TheGoodBookClub: Monday's stories about Jesus!
The Good Book Club
Monday, Feb 19, 2018 Luke 5:1-16
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be fishers of men.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be fishers of men.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, ‘Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.’ Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, ‘I do choose. Be made clean.’
Immediately the leprosy left him. And he ordered him to tell no one. ‘Go’, he said, ‘and show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them.’ But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.
Thoughts for Monday. Here’s how Luke remembers Jesus calling his first disciples. Odd but Andrew isn’t mentioned here, just Peter, James & John; where's Peter's brother Andrew who, in the Gospel according to John, brings his brother Peter to Jesus?
Unapologetically do I take the liberty of “correcting” the text to KJV so Jesus says, “fishers of men” and not some inane, insipid "fish for people" -> I do not care that Luke (and Mark) use the word "anthropos," the word of God is vivid and calls forth our imagination, and its delightful language should not be whitewashed for trendy sensitivities. My 2¢ FWIW
Peter, James & John leave everything to follow Jesus. Who remembers the words of William Alexander Percy’s hauntingly foreboding hymn about the Peace of God?
Unapologetically do I take the liberty of “correcting” the text to KJV so Jesus says, “fishers of men” and not some inane, insipid "fish for people" -> I do not care that Luke (and Mark) use the word "anthropos," the word of God is vivid and calls forth our imagination, and its delightful language should not be whitewashed for trendy sensitivities. My 2¢ FWIW
Peter, James & John leave everything to follow Jesus. Who remembers the words of William Alexander Percy’s hauntingly foreboding hymn about the Peace of God?
They cast their nets in Galilee
Just off the hills of brown
Such happy simple fisherfolk
Before the Lord came down
Just off the hills of brown
Such happy simple fisherfolk
Before the Lord came down
Contented peaceful fishermen
Before they ever knew
The peace of God That fill’d their hearts
Brimful and broke them too.
Before they ever knew
The peace of God That fill’d their hearts
Brimful and broke them too.
Young John who trimmed the flapping sail,
Homeless, in Patmos died.
Peter, who hauled the teeming net,
Head-down was crucified.
Homeless, in Patmos died.
Peter, who hauled the teeming net,
Head-down was crucified.
The peace of God, it is no peace,
But strife closed in the sod,
Yet, (let us) pray for but one thing –
The marvelous peace of God.
But strife closed in the sod,
Yet, (let us) pray for but one thing –
The marvelous peace of God.
Jesus healing this leper appears first at Mark 1:41 (see NIV v. NRSV) where there is scholarly tension as to whether Mark’s original NT Greek word for Jesus’ mindset when approached by the leper was ὀργισθεὶς (angry) as some early manuscripts (and the NIV) have it, or σπλαγχνισθεὶς (compassion). How did Jesus really feel about this confrontation, which Luke gets from Mark? (Luke, probably intentionally, leaves out the description of Jesus' mood, but I won't!). Was Jesus filled with compassion, or angry? And if angry, why? I do not agree with those who try to rationalize Jesus ("true Man", remember) by rationalizing that his anger must have been at the poor man's leprosy, or at the lack of medical care for him, or at the cultural, ritual practice of uncleanness. Remember, he was being besieged, overwhelmed by crowds of people wanting to be healed, distracting this compassionate man from his purposed mission of proclaiming the kingdom of God, and he tried to get away from the throngs. So question: from a textual criticism perspective, which word, "compassion" or "angry" seems more likely to have been Mark's original that editors or the early church may later have "corrected" to convey a desirable perception of Jesus? A good subject for Sunday School discussion where folks, like those in my own Sunday School class, are up for lively chat.
In mind: shocking scene in "Jesus Christ Superstar" when Jesus is completely mobbed by needy people and, in total frustration, screams, "Heal yourselves!"
In my mind, such conversation is relevant to theological orthodoxy: was He human as well as divine, as we acclaim? Did He have our human emotions? Did He suffer and die on the Cross as any man, or was He above human feelings and dying? If He was true Man as well as true God, He could be angry, frustrated, emotional. As some scholar once put it: Jesus did have to have His diapers changed.
The Peace of the Lord be always with you.
In mind: shocking scene in "Jesus Christ Superstar" when Jesus is completely mobbed by needy people and, in total frustration, screams, "Heal yourselves!"
In my mind, such conversation is relevant to theological orthodoxy: was He human as well as divine, as we acclaim? Did He have our human emotions? Did He suffer and die on the Cross as any man, or was He above human feelings and dying? If He was true Man as well as true God, He could be angry, frustrated, emotional. As some scholar once put it: Jesus did have to have His diapers changed.
The Peace of the Lord be always with you.