his brothers wanted to speak to him and they waited outside. So someone said to him, «Your mother and your brothers are just outside; they want to speak with you». Jesus answered, «Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?». Then He pointed to his disciples and said, «Look! Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is for me brother, sister, or mother».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
While Jesus was still talking to the people, his mother and his brothers wanted to speak to him and they waited outside. So someone said to him, «Your mother and your brothers are just outside; they want to speak with you». Jesus answered, «Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?». Then He pointed to his disciples and said, «Look! Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is for me brother, sister, or mother».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage is another repeat passage, and I'll only add what I see is needed to be added. Again, this passage holds an important message regarding Jesus and His connection with the world. Here, it is clear that Jesus is quite unconnected with the world, even to His close ones, of blood even. Instead He is close to those who shares His mission and desires, that is salvation of the world and of the truth, that is those who He truly connects with. This shows the desperation of Christ and darkness of His life, a lonely and despaired life, yet He keeps fighting to accomplish His mission. We ought to reflect what we have done in this world to alleviate His suffering, have we? That is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Monday, July 23, 2018
Monday, 23rd of July 2018
Matthew 12:38-42
Some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees spoke up, «Teacher, we want to see a sign from you». Jesus answered them, «An evil and unfaithful people want a sign, but no sign will be given them except the sign of the prophet Jonah. In the same way that Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the monster fish, so will the Son of Man spend three days and three nights in the depths of the earth. At the judgment, the people of Niniveh will rise with this generation and condemn it, because they reformed their lives at the preaching of Jonah, and here there is greater than Jonah. At the judgment, the Queen of the South will stand up and condemn you. She came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and here there is greater than Solomon».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/day/2018-07-23
Analysis
Some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees spoke up, «Teacher, we want to see a sign from you». Jesus answered them, «An evil and unfaithful people want a sign, but no sign will be given them except the sign of the prophet Jonah. In the same way that Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the monster fish, so will the Son of Man spend three days and three nights in the depths of the earth. At the judgment, the people of Niniveh will rise with this generation and condemn it, because they reformed their lives at the preaching of Jonah, and here there is greater than Jonah. At the judgment, the Queen of the South will stand up and condemn you. She came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and here there is greater than Solomon».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/day/2018-07-23
Analysis
This passage is one passage that is quite hard to decipher, until you think about it hard enough. The passage starts with the pharisees asking Jesus to give a sign to them. Jesus then replied by saying that they are evil and unfaithful, and no sign shall be given except for the sign of Jonah which is trapped in the belly of a fish for three days, and so too Jesus will die and be resurrected in three days. Jesus then compared the contemporary Jewish generation with the cities of Niniveh and also the Queen of the South, both were sinful but repented when they were enlightened with the truth.
What does a sign mean? I believe it is more of a miracle than a sign, as the pharisees wishes Jesus to prove that He is divine and mighty. Jesus knew that this is only a facade, as there had been numerous signs that hint on Jesus' divinity, but the pharisees simply won't believe it. As such Jesus refuses to give a sign at all. The part of the peoples of Niniveh and also the Queen of the South shows how the contemporary Jewish generation is so much more sinful than Niniveh and the Queen, as they both repented, but the Jews refused. Jesus also said that there is something greater than both Jonah and Solomon, He is of course referring to the truth that He brings. This situation is technically applicable to the modern day, as people are already comfortable with their own truths, and neglecting the absolute truth. I believe that is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you later.
Saturday, July 21, 2018
Sunday, 22nd of July 2018
Mark 6:30-34
The apostles returned and reported to Jesus all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, «Go off by yourselves to a remote place and have some rest». For there were so many people coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a secluded area by themselves. But people saw them leaving and many could guess where they were going. So, from all the towns they hurried there on foot, arriving ahead of them. As Jesus went ashore he saw a large crowd, and he had compassion on them for they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began a long teaching session with them.
The apostles returned and reported to Jesus all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, «Go off by yourselves to a remote place and have some rest». For there were so many people coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a secluded area by themselves. But people saw them leaving and many could guess where they were going. So, from all the towns they hurried there on foot, arriving ahead of them. As Jesus went ashore he saw a large crowd, and he had compassion on them for they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began a long teaching session with them.
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel
Analysis
Today's passage is interesting as it is quite insignificant, at least in my view. As such, I will only explain the most important parts of this passage. In summary, the passage tells of Jesus and His disciples trying to get away from the crowds, so they can relax. This is of course, quite logical and natural, after all they didn't even manage to eat. Unfortunately, they were spotted and followed, and once Jesus and the group arrived at where they wished to be, they found a large crowd of people waiting already. This shows just how influential Jesus was at that time, to the point of people following them around everywhere. In the end, the passage describes the crowd as sheep without a shepherd. This is for me, the only significant part of the passage, as it describes the truth of the people back then and today. That is akin to people without a leader, without someone to show the way, thus aimless and lost. I believe that is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Saturday, 21st of July 2018
Matthew 12:14-21
The Pharisees went out and made plans to get rid of Jesus. As Jesus was aware of the plot, He went away from that place. Many people followed him and He cured all who were sick. Then He gave them strict orders not to make him known. In this way Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled: «Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, and with whom I am pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him and He will announce my judgment to the nations. He will not argue or shout, nor will his voice be heard in the streets. The bruised reed He will not crush, nor snuff out the smoldering wick. He will persist until justice is made victorious and in him all the nations will put their hope».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/day/2018-07-21
Analysis
This passage is quite interesting, that the actual significance is within the reference towards Isaiah's prophecy, and not the main passage itself. The passage that is not part of Isaiah's prophecy only talks about Jesus avoiding the Pharisees, curing people, and telling them not to tell of His identity. Meanwhile, the prophecy states that Jesus is God's servant that has been chosen, the one who is loved, and the one which God is pleased with. The spirit of God shall be put into Jesus and He will announce the judgement to the world. Jesus will not argue, shout, and His voice will not be heard in the streets. He shall not crush the bruised reed, or snuff out the smoldering wick until justice is made victorious, and all nations will hope in Him.
The first part of the prophecy describes Jesus' relationship with God, but it is the second part that truly attracts my attention. The meaning of that part implies of Jesus being rejected, ignored and unheard by many people. This is the reality of Christ, which persists until now. The last part is also quite interesting for me, as it speaks of Jesus not destroying things that are technically better off dead, before the law is set in stone. What does this means? In my opinion, it most likely means how until the law of the truth is declared as the only law, nothing shall be judged by Christ. I believe that is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you later.
Friday, 20th of July 2018
Matthew 12:1-8
It happened that Jesus walked through the wheat fields on a Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and began to pick some heads of wheat and crush them to eat the grain. When the Pharisees noticed this, they said to Jesus, «Look at your disciples; they are doing what is prohibited on the Sabbath!». Jesus answered, «Have you not read what David did when he and his men were hungry? He went into the house of God, and they ate the bread offered to God, although neither he nor his men had the right to eat it, but only the priests. And have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple break the Sabbath rest, yet they are not guilty? I tell you, there is greater than the Temple here. If you really knew the meaning of the words: ‘It is mercy I want, not sacrifice’, you would not have condemned the innocent. Besides the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/day/2018-07-20
Analysis
It happened that Jesus walked through the wheat fields on a Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and began to pick some heads of wheat and crush them to eat the grain. When the Pharisees noticed this, they said to Jesus, «Look at your disciples; they are doing what is prohibited on the Sabbath!». Jesus answered, «Have you not read what David did when he and his men were hungry? He went into the house of God, and they ate the bread offered to God, although neither he nor his men had the right to eat it, but only the priests. And have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple break the Sabbath rest, yet they are not guilty? I tell you, there is greater than the Temple here. If you really knew the meaning of the words: ‘It is mercy I want, not sacrifice’, you would not have condemned the innocent. Besides the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/day/2018-07-20
Analysis
This passage tells us the significance of being flexible towards the law, and opens with Jesus and His disciples walking through a wheat field on a Sabbath. The disciples were hungry, and thus picked up some grains and ate them. The Pharisees noticed and were upset, exclaiming that the disciples did something prohibited on the Sabbath. Jesus answered with a historical account, that David came into the Temple with his men and ate the bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. And in the law itself, it is written that the priests are allowed to break the Sabbath without being guilty. Jesus finally claimed that there is something greater than the Temple, and admonished the pharisees saying that if they truly knew the meaning of "It is mercy I want, not sacrifice", they wouldn't condemn the innocent. Then, Jesus claimed that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.
The point of being able to break the Sabbath as Jesus emphasizes does not mean we should be able to break the law as we wish. It means that we should not uphold the law as a strict guideline, and we must be flexible towards it. Why must we be flexible? Because in the end, rules are just guidelines on how to be a moral and perfect individual. However, if the law itself becomes a barrier between us and salvation, shouldn't we discard the law? Or perhaps change it? Jesus also claimed that there is something greater than the temple, what does that mean? It's simple, the Temple represents the strict institutionalized teachings of religion. What Jesus is referring to is the truth and salvation, which transcends religion and rituals. This includes the Church, as the truth and salvation is not limited to mere labels.
"It is mercy I want, not sacrifice," to understand the meaning of that sentence, we must truly understand the meaning of sacrifice. Traditionally, sacrifices are made to please God, but how? How does sacrifices please God? To understand that, we must examine the true meaning of Jesus' sacrifice. Jesus died to take on the weight of sin, so instead of us going into hell, it is Jesus that went to hell. As such, pre Jesus sacrifices are made for that purpose as well. However, it is very true that simply removing the problems does not equate to solving it. As such, Jesus wishes for mercy, or the actual resolution of the problems, and not just moving it around. The last part of Jesus' words about Him being the Lord of the Sabbath simply refers to His position as truth bearer. So technically, it is the truth that is the Lord of the Sabbath, and the Sabbath should obey what the truth dictates. I believe that is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you later.
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Thursday, 19th of July 2018
Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus spoke thus, «Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is good and my burden is light».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Jesus spoke thus, «Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is good and my burden is light».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
This may be our shortest passage yet, yet it contains a very important message. This passage alludes much to the sacrifice of Christ and also the philosophy of the Eucharist. Jesus tells us to come to Him with our heavy burdens and we shall be refreshed. He tells us to take His yoke, and learn from Him as He is gentle and humble, and we shall find rest. His yoke is good and His burden is light. Why is it that when we come to Jesus we will be refreshed, that our burdens will be lightened? Simple, it's not that our burdens are erased, but simply that Jesus took our burden for us. His yoke or His burden, is not even a burden actually, it simply means His glory, peace, and eternal life. Thus, we give our terrible burdens to Jesus in exchange for His glory, peace, and eternal life.
This part simply shows that while Jesus can sometimes be arrogant or have a hot temper, at heart, He is still someone who deeply loves humanity, to the point of letting Himself die just so that all others can have a second chance. He is most of the time gentle and humble, and when He said to learn from Him, it most likely means to learn the truth and thus of salvation. While I don't usually speak of moral messages and warnings, I believe I should from now. Jesus spoke with full humility in this passage, and gave up His good yoke and light burdens, so the rest of the world can have another chance in fixing themselves. Yet, we betrayed His love for us, and now we have strayed away, including the Church. At this rate, if nothing changes, then perhaps we have condemned Jesus to eternal death. I hope it does not come to that. I believe that is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Wednesday, 18th of July 2018
Matthew 11:25-27
On one occasion Jesus said, «Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise you, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to simple people. Yes, Father, this is what pleased you. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage is quite short, spanning only three verses. It does however, have a very good meaning for all of us. The passage begins with Jesus praising God for hiding the truth from the wise and learned, while revealing it to simple people. He then continues by saying it is what pleases God, and that everything has been entrusted to Him by God. He then claims that nobody knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those who the Son wishes to reveal the truth.
While this seems like an incredibly simple passage, it's quite deep. First, why would the truth be hidden from the wise and learned? You see, wise here in the context of the bible usually has implications of high status and power. The simple ones are people of the lower end of the hierarchy, the lower class. So what this means is that the truth is hidden from the elites but exposed to the lower classes. The reasoning is that the elites are already too blind with their physical pleasure, while the lower classes are suffering and thus is much more open to the truth. As such, a revolution of the truth should not start with those who are rich and powerful, but with the poor and the powerless, for they need the truth the most, to liberate them from suffering.
Jesus also said that to start the revolution with the poor first is what pleases God, this is because to aid the lowest of people and the most suffering of people is equivalent to treating God's wounds, more so than serving the rich and powerful. God is again, the representation of all things that exist, thus any wounds and suffering felt by the people, are felt by God as well, after all, our wounds are God's wounds and God's wounds are our wounds. To have entrusted everything to Jesus by God simply means that God has entrusted the truth and all of salvation to Jesus Christ. This is elaborated further by His further sayings.
Jesus claimed that no one knew Him but the Father, and no one knew the Father but him and those who Jesus revealed the Father. This indicates the true relationship between God and Jesus, not just as a supreme being with a human being, that is the whole manifestation with their fragments, but something much closer. Unfortunately, I have not actually written out the true relationship between Jesus and God. Of course, Jesus once said that He has existed before Abraham, and He existed along with God since the times of creation. It means that Jesus is there since long before the universe was even manifested, and in the beginning, there was not God, but there was a pair of them. I believe that is all I have to say, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
Monday, July 16, 2018
Tuesday, 17th of July 2018
Matthew 11:20-24
Jesus began to denounce the cities in which He had performed most of his miracles, because the people there did not change their ways, «Alas for you Chorazin and Bethsaida! If the miracles worked in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I assure you, for Tyre and Sidon it will be more bearable on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? You will be thrown down to the place of the dead! For if the miracles which were performed in you had taken place in Sodom, it would still be there today! But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Jesus began to denounce the cities in which He had performed most of his miracles, because the people there did not change their ways, «Alas for you Chorazin and Bethsaida! If the miracles worked in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I assure you, for Tyre and Sidon it will be more bearable on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? You will be thrown down to the place of the dead! For if the miracles which were performed in you had taken place in Sodom, it would still be there today! But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you».
Source: http://evangeli.net/gospel/
Analysis
Today's passage is quite the harsh and strict passage, similar to yesterday's passage. Though today's passage is shorter is more of a scold rather than a warning. Jesus was upset at the cities where He performed most of His miracles, that is the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, because they did not change their ways. He then compared them to the cities of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom, which Jesus claimed would've repented and changed their ways if the miracles were performed there. Jesus also said that those cities would fare better in the day of judgement than for the miracle cities.
This passage is quite the proof of Jesus' humanity, showing He can get disappointed and upset as well. That is natural, after all, who wouldn't be mad if their efforts did not bear fruit? The three miracle cities didn't change their ways even after Jesus performed miracles, why do you think is that? In my opinion, that happened because the people there are already too blind to see the truth. They are so busy and distracted with their materialist desires and needs that even if the bare truth is held in front of their eyes, they won't care. So why does the people of Sodom, Tyre, and Sidon would repent? Because these cities are known for their absolute depravities, and the people there are in despair, seeking for hope and light. As such, when such light is exposed, they would surely be more willing to accept the truth and repent. Regardless, that is all I have to say for now, have a nice day and see you tomorrow.
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