Down an Unfamiliar Road

WILL IT EVER STOP?

On Friday, July 13, 2012, the American Humanist Association asked the Wilmington, NC city council to stop holding sectarian prayers during public meetings because it is a violation of the separation of church and state. The prayers have frequently been expressly Christian in nature.

One year later on Wednesday, July 3, 2013, the Knoxville City Council was one the latest local government bodies in East Tennessee to be asked to stop opening its meetings with prayer. The Freedom from Religion Foundation sent a letter to the council asking them to stop opening its meetings with prayer. The council begins each meeting with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. The foundation questions the legality of opening a government meeting with prayer. It also argues that opening each meeting with prayer, even if different religions are represented, isolates those who are not religious.

Then again on Tuesday, July 23, 2013, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida sent a letter today to Jacksonville’s mayor asking that the city stop opening council sessions with sectarian prayer. “Beginning … any government session, with a prayer that consistently reflects only one faith tradition, impermissibly represents government preference for one particular faith over others…” said Glenn Katon, project director for the ACLU of Florida Religious Freedom, in a statement.

Such requests show a fundamental misunderstanding on the part of such secular groups about Christians. They are of the opinion that such things as prayer are apart and separate from a true Christian’s everyday life. In other words, it’s what Christians do, not what they are. They couldn’t be more wrong! Communion with God is like breathing; like a heartbeat; like a pulse to a born again child of God. Perhaps these anti-God secularists have come to this conclusion because they see so many people who call themselves Christian, relegating their contact with God to Sunday morning services or see them pray only in emergencies. In response to criticism, some Christians have resorted to silent prayer or a moment of silence.

Since the separation of church and state does not exist in the Constitution; and since freedom of religion is expressly guaranteed without government interference, then their demands must be considered a violation of the first amendment. Here’s what it says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech…” By the way, this same amendment includes freedom of the press and the right of the people peaceably to assemble. You talk about a triple whammy! This amendment allows people to gather together peacefully; to speak their minds, even if it involves religious expression.

But don’t expect the courts, or even the Supreme Court, to honor this tradition and guarantee. More and more judges and justices are being persuaded that religious expression and practice are an amendment to life; something that can be put aside for the moment so as not to offend nonbelievers. Unfortunately, many churches, pastors, and their members have provided ample evidence of this theory. In addition, many of the prayers that are being objected to are not directed to God, but to the listeners. Prayer can be a personal conversation with God or a request to God. What offends them is the fact that when Christian’s pray, they pray to God the Father and do so in the name of Jesus His Son. To them, this represents the existence of a higher power; one that exercises control over the world and the universe. If they were to accept this reality it would curb their freedom to sin without consequence and deny their independence from God. This fear drives them to curtail prayer by Christians in public. They don’t like the conviction it brings.

I remember a well-known saying that  goes: “The family that prays together, stays together.” I’m persuaded then, that the nation that prays together, stays together. The three Hebrew children in the Bible defied King Nebuchadnezzar’s decree to stop praying in public. You saw what God did for them; imagine what He is capable of doing for us. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Part IV

Verse 12c: He flipped over the tables that belonged to those who were exchanging different kinds of money for Temple shekels. And He turned over the tables of those who were selling doves.

Rabbi Moses Maimonides gives us a detailed explanation of what these chests looked like and what they were used for:

“In the Temple, there were always thirteen chests, each chest shaped like a ram’s horn. The first chest was for the new shekels of the present year; the second for the old shekels of the previous year; the third was for all those who were obligated to bring an offering of two turtle doves or two common doves, one as a burnt offering and one as a sin offering. The funds for these offerings were deposited in this chest. The fourth was for those who were obligated to bring doves as a burnt offering only. They would deposit the funds for these offerings in this chest. The fifth was for those who volunteered to buy wood for the altar; the sixth, for those who donated money to purchase frankincense; the seventh, for those who donated gold for the covering of the ark. The eighth was for the money left over after purchasing a sin-offering – i.e., a person set aside funds to use to purchase a sin-offering, and money remained after purchasing it. Those funds were deposited in this chest. The ninth was for the money that remains after purchasing a guilt-offering; the tenth, for the money that remains after purchasing the pairs of doves necessary for the offerings of zavim,¹ zavot,² and women after childbirth; the eleventh, for the money that remains after purchasing the offerings of a Nazirite;³ the twelfth, for the money that remains after purchasing the guilt offering of a leper; the thirteenth, for a person who pledged money for an animal to be brought as a burnt offering.”⁴

So we can see, that the sale of doves was an elaborate exercise for both the buyer and seller. But what made it so despicable was the fact that doves were the sacrifices of the poor. It was all they could afford. And even they were being exploited. It was the prophet Malachi who foresaw this event, “The Lord All-Powerful says, ‘I am sending my messenger to prepare the way for me. Then suddenly, the Lord you are looking for will come to His temple. Yes, the messenger you are waiting for, the one who will tell about my agreement, is really coming! No one can prepare for that time or stand against Him when He comes. He will be like a burning fire. He will be like the strong soap people use to make things clean.”⁵

The buying and sacrificing of these offerings were complicated. The following instructions were given by the Rabbis: “Whoever needed ritual ingredients would go to Rabbi Yohanan who was in charge of the stamps and would give him the appropriate amount of money and would receive a stamp from him in return. He would then go to Rabbi Ahiyah who was in charge over the ritual ingredients, give him the stamp and receive the ritual ingredients from him thus saving anyone requiring to bring an offering the trouble of finding and bringing the necessary ingredients produced in purity. In the evening they would meet, and Ahiyah would take out the stamps and would receive the corresponding amount of money for them from Yohanan. If there was a surplus of money in the hands of Yohanan the surplus goes to the Temple treasury, but if there was a deficit, Yohanan would pay from his personal funds; because the Temple has the upper hand. If one lost his stamp he would wait until the evening when Ahiya and Yohanan would meet if they found extra money corresponding to the value of his stamp they would give him ritual ingredients, otherwise, he did not get any.”⁶ We should all be glad that we do not need to go through this procedure today in order to approach God when we are in need of forgiveness.

Not only that, but there were provisions just in case a mistake was made: “The following rules apply when a sin-offering of fowl is brought because of a doubt and then it is discovered that the woman is definitely obligated to bring the sacrifice. If she realized this before killing the bird from the back of the neck by severing the spine was performed on the dove, it should be offered with certainty and eaten. If she did not discover this until after killing the bird was performed, the sprinkling and presentation of its blood on the altar should be completed. Then it should be burnt, so that it will not be said that a sin-offering of fowl brought because of a doubt is eaten. For at the outset, this offering was brought because of a doubt.”⁷ This is what Jesus encountered when He walked into the Temple courts. There was no doubt confusion and chaos reigned as Jesus flipped one table, chest, and bench after another. When the Master finished, no doubt somewhat out of breath, He looked around and quoted loudly from Scripture.⁸

Our Lord’s anger was not against the payment of the money to purchase the sacrificial animal, this was instituted for a reason: This way a poor person who did not own any animals could still obtain a sacrifice, and allow those who traveled a long distance to purchase their sacrifice without the trouble of bringing the animal or ingredients with them. Money exchanges were not only set up in the Temple but in the provinces as well.⁹ However, there was subversion of this practice. The Temple shekel was inflated on purpose so that the Temple authorities could then use the different currencies collected because the Temple shekel was worthless on the open market.¹⁰

We are told that they used the Tyrian shekel because it had a higher silver content. Perhaps this is why they inflated the value.¹¹ In fact, the exchanges had gotten so outrageous that one Rabbi vowed to drive the price down at all cost. We read: “At one time, in Jerusalem, a par of doves cost a golden denar. Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel said: ‘So help me, Temple! I will not suffer the night to pass by before they cost but a silver denar.”¹²

Verse 13: Jesus said to them, “The Scriptures say, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer.’¹³ But you have turned it into a ‘gathering place for thieves’¹⁴.”

I’m sure the buyers and sellers were stunned. But at the same time, they knew He was right. I wonder how close we have gotten to this when viewers and listeners are told by ministers that if they send in a donation there will be special prayers offered for them, or when parishioners are told that as a result of a confessed sin they must put a certain amount of money in the alms box in order to secure prayers for their forgiveness? Christ did not establish the church to become a money-making enterprise, but that it serve in this dark and sin-filled world as a lighthouse of worship; a life-saving station; a soul-winning center; freely offering healing and comfort to all who come. But of paramount importance is that they become known as a house of prayer, not entertainment. Matthew doesn’t say what happened next, whether the merchants set things back up or not. But no doubt one thing did happen. The Temple authorities were immediately notified, and they knew they had real trouble on their hands.

In the future, this same refrain of the Temple being a house of prayer would be repeated, but under different circumstances. When King Demetrius son of Seleucus began to reign on the coasts of Italy, he sent one of his henchmen named Bacchides to invade Judah. We read: “Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honored princes, who hated and detested Israel.” Nicanor went up to Mount Zion where he mocked those who made him welcome. He was there to conquer, so he gave them an ultimatum, and if it wasn’t answered he would return and burn the Temple down. That’s when the priests went and stood before the altar and the Temple, and as they were weeping they cried out to God: “You chose this house to be called by your name, and to be for your people a house of prayer and supplication.”¹⁵

Chrysostom sums this up in one of his sermons: “John’s Gospel also reported this, but at the beginning of his narrative. But now in Matthew, we are coming to the end of the narrative. Thus it is probable that this was done twice and on different occasions. That there was a first cleansing of the temple and then a second is apparent from much evidence. In John’s Gospel, He came at the time of the Passover. Here it was before Passover. In John, the Jews said, ‘What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?’ In Matthew, they hold their peace, though reproved, because he was marveled at among all the population.”¹⁶

Bible scholars agree that this is one position where the Gospel according to John differs inexplicably from the others. It says that Jesus went from Galilee to Jerusalem three times during his ministry (John 2:13; 5:1; 12:12). By John’s account, the ministry of Jesus lasted for at least three years. For some time it has been a general consensus of NT studies that the Synoptic Gospels are in typically more historically reliable, while John’s is a more ‘symbolic’ or spiritual gospel which arranges things to suit its theological agenda. But which of the accounts is likely to be true to the actual chronology of Jesus’ life? Any observant Jewish male would have visited the city each year for the three main pilgrim festivals (Passover, Hannukah, and Succoth), so unless Jesus’ public ministry lasted less than a year, this is prima facie evidence that John is likely to be correct here. But there is another important clue in Matthew¹⁷ and Luke.¹⁸ Both include a saying of Jesus where He longs to gather Jerusalem as a hen gathers her chicks.

So Chrysostom continues: “If this happened on two different occasions, this becomes a heavier charge against the Jewish leadership. He did it not only once but a second time, and still, they continued their buying and selling and called Him an opponent of God. They should have learned from the first cleansing to honor His Father and His own power. They could see His works agreeing with His words, and they could behold His miracles. They could hear the prophet pointing to Him. They could see the children attesting Him in a manner beyond their age. But all this did not persuade them. Instead, ‘they were indignant.’ So He brings in Isaiah as their accuser when He says, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’”¹⁹

Remember, none of the Gospels were diaries where a day to day account was written down. They were composed years after Jesus ascended and depended on the memory of the writer. Does this make them less reliable? No! The Holy Spirit inspired the authors to write down what God the Father wanted to be recorded for future believers. So not mentioning one of the trips Jesus made to Jerusalem does not change the Gospel’s story. Besides this, Jesus was under no obligation of the Law to attend, so missing a festival or two is not a detrimental factor in recognizing Him as the true Messiah.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Part III

Verse 9: Some of the people were walking ahead of Jesus. Others were walking behind Him. They all shouted, “Praise to the Son of David! Welcome! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise to God in heaven!”

Now Matthew tells us what the people were cheering about. Literally, they were shouting “Hosha’na,” to the Son of David. This part of the refrain is found in the Psalms.¹ It is an Aramaic word used in calling out to God for help. According to Jewish resources, this was the shout the people of Jerusalem were accustomed to raising while marching in procession and waving branches of palm, myrtle, and willow in the joyous Sukkot festival,² especially on the seventh day, when the willow-branches of the “lulab” procession were piled up and beaten against the altar, which is discussed in their teachings.³ The willow-branch, or “festive wreath” thus received the name “hosha’na;”⁴ and the seventh Sukkot day was called the “Day of Hosha’na” or “Hosha’na Rabbah.”

It was a popular festival similar to the ancient Canaanite ritual connected to prayer for the year’s rain.⁵ The multitudes accompanied the priests each night of the Sukkot feast to the spring of Shiloh, where the water for the libation on the altar was drawn midst great solemnity and rejoicing,⁶ while the last day formed the climax of the festivities. “Anna Adonai Hosha’na” (Please, LORD! Save us!),⁷ – the refrain of the psalms recited by the assembly, was, probably owing to constant repetition, soon abbreviated by the people into, “Hosha’na.”

Thus, “Hosha’na” became a popular cry used in solemn processions connected with carrying palm branches. We read in the Jew’s sacred text: “On the twenty-third day of the second month, in the one hundred and seventy-first year, the Jews entered with praise and palm branches, and with harps and cymbals and stringed instruments, and with hymns and songs, because a great enemy had been crushed and removed from Israel,”⁸ also: “Therefore, carrying ivy-wreathed wands and beautiful branches and also fronds of palm, they offered hymns of thanksgiving to Him who had given success to the purifying of His own holy place.”⁹ This clearly shows that the waving of these branches and crying out Hosha’na was not always tied to a particular holiday. It was often a spontaneous response to any occasion for rejoicing.

When these words were applied to Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, it upset the Jewish religious leaders. Even though Jewish Rabbis were divided over whether the words: “Please, Adonai! Save us! Please, Adonai! Rescue us! Blessed is he who comes in the name of Adonai. We bless you from the house of Adonai,”¹⁰ were intended for King David or the Messiah. A closer look at the words in Psalm 118:22 certainly opens it for messianic interpretation. Furthermore, some Rabbis also found the words in verse 118:27 to be specifically applied to the Messiah. In fact, the Jews wrote that verse 118:27 referred to the days of “Gog and Magog,” and verse 118:28 to the “age to come.”¹¹

However, Rabbi Akiba explains in the Talmud: “It was the Holy Spirit who gave this song, and that the Israelites sang it as they crossed the Red Sea.” And also, Rabbis Jehudah and Samuel said that “The prophets have commanded Israel that on the day of their salvation they are to sing this to their Savior.”¹² And since Jesus was the Messiah, then truly these verses were speaking of Him.

Verse 10: Then Jesus entered Jerusalem. All the people in the city were taken by surprise. They asked, ‘Who is this man?

Finally, Jesus and His entourage arrive at the gates of the holy city. There were a lot of people within its walls that did not know about what had happened outside, so as our Lord and the chanting crowd pour through the gates they turned to each other and asked, (In today’s vernacular), “What in the world is going on! Who is this guy?” The gates of every city were where the action was. Here, elders sat around discussing the application of the law. This is usually where the market place was located. So someone coming through the gate that the local’s didn’t recognize right away caught their attention. We find this happened once in Bethlehem. We read, “Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to the town of Bethlehem. When the two women entered Bethlehem, all the people were very excited. They said, ‘Is this the Naomi we heard about?.’”¹³

In his sermon on this text, Chrysostom makes the following comment: “Even when the crowds grasped that something great was happening, their inward thoughts remained uninformed, lowly, unworthy and lacking in understanding. But Jesus did these things in their presence not to display pomp but, as I have said, to fulfill prophecy, teach self-denial and to comfort His disciples, who were grieving for His death. He was showing them that He would suffer all these things willingly. Mark well the accuracy of the prophets, how they foretold all these things, some taken from David’s psalms and some from Zechariah. They had proclaimed them beforehand.”¹⁴

Verse 11: The crowds accompanying Jesus answered, “This is Jesus. He is the prophet from the town of Nazareth in Galilee.”

It doesn’t take long before those in the assemblage informed the residence of Jerusalem exactly who this prophet was. Based on the chronology of our Lord’s ministry in Galilee, it may have been a year since He was in Jerusalem. Also, when He came before there wasn’t much fanfare. So this was perhaps the biggest surprise that this time, He brought such a large crowd with Him. But our Lord doesn’t waste much time, He was on a mission.

It is significant to notice that according to Matthew, the people following Jesus did not proclaim Him to be the Messiah, but a prophet from Nazareth. This may be because the people inside the city were not as knowledgeable about this Jesus as they were. Also, they must get the people to accept Jesus as a prophet before anyone might suggest that He was the Messiah. But it also allows for the fact that the ones explaining about Jesus were not His close disciples, but some who had joined the crowd after they left Bethphage bound for Jerusalem.

Verse 12a: Jesus headed straight for the Temple area.

Some Bible scholars believe it had been six months since He left Galilee to make His way toward Jerusalem.¹⁵ He didn’t go to the market place, or the tower of David, or the palace of the High Priest. Nor did He go to visit any friends or relatives He might have had there. No, He returned to the same place He last visited when He was twelve years old, the house of His heavenly Father, who gave this place His own description: “I will fill this Temple with glory…All its silver really belongs to me! And all the gold is mine!’ This last Temple will be more beautiful than the first one, and I will bring peace to this place, this is what the LORD All-Powerful said.”¹⁶ Some scholars believe that Jesus may have entered into the city through the eastern gate since it was called the “King’s Gate.”¹⁷ That is because it’s the only external gate that gives immediate access to the Temple Mount. Once Jesus reached the Temple Court of the Gentiles, Matthew then tells us what happened:

Verse 12b: He began throwing out all those who were selling and buying things there.

Jesus wastes no time in doing what He came to Jerusalem to do. He was tired of seeing how the worship of Almighty God had been commercialized. It was known at that time that the Temple authorities had inflated the value of the Temple Shekel so that when people brought money from whatever place or land where they lived, they ended up buying sacrifices at inflated prices. What was even more disconcerting, was the fact that the priests could not keep up with the daily demand for sacrifices. Can you imagine a thousand people a day wanting to have their sacrifices offered to cover their sins? Based on the rituals needed, that would take hundreds of hours. So there was no way to get them all in on one day. So many of the animals purchased for sacrifice on one day were put back in their pens and sold over again the next day.

Matthew notes that Jesus also turned over the benches of those selling doves. The sacrifice of doves is outlined in Leviticus.¹⁸ Also, in Jewish writings, we find this description: “There were thirteen collection chests in the Temple and on them were inscribed; New Shekel, Old Shekel, Bird-offerings, Young Pigeons for Burnt-offerings, Wood, Frankincense, Gold for vessels, and on six were inscribed for various Freewill Offerings. New shekels were used for the deposit of the yearly shekel which at the appointed times were removed and placed into the treasury chamber, Old Shekels were for those who did not pay last year and pays it this year which was removed and placed into the remainder of the treasury chamber. Bird-offerings were used for those who vowed to bring turtledoves into which they would place the corresponding funds, Young pigeons for Burnt-offerings, were used for those who vowed to bring young pigeons and all these [i.e., two chests] were only used for donated burnt-offerings.”¹⁹ Truly, what Jesus walked into was a frantic, greedy, smelly, commercial center, not a quiet and sacred house of prayer.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Part II

Verse 3: “If anyone asks you why you are taking the donkeys, tell them, ‘The Master needs them. He will send them back soon.’”

While these instructions are certainly helpful in providing the disciples a reason for suddenly showing up in town and leading away a female donkey and her colt, it also clearly suggests that there was some prior planning that had gone on in arranging this event. Today we would say that Jesus gave His disciples a “code word” that identified them as agents of the Master. Anyone standing nearby hearing such a brief and authoritative response would naturally conclude that whoever this Master was, He was highly respected and influential.

Verses 4-5: This showed the full meaning of what the prophet said: “Tell the people of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you. He is humble and riding on a donkey. He is riding on a young donkey, born from a work animal.’”

As we see, there was more to this than our Lord simply needing the colt of a donkey to ride on, it was also the fulfillment of a prophecy concerning the Messiah.¹ The scribe who was translating Matthew’s notes from Aramaic into Greek may have included this commentary to enlighten the reader as to the significance of this act.² I like to compare what happened here to a parable Rabbi Kahana tells us about a noblewoman whose husband, sons and sons-in-law went to a far country by the sea for business. One day she was suddenly told: “Our sons have come back!” She replied: “Let my daughters-in-law be glad.” “And now look, your sons-in-law!” She replied: “Let my daughters rejoice.” But when she was told, “Behold your husband!” she replied, “Joy! Utter joy!” Likewise, when the Prophets will say to Jerusalem “Behold, your king is coming to you,” she will reply:³ “O joy! Utter joy! I will greatly rejoice in the Lord.”⁴

This is a clear indication that no one should have been surprised at all by the rejoicing that took place when Jesus the Messiah rode toward Jerusalem. For one thing, riding toward Jerusalem on the back of a donkey was not that unusual. We read where in Deborah’s song she sang during the time of the Judges, she called out: “Pay attention you people riding on white donkeys sitting on blankets, and those walking along the road.”⁵ So transporting people this way was a long-time custom.

Also, Jesus specifying that they bring both the mother and her colt is significant when seen with Jewish manners and customs in mind. In Jewish literature, we find that domesticated donkeys, called ‘Hamor‘ (a female was called “aton” and the colt was called “ayir”) were put to various uses. Among them was for riding, in which the young colt and female donkey were mainly employed.⁶ The highly respected Rabbi David Kimchi has a special section on how he saw this prophecy in Zechariah applying to Jesus of Nazareth. It is much too long to replicate here, but in it he states: “The writings of the Jews furnish an unbroken chain of testimony to prove that it was always referring to the Messiah, and that, therefore, the writers of the New Testament did not lay hold of a text, the letter of which seemed to suit their purpose, but applied a passage of Scripture which the Jewish nation always regarded as a test to verify the claims of every pretender to the Messiahship.”⁷

So Matthew’s application of this prophecy is accepted among many Jewish scholars to this day. The revered Rabbi Ibn Ezra stated: “Commentators were divided on this. Some say, that this king is our Messiah. Others say Messiah son of Joseph.”⁸ He goes on to say, however, that if this were really a king it would be somewhat odd because riding on a donkey would be something only a poor man could afford.

This certainly can be seen in the disagreement between Rabbi Alexandri and Rabbi Joshua on whether the Messiah would come on the clouds of heaven or arrive riding on a donkey. Upon hearing this argument King Shapur said to them: “You maintain that the Messiah will ride upon a donkey: I would rather send Him one of my white horses.”⁹ Little did these Rabbi’s know that both of these would be fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth. He came to Jerusalem the first time riding on a donkey, but He will return the second time in the clouds of heaven as seen in John’s Revelation, riding on a white horse.¹⁰ And, another well-known Rabbi states: “It is impossible to interpret this except as referring to the King Messiah, as it is stated: ‘and His rule shall be from sea to sea.’ We do not find that Israel had such a ruler during the days of the Second Temple.”¹¹

Yet, while many waited for a king to ride in, albeit on a donkey just to fulfill Scripture, another Rabbi reminds everyone of what Isaiah said about Him being a poor man:¹² “The King Messiah, is referred to as a poor man riding on a donkey.¹³”¹⁴ Not all Jews saw riding on a donkey as demeaning. One notable Rabbi stated that the donkey ridden by Abraham,¹⁵ was the same donkey ridden by Moses when he went back to Egypt,¹⁶ and will be the same donkey ridden in the future by the Son of David ¹⁷ when he arrives.¹⁸ It makes you wonder why the Jews were so upset at all the rejoicing when Jesus showed up. Wasn’t this enough for them to realize that Messiah had finally come?

Was it because they felt like Jesus was trying to be an imitator of the Messiah. The possibilities are, that this was the basic cause of their anger. However, we should not think that such a mindset has vanished. There are many people today caught in the bondage of sin and addiction who are looking for a Savior, but this Jesus of Nazareth from 2000 years ago does not fit their image of the one they desire to see.

Verse 6: The followers went and did what Jesus told them to do.

We see that His disciples did not hesitate to follow their Master’s instructions. This was a trait they may have inherited from Noah, “Noah did everything God commanded him to do.”¹⁹ One outstanding Jewish commentator noted on Noah’s response: “In addition, Noah did not try to comprehend what was in God’s mind, to find something unspoken that might be expected of him. He observed the letter of the law without deviating, but without trying to understand the spirit of the law.”²⁰ However, I disagree. I believe that Noah followed God’s instructions because he believed they were perfect and would result in bringing about God’s plan and purpose for building the ark in the first place. Another Jewish translator prefers a different rendering: “And this Noah did; as all that God commanded him, that’s what he did.”²¹

Verse 7: They brought the mother donkey and the young donkey to Him. They covered the donkeys with their coats, and Jesus sat on them.

In those days there were no saddles as we know them today, so placing blankets on the back of the donkey was traditional. In centuries to come these blankets would continued to be used as saddle blankets in order to absorb sweat, cushion the saddle, and protect the animal’s back. But these admirers of Jesus were not content with using any ordinary blanket, they wanted to cushion their Messiah’s ride with their personal clothing. But another thing to consider is this: some people preferred to ride on donkeys because riding a horse could be taken as boasting, since horses were most often used in war. But, when we see this same Jesus in John’s Revelation, He has traded in His donkey for a stallion, one fit for a conqueror.

Jesus is never recorded as riding on donkeys during His ministry, He is always seen walking. But on this occasion, He did so in order for those who knew of this prophecy in Zechariah would be able to make the comparison so as to recognize Him as their expected Messiah. Some did and rejoiced, and some concluded that Jesus was only pretending to be the Messiah. But they would soon find out that He was for real.

Verse 8: On the way to Jerusalem, many, many people spread their coats on the road for Jesus. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

This was not a new gesture. It was customary for subordinates to use their clothing for a king to step on or sit on. We read that when Jehu was anointed King over Israel: “Each officer quickly took his robe off and put it on the steps in front of Jehu. Then they blew the trumpet and made the announcement, ‘Jehu is king!’”²² In the Aramaic Targum of the Book of Esther it says: “…the streets were strewed with myrtles, and the courts with purple, when Mordecai went out of the king’s gate.”²³ So the use of branches, fronds, and many colored cloths were already a part of celebrations for welcoming someone held in high esteem and revered.

This would occur later in Jewish History during the time of the Maccabees, where it says they were: “…carrying ivy-wreathed wands and beautiful branches and also fronds of palm, they offered hymns of thanksgiving to Him who had given success to the purifying of His own holy place.”²⁴ But there was more going on here than showing reverence for a holy man. We find a similar scene when Marcus Porcius Cato the Younger, a Roman senator and historian, finished his military service. We read: “He was sent on his way, not with blessings, as is common, nor yet with praises, but with tears and endless embraces, the soldiers casting their robes down for him to walk on, and kissing his hands, things which the Romans of that day rarely did, and only to a few of their commanders.”²⁵

Did this crowd following Jesus know that they were sending Him on His way to the end of His earthly service? If they did, they didn’t show it. To them, they were accompanying Him on His way to the greatest battle in history, and believed with all their hearts He would win. If sending Jesus to His destiny on the back of a donkey’s colt was done with such jubilation and festivity, I can only imagine what the celebration will be like when He returns in the clouds of glory on a stallion with “King of all kings and Lord of all lords” written on His robe.²⁶

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Part I

Verse 1: Jesus and His followers were getting closer to Jerusalem. But first, they stopped near the village of Bethphage, on the slopes of Mount Olive. From there, Jesus sent two of His followers on into town.

According to Jewish archaeologists, Bethphage is a village on the downslope of Mount Olive, and somewhat nearer to Jerusalem than the town of Bethany. It lay just east of the region of Golgotha where people’s heads were counted or numbered for the census at or near the Miphkad “Numbering Altar,”¹ just to the west of the village of Bethphage on Mount Olive.

It was in this very region on Mount Olive where Jesus was later crucified after the Sanhedrin had given their final decision at Bethphage to have Him executed for what they considered blasphemy. It is important to note that in Hebrew the word “golgolet” means “skull.” Indeed, because of this, this region near Mount Olive became known in New Testament Greek as “Golgotha.”² I do not know if the writer of the lyrics, “Oh Lord I want to be in that number when the saints go marching in,” that was popularized by jazz musician Louis Armstrong, had this in mind but one thing for sure, we can all say that we are part of those who are numbered at the altar on Golgotha where the Lamb of God was offered for our sins.

We are also told that the last three scrolls of the Third Division of the Jewish Bible³ were not kept in the library rooms within the Temple that were associated with the three main compartments of the Temple. Rather, these three books were kept outside the confines of the Temple, but still in a sacred area on Mount of Olive located just outside the camp of Israel as it existed in the time of Jesus. These were stored inside the walled village of Bethphage.

This was a priestly city reckoned in the time of the Second Temple to be an integral part of Jerusalem in which the court of the Sanhedrin gave their official decisions on what the limits of the city of Jerusalem were to be, what the regulations were about the killing of the Red Heifer, the decisions to execute a rebellious elder, and where the census and genealogical records were kept to prove who was an Israelite, a Levite, and Priest, etc. These scriptures show that “the footstool of God” was reckoned as the holiest place on earth and where people were officially required to worship God. It is no accident that later Jewish authorities (when Islam began) returned to Jerusalem and went directly to the Mount Olive and called that mount “God’s footstool.”⁴

They seemed to know that God had abandoned lower Mount Moriah as the place of His “footstool” and that God was now reckoning Mount Olive (upper Mount Moriah) as the proper “footstool of God.” This was the place where people could gather at “His feet” to worship God and to learn of His ways. Therefore, it could also be conjectured that when Christ returns and His feet touch Mount Olive, which will split in two, this will be the place where He lands.⁵

According to Jewish writings, “Beth Pagi” played such an important roll that at one time consideration was given to enlarging Jerusalem to include this village and make it a part of the Temple courtyards, although there was no discussion of extending the city’s walls that far.⁶ Often the term “walls” was used in the same way we use “city limits” today, as we see in this exchange: “Rabbi Hisda observed: As to what you say, If he [an Israelite] is in a heathen prison one may not sacrifice on his behalf alone; that was said only when the prison is outside the walls of Beth Pagi; but if it is within the walls of Beth Pagi, one slaughters on his behalf alone.”⁷ In other words, being in Beth Pagi was the same as being in Jerusalem.

Jewish commentators say that the sacrifice involved here is a reference to the Passover offering.⁸ We see that the Great Sanhedrin often went there to conduct business.⁹ We are also told that there was an oven in Bethphage, as well as the one in the Temple Court, where the Showbread was baked for the altar in the Holy of Holies.¹⁰ In their commentary on the Mishnah, called “Gemara,” the Jews say: “The Two Loaves and the Showbread were valid whether baked in the Temple court or in Beth Pagi!’”¹¹

Also, the Rabbis taught: “When a person sacrifices a thanksgiving-offering, but its bread is baked outside the walls of Beit Pagi, the bread is not consecrated. If, however, the bread was baked outside the Temple Courtyard, the bread becomes consecrated even though it is not inside the Courtyard.”¹² Some scholars in the past have become somewhat confused with the term “Beit Pagi” as referring to a portion of the Temple courtyard, and therefore is not the village of Bethphage two miles away. This question was asked of Rabbi Johanan: “What does ‘outside the wall’ mean?” He replied, “Outside the wall of Beth Pagi; but outside the wall of the Temple Court, it is sanctified, and we do not require ‘inside’ to mean near.”¹³ Jewish scholars comment that Beit Pagi was, “A fortified suburb of Jerusalem, which is at the edge of the city.”¹⁴

Even so, there were boundaries to the village, as we see in this comment: “He threshed it inside the walls of Beth Pagi.”¹⁵ One Jewish commentator explained: “The outer wall of Jerusalem, added to the original limits of the town.”¹⁶ St. Jerome speaks of Bethphage and calls it “the town of priestly jaws.¹⁷”¹⁸ This indicates that many priests lived and died in this compound. This certainly changes our view of Bethany and nearby Bethphage as being sleepy villages somehow disconnected from Jerusalem some two miles away. They definitely played an important part in what Jesus the Messiah came to do.

Therefore, Jesus’ visit to Bethphage was not accidental, nor incidental, but a monumental part of His pre-creation planned journey. Early church preacher Chrysostom had this comment: “Jesus had often entered Jerusalem before, but never with so much at stake. Why were earlier visits different? They came early in the dispensation when He was not very well known. The time of His Passion had not drawn near. He mixed in without distinction, keeping His identity under wraps. Had He appeared in this mode earlier, He would not have been held in high esteem. He would only have excited them to greater anger. But by now He had given them sufficient proof of His miraculous power. The cross was at the door. He now makes Himself more conspicuous. He does not hesitate to do things that were likely to inflame them. All this happens with dramatic impact. It might have been possible for these things to have been done earlier, but it was neither profitable or expedient.”¹⁹

Verse 2: He said to them, “Go into the town you see over there. When you enter it, you will spot a donkey with her colt. Untie them both, and bring them to me.”

It was in this setting that Jesus paused on the outskirts of Bethphage and told two of His disciples to go on into a nearby town to secure a donkey. Based on the geography, the closest town would be a place called Nob. At least this is the reading of one Jewish Rabbi, even though he was a known polemic writer.²⁰ We find this town spoken of by Rabbis who talked about one invading king (some say Nebuchadnezzar, and others Sennacherib) came to Nob, when he got there: “Mattresses were piled up for him until, by ascending and sitting on the uppermost, he saw the whole city of Jerusalem.”²¹

One well-known Rabbi commenting on the words in Isaiah: “This day the army will stop at Nob and prepare to fight against Mount Zion, the hill of Jerusalem,”²² (This tells us that this king had hurried his march toward Jerusalem), “in order to stand in Nob while it is still day, since his astrologers told him, If you attack it today, you will conquer it. And, when he stood in Nob and saw that Jerusalem was small, he did not heed the words of his astrologers and began to wave his hand arrogantly: For a city like this I have mustered all these armies? Stay here overnight, and tomorrow, each one will cast his stone upon it.”²³

So Jesus gave His orders to the disciples to enter Nob, because as David said: “The earth and everything on it belong to the Lord. The world and all its people belong to Him,”²⁴ and: “I already own all the animals in the forest. I own all the animals on a thousand hills.”²⁵ In other words, everything we see around us belongs to God, it is only on loan to those He created to take care of. And just in case the person in charge of watching this donkey and her colt were to ask what they were up to, Jesus gave them a simple response: “The Master needs them.”

This was not a strange mission Jesus was sending His followers on. After all, God sent Elijah on an assignment this way, “Then the Lord said to Elijah, ‘Go to Zarephath in Sidon and stay there. There is a widow there that I commanded to take care of you.’”²⁶ God knew exactly where His Son should be in order for His divine plan, worked out before the world began, could proceed in an orderly manner. This was no ordinary design, but one that would change the world forever. So it was imperative that Jesus followed His Father’s will, and that the disciples do exactly what Jesus told them to do.

Chrysostom points this out: “Note carefully how many miracles occurred so quickly. Observe how many prophecies are fulfilled. For example, when he said, ‘You will find a donkey,’ He foretold that no man should hinder them but that all, when they heard, should hold their peace.… He had already persuaded many who had never known Him before to give up their own property and follow Him. The Jews of Jerusalem were hardly persuaded, however, even though some of them were present with Him when He worked His miracles.”²⁷

So we see that this was a historic mission Jesus was on. It could not be repeated in case of failure. It was an all or nothing commitment to what He came to do. His disciples would try to stop Him but Jesus would not be deterred. Satan would try to stop Him because he knew that if Jesus succeeded in His mission, his fate was sealed for eternity and there would be no other opportunity for escape. Yes, Jesus had to complete this task. Otherwise, all would be lost forever. For this reason the world was created and mankind was placed here. It was critical that He did not fail.

One of World War II’s most admired generals was Omar Bradley. Born in a log cabin near Clark, Missouri, he was raised by his schoolteacher father, John Bradley. He was such a bright young man that his Sunday School Superintendent recommended that he apply for West Point. He placed first in the competitive exams and received an appointment from his congressman to enter the Military Academy in 1911.

By the time he graduated from West Point, World War I was over, and Bradley was troubled by the fact that he did not get to serve overseas in the war. So when Wold War II began, it looked like he might miss being on the battlefield again. But he was not about to let that happen. So he received an assignment to Europe and eventually took command of the US Army Group, the largest single command ever held by an American general officer. He was promoted to 5-star General in 1950. He was best known to his troops as, “The Soldier’s General” because of his care of and compassion for those under his command.

General Bradley was once quoted as saying: “We are given one life and the decision is ours whether to wait for circumstances to make up our mind, or whether to act, and in acting, to live.” In this saying General Bradley is pointing out the crucial difference between patience and procrastination. Being patient involves strength of character and trust in the things we know, believing they are working out for our good whether they meet our exact expectations or not. But procrastination evinces a weakness of character and lack of trust because we’re not sure of what we know, and unsure if it will work out exactly the way we want.

This is important in life, especially when it comes to education, employment, promotion, marriage, savings, planning for retirement, etc. But it is most critical when it comes to our spiritual life. Young Samuel in the Bible was blessed in that God called his name more than once before he realized who was talking to him. However, had he not bothered to go to the high priest each time, thinking it was him, he would have never found out that it was actually God calling him for a special reason.

So the question must be asked, “How many times have you heard God’s Spirit speak to you, and why have you not bothered to find out what He wants?” God does not call unless He has a special reason. So if you haven’t answered yet, I think today would be a good day to start before it ends up being too late. As General Bradley said, we are given one life and the decision is ours whether to wait for circumstances to make up our mind, or whether to act and find out. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

My father lived in the Johnstown, Pennsylvania area growing up as a boy after my grandfather immigrated from Germany to America in 1905. He used to tell a story about the railroad in those days when workers who inspected the rails, switches, car couplings, etc., carried lanterns fueled by kerosene. We called it “coal oil” when I was young because everyone used to pour it on the coal in their stoves and furnaces. In fact, my precious grandmother thought it had medicinal properties because every time one of us children we would get a scrape, scratch, sore, or infection she would tell us, “Go put some coal oil on it.”

But the railroad issued a special type of kerosene for those lanterns that was purer than the common brand one could buy down at the local hardware store because it made the lantern burn much brighter so the worker could better see what he was doing. When a lantern with the pure kerosene was put side by side with one burning regular kerosene it was easy to spot the difference. The pure kerosene lantern light looked bright white while the mixed kerosene lantern gave off an almost orange light that was much dimmer because the flame gave off a form of black smoke.

This caused some railroad workers to cheat and use the special oil at home and put common oil in their lamps for work. So as these railroad workers went around on their job inspecting the tracks etc., you could easily spot which ones were using the good oil and which ones had switched because of the quality of light in their lanterns. Anyone caught doing this was immediately fined because they had stolen the good oil to use at home instead of using it on the job for the railroad that issued it to them.

My grandfather was a Lutheran minister for a church he helped start in Johnstown and so my dad grew up in that faith and did all the things that were expected of him. But one day a Pentecostal evangelist came to town to hold revival meetings down at the city auditorium. So his wife, along with her sister-in-law, decided to attend this revival. Every night they would come home talking excitedly about what the preacher had said. She would tell my father, “You’ve got to go hear this evangelist. We’ve never heard such preaching before.” My dad would brush it off and tell her he had been baptized as a child, gone through catechism, and received his first communion as a child so he didn’t need to do anything more to be a good Christian.

Yet they kept insisting that he should go, even if it was only once. So one night after they left, he walked down to the auditorium and stood outside under a window so he could hear what was going on inside. That was before air conditioning, so the windows of the auditorium were open and he could hear the music and singing. Then the preacher got up to preach. My dad had never heard such passionate intensity in preaching before. He became so curious that he had to see this for himself.

So he went to the front door of the auditorium and tried to open the door quietly so he could sneak in unnoticed. However, the door hinges squeaked and creaked so loudly that the people sitting in the back all turned around to see who was entering. He quickly found a seat and saw a somewhat short, stocky preacher with a balding head on the platform, preaching fervently as he waved his arms. The preacher also had an index finger on his right hand that had been partially cut off at the knuckle in an accident, and when he would say something about how people were sinning and living their lives for Satan, he would point that stubby finger toward the congregation.

It didn’t take long before my dad became suspicious that his wife had told this preacher all about him because every time he mentioned some sin that my dad had in his life he’d point that stubby finger right at him. He’d had enough, so when the altar call was given he got up and exited the auditorium and went home. But all night he couldn’t get what this preacher said off his mind. He got up around 4:30 am in the morning to go to work, and while standing in the kitchen having a cup of coffee, the conviction became so strong that he couldn’t stand it anymore. So he got down on his knees and begin to pray that if what this preacher was saying was right and that he was such a sinner, he asked God to save him and cleanse him right then and there.

My dad used to tell how all of a sudden a warm feeling cascaded over his body like a waterfall. Then he felt a heavy load being lifted from off his shoulders. Tears of joy came to his eyes as he began to thank the Lord for His forgiveness. When he stood up, he saw his wife standing at the top of the stairs with tears of joy running down her face. She told him how they had all prayed that this would happen and so they rejoiced together.

When he went to work it was then that it dawned on him that all along he had been living with the wrong kind of oil in his life that was giving off a dim light to those around him. Now he had purer oil that radiated from his life, and it would shine brighter now for others to see Jesus living inside him.

We don’t use kerosene lamps in our homes or at work today, but I’m sure anyone can understanding how pure oil can produce a brighter light than regular oil. So the question for us is this: since we call ourselves born again Christians when people look at us can they tell if we have the pure oil of the Holy Spirit burning inside us, or are we running on the oil produced by mere adherence to church doctrine, rules, and rituals? If so, maybe it’s time for a change of oil.

As a child, we used to sing this song in church:

Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning.
Give me oil in my lamp, I pray.
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning.
Keep me burning till the break of day.

Refrain:
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
sing hosanna to the King of kings!
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
sing hosanna to the King!

Maybe it’s time to get out the hymnbook and begin to sing this song in earnest again. – Dr. Robert R. Seyda

–

SUMMARY OF MATTHEW CHAPTER 20

We have now completed our exciting walk through another chapter in the life of the greatest man to ever live. The prophet from Galilee named Jesus of Nazareth. He was teaching His disciples on the principles of putting others first so that you could be seen as a leader, a motivator, the person in charge. This was so contrary to the way others did it, especially the non-Jews. With them, it was always “me first.”

To make His point, Jesus illustrated this by telling a parable about the owner of a vineyard who went out early in the morning to the city square to hire some workers who gathered there everyday looking for work. He told them he would give them one silver coin as their wage. Some of them responded and went into the vineyard to work. A few hours later, the owner needed more workers so he went back to the market square and hired some more. He did this several times that day, right up until there were only a few hours left to work.

When the day ended and everyone went to the paytable to receive their silver coin, some of those who had been in the vineyard all day were shocked when those who had only been working a few hours received the same wage. They were furious and wanted to know why they weren’t paid more. So they went to the owner and demanded an answer. He calmly asked them, “What did I promise to pay you?” They answered, “I silver coin.” “How much did you receive,” he asked? “One silver coin,” they replied. “Well then,”said the owner, “you got what you were promised.”

But they were not satisfied. They wanted to know why they didn’t get more and the late hires receive less. The owner stated again, “I gave you what I promised. You agreed to work for that wage. That should be enough.” Then Jesus looked at those listening to Him and repeated what He had said earlier about how in the kingdom of God those who thought they should be treated with favor will end up at the end of the line, while those who willingly accepted what they were promised will be the first to get their reward. His point was that all who receive an invitation to be part of the kingdom of heaven are promised the same thing, eternal life. So why should those who only have a few years to labor in His vineyard receive any less than those who were given the opportunity to work for him longer? Everyone should rejoice in the fact that they were called. Older believers should be happy with younger believers, even if they are given their reward on the same day.

But Jesus had other work to do, so He headed for Jerusalem. But before He left the area of Jericho, He had a private meeting with His disciples and told them that His trip to Jerusalem would result in His being arrested by the Jewish authorities, condemned to death, turned over to the Romans for execution on a cross, but after three days He would rise to life again. Needless to say, His followers were not ready for such news. They had given up everything to follow Him. They wanted to be part of His kingdom as the Messiah when He came to power.

In fact, two of His followers conspired with their mother and asked her to approach Jesus and beg Him to make sure that when He took over His kingdom that one of them would be seated on His left and the other on His right. But Jesus was ready, and told her and the two followers, James and John, that they would first have to drink from the same cup of suffering that He was about to drink before any decision could be made as to where they would be seated in His kingdom. In fact, He told them that only His Father in heaven would make that decision.

Needless to say, the other disciples were not happy when they heard what James and John had put their mother up to. So they confronted these two sons of Zebedee and gave them an ear full of what they thought of them. But Jesus stepped in, pulled them aside and told them they were acting just like non-Jews in that each one wanted to show who had the last say. Jesus told them, “My followers don’t do that. In fact, if any of you want to be a leader, you must first be willing to be a servant.” Then Jesus pointed at Himself and said, “Watch me. Even as your leader, I did not come to be served, but I came to serve so that through my death others may have eternal life.”

With this settled, Jesus then proceeded toward Jerusalem. Along the way, two blind beggars called out for His help. And in spite of those in the crowd telling them to be quiet, Jesus did just what He was teaching His disciples. He stopped what He was doing and took care of their need for healing. As a result, they then became His followers. But little did they know that because of their being healed of blindness, they were about to witness something that no one had ever seen before.

We will look at this marvelous revelation of Chapter 21 of Matthew starting on Tuesday. God bless you for your continued hunger for His Word. And thank you for being such faithful students of the greatest life ever lived.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY

Part IX

Verse 29-30: As Jesus and His followers were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. There were two blind men sitting by the road. They heard that Jesus was passing by. So they shouted, “O Lord, Son of David, please help us!”

It is significant that Jesus had just been talking about how true leadership not only involves being in command of one’s followers but also being there to serve when called on. So Matthew tells us that as Jesus and His followers were leaving Jericho, our Lord was in the crowd, giving directions to where He wanted them to go. And where He wanted to go was on a road where two blind men were sitting on the side where they could beg for alms from passersby.

When we combine what the synoptic Gospels say about this incident, verse 30 would read this way: “Behold, two blind men, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, and his companion, were sitting by the road begging.” We are not told what Jesus did in Jericho, but since a large crowd was following Him as He left, I’m sure it was more than just passing through. Mark agrees that Jesus was leaving Jericho,¹ while Luke mentions that they were in the vicinity.² Since these men were blind, it is a curiosity as to how they found out that in the crowd passing by there strode a man who was being hailed as the Messiah. But somehow they found out, perhaps from conversations by those walking ahead of Jesus and His entourage, and so in their cry for help we see that they had either already believed Him to be so, or they felt this was the only way to get His attention.

When preaching on this, Chrysostom told his listeners: “Let us stick with the things set before us. Let us listen to these blind men, who see better than many. They were not able to see the Lord when He came near to them. They had no one to guide them. Yet they tried to make contact with Him.… Such is the nature of a determined soul. It is motivated up by the very things that hinder it.”³ Also, early church theologian Augustine includes the following in his sermon to engage his audience into thinking about what it would mean to them for Jesus to pass by: “What does it mean that Jesus was passing by? He is coming to us in time. Only for a short time is Jesus passing by us.⁴ What does it mean that Jesus is passing by? He is acting in a moment that comes to pass. Note how many things He has now done which have already passed by. He was born of the Virgin Mary in time. Is He being born always?⁵ As an infant, He was nursed. Is He still being nursed? No, He matured through the successive ages of life until He came to adulthood. Is He always growing physically? After infancy came boyhood, after boyhood came youth; after youth, He came to full human stature in several developing stages of growth. Even the very miracles that He did have ‘passed by.’⁶”⁷ Augustine obviously wanted his congregation to think of Jesus as still being present in their everyday lives, not some historical figure back in time.

So Augustine continues: “Now we read about these things and believe. They were written about so that they might be read later. But when these things were occurring they were passing by like all temporal events. Finally, not to dwell on this too long, He was crucified. Is He still hanging on the cross? In a similar temporal flow, He was buried, He rose again, He ascended into heaven. Now ‘He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him.’⁸ Now His divinity abides forever; yes, even by the immortality of His body shall He never pass away. But nevertheless all those things that were done by Him in time have passed by, and having passed by they were written down in order to be read and preached to be believed. In all these things then ‘Jesus is passing by’.”⁹ Not only did Augustine see Jesus as a living being, but wanted the record about Him and His miracles to remain a living document.

There is a song we used to sing from our classic church hymnal that composer Martin P. Dalton wrote based on this text. The lyrics go as follows: “There is a story of long ago, men roamed in darkness, nowhere to go; One day the scene changed, they ceased to cry, there was a reason, Jesus passed by.” Then the chorus says: “Glory and honor be to the King, Shout Hallelujah, make praises ring; Look to the future home in the sky, There is a reason Jesus passed by.”¹⁰ So, as in Augustine’s day, we should have the same outlook today. Jesus is not some figure of the past but is ever-present with us each day.

Verse 31: The people there scolded the blind men and told them to be quiet. But they shouted even louder, “O Lord, Son of David, please help us!”

It is obvious that these blind men got attention, but it wasn’t the kind they wanted. The crowd around Jesus began to reprimand these men, telling them they were being a nuisance. Perhaps they thought such pathetic figures as these two blind men were not worthy of attention by the Messiah. However, if there were Pharisees in the crowd, no doubt they were offended because these blind men were acknowledging that Jesus was a royal descendant of King David. But trying to hush these two was like trying to tell two roosters in the early morning to stop crowing. They had the stubbornness of Jacob when he contended with the angel.¹¹ In any case, it got Jesus’ attention and He stopped. He looked over at them sitting along the road and called out to them, asking what they wanted Him to do. They were not hesitant in letting Him know exactly what their desire was.

Early church preacher Chrysostom had this appeal in his sermon on this text: “Learn this, beloved. Though we may be very unworthy and outcast, yet when we approach God with utter earnestness, we come closer to what we ask for. Just look at these men. They do not ask any of the apostles to plead for them. Instead, here is the crowd trying to shut them up, telling them to be silent. Yet they were able to overcome all these obstacles and come to Jesus himself. Yet the Evangelist does not attest to any faith in them but only to their urgency. Their earnestness sufficed above all other factors.”¹² Makes one wonder what Chrysostom would say to those today who pray more to the saints than to God?

Both early church scholars Jerome, and Epiphanius use these blind beggars as metaphors for the nations of non-Jews. Epiphanius says: “By straying through idols, they had completely wandered from the way of truth. Degenerated in the obscurity of sins, they destroyed the eyes of the heart. But the crowd rebuked them to become silent. But they shouted all the more. For with the Jews neither believing nor willing, the blinded nations were shouting all the more through faith. And for us, dearly beloved, whether envy opposes a man or the devil holds him back in darkness, let us, therefore, shout the more through faith.”¹³ What a picture this can paint in our minds today. While a dying world cries out for help, those sitting in the pews tell them to be quiet because it would take Jesus’ attention away from them, His favorites.

Some say, that had this incident occurred up in Galilee there is more probability that non-Jews were living among the Jewish population. But since it was near Jericho, this would lead to these two possibly being Samaritans, not Gentiles. However, when Mark tells this story, he notes that one of the men was named Bar-Timaeus, which is a Jewish name meaning “Son of Timothy.” For that reason, it is more plausible that because they were Jewish they understood the importance of addressing Jesus as the son of David, which was another term for Messiah, something neither the Samaritans nor the Gentiles would be aware of.

Verses 32-34: Jesus stopped and said to them, “What do you want me to do for you? They answered, “Sir, we want to be able to see.” Jesus felt compassion for the blind men. He touched their eyes, and immediately they were able to see. They then became followers of Jesus.

Maybe it was the way they said it, but regardless of how they made their request known, Matthew tells us that it touched the heart of Jesus. This should be a clue to all of us, that when we pray to God the Father, and His Son is standing right beside Him, He can still be touched by our needs. So apparently, Jesus either walked over to them or they were brought to Him, but without any further ado He touched them and they were instantly healed. In my mind’s eye, as the crowd then continued out of town toward Jerusalem, I can see Bartimaeus and his friend looking around, greeting people, seeing the scenery for the first time, but most of all, keeping their eyes focused on Jesus.

Jesus often healed the sick brought to Him or those He met on the highway simply by virtue of their faith. But here Matthew points out that it was the compassion of our Lord that was the driving force that caused His healing power to flow. This is a true example of the divine features of someone who was both God and man. That’s why the writer of Hebrews was able to declare that our Messiah is One who can be touched by our weakness and suffering.¹⁴ Chrysostom says: “Note that they did not hasten away after their cure, as happened on numerous occasions, with those who were less than grateful after receiving benefits. Not so with these two blind men, whose worthiness to receive is seen both in what they cried out and that they followed. They were persevering before the gift and grateful after the gift. For it says that they followed Him.”¹⁵

What more fitting example could Jesus give His disciples of what He alluded to earlier about a leader being willing to serve? Had Jesus possessed the mind of many in His day, He would have been too busy to stop for these two blind beggars because He was trying to please his adoring crowd. The only shouts such personalities would want to hear would be those praising them for their triumphs and victories. They would have no time for such matters beneath their dignity. But the One who was equal with God is now touched by the tears of even the most pitiful among mankind, and His heart was moved by their blindness. So it is that all of us who claim to be His followers should never let our position or station in the ministry prevent us from taking time to minister to those who seem to be the most unworthy in this world.

Matthew’s statement that they followed Jesus, is in the indicative mood, active voice, and aorist tense in Greek. That simply means, that it actually took place and showed no signs of ending. In other words, they continued to follow Jesus. This makes me wonder if they followed the Lord all the way to Jerusalem and were witnesses to what happened there in the Garden of Gethsemane, the courtyard of the high priest, the Praetorium where He was tried before Pilate, and then to the foot of Mt. Calvary.

It must break our Lord’s heart to see so many today who have had their spiritual eyes opened so they could see the truth and become His adherents but then did not continue following Him. This Christian life is not based on one meeting with Jesus at the altar of confession. Rather, it is the start of a life given to continually following the One who came to redeem and to save, leading us out of the darkness of sin into the marvelous light of His mercy and grace. This raises the question, if someone asked you today if you are a follower of Christ, if you really told the truth would you be able to say, “I am,” or would you be forced to confess and say, “I was?”

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER TWENTY

Part VIII

Verse 24: When the other ten disciples heard this, they became very angry with the two brothers.

Even though these ten were close followers of Jesus, we should not be surprised by their reaction. This was supposed to be teamwork where everyone did their job so that the whole group could succeed. Now they find out that two brothers wanted special privileges. Since these two were James and John the sons of Zebedee and friends of Peter, certainly he was among those who felt the most violated. And knowing Peter as we do, there would be no reason to doubt that he was the loudest and angriest in the group who confronted these young men.

One early church writer had this to say: “Just as the two [carnally-minded disciples] sought privilege, so also the ten [carnally-minded disciples] were upset by the lack of it. For just as the two, if they had understood spiritually, would not have requested that they be put above the others, so also the ten, if they had understood spiritually that some are before them, would not have been upset. For to wish to be above all is indeed blameworthy, yet to hold up another above oneself is truly glorious. For if the apostles had not erred like this, where might they have learned that not everything that seems good to desire is good because it is deceptive? Some might argue that it is bad to desire, bad, just as greed and theft are bad. Now we know indeed that to desire a good work is good. But to covet the first place of honor is vanity. Now we are better able to distinguish between the benefit of a good work and seeking the first place of honor. For to fulfill a good work is of our will and of our work and labor, on which account the reward is ours. But to pursue the first place intrudes upon the judgment of God. I do not know if we deserve to attain any reward of justice from the first place of honor if we seek it out for ourselves.”¹

Verse 25-26a: So Jesus called His followers together. He said, “You know that the rulers of the non-Jews love to demonstrate their power over the people. And their important leaders love to use all their authority over the people. But it should not be that way with you.”

Not only did Jesus appear to anticipate this manipulation for superiority by telling about the hiring of the workers and how they all received the same pay, but it is also obvious that James and John, along with their mother, did not think it applied to them. So Jesus did what any leader would do, He called a meeting so that this could be sorted out. He does not address the spat that occurred, but He zeros in on the source, and uses an example from non-Jews to make His point. Our Lord shows His superior intelligence in doing so, because if there were any people His Jewish followers did not want to be like, it was the non-Jews.

Chrysostom shares the following in a sermon on this text: “And now Jesus corrects them, in a different way than before. Whereas before He brought little children into their midst and called them to imitate their simplicity and lowliness, now He admonishes them in a sharper way from the opposite direction. Loving to be in first place is not fitting for us, even though it may so be among the Gentiles. Such a passion becomes a tyrant. It continually hinders even great men. So it needs to be treated more severely.”² There is nothing wrong with a gifted, talented, trained person willing to be a leader. But it must be a desire to give to the group, not to get from the group; a willingness to lead from in front, not dictate from behind.

Chrysostom then goes on to say: “Note how hard the Lord punches them by comparing them with the heathen, shaming their unhealthy soul. At the same time, He removes the envy of the one and the arrogance of the other. In effect, He is saying, ‘When you, the ten, are insulted, do not be moved with such indignation. For James and John harm and disgrace themselves most by seeking the first place. That puts them among the last. For distinction within this community is not like status in the world. For the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over others, but here the very last is counted first. And if you want proof that I speak truly, look at what I am doing. Look at what I do and suffer. Let the proof of my teaching be my life. For I have done what I commend.’ For being King of the powers above, He was willing to become man and submitted Himself to be despised and despitefully treated. And not even with this lowliness was He satisfied, but He even came to die.”³

Verse 26b-27: “Whoever wants to be great must be willing to serve. Whoever wants to be a leader must first serve willingly.”

Jesus touches on a similar theme here to what we’ve found before, and that of the first being last and the last being first. However, this time, He emphasizes position rather than priority. As one early church writer put it: “With regard to this point, we were made in the image of Christ so that we might become imitators of His will and conduct. How were we created to resemble the likeness of His greatness? He indeed was able to imitate our flesh, yet we are not able to imitate His divinity. But we are being made in His image so that what seems good to Him may also be good to us, and what seems bad to Him may also be bad to us. Whoever pursues boasting, while the Lord pursues humility, is not the image of Christ. And he who is a lover of riches in this age, while the Lord is a lover of being thrifty, repels from himself the likeness of Christ. He is not a true disciple who does not imitate his teacher; nor is it a true image which is not like its creator.”⁴

Chrysostom notes this in his sermon: “It is as if He were saying, ‘I willed not even to stop at death but even in death gave My life as a ransom. For whom? For enemies. For you. If you are abused, My life is given for you. It is for you. Me for you.’ So you need not be too picky if you suffer the loss of your honor. No matter how much it is lowered, you will not be descending as far as your Lord descended. And yet the deep descent of One has become the ascent of all. His glory shines forth from these very depths. For before He was made man, He was known among the angels only. But after He was made man and was crucified, so far from lessening that glory, He acquired further glory besides, even that from His personal knowledge of the world.”⁵ So in short, this great preacher was telling his listeners: You can’t out do the Lord when it comes to lowering oneself in order to lift others up.

Verse 28: “Do as I did: The Son of man did not come for people to serve Him. He came to serve others and to give His life to save many people.”

He crowns what He has been saying with a sentiment that should become the motto of every minister and teacher of the Gospel. Just like Jesus, we have come to serve, not to be served. Contrary to conventional thinking, the disciples were not a saintly group who had no differences of opinion. Here we have a revealing incident that shows how they felt about James and John wanting the choice seats when Jesus came into His kingdom and ascended to the throne. I have to believe that they still did not understand that after Jesus rose from the grave, that death would no longer be able to touch Him and therefore He would be able to send them out to spread the good news of His kingdom, starting there in Jerusalem.

Solomon had it right when he said, “Through discourtesy, strife is produced, But wisdom is given to those who receive counsel.”⁶ That’s why our Lord took this occasion to counsel them on attitude and ethics. He pointed out how the non-Jews governed their people. A good example is what happened in Babylon while Daniel was there. We read: “Because of this the king became indignant and very furious and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain, and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them.”⁷

Jesus wanted His followers to know that the way these people lorded it over others was not the way He wanted leaders in His kingdom to be in charge. And what better person could He point to but Himself. This was our Lord’s motto and He certainly practiced what He preached. What a wonderful banner to appear above every minister’s credentials and office door, “I am not here to be served, but to serve.” No one can read Isaiah 53:1-12 without knowing that our Lord was certainly fulfilling the prophecy made about the true Messiah. What better example could His disciples ask for? And what better model could we have than Jesus? None! These instructions are for those who truly want to be more like Jesus.

However, one Jewish polemic writer questioned our Lord’s statement about willingly giving His life as a ransom for others. He writes: “Afterwards, however, he said, ‘Take away this cup from me,’ and so he changed his mind.”⁸ What this German critic fails to notice is that Jesus’ prayer was to show the Father that He was going to suffer by choice unless the Father changed His mind. It was another way of Jesus say, “Father, I know Your will for me and I plan to follow through. So the only one who can change it is You.” What a wonderful example for all of us to use as a prayer to start each day of our lives. We want to live it for His honor, not ours.

The early church preacher Chrysostom has this to say: “Fear not then, as though your honor were put down. Rather, be ready to humble yourself. For in this way your glory is exalted even more, and in this way, it becomes greater. This is the door of the kingdom. Let us not then go the opposite way. Let us not war against ourselves. For if we desire to appear great, we shall not be great but even the most dishonored of all. Do you see how everywhere Jesus encourages them by turning things upside down? He gives them what they desire but in ways they did not expect. He acted this way in the cases of the covetous and of the proud. So you can see why He asks whether we are giving our donations to be seen by others. To enjoy glory? Do not do this for glory, and you will enjoy it more. Why do you lay up treasures? To be rich? Try laying up no treasures, and then you will be rich. And in this case, why do you set your heart on sitting in the first place? That you may have the honor before others? Try choosing the last place; then you will enjoy the first. That is how things work in the kingdom. If it is your will to become great, then do not seek greatness and you will become great.”⁹

So, it is clear that greatness and prestige are not what a person puts on themselves but what is bestowed upon them by others. And there is nothing more honorable and respectful than what God gives to a person by which they can praise and glorify Him. That is what the main point and purpose are, to take whatever favor God lays upon our heads to be His tools and vessels in order to carry out His will and purpose for our lives. As the apostle Paul stated so emphatically: “Everything you say and everything you do should be done for Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.”¹⁰