Back to the Top
122. Jesus Returns to Galilee
(Mt 17:22a, Mk 9:30) |
Mt 17:22a
22While
they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them,
“The Son of Man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men,
|
Mk 9:30
30They
went out from there, and passed through Galilee. He didn’t want anyone to
know it. |
Back to the Top
123. The Third Announcement of His Death and
Resurrection a
(Mt 17:22b-23, Mk 9:31-32, Lk 9:43b-45) |
Mt 17:22b-23
22While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus
said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be
delivered up into the hands of men, 23and
they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up.”
They were exceedingly sorry.
|
Mk 9:31-32
31For he was teaching his disciples, and
said to them, “The Son of Man is being handed over
to the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, on the
third day he will rise again.”
32But they didn’t understand the saying, and
were afraid to ask him. |
Lk 9:43b-45
43They were all astonished at the majesty of
God.
But while all were marveling at all the things which
Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44“Let
these words sink into your ears, for the Son of Man will be delivered up
into the hands of men.” 45But they didn’t understand this
saying. It was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it, and
they were afraid to ask him about this saying. |
Back to the Top
124. Jesus Pays the Half-Shekel
(Mt 17:24-27, Mk 9:33a)
In Capernaum. Probably His last visit in Capernaum. |
Mt 17:24-27
24When they had come to Capernaum, those who
collected the didrachma coins
came to Peter, and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the didrachma?” 25He
said, “Yes.”
When he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him,
saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the
kings of the earth receive toll or tribute? From their children, or from
strangers?”
26Peter said to him, “From strangers.”
Jesus said to him, “Therefore
the children are exempt. 27But,
lest we cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take up the
first fish that comes up. When you have opened its mouth, you will find a
stater coin.
Take that, and give it to them for me and you.”
17:24
A didrachma is a Greek silver coin worth 2 drachmas, about as much as 2
Roman denarii, or about 2 days’ wages. It was commonly used to pay the
half-shekel temple tax, because 2 drachmas were worth one half shekel of
silver.
17:27
A stater is a silver coin equivalent to four Attic or two Alexandrian
drachmas, or a Jewish shekel: just exactly enough to cover the half-shekel
temple tax for two people. |
Mk 9:33a
33He came to Capernaum, and when he was in
the house he asked them, “What were you arguing
among yourselves on the way?” |
Back to the Top
125. “Who is the Greatest in the Kingdom?”
(Mt 18:1-5, Mk 9:33b-37, Lk 9:46-48)
In Capernaum. |
Mt 18:1-5
1In that hour the
disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of
Heaven?”
2Jesus
called a little child to himself, and set him in the midst of them, 3and
said, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn,
and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of
Heaven. 4Whoever therefore
humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the
Kingdom of Heaven. 5Whoever
receives one such little child in my name receives me, |
Mk 9:33b-37
33He came to Capernaum, and when he was in
the house he asked them, “What were you arguing
among yourselves on the way?”
34But they were silent, for they had
disputed one with another on the way about who was the greatest.
35He sat down, and called the twelve; and he
said to them, “If any man wants to be first, he
shall be last of all, and servant of all.” 36He took a
little child, and set him in the midst of them. Taking him in his arms, he
said to them, 37“Whoever receives one
such little child in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, doesn’t
receive me, but him who sent me.” c |
Lk 9:46-48
b
46There arose an argument among them about
which of them was the greatest. 47Jesus, perceiving the reasoning
of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side, 48and
said to them, “Whoever receives this little child
in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For
whoever is least among you all, this one will be great.” |
Back to the Top
126. “He that is Not Against Us is For Us”
(Mk 9:38-41, Lk 9:49-50)
The mistaken zeal of John. |
Mk 9:38-41
38John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone
who doesn’t follow us casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him,
because he doesn’t follow us.”
39But
Jesus said, “Don’t forbid him, for there is no one
who will do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of
me. 40For whoever is not against
us is on our side. 41For whoever
will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ’s,
d most certainly I tell you, he
will in no way lose his reward. |
Lk 9:49-50
49John answered, “Master, we saw someone
casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he doesn’t
follow with us.”
50Jesus said to him,
“Don’t forbid him, for he who is not against us is
for us.” |
Back to the Top
127. Warning Against Giving Offense
(Mt 18:6-14, Mk 9:42-50) |
Mt 18:6-14
6but whoever causes
one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better
for him that a huge millstone should be hung around his neck, and that he
should be sunk in the depths of the sea.
7“Woe to the world
because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come,
but woe to that person through whom the occasion comes! 8If
your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from
you. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled, rather than
having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire. 9If
your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from you. It is
better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes
to be cast into the Gehenna
of fire. e 10See
that you don’t despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in
heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
11For the Son of Man came to save
that which was lost.
12“What do you
think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn’t
he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone
astray? f 13If
he finds it, most certainly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over
the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. 14Even
so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these
little ones should perish.
18:9
or, Hell |
Mk 9:42-50
42Whoever will
cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be
better for him if he was thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around
his neck. 43If your hand causes
you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed,
rather than having your two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire, 44‘where
their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’ 45If
your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter
into life lame, rather than having your two feet to be cast into Gehenna,
into the fire that will never be quenched—
e 46‘where
their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’ 47If
your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out. It is better for you to enter
into the Kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast
into the Gehenna
of fire, 48‘where their worm
doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’
49For everyone will be salted
with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. 50Salt
is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will you season
it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
g
9:43
or, Hell
9:45
or, Hell
9:47
or, Hell
9:48
Isaiah 66:24 |
Back to the Top
128. “If Thy Brother Shall Trespass Against Thee”
(Mt 18:15-20)
The Office of the Keys |
Mt 18:15-20
15“If your brother
sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he
listens to you, you have gained back your brother. 16But
if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of
two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17If he refuses to listen to
them, tell it to the assembly. h
If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a
tax collector. 18Most certainly I
tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven,
and whatever things you release on earth will have been released in heaven.
i 19Again,
assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning
anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in
heaven. 20For where two or three
are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.”
18:16
Deuteronomy 19:15 |
Back to the Top
129. “How Oft Shall I Forgive My Brother?”
(Mt 18:21-35)
Parable of the Unmerciful Servant |
Mt 18:21-35
21Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord,
how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven
times?”
22Jesus said to him,
“I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until
seventy times seven. 23Therefore
the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile
accounts with his servants. 24When
he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand
talents.
25But because he couldn’t pay,
his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that
he had, and payment to be made. 26The
servant therefore fell down and kneeled before him, saying, ‘Lord, have
patience with me, and I will repay you all!’ 27The
lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave
him the debt.
28“But that servant
went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred
denarii,
and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat,
saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’
29“So his fellow
servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with
me, and I will repay you!’ 30He
would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back that
which was due. 31So when his
fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and
told to their lord all that was done. 32Then
his lord called him in, and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you
all that debt, because you begged me. 33Shouldn’t
you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’
34His lord was angry, and
delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to
him. 35So my heavenly Father will
also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for
his misdeeds.”
18:24
Ten thousand talents represents an extremely large sum of money, equivalent
to about 60,000,000 denarii, where one denarius was typical of one day’s
wages for agricultural labor.
18:28
100 denarii was about one sixtieth of a talent. |
Back to
the Top
Footnotes
a) See Nos. 35, 116, 205, 245. 254.
b) We shall not see Matthew, Mark, and Luke
together in a threefold account until the blessing of the little children in
Perea, six months later. No. 201.
c) Compare Matt. 10:40; No.
93, 7. John 13:20; No. 250.
d) Notice that Jesus here calls Himself
Christ. See John 17:3. No. 258.
e) The matter is so serious that the Lord
reposts some of the sayings of the Sermon on the Mount. Matt. 5:29, 30. See
No. 72, 6. Compare also No. 184.
f) Compare Luke 15:4-7. See.
No. 177.
g) A repetition of Matt. 5:13. See No. 72, 3.
h) The New Testament Christian Church had not
yet been established. While using the term in the sense of a Jewish
community, Jesus looks forward to the time of the establishment of local
Christian congregations.
i) Compare Matt. 16:19; No. 115. John 20:23 ;
No. 300. |
|