Down an Unfamiliar Road

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Part III

Verse 13: When Jesus heard what happened to John the Baptizer, He sailed off in a boat. He went alone to a place where no one lived. But the people heard that Jesus had departed. So they left their towns and followed Him. They went by land to the same place He went.

Upon hearing of John the Baptizer’s execution, Jesus took the loss very personally. After all, they were not only relatives in the flesh, brothers in the spirit but also part of the prophesied team that God put together to announce His coming kingdom. However, our Lord’s search for solitude was not successful. Nevertheless, instead of ordering the crowd that greeted Him upon docking at His chosen destination for His getaway, He embraced them. This is certainly a model for behavior to all believers. When you are grieving over some loss, find a way to channel your grief into giving to others who are also carrying a burden.

Dr. Paul Tournier (1898 – 1986) was a Swiss physician and author who acquired world renown for his work in pastoral counseling. He was still living in Switzerland while I was working there. He wrote many fabulous books such as “Guilt and Grace;” “The Meaning of Persons;” “The Person Reborn;” and “To Understand Each Other.” His ideas had a significant impact on those of us who read them when it came to dealing with others, especially when going through troubles and trials and having the burden and ministry of helping others at the same time. Dr. Tournier noticed that in today’s healing process our modern world separates the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual when dealing with healing. Tournier believed this was not wise. We are dealing with an individual created in the image of God, chosen by God, and existed in the mind of God, before the creation of the world.¹

Dr. Tournier called his ministry: “The Medicine of the Whole Person.” Dr. Tournier lived what he taught. He points out, that the word “salvation” in the New Testament is actually translated from the Greek word “to make whole.” That’s why the healing that Jesus brought cured everything – physical, mental, and spiritual. The partitioning we do today was never part of God’s process. But, one point Tournier made clear was this: When we need encouragement and motivation, the best therapy is to encourage and motivate others to keep going. In his book, “To Understand Each Other,” Tournier writes, “It is quite clear that between love and understanding there is a very close link…He who loves understands, and he who understands loves. One who feels understood feels loved, and one who feels loved feels sure of being understood.” This is exactly what Jesus did on this occasion.

Early church theologian Jerome sees our Lord’s actions this way: “When Jesus heard this, He withdrew to a lonely place apart, but not, as some people think, for fear of death…He withdrew in order to give us an example of avoiding the foolhardiness of those who betrayed Him because not everyone perseveres amid torments with the same constancy they had when they offered themselves to be tortured. For this reason in another place He gave this admonition: ‘When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.’² It was also fitting that the Evangelist did not say ‘he fled to a lonely place’ but ‘he withdrew,’ so that he avoided His persecutors rather than feared them.”³

Verse 14: When Jesus got out of the boat, He saw a large crowd of people. He felt compassion for them, and He healed the ones who were sick.

We do not know when Jesus arrived at this place, but even if it was late in the morning, or by noon, Matthew tells us that His teaching continued the rest of the day into the late afternoon. It would have been understandable if when Jesus saw the crowd that converged on the place where He was going, to tell His disciples to let the crowd know that He was in mourning for a relative and good friend, and did not want to be bothered at this time. But when one of His own disciples had earlier wanted to leave and go home and take care of his ailing father, Jesus said let the dead bury the dead. So our Lord let His compassion for those who were struggling with their faith and those who were desperate in treating their disease to be ministered to first and took care of them before tending to Himself. As Dr. Tournier said, some of the best tonic for a person, when they feel down due to grief or disappointment, is to find others who are in greater need and minister to them. This will help ease their own pain.

Verse 15: Late that afternoon, the followers came to Jesus and said, “No one lives around here. And it is already late. Send the people away so they can go into the nearby towns and buy food for themselves.”

The healing and teaching formula imparted here often becomes a dilemma for many believers. First, a petition was made to Christ by the disciples concerning a need. Jesus, in turn, told them to do their best in alleviating the need. The disciples replied that the amount of food found to take care of the problem was insufficient to handle the situation. They did not seem to understand that Jesus was giving them a great opportunity to exercise their faith in Him as a provider.

Not only was it late in the day, but according to Jewish custom it very near meal time that was to be completed before sunset. The Jews had a list of mealtimes. The Rabbis taught: “The first hour [of the day]⁴ is the mealtime for gladiators;⁵ the second, for robbers;⁶ the third, for heirs;⁷ the fourth, for laborers,⁸ the fifth, for all [other] people. But that is not so, for Rabbi Papa said: The fourth [hour] is the mealtime for all people? – Rather the fourth hour is the mealtime for all [other] people, the fifth for [agricultural] laborers, and the sixth for scholars.”⁹ Since this would put the last breakfast at 12 noon, many scholars believe this schedule repeated itself in the afternoon. So that puts the time for supper in this story at 6 PM.

Another thing to notice here is that the people did not come to Jesus and say, stop teaching so we can go get something to eat, no it was our Lord’s own disciples who wanted Him to let them go. In fact, they begged Jesus to send the people away. This means that Jesus was holding them against their will, but, they were so spellbound by His teaching that the time passed quickly and meal time was upon them before they knew it. Also, take a look at the fact the disciples did not come to Jesus and ask, “What can we do.” No, they had already made up their minds that there was nothing they could do. Now, one more thing should be taken into consideration in order to better understand the disciple’s insistence that Jesus send the crowd off to buy their own food, and that is in what happened next.

Verse 16-18: Jesus replied, “The people don’t need to go away. You give them some food to eat.” The followers answered, “But we have only five flatbreads and two sardines.” Jesus said, “Bring the flatbreads and the sardines to me.”

Could it be that the disciples wanted Jesus to send the crowd away so they could eat what they brought with them and not feel obligated to share what little they had with the crowd? The answer would be, “No.” When we combine the recordings of this incident in the other Gospels we find out that Jesus had this planned all along, and that apparently the disciples didn’t think to bring anything along, so it was the small picnic lunch of a little boy that saved the day.¹⁰ Nothing took our Master by surprise. Not this feeding, not the storm on the sea, not His torture and death on the cross nor His resurrection from the grave. That should give all of us more blessed assurance by knowing that as long as He is with us, He will always be there to help us find the answer to what we are facing because nothing that happens to us is any surprise to Him.

So the Lord commanded that they bring to Him what they could find. They obeyed, and every need was met. The whole point of this miracle was to teach the disciples that what seems inadequate to man in order to meet the need, only needs the Master’s touch. So instead of going through all this nonsense of complaining that one doesn’t have enough to give, take it to Him first and then there will be enough to distribute to those who need help.

In this incident with Jesus and His disciples, we see a repeat of a similar event that occurred to Elisha, his servant, and his student prophets. In Scripture, we read: “A man from the town of Shalishah came and brought bread from the first harvest to the man of God. This man brought 20 loaves of barley bread and fresh grain in his sack. Then Elisha said, ‘Give this food to the people so that they can eat.’ Elisha’s servant said, ‘What? There are 100 men here. How can I feed all these men with this food?’ But Elisha said, ‘Give the food to the people to eat. The Lord says, “They will eat and there will still be food left over.’” Then Elisha’s servant put the food in front of the group of prophets. The group of prophets had enough to eat, and they even had food left over. This happened just as the Lord had said.”¹¹ In the case of Jesus, the number of men being fed is multiplied by 50, while the food supply is reduced by more than half. But by the touch of His hand, the same results are realized.

Jesus expressed the same attitude His heavenly Father had in replying to Moses in a similar situation, “‘LORD‘, Moses said, ‘There are 600,000 soldiers here, and you say, “I will give them enough meat to eat for a whole month!” If we were to kill all the sheep and cattle, that would still not be enough to feed this many people for a month. And if we caught all the fish in the sea, it would not be enough for them!’ But the Lord said to Moses, ‘Don’t limit my power! You will see that I can do what I say I can do.’”¹²

Here we have a repeat of what happened earlier when Moses questioned God’s lack of action down in Egypt by saying: “I went to Pharaoh and said what you told me to say. But since that time he has made the people suffer, and you have done nothing to help them!”¹³ As a result, even though God said to Moses on this occasion you’ll see what I can do, one Jewish commentator states: “As part of Moses’ punishment for having questioned God’s ability, he will not be around to see how the thirty-one kings of Canaan and their armies will be defeated when the Israelites will take over their lands.”¹⁴

Verses 19: Then He told the people to sit down on the grass. He took the five flatbreads and the two sardines. He looked up toward heaven and thanked God for the food. Then He broke the flatbreads into pieces, which He gave to His followers, and they, in turn, gave the food to the people.

There are at least six other places where Jesus is reported to have prayed with his eyes open toward heaven.¹⁵ According to scholars, “Jews generally do so today; Christians often pray with them closed. There is no command on the subject in the Bible. In an age when people are easily distracted, closing one’s eyes may help one to concentrate on God. On the other hand, those who choose to keep their eyes open have the Messiah as their model. The phrase, ‘toward heaven,’ can also carry the secondary meaning, ‘toward God’.”¹⁶

We don’t know exactly what Jesus said as He blessed the bread, but there are Jewish prayers said before eating and after eating. One blessing said before eating a meal goes: “Blessed are you, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.”¹⁷ Of course, with Jesus being the Son of God, He may have had His own version of saying Grace before breaking the bread.

Two early church writers give their impression of what happened here. Jerome tells us: “Jesus looked up to heaven that He might teach them to keep their eyes focused there. He then took in hand five loaves of bread and two fish; He broke the loaves and gave the food to the disciples. By the breaking of the bread, He makes it into a seedbed of food—for if the bread had been left intact and not pulled apart and broken into pieces, they would have been unable to feed the great crowds of men, women and children. The law with the prophets is therefore pulled apart and broken into pieces. Mysteries are made manifest, so that what did not feed the multitude of people in its original whole and unbroken state now feeds them in its divided state.”¹⁸

Then Chrysostom preaches: “In this miracle Jesus was teaching them humility, temperance, charity, to be of like mind toward one another and to share all things in common. He did so in His choice of location, by providing nothing more than loaves and fishes, by setting the same food before all and having them share it in common and by affording no one more than another.”¹⁹ And so it is today. When a preacher stands up behind the pulpit, the spiritual meal he has prepared is the same for one and all. And no matter how little he had time to prepare, if he allows our Lord to bless it and break it, it will prove enough for any size crowd.

Verse 20: Everyone ate until they were full. When they finished eating, the followers filled twelve baskets with the pieces of food that were not eaten.

There are differing views among the early church writers as it relates to what purpose these twelve baskets of food served. Bishop Hilary of Poitiers says: “Thus, by the word of God coming from the teaching of the law and the prophets, the multitude was satisfied; and an abundance of divine power, reserved for the Gentiles from the ministry of the eternal food, was left over for the twelve apostles.”²⁰ Chrysostom indicates that these twelve baskets were symbolic of the twelve disciples, and that just as Jesus took the bread and fish and multiplied it to feed the multitude, they were to take what He gave them and do the same after He sent them out into the world.²¹

Then Cyril of Alexandria believes that Jesus did this, “So that we might learn that when we are in charge of the table and are preparing to break the loaves, we ought to bring them to God with hands upraised and bring down upon them the blessing from above, he became for us the beginning and pattern and way.”²² Then, historian Eusebius gives his opinion on how in this miracle the unseen appears through that which is seen. He writes: “The miracle of the bread revealed the one through whom the soil when planted with seed, multiplies. What was done invisibly, once brought to light, proclaimed who it is that always works invisibly. It was not only at that time that Jesus with five loaves does many great things. In the world, He was not idle or inactive but was always at work feeding everyone and taking nothing for Himself. Because He was unknown, therefore, He came feeding, eating and feeding, so that through those things that are seen, He who was unseen might appear.”²³

Verse 21: There were about 5,000 men there who ate. There were also women and children who ate.

This is where some have overlooked the need for multiplication. This miracle has become known as the “Feeding of the 5,000.” But the text tells us, that was just the number of men, and that women and children were also present. This suggests that the number who were actually there may have been as high as 12,000 when we add wives and children. Perhaps that sum is reflected in the number of baskets of scraps left over. The distribution of Spiritual food works on the same principle as the food Jesus gave on this occasion. Christ gives to His ministers, they, in turn, give it to the people; who then share with their neighbors. Thus, the Word is multiplied.

There is also a distinct difference between the type of basket used here to gather the leftovers than ones used when later on Christ would feed 4,000.²⁴ Here there are twelve baskets, in the feeding of the 4,000 there would be seven baskets. The type of basket used here is the type carried on the backs of travelers to hold such provisions. The baskets used later in the feeding of the 4,000 were of the same type in which Paul was let down over the wall in Damascus.

To use today’s containers as an example, the basket here for the 5,000 might be compared to a picnic basket, while the one used in the feeding of the 4,000 was the size of a clothes hamper. Apparently these baskets were not very sturdy. The Jews tell us: “When Rabbi Judah went to the school house, he use to take a pitcher on his shoulders to sit on, saying, ‘Great is labor, for it honors the worker.’ Rabbi Simeon used to carry a basket upon his shoulders, saying likewise.”²⁵ Had Rabbi Simeon’s basket been strong enough, he too would have used it as a stool while studying. This would also make them easier to carry in bulk. The food used in this instance of 5,000 consisted of 5 flatbreads and 2 fish; the amount used in the feeding of the 4,000 was 7 flatbreads along with several fish. Jesus made note of this Himself.²⁶

The underlying factor here is that Jesus wanted the disciples to see how exponentially things are multiplied in the kingdom: No matter what you bring to Him He can make out of it whatever is needed to meet the demand. This is not only true of the food in each of these cases, but true of anything we need to feed those hungry for the Word of God in our world. In my own case, I have tried everything I can do to advance my knowledge and understanding of God’s Word, and I will not stop until I have accessed every opportunity to gain even better understanding so that when I bring it to Him to bless before I go out to divide it and feed the congregation, His blessing makes it possible to feed the crowd whether it be large or small. In the disciples case, it wasn’t that there was more food to be collected before they brought it to Jesus, but I’m sure they searched until they found all there was. So the disciples may have been worried about the size of the crowd, but Jesus was only concerned that they bring Him what they had and He would make it work.

Two addition items need to be addressed here. First, did Jesus multiply the bread and fish after He blessed it or was it multiplied as it was being shared because He blessed it? Scholars are somewhat divided on this. The fact that there is no mention that the disciples had to keep coming back to Jesus for a new supply suggests that He gave each one of them a portion of the original amount, and as they passed it out, it was like the widow’s oil in the case of Elijah.²⁷ The manner in which it was distributed may be likened to the way ushers take up an offering, only, in this case, a piece of bread was given to the first person in the row who broke off a piece and passed the rest on. Luke said they sat in groups of 50.²⁸

The second thing to reckon is the size of the crowd, Matthew says there were about 5,000 men, besides the women and children. If each man there was married, and each couple had a minimum of two children, the crowd would have numbered 20,000. However, there is no reason to believe that all the men were married, nor all the women. Plus, the number of children would then also be reduced. So to count the crowd size at approximately 10,000-12,000 would be reasonable. In any case, that would still be a huge number to feed on five flatbreads and two sardines. Scholars don’t believe the people stuffed themselves, but that according to Jewish custom you finished your meal only after feeling satisfied.

Early church theologian Hilary makes this point: “The same number of those eating proved to be the number of those who believed. As noted in the book of Acts, out of the countless people of Israel five thousand men believed.²⁹ Once the people had been satisfied, when they took up the loaves that had been broken into pieces with the fish, there was enough left over to match the number of believers and apostles to be filled with heavenly grace. Thus, both the amount suited the number and the number the amount. Within its bounds, the calculation was keyed to the proper effect and depended on the guidance of divine power.”³⁰

So out of this feeding of the multitude, there are various lessons we as believers can learn. First, don’t give up just because you don’t already have what you think it will take to do the job. Check with Jesus before you make up your mind that the mission is impossible by bringing Him what you do have. And when you go to Him, surrender what you have into His hands so He can bless it. Second, take what Jesus makes out of what you’ve got and start feeding those who come, you’ll be surprised how He can make it multiply, not only to be enough for the immediate need but have plenty left over for what is yet to come.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Part II

Verse 8: Herodias rehearsed with her daughter what to ask for as a prize. So she repeated it to King Herod, “Give me the head of John the Baptizer here on this platter.”

Because of his inability to stand for what was right, Herod blundered into a plot. This sensual dance was not done because Salome had the talent or desire just to get applause, but by the ulterior motive planted in her mind by her mother to request the head of John the Baptist as a prize. They knew it would be easy to get Herod distracted by her seductive movements so he would not see the scurrilous design behind the whole scheme. Herodias had to get Herod in the right mood in order to persuade him go against his conscience, even though it would cause him great grief.

This is how Satan plans; this is how opponents of the Christian way plot; this is how those who hate the success of Christianity propose to cause embarrassment by making its leaders ineffective. So never allow yourself to be persuaded to participate in anything, no matter how good or innocent it looks or how entertaining that may trap you into going against your commitment and obedience to Christ and His Word. On this occasion, it was a birthday party that gave the opportunity for a sinister plan to be carried out.

We know that during the time Joseph was in Egyptian confinement, it was another birthday that resulted in retribution, “Three days later it was Pharaoh’s birthday. He gave a party for all his servants. At the party, Pharaoh allowed the wine server and the baker to leave the prison. He freed the wine server and gave him his job back, and once again the wine server put a cup of wine in Pharaoh’s hand. But Pharaoh hanged the baker, and everything happened the way Joseph said it would. But the wine server did not remember to help Joseph. He said nothing about him to Pharaoh”.¹ Some Jewish scholars say: “The Torah’s emphasizing ‘he forgot him,’ leads us to believe that the cup-bearer made a conscious effort to blot out from his memory anything connected to his year of incarceration”.² In fact, this is how one Jewish translator rendered verse 23: “But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, no, he forgot him.”³

Apparently it was common for potentates to offer unimaginable gifts to those who pleased them, such as we read about Esther, “Then the king asked, ‘What is bothering you Queen Esther? What do you want to ask me? I will give you anything you ask for, even half my kingdom‘”.⁴ We also know that one of the kings of Judah suffered ignominy and death because of such bad parental advice, “Ahaziah also lived the way Ahab’s family lived because his mother encouraged him to do wrong things.”⁵

Asking for a prophet’s demise was not new. Even in Elijah’s day we read, “Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah and said, ‘I swear that by this time tomorrow, you will be just as dead as those prophets. If I don’t succeed, may the gods do the same or worse to me.‘”⁶ Jezebel was not sorry for her threats and paid terribly for her mockery of Elijah. But Herod was distraught by Salome’s request because it forced him to keep his word. King Darius felt the same heartbreak when it looked as though Daniel would suffer a similar fate in the lion’s den, “The king became very sad and upset when he heard this. He decided to save Daniel. He worked until sunset trying to think of a way to save him”.⁷

But in those days, an oath was a sacred vow and no one of strong character ever wanted to break such a promise. But sometimes, making a vow without thinking it through can be very costly and even humiliating. Take Jephthah, for instance, who lived during the time of the Judges. We read: “Jephthah made a promise to the LORD. He said, ‘If you will let me defeat the Ammonites, I will give you the first thing that comes out of my house when I come back from the victory. I will give it to the Lord as a burnt offering’…When Jephthah saw that his daughter was the first thing to come out of his house, he tore his clothes to show his sadness. Then he said, ‘Oh, my daughter! You have ruined me! You have made me very sad! I made a promise to the LORD, and I cannot change it!’”⁸ It also happened to king Saul. We are told: “Saul made a big mistake that day. He made this oath: ‘If any man eats food before evening comes before I finish defeating my enemies, he will be under a curse.’ He made the soldiers promise not to eat. So none of them ate anything.”⁹

But Saul’s son Jonathan didn’t get the word. So we read: “Because of the fighting, the people went into some woods. Then they saw a honeycomb on the ground. The Israelites went up to the honeycomb, but they didn’t eat any of it. They were afraid to break the promise. But Jonathan didn’t know about the oath. He didn’t hear his father make the soldiers promise not to eat. Jonathan had a stick in his hand, so he dipped the end of the stick into the honeycomb and pulled out some honey. He ate the honey and began to feel much better.”¹⁰ But Jonathan only survived because of his courageous fighting and the petition for mercy on his behalf by his fellow warriors.

Solomon had sage advice for those making vows or promises, “Be careful when you make promises to God. Be careful about what you say to Him. Don’t let your feelings cause you to speak too soon.”¹¹ According to church tradition there is a story that circulated about Salome, the daughter of Herodias: “Once, as she walked over a river which was frozen in the winter season, the ice broke, and she fell in, and the pieces of ice cut off her head; the law of retaliation, was righteously executed on her.”¹² Most scholars, however, consider this either fiction or wishful thinking. Now, Matthew records Herod’s regret on making such a silly promise.

Verses 9-10: King Herod was very sad. But he had promised to give the daughter anything she wanted. And the people eating with Herod had heard his promise. So he ordered what she asked to be done. He sent men to the prison, where they cut off John’s head.

This whole story can be seen as a prime example of man’s uninhibited power over others, regardless of their rank or position. One might expect a holy man such as John the Baptist to enjoy immunity from Herod’s power by way of God’s superior might. But you can be assured that John’s death was right on schedule according to God’s timetable. In this case, triumph was realized in tragedy. What would have happened had John the Baptist continued in his ministry for years and years? What if Jesus had lived to a ripe old age and never died on the cross? These things did not come to pass by chance or bad luck, they were planned from before the world was created.

There’s another way to think about this. If someone knew that by killing you they would forever end your existence as an influence and witness against what they were doing, it would well satisfy their rage by cutting your life short. But if they found out that after they killed you, they were really giving you an early release from pain and sorrow to peacefully await the resurrection, after which you would then live for eternity with the God you love, it might make them less enthusiastic about putting you out of your misery. By this, their attempt would end in frustration when they discovered that by letting you live they may prolong a nuisance but end up with more time to persecute you and make you miserable. They would see that by putting God’s children to death they only usher them into eternal life and add to their own misery and shame because now you can’t be touched again. On top of that, a day of retribution is coming when these evil deeds will be repaid in full by the Almighty God.

But Herod was not doing something that had never been done before. In Jeremiah, we find the prophet asking, “‘Why do you argue with me? You have all turned against me.’ Listen to this message from the LORD. ‘I punished you people of Judah, but it did not help. You did not come back when you were punished. With your swords, you killed the prophets who came to you. Like a dangerous lion, you killed the prophets.”¹³

According to scholars, the men Herod sent to execute John the Baptizer were not standard guards or soldiers, they were “executioners.” This was their craft and anyone seeing them coming knew exactly what their end was. Although we do not have the details, John the Baptizer may have responded to the arrival of the executioners much like this story in Roman history: “During the Civil War, a slave hid away his master, who had been forbidden to stay there, and, having put on his rings and dressed himself in his clothes, presented himself to those searching for his master, and, saying that he asked for nothing better than that they should carry out their orders, immediately offered his neck for their swords.”¹⁴

The Jews were accustomed to such executions. We read one story where Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel and Rabbi Ishmael were both condemned to die. One wanted to be first as a sign of respect for the other. Finally, the executioners said: “Throw the tiles. So they threw the tiles and the lot fell to Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel (to die first). Whereupon the executioner took his sword and cut off Rabban Simeon’s head.”¹⁵ To those for whom there is no hope of eternity with God, such actions are a mystery. But to the children of God, their desire to see the One who redeemed them will not make them reluctant to be martyrs and leave this miserable world.

Verse 11: And the men brought John’s head on a tray and gave it to the girl. Then she took the head to her mother, Herodias.

I wonder how Herodias felt looking into the face of John the Baptizer? Was it worth doing such a dastardly deed just to get back at him for speaking out against her unlawful marriage to Herod Antipas? Some people will go to great lengths to get even with someone they feel insulted them. The only problem is, no one can insult you unless you let them. In her case, it wasn’t so much what John the Baptizer said, as it was how low and miserable she felt because of the truth. But John the Baptizer had served the cause and completed his mission, so it was time for him to rest until the resurrection would bring him back to life forever. The fact that John the Baptizer’s followers took the time, after burying him, to find Jesus and tell Him the bad news, shows what respect they had inherited from their prophet for Jesus the Messiah.

It is very obvious that Salome wanted nothing to do with this platter on which John the Baptizer’s head lay oozing blood, so she took it straight to her mother. In the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, there is a portrait of Herodias with the head of St. John the Baptist, painted by Italian artist Francesco del Cairo (1625). The explanation reads: “Herodias was enraged with John the Baptist for preaching against her marriage to Herod, the brother of her first husband. According to the New Testament, she instructed her daughter Salome to ask Herod for the Baptist’s head as a reward for her dancing. A text by Saint Jerome recounts that when Herodias received the severed head, she pierced the Baptist’s tongue with a needle. In this painting, Cairo made the macabre subject even more disturbing through dramatic lighting and the vivid realism with which he portrayed Herodias swooning in ecstasy as she mutilates the tongue that spoke against her.”

The great preacher Chrysostom shares his homiletical treatment of this incident. He writes: “Her [Salome’s] reproach is twofold: first, that she danced, then that she pleased him [Herod] and so pleased him as to obtain even murder for her reward. Do you see how savage he was, how senseless, how foolish? He puts himself under the obligation of an oath while to her he gives full power over her request. But when Herod saw the evil actually ensuing, ‘he was sorry,’ it is said. Yet in the first instance, he had put him [John the Baptizer] in prison. Why then is he sorry? Such is the nature of virtue. Even among the wicked admiration and praises are its due. But alas for her madness! When she also ought to admire, yes, to bow down to him for trying to redress her wrong, she rather even helps to arrange the plot, lays a snare and asks a diabolical favor. But he was afraid ‘for the oath’s sake,’ it is said, ‘and those that sat with him at dinner.’ Why did he not fear that which is far more fearful? Surely if Herod was afraid of having witnesses to perjury, much more should he fear having so many witnesses of a murder so lawless.”¹⁶ Then Matthew tells us:

Verse 12: John’s followers came and got his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what happened.

This must have been a sad day for the remaining disciples of John the Baptizer. We are told that the supposed skeleton of John the Baptizer was found not too long ago during an excavation of a Bulgarian church ruins. However, the report stated: “The remains include six human bones: a knucklebone from the right hand, a tooth, part of a cranium, a rib, and an ulna, or forearm bone.” I doubt very seriously if Herodias gave back the head of John the Baptizer for a proper burial, so there would be no reason for parts of the skull to be found alongside the other bones. In fact, she may have even had it embalmed and mounted it as a trophy. And after all, Matthew was specific in saying that John’s followers came and got his body. There is no mention of his head.

But what she may not have known was the very One who John the Baptizer was born to announce would soon be on His way, and His own death and resurrection would guarantee that His friend and cousin would rise from the grave to be received in glory, while she and her henchmen would one day stand trial before God as both Jesus and John the Baptizer look on. But such judgment would not be for divine revenge, but because all must one day give an account of their deeds before the great Judge.¹⁷

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Part I

Verse 1: About that time, Herod, the ruler of Galilee, heard what the people were saying about Jesus.

Jewish writers tell us that this Herod Antipas was the youngest son of Herod the Great by his Samaritan wife, Malthace. The exact date of his birth can not be exactly ascertained, but according to one Jewish historian he was born in 21 BC and died in 39 AD. He was governor of Galilee and reigned form 4 BC to 39 AD when he was banished to Gaul (now France).¹ where he died in exile that same year. Antipas, like most of the other members of his royal family, was educated at Rome, and kept in close touch with the imperial court there.

Little is known of his mode of life or of his activity before his accession to power, though his later acts do not lead to the supposition that he had been superior in virtue to his half-brothers, or, indeed, to most of the aristocratic youths brought up near the palace. From two inscriptions—one from the Greek island of Kos, and the other from the Greek island of Delos, about an half hour boat trip from Mykonos, near the center of the Cyclades archipelago, makes it apparent that he traveled extensively, though it can not be determined at what period of his life.

We are also told that he married the daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia, whom he then divorced in order to marry Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Philip, the son of Herod the Great and Mariamne, who was still living. Philip wanted to take revenge on his brother Herod because of the affront which Herod offered his daughter, so he declared war against him, but was vanquished after a short military engagement. This defeat, Josephus assures us, the Jews considered as a punishment for the death of John the Baptist.

Having gone to Rome to solicit the title of king, he was accused by king Agrippa of carrying on a correspondence with Artabanus king of Parthia, against the Romans, and was banished by the emperor Caius to Lyons, and then to Spain, where he and Herodias died in exile. This Herod had a dismissive attitude toward Jesus, thinking that He was merely the reincarnation of John the Baptizer with whom he was more familiar. But this is not the end of the story. Matthew gives us some background as to why he and his brother Philip were at odds with each other.

Theodore of Heraclea, who believed in the literal translation of the biblical texts, points out that both Herod and those around him considered the possibility that John the Baptizer had risen from the dead. Yet a few years later the very person thought to be John the Baptizer had Himself been raised from the dead and it was dismissed as a rumor started by Jesus’ disciples. What really caused Herod to fear was that now John the Baptizer may be immune to dying and could, therefore, be even more outspoken against what Herod had done.²

Verse 2: So he said to his servants, “This man is really John the Baptizer. He must have risen from death, and that is why He can do these miracles.”

There is no reason to believe that Herod believed in reincarnation or that he really thought that Jesus was John the Baptizer returned from the dead. Today we use the same type of language when we refer to someone who does things similar to those done by a highly recognized person of history. For instance, I’ve heard it said a number of times after one of today’s magicians performs an amazing trick, “He must be Houdini!” So Herod’s statement was more said in jest than in out of respect.

Verse 3: Before this time, Herod had arrested John the Baptizer. He had him chained and put in prison. He arrested John the Baptizer because of Herodias, the wife of Philip, Herod’s brother.

Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus and Bernice, and granddaughter of Herod the Great. Needless to say, they were less than the elegant royal family that most people would hope for. John the Baptizer was not timid about telling Herod that his marriage to his sister-in-law was not scriptural. This may have meant a quick trip to jail, except for the fact the John the Baptizer was very popular with the people, and Herod didn’t want to upset them. According to Jewish Historian Flavius Josephus, John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded by Herod in the strong castle of Machaerus, which he describes as situated high on a hill approximately 7 miles east of the Jordan River, not far from where the river discharges itself into the Dead Sea.³ When we see this fortress, it does not remind us of a typical prison with cells and barred windows. But there was a section in this fortress that did serve as a place of incarceration so that anyone imprisoned there could be easily tried and dispensed with at Herod’s convenience.

Drawing of what Machaerus looked like in those days.

Verse 4: John the Baptizer had told him, “It is not right for you to be married to Herodias.”

John the Baptizer’s criticism of Herod was based on solid biblical grounds: “You must not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife. That would be like having sexual relations with your brother.”⁴ What was true in John the Baptizer’s day is true today. People in high places just do not want to hear the truth, especially when it conflicts with their lifestyle and adopted moral standards. One German commentator writes this about Herod’s debauched character: “Durch Sinnlichkeit und Unsittlichkeit war der Grund zum Sturze gelegt worden, Habsucht und Herrischgier hatten den morschen Bau im Nu zusammenstürzen gemacht.”⁵ [Translated it reads: “By sensuality and immorality the ground for falling was laid, greed and avid arrogance caused the rotten construction to collapse in on itself in a hurry.”]⁶

That is exactly what brought down the Roman Empire and it will be the cause of many governments collapsing, even in our day. In other words, Herod had disdain for anything that went against his corrupt secular worldview. So when John the Baptizer confronted him with the truth, he ended up silencing the messenger so he wouldn’t have to listen to the message. However, at first, Herod was willing to compromise when his own political future was at stake.

Archbishop Chrysologus in the early church gives his impression of what happened here between John the Baptizer and King Herod. He writes: “John upset Herod by his moral admonitions, not by any formal accusation. He wanted to correct, not to suppress. Herod, however, preferred to suppress rather than be reconciled. To those who are held captive, the freedom of the one innocent of wrongdoing becomes hateful. Virtue is undesirable to those who are immoral; holiness is abhorrent to those who are godless; chastity is an enemy to those who are impure; integrity is a hardship for those who are corrupt; discretion runs counter to those who are self-indulgent; mercy is intolerable to those who are cruel, as is loving-kindness to those who are pitiless and justice to those who are unjust.”⁷

To put it another way, the reaction of people who are upset with those who reveal their flaws by telling them the truth about their actions, and those who by way of holy living put them to shame because of their immoral lives, are like those who have allergies to medicines that are meant to heal and cure. Instead of it combating the symptoms, it brings new symptoms with it. And unrepentant sin is always the cause for such negative reactions to honesty and integrity. So instead of seeking a remedy, they lash out at those who try to bring healing.

Verse 5: Herod wanted to kill him, but he was afraid of the people. They believed that John the Baptizer was a prophet.

We find out from Jewish historian Josephus that the people were right. He tells us: “Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod’s army came from God and that very justly, as a punishment of what he did against John, that was called the Baptist.”⁸ Josephus also provides a summary of what John the Baptizer was preaching: “He commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism; for that the washing with water would be acceptable to him, if they made use of it, not in order for the remission of some sins only, but for the purification of the body; supposing still that the soul was thoroughly purified beforehand by righteousness.”⁹ Sounds like Josephus may himself have become a believer of John the Baptizer’s message.

Early church scholar Chrysologus says this about Herod’s fear of the people: “That person readily turns away from justice who, in matters at issue, fears not God but people. Such fear can restrain the power to sin but is unable to remove the will to sin. Hence, those whom it has restrained from crime, it makes them all the more eager to return to crime. It is only the fear of God that can set minds straight, repel criminal actions, preserve innocence and give steadfast power. But let us focus on the passionate intensity of the blessed John the Baptizer.”¹⁰ How true, that in times of persecution and tribulation the believer’s eyes should not be focused on the cause for such abuse and mistreatment, but on the courage and faithfulness of those who endure to the end.

Verse 6a: On Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced for him and his group.

The gyrations on the part of Salome on this occasion are portrayed through the translation of the Greek word orcheomai, which means, “to put into rapid motion,” into English with the common word “danced.” But there is more to it than that. Elsewhere in the Bible it speaks of dancing in regards to religion, and expression of joyful worship; a leaping, jumping exercise of happiness. But here it suggests a seductive form of dancing because we see Herod’s response. Having seen motion pictures, documentaries and speaking with people from that region of the world, the conclusion I have drawn is that this oriental dance is what we call today the belly dance performed in Middle Eastern countries.

When dancers execute such artistic art they not only receive applause but are often given a prize. But there’s more. In this case it was the daughter of Herodias, a princess in Herod’s court, who lowered herself to do this dance of an erotic entertainer. Celebrating birthdays was not a Jewish priority. No doubt that is why the birth of Jesus was not celebrated by the disciples and His followers because it was considered a pagan custom. A Greek historian tells us about the Persians: “Of all the days they choose to honor most it is the one on which they were born, each one: on this they think it right to set out a feast more liberal than on other days.”¹¹

Not only that, but the same historian tells us of a similar occasion where another king was enamored with his brother’s wife, and ended up making a promise to her, that he later regretted. It seems that Xerxes fell in love with the wife of his brother Masistes. So he came up with the idea of having his own son marry his brother’s daughter, hoping that would bring down Masistes’ resistance to his being around them. But instead, he then began to lust for his new daughter-in-law whose name was Artaÿnte. That’s when the intrigue really begins.

As the historian tells it: “Amestris, the wife of Xerxes, wove a large cape with a beautiful design and a sight worthy to be seen, and she gave it to Xerxes. He was greatly pleased and put it on and went to see his daughter -in-law Artaÿnte; and she was pleased with it too. So she asked him what she should get in return for all the favors which she had granted him, he said, whatever she asked: and she, since it was destined that she might perish miserably with her whole family because of their affair, said to Xerxes: ‘Will you really give me whatever I ask for?’ and he, supposing that she would ask for anything other than what she did, promised and swore to it. Then after his oath, she boldly asked for the cape; and Xerxes tried every means of persuasion, not being willing to give it to her, and that for no other reason but only because he feared his wife Amestris, lest by her, who even before this had some inkling of the truth, he would be discovered in the act; and he offered her cities and gold in any quantity, and an army which no one else should command except herself. Since, however, he did not persuade her, he gave her the cape; and she being overjoyed by the gift wore it and prided herself wearing it.”¹² So you can imagine what Xerxes’ wife, Amestris, thought when she saw her daughter-in-law wearing the beautiful cape she had given to her husband.

This story sounds eerily familiar to the one about Herod who married his brother’s wife and had lust for her daughter, Salome.¹³ So with Herod celebrating his birthday, you can imagine what the Jews thought of his actions. According to Jewish verbal tradition, three days before any Gentile festival it was forbidden for any Jew to do business with them – to borrow money from them, or lend money to them, or to pay them or be repaid by them. And among the many festivals listed was birthdays.¹⁴ Such was Herod’s birthday party, that even one Roman poet spoke of it in irony: “When the days of Herod the Jew are here, and the lamps, wreathed with violets, set in the greasy window, vomit oily vapor, and the tuna fishtail swims, encircling the red bowl, when the white jug brims with wine, and you move your lips silently, grown pale at the Sabbath of the circumcised?”¹⁵

Scholars tell us that this satire spoke of the time that Herod reigned over the Jews in Syria during the time of Caesar Augustus; therefore the Herodians kept Herod’s birthday, as also the Sabbath, on which day they set up candles in the windows lighted, and encircled with violets because many of them thought him to be the Messiah. Matthew goes on to tell us:

Verse 6b-7: Herod was very pleased with her. So he swore that he would give her anything she wanted.

The Jews, as well as other cultures, took such oaths seriously. So much so, that according to their verbal traditions a person making such a pledge: “cannot change his mind after the ruling.”¹⁶ This was especially true if the oath was made, for instance, on the Temple, or on one’s head. We see this in Jewish writings where is says: “They swore by the Torah that they would not do so,” and “I swear on your life.”¹⁷ Often times, such oaths were either said in haste¹⁸ or while drunk, so that later they were granted with remorse.

Early church historian and theologian, Jerome, makes note of the fact that this birthday celebration took place when Herod was torn between trying to quiet John the Baptizer by embarrassing him for telling the truth, and fearful that if he did so his subjects might rise up against him because of mistreating a prophet of God.¹⁹ So he sought consolation in what Jews considered a pagan activity, that being celebrating one’s birthday where there was no doubt plenty of wine to be imbibed. Instead of Herod getting his mind on God and seeking forgiveness, he got his mind of godlessness and sought solace in the pleasures of the flesh. Needless to say, we see where it led to his making a decision that would prompt him into doing the exact wrong he was reluctant to do, by harming John the Baptizer.

What a lesson for anyone who fails to confront their sin and ask God for forgiveness, thinking that it will somehow take care of itself, only to find out that like an untreated sore it can lead to gangrene and then amputation. What would you think of someone who decided to treat their cancer with fine dining rather than chemotherapy because their urge to eat overwhelmed their desire to live? Unfortunately, such gross sinning can become a plague and infect many who otherwise would not live such a lifestyle. Only the blood of Jesus has the power to cure such spiritual unhealthiness because even John the Baptizer’s blood did not have that effect.

UPDATE ON OUR STUDY OF JESUS

We have finished the very interesting and informative Chapter 13 in the Gospel of Matthew, where we saw Jesus use multiple parables in trying His best to get both His disciples and those who opposed Him to see the truth about the Kingdom of God and what it meant to those who desired everlasting life with God.

He told how the citizens of Kingdom of God would be scattered throughout the world, some in almost impossible places like seed falling on a road; some in difficult places where there is strong opposition; and some in good places where it will grow and produced a good harvest.

But Jesus said, beware!  The devil will try to infiltrate the Kingdom of God with those who look like real believers, but in fact, they are imitations of the real thing.  But don’t panic, at harvest time God will send His messengers to separate the weeds from the true wheat that He planted.

And Jesus told His followers not to become discouraged when those He planted were small in their influence, in the beginning, like a mustard seed, but they would grow large enough to have a real impact on the communities and nations where they were planted. However, when His disciples came to Him and asked for an explanation, Jesus realized that they still did not understand the whole concept of the Kingdom of Heaven.

So He told another parable about a man who discovered a valuable pearl in the marketplace, so he hurried home, sold all that he had to raise the money to go back and purchase that distinct pearl.  He was trying to let them know that by listening to Him and His teaching, they had been shown this pearl of great price. So whatever they knew or believed before about God, His plan of salvation, and a future life in His presence, to sell it all in exchange for what He was telling them.

Then Jesus proceeded to explain how they should proceed as they went out as fishers of men for the Kingdom of God.  He told them that as they cast the net of the Gospel, many would be brought in as they responded to the Good News.  But there would be some who were not worth keeping, just like inedible fish caught in a fisherman’s net. So they were not to spend time on those who were considered unusable and concentrate on those who were good for the cause.

After all this, Jesus decided to visit His hometown of Nazareth.  But instead of receiving a hero’s welcome from his friends and previous neighbors, they questioned His role as a prophet and the expected Messiah.  They remembered Him as a boy, and His mother, brothers, and sisters still lived there.  They were not the elite of the community, they were all children of a lowly carpenter who lived here before he passed away. So they accused Him of bragging. As a result, they did not see any of the miracles that Jesus had performed in other places.

Tomorrow we will begin the exciting Chapter 14.  So let’s continue this journey through the Gospel of Matthew to look at some more exciting things about Jesus, the Son of God. And may the Lord richly bless you for your dedication and love for His Word.

ARE YOU STUCK IN THE PAST

Greek philosopher Aristotle once wrote: “No one deliberates about the past, but about what is future and capable of being otherwise, while what is passed is not capable of not having taken place.” He then quotes another ancient Greek poet named Agathon, whose works have long been lost, with this statement, that is worth considering. Agathon said: “For this alone is lacking even to God, to undo things that have once been done.”¹ In other words, even God will not change the past.

So why do so many people attempt to undo what even God will not undo? I’m sure you’ve heard those famous words: “If I would have only…” or, “I wish I would have…” and, “If I could do it all over again…” But what makes matters even more difficult is that such people continue wallowing in their grief over not having done then what they wish they would have done. It’s often called, “Living in the past.”

I heard this story while visiting India: When they want to domesticate an elephant so it will not run away, they tie one of its legs to a large tree. As the elephant pulls and twists its leg trying to get free, the chain wears through the skin and begins to cause severe pain. Once the elephant is tamed, from then on they can tie it to a small pole and the elephant will stop trying to move away as soon as it feels the tug of the rope on its leg.

That’s how some people are tied to the past, trying, again and again, to change what happened. They think they can do so by feeling sorry, apologizing over and over again, and grieving over what they should have, would have, or could have done differently. This then keeps them from reaching goals set for them in life. Let go and move forward! Don’t keep trying to do what even God will not do – change the past. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

NEVER DOUBT YOUR CALLING

The pastor of a small church in central Germany invited me to come preach a week’s revival for him. He got permission to pitch a tent on an open lot near the downtown area. The first night the pastor and I greeted people as they arrived, some brought in by the sign outside. Just before service began, I heard a loud noise and saw several motorcycle riders pull up in front of the tent. They were young men and it appeared they were out having a good time. When they found out it wasn’t a carnival, they seemed to lose interest. But before they left, one of them rode his motorcycle down the center aisle, then turning around he kicked over several chairs as he yelled and gunned the engine on the way out.

The local pastor started the service and I sat to the left of the platform with my head bowed in prayer asking God to bless the message He gave me. All of a sudden I felt something hit the right side of my head, and when I opened my eyes I saw an apple core lying on the ground. When I looked up there was the motorcycle gang sitting on the second row, laughing. I felt a sudden rise in blood pressure and thought their actions were rude, but quickly dismissed it in Jesus’ name.

About fifteen minutes into my sermon, all the lights in the tent suddenly went out plunging us into total darkness. I couldn’t see my notes or the audience, and the motorcycle gang was laughing, but I kept on preaching. The quick thinking pastor ran and got his car, pulling it up to the tent entrance with the lights on. I continued preaching in the glare of the high beam lights, still unable to see who I was speaking to. The pastor didn’t want to leave his car engine running because without a microphone it was hard to hear that far back. Soon his lights begin to dim as the battery ran down, and inside the tent, it became dark again.

When I got to the end of my sermon and made the altar call, I heard footsteps of people coming forward. Just then all the lights came back on, and my heart leaped as I saw members of the motorcycle gang standing in front of the altar. Tears flowed as I lead them in prayer for salvation. Later we learned that they came back with a plan to cut our electrical cord just to see what we would do. One of them said when that didn’t stop us and we still showed that we cared about their souls, it made all the difference in how they viewed us.

I learned that night that if we don’t let situations like that discourage us or cause us to quit, the Lord will make things happen that otherwise could not have taken place. And besides “Love,” another fruit of the Spirit is “Faithfulness.” The apostle Paul stated that love was one of the most enduring graces, and Jesus pointed out that when all is said and done we will hear the welcoming words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” So this was a lesson for me of how love and faithfulness go together to bring about miracles.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Part V (con’t)

Verse 56b: How is He able to do these things?

In referring to the family of Jesus, when it comes to the name Mary (“Miryam”), with Moses’ sister being so highly thought of it became a popular female name, so it was easy to get women mixed-up. In one place, the Jews got Mary of Nazareth mixed up with Mary of Magdala (Magdalene), who was a hair dresser by trade.¹ This same mix-up is found in another Jewish document.² In still another place a Rabbi was told to go get Miriam “the woman’s hairdresser,” but he came back with Miriam “the children’s nurse.”³ This may or may not have been the Mary Magdalene we know from the New Testament.

Putting this all together, while neither Mary the mother of Jesus nor Mary Magdalene were spoken of by the Jews with any respect, there was no reason for them to disrespect Jesus because of His father’s low career occupation rating of a carpenter. After all, Rabbi Yehoshua said that Rabbi Zechariah was a butcher’s son.⁴ Furthermore, we also find that Rabbi Johanan may have been the son of a blacksmith.⁵ On this occasion, the Jews in Nazareth should have heeded the advice of Rabbi Judah ben Bathyra who said: “Be mindful of the honor due to the children of common people, for from them proceeds the laws.”⁶ Just keep this in mind: none of these women need the applause of men, they are already recognized by God as unique vessels used by Him for a special purpose.

When speaking of the brothers of Jesus, there are scholars who take both sides of the issue on whether Mary remained a perpetual virgin, or that she and Joseph had more children after Jesus was born. Two verses of Scripture seem to give us a clue. First we read: “When Yosef awoke he did what the angel of ADONAI had told him to do — he took Miryam home to be his wife, but he did not have sexual relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Yeshua.”⁷ The Aramaic Version agrees with this rendering, in particular the use of, “until.” This preposition certainly suggests that what was postponed “until,” then began and continued. But it also goes on to says: “until she had given birth to her first-born son.” This is how it reads in another Gospel account: “While they were there, the time came for her to give birth; and she gave birth to her first child, a son.”⁸

Now, there would be no reason to refer to Jesus as her “first” child if there were none that followed. Had she not given birth to additional children we would say, “her only son.” On the other hand, we know that at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry these brothers did not believe all the claims that Jesus made, even mocking Him and telling Him He needed to go to Jerusalem in order to prove Himself. If these brothers were from a previous wife of Joseph’s, we can see that they would have been older, and no doubt amazed that this young upstart, and only child of their father’s new wife would brand Himself as the Messiah.⁹ But Mary, Joseph and the brothers were not the only relatives of Jesus that might define His status among them.

We are not given the number of sisters, but by using the plural, it means there were, at least, two. Neither were their names revealed in Scripture. However, we do find that some early church writers did mention their names possibly being Mary and Salome, although the writer believes they were by another mother since he supported the ever-virgin status of Mary.¹⁰ Also, in one of the apocryphal writings, we read: “His sister and His mother and His companion Magdalene were each named Mary.”¹¹

When it comes to the brothers, Most scholars accept James as the one who wrote the Epistle as being this brother of Jesus. As far as Simon (also Symeon) is concerned, we read this in the Early Church Fathers: “After the martyrdom of James and the conquest of Jerusalem which immediately followed, it is said that those of the apostles and disciples of the Lord that were still living came together from all directions with those that were related to the Lord according to the flesh (for the majority of them also were still alive) to take counsel as to who was worthy to succeed James. They all with one consent pronounced Symeon, the son of Clopas, of whom the Gospel also makes mention; to be worthy of the episcopal throne of that parish. He was a cousin, as they say, of the Savior. For Hegesippus¹² records that Clopas was a brother of Joseph.”¹³

Then Eusebius of Caesarea (260-339 AD), the Roman historian, in his history of the church mentions Symeon again: “And after James the Just had suffered martyrdom, as the Lord had also on the same account, Symeon, the son of the Lord’s uncle, Clopas, was appointed the next bishop. All proposed him as the second bishop because he was a cousin of the Lord. Therefore, they called the Church a virgin, for it was not yet corrupted by vain discourses. But Thebuthis, because he was not made the bishop, began to corrupt it.”¹⁴

He then goes on to tell us:

“Certain of these heretics brought accusations against Symeon, the son of Clopas, on the ground that he was a descendant of David and a Christian; and thus, he suffered martyrdom, at the age of one hundred and twenty years, while Trajan was emperor and Atticus governor.” And the same writer says that his accusers also when a search was made for the descendants of David, were arrested as belonging to that family. And it might be reasonably assumed that Symeon was one of those that saw and heard the Lord, judging from the length of his life, and from the fact that the Gospel makes mention of Mary, the wife of Clopas, who was the father of Symeon. The same historian says that there were also others, descended from one of the so-called brothers of the Savior, whose name was Judas, who, after they had given testimony before Domitian, on behalf of faith in Christ, lived until the same reign. He writes as follows: “They came, therefore, and took the lead of every church as a witness and as relatives of the Lord. And profound peace being established in every church, they remained until the reign of Emperor Trajan, and until the above-mentioned Symeon, son of Clopas, an uncle of the Lord, was informed against by the heretics and was himself in like manner accused of the same cause before the governor Atticus. And after being tortured for many days he suffered martyrdom, and all, including even the proconsul, marveled that, at the age of one hundred and twenty years, he could endure so much. And orders were given that he should be crucified.”¹⁵

Eusebius goes on to tell another story:

“Of the family of the Lord, there were still living the grandchildren of Jude, who is said to have been the Lord’s brother according to the flesh. Information was given that they belonged to the family of David, and they were brought to Emperor Domitian by the provocateurs. For Domitian feared the coming of Christ as Herod also had feared it. And he asked them if they were descendants of David, and they confessed that they were. Then he asked them how much property they had, or how much money they owned. And both of them answered that they had only nine thousand denarii, half of which belonged to each of them; and this property did not consist of silver, but of a piece of land which contained only thirty-nine acres, and from which they raised their taxes and supported themselves by their own labor.” Then they showed their hands, exhibiting the hardness of their bodies and the callousness produced upon their hands by continuous toil as evidence of their own labor. And when they were asked concerning Christ and His kingdom, of what sort it was and where and when it was to appear, they, answered that it was not a temporal nor an earthly kingdom, but a heavenly and angelic one, which would appear at the end of the world, when he should come in glory to judge the living and the dead, and to give unto every one according to his works. Upon hearing this, Domitian did not pass judgment against them, but, despising them as of no account, he let them go, and by a decree put a stop to the persecution of the Church. But when they were released they ruled the churches because they were witnesses and were also relatives of the Lord. And peace being established, they lived until the time of Trojan.”¹⁶

Knowing this, we can now more easily accept what Matthew tells us about the brothers of Jesus:

Verse 57: So they had a problem accepting Him. But Jesus said to them, “People everywhere give honor to a prophet, but in his own home and hometown a prophet gets no honor.”

Early church theologian, Origen, gives us his explanation on how we might understand this saying: “We must inquire whether the expression has the same force when applied universally to every prophet. Does it mean that every one of the prophets was dishonored only in his own country? Or does it mean that every one who was dishonored was dishonored in his country? Or does it mean that because of the expression being singular, these things were said about only one? If these words are spoken about only one, then these things that have been said make sense insofar as they refer to what is written about the Savior. But if the point is generalized to indicate all prophets, then it is harder to defend historically. For Elijah did not suffer dishonor in Tishbeth of Gilead, nor Elisha in Abetmeholah, nor Samuel in Ramathaim, nor Jeremiah in Anathoth.”

Origen continues: “But, figuratively interpreted, this saying is absolutely true. For we must think of Judea as their country and that famous Israel as their kindred, and perhaps of the body as the house. All suffered dishonor in Judea from the Israel that is according to the flesh while they were yet in the body. As it is written in the Acts of the Apostles, ‘Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute, who declared beforehand the coming of the righteous One?’¹⁷ And Paul says similar things in the first epistle to the Thessalonians: ‘For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea; for you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all people.’¹⁸”¹⁹

Verse 58: Jesus did not do many miracles there, because the people did not believe in Him.

This verse appears ambiguous at first. Some scholars think that Christ refused to perform miracles because the people would not believe in Him as the Messiah. Others suggest that He was unable to perform miracles because the causative agent of faith was absent. The truth is, Jesus was not kept from doing miracles in His hometown of Nazareth because of the people’s doubt, but He refrained from doing them because He did not want to reward their doubt. Believe me, if just one sick person would have believed, they would have been healed because of their faith.

Christ was more than willing and able to heal but the necessary power cord of faith was not plugged in, it had been severed by unbelief. This brings up an interesting comparison between “disbelief,” “misbelief.” and “unbelief.” Disbelief is when a person sees something they cannot bring themselves to believe, such as we see in magic. Misbelief is when a person has faith in something, but it is predicated upon faulty evidence and therefore is easily disproved, such as the cults. But unbelief is when a person sees it, could believe it if they wanted to, they know it is true, but they refuse to accept it anyhow because of their own biases, pride, or the changes in thinking it may require; such as we see in this case of Jesus in His hometown of Nazareth.

One of the church’s earliest theologians gives his explanation on why Jesus did not perform many miracles in His home town of Nazareth. He says: “It is just this way in regard to the production of miracles. The complete work resulting in a healing is not displayed without those being healed exercising faith. Faith, of whatever quality it might be, does not produce a healing without divine power.”²⁰ Then early church preacher Chrysostom makes this point: “Why did Jesus not do them? Because He wasn’t concerned with the spectacle [of miracles] but with their usefulness.”²¹ And early church writer Peter Chrysologus had this to say: “Power has no effect where unbelief does not deserve it.”²²

Jesus did not go back home to be a showman. He had no interest in wowing the crowd with His divine power. But He no doubt felt an obligation to return to the area and the people who knew Him best, not to show them what He could do but to show them what God could do. And should this not be the same mentality and intent of every servant of God? No matter how spectacular or renown a preacher’s ministry may be, it must all be for the glory of God.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Part V

Verse 52: Then Jesus said to His followers, “So every teacher of the law who has learned about God’s kingdom has some new things to teach. He is like the owner of a house. He has new things and old things in safe keeping. And he brings out the new with the old.”

The complete Jewish Bible renders it this way: “He said to them, ‘So then, every Torah-teacher who has been made into a wise teacher for the Kingdom of Heaven is like the owner of a home who brings out of his storage room both new things and old’.” The Aramaic Version has: “from his treasures” instead of storage. In other words, they are collector’s items. Things the owner has had for a long time and things he recently acquired.

It is clear that Jesus is speaking about the group known as Scribes. These were those scholars among the Jews who spent their time studying the Torah in order to gain a better understanding. Everyone knew, that to be an excellent and trusted scribe they must interpret the law of Moses to make it practical and relevant to the Jews’ everyday life of righteous living. Every student of God’s Word knows that no matter how many times they read the Word of God, they always seem to obtain new insight. So after sharing these parables and teachings Jesus is now telling His followers they have learned something new about the old agreement between God and His people. Not only will they have knowledge of both, but when they compare them they will see the light of how much better they understand the old with this new knowledge.

One Early Church writer sees this application for the church. He writes: “A scholar is one who through the continual reading of the Old and New Testaments, has laid up for himself a storehouse of knowledge. Thus, Christ blesses those who have gathered in themselves the education both of the law and of the gospel, so as to ‘bring forth from their treasure things both new and old.’ And Christ compares such people with a scribe, just as in another place He says, ‘I will send you wise men and scribes.’¹”²

This can also be seen as instructions by our Lord that His disciples should not discard old teachings and concentrate only on the new. The Jews have several instances where they compare the old with the new and how they compliment each other. For instance, Solomon charmed his beloved with these words: “The mandrakes are sending out their fragrance, all kinds of choice fruits are at our doors, fruits both new and old, my darling, which I have kept in store for you.”³

In Jewish commentaries on this verse, scholars indicate that the older fruit has already been picked while the newer fruit is still on the tree.⁴ Also, another Rabbi was teaching his students and this verse from Solomon came up, so he asked if they knew what “old” and “new” meant. One of them suggested that the “old” was a reference to the Torah given to Moses, and the “new” was the revelations given to the scribes.⁵ What a perfect illustration of the fruit of the Old Testament when compared to the fruit that Jesus was giving His disciples on this occasion. Augustine sees this from the Christian point of view as Jesus bringing many scriptures from the Old Testament and combining them with the new message He brought with Him from God the Father. So in a sense, Jesus is describing Himself.⁶

Verses 53-54a: When Jesus finished teaching with these stories, He left there. He went to the town where He grew up. He taught the people in the synagogue, and they were amazed.

For some reason, Jesus feels compelled to go back to Nazareth. Matthew points out that this is where our Lord grew up as a boy. So anyone wondering where Jesus lived as a child, here it is in print. This confirms what Luke tells us after Jesus was left back in Jerusalem by his parents who thought He was with other friends, so they had to go back to Jerusalem where they found Him teaching in the Temple. Once they were rejoined Luke says, “Then He returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them, and his mother stored away all these things in her heart. So Jesus grew both tall and wise, and was loved by God and man”.⁷

Now after some 20 years, Jesus the carpenter’s son with His entourage comes to visit His old home place and teach in the synagogue. In doing so, He followed in the footsteps of His royal ancestor David who also stated, “I will praise You in front of all my brothers; yes, I will stand up before the congregation and testify of the wonderful things You have done.”⁸ But this little Yeshua who grew up to be a prophet and reported to be the Messiah was not well received. The people looked at each other as if to say, “He’s trying to sound like a prophet, even the Messiah. But we knew Him when He followed His father the carpenter around town. And why is He so different when His brothers and sisters are normal just like everyone else.”

Was Jesus surprised” Not really! He knew what the prophet Isaiah said about Him, “He grew up like a young plant, like a root growing in the dry ground. There was nothing special or impressive about the way He looked, nothing that would cause people to like Him just by what they saw. People made fun of Him, and even those who knew Him turned on Him. He was a man who suffered a lot of sorrow and grief. He was treated like someone of no importance like someone people would not even look at but turn away from in contempt.”⁹ But Jesus took it in stride, and quoted a well-worn phrase that no doubt was often used by many prophets before Him. The fact that it is repeated by Luke¹⁰ and John¹¹ show that it was a well-known maxim. Matthew closes this chapter by pointing out that Jesus did not perform any miracles in His hometown of Nazareth.

Verse 54b-55a: They questioned, “Where did this man get such wisdom and this power to do miracles? Isn’t He just the son of the carpenter we know?”

The Aramaic Version has “carpenter’s son” while Munster’s Hebrew Gospel renders it “blacksmith’s son.” This may be due to the fact that the Greek word tektōn used here, signifies three occupations. First: a worker in wood, such as a carpenter, joiner, house builder, or ship builder. Second: any craftsman, whether they make things out of metal, wood, pottery, or write poetry and songs. Third: A planner, contriver, plotter, or author.

In fact, one of the early Church Fathers described it this way: “When Jesus came to the Jordan, He was considered to be the son of Joseph the carpenter; and He appeared without comeliness, as the Scriptures declared; and He was deemed a carpenter (for He was in the habit of working as a carpenter when among men, making plows and yokes; by which He taught the symbols of righteousness and an active life.”¹² But the name Joseph the carpenter was not that unusual. The Jews make mention of one Abba Joseph the “constructor” or “carpenter”, but it does not appear to be any reference to Mary of Nazareth’s husband.¹³ The Greek word is used only here in this instance, both by Matthew and Mark. Nowhere else is Joseph called a carpenter.

It is also important to notice that the people did not use Joseph’s name but rather his occupation. This was a traditional way of referring to someone who was already dead. While they did not refer to Joseph being a carpenter in a derogatory manner, some scholars believe it was said with some disbelief that a carpenter could foster a son with this amount of learning and wisdom, and one who is now proclaimed to be the Messiah, a miracle worker. Jewish critics who have studied the life of Jesus also raise questions. After reading this portion of Matthew, one Rabbi asked:

“Did Mary have sons and daughters besides Jesus, or did Joseph the blacksmith have sons and daughters from another woman? If you will say that they did have sons and daughters, fine; that is why Jesus’ Jewish acquaintances said, ‘We see that his brothers and sisters – Jacob, Joseph, Simon, and Judah – do not do such wise deeds.’ But if Joseph had no sons and daughters beside Jesus, why did the Jews say, ‘His brothers and sisters are with us?’ And why did they call the above-named people brothers and sisters just as they would the siblings of anyone else? Also, why didn’t Jesus answer them, ‘Fools, all that you have said about my having brothers and sisters is a lie; in fact I am not even the son of the blacksmith, and your astonishment at my wisdom is out of place since all the wisdom in the world is mine?’ Instead, he answered in the manner of jokers who say that wherever they go they are honored more than they are at home. Furthermore, who were the brothers who came with him to Capernaum? You may argue that they were his students, but it says that he, his brothers, and his students came to Capernaum.¹⁴ You may then argue that all Israel are considered brothers, but elsewhere in the passage they are called by their proper name, for this is what it says: ‘When the people of Israel saw the signs which Jesus performed, they said to each other, “Where did this man get such wisdom and power? Is he not the blacksmith’s son? And is his mother not Mary? And his brothers and sisters are all with us.”’”¹⁵

This sort of caste system mentality can be seen in other Jewish writings. For instance, one noted Rabbi said: “Rabbah ben Jeremiah once visited our town. When he came he brought with him this teaching: If an idolater took stones from a quarry and paved roads and streets with them, they are permitted; if an Israelite took stones from a quarry and paved roads and streets with them, they are prohibited; and he added that there was no scholar or scholar’s son who could explain this teaching. Rabbi Shesheth said: I am neither a scholar nor a scholar’s son, yet I can explain it. What’s the problem?”¹⁶ Another translator, however, rendered it this way: “…there was no carpenter or carpenter’s son who solved this. Says Rabbi Shesheth said: I am neither a carpenter nor a carpenter’s son, and I can solve it.”¹⁷ Obviously, being a carpenter or carpenter’s son was not a badge of honor for the elite in Israel.

One thing I have observed, and even read, where Jewish scholars saw the same that with each new edition of the Talmud or Mishnah Rabbis endeavored to “clean up” the mention of Jesus or any reference to Him. They also encrypted those comments that were made by using pseudonyms to identify Him. In either case, Jesus was not well thought of by the citizens of Nazareth because of Joseph’s occupation.

Verse 55b-56a: And isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? And don’t all his sisters still live here in town?

It is interesting that not only did Matthew name the brothers of Jesus, but points to “all His sisters,” of whom we hear nothing from the writers of the Gospels. In fact, on the Day of Pentecost, we are told by Luke that only Mary and His brothers were in the upper room, no sisters are mentioned. The Complete Jewish Bible renders this verse: “Isn’t his mother called Miryam? and his brothers Ya‘akov, Yosef, Shim‘on and Y’hudah? And his sisters, aren’t they all with us?” But, the oldest known Hebrew version of Matthew reads this way: “Do you not know all these: his mother Mary, his three brothers: Joseph, Simon, and Judah, and his sisters? Do you not know all these who are with us?” While it seems clear that there were three brothers, the number of sisters is never given.

It may have been asked more than once, why didn’t the Gospel writers tell us more about Mary and Joseph, about those called His brothers and sisters, and what about His childhood? It certainly makes one wonder what the story of Jesus would be like if we could fill in all the blanks. But the one disciple that Jesus depended on and trusted so much, put it in perspective when he wrote at the end of his Gospel: “There are many other things that Jesus did. If every one of them was written down, I think the whole world would not be big enough for all the books that would be written.”¹⁸

It is my conviction that the Holy Spirit purposely inspired the writers of the New Testament to record only what was needed, so that anyone who reads it would have sufficient evidence that Jesus was the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Son of God who came from the Father to fulfill His promise to Abraham, by bringing the final plan of salvation by faith through grace and the work of Christ on the cross. If we quibble and argue over what we already have, can you imagine the number of ongoing debates there would be if we had twice as much in the written record? The thing that makes this, even more, mind boggling, is the fact that we know more about Jesus of Nazareth than we do of Buddha, Mohammad, Confucius, and even William Shakespeare, yet their words and works are accepted without controversy.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Part IV (con’t)

Verse 45: Also, God’s kingdom is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. One day he found a very fine pearl. He went and sold everything he had to buy it.

On the surface, this parable seems quite clear and understandable. A jeweler was visiting different bazaars looking for pearls to sell in his shop when he spotted a highly valued one. He must have been told the price, then went back home, sold every piece of jewelry in his store, came back and bought it. He knew, that once the word got out about his exquisite pearl the rich would come look at it and he would be able to sell it for double the amount he paid and be back in business again with that much more money in his hand to make further purchases and grow his enterprise.

Many times in life we find that money is not the only thing by which these pearls are acquired. Often it takes time, sweat and tears; long nights of work and study; days of research and composition, hours and hours of editing and corrections before the product is considered worthy of print and distribution. But it is all worth it when someone who read or hears what you’ve written and is blessed by it contents, that makes it all worth the effort and dedication. I read an ancient Jewish story along those lines and it goes like this:

Once, in Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah’s old age, his disciples came to visit him. “My sons,” he said to them, “what new interpretation or Scripture have you heard in the synagogue?” “We are your disciples,” they replied, “and it is only your waters we drink.” “Heaven forbid!” he exclaimed, “there is no generation lacking good teachers. Who was teaching that Sabbath?” “It was Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah,” they answered. “And on what text was the sermon based today?” he asked. They answered “It was on the text: ‘Assemble the people, the men and the women, and the little ones’.¹ “And how did he interpret it?” he asked them. They responded: “This is how he interpreted it: As to the men, they come to study; as to the women, they come to listen. Why do the little ones come? So that a goodly reward might be given to those who bring them.” Said Rabbi Joshua to them: “A precious pearl was in your hands and you were about to deprive me of it! Had you gone to hear no more than that, it would have been worth it”.²

In other words, when Rabbi Joshua’s disciples came to him they more or less said they didn’t want to learn anything from anyone else but him. But when he pushed them and they finally told him what they learned at the Sabbath teaching of Rabbi Eleazar, Rabbi Joshua called it a pearl of wisdom. We have seen here in Matthew’s recollection of Jesus’ teaching, that He also uses “pearls” as metaphors of wisdom and learning.³ Also, his disciples referred to the teaching of Rabbi Joshua as “water.” Again we see where Jesus used “water” as a metaphor for wisdom and learning.⁴

An early church teacher and founder of a seminary gives us his take on this pearl. “Many who were entirely foreign to religion immediately recognized, by divine grace, the greatness of Christ, in that they despised all their former things and looked to this thing alone, recognizing that the One who is salvation is for them.” Then he adds, “That many people, even of those who have been exceedingly zealous about religion, when they recognize the greatness of the preaching, will turn aside from old things. Such, for instance, was Paul, who had displayed a great deal of zeal for the law, but who, when he came to see the greatness of the gospel, disdained everything having to do with the law. He himself says, ‘but what things were gain to me, those I counted as loss for the sake of Christ;’⁵ and again, ‘I count all things but loss, and count them as dung, that I may win Christ.’⁶ He seems to have said this both on account of those Greeks who were devoted to religion and, again, on account of the Jews.”⁷

Another thing to consider, is that these treasures were purchased at the “pre-assessed” price. Because, had the original owners known their true value, they would have sold them at the treasury price. As we often say: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” With the way the Word of God is being treated today by the world and skeptics, is it any wonder they are surprised when we trace many words of wisdom and insight back to the Holy Scriptures.

Verses 47-48: Also, God’s kingdom is like a net that was put into the lake. The net caught many different kinds of fish. It became full, so the fishermen pulled it to the shore. They then sat down and put all the good fish in baskets, but they threw away the inedible fish.

One will notice that in this illustration the sorting of the fish is paramount to declaring the catch successful. It must also be pointed out that once the bad fish are rejected they are not thrown back into the lake but just thrown away like garbage so other fisherman will not have to do the same chore. This portion of Scripture has oft come to mind after seeing thousands come forward for salvation in large crusades by well-known evangelists. Yet, when it is all over there seems to be little effective change in the city where the crusade took place. Could it be that the Holy Spirit sorted the fish that were hauled in by the altar call, and found only those worthy of keeping to nurture and grow in the Word and in Christ? Jesus goes on to explain what awaits the bad fish so that their disposal is made even clearer.

Our Lord is clearly speaking of the last judgment and what awaits saints and sinners. I do not believe that Jesus told this story to scare people into believing in Him, but to make them aware of the consequences if they ignored the opportunity given to them. Jesus was not just interested in whether or not they heard what He said or comprehended the parables He used, but that they were able to assimilate the whole thought and it’s cumulative effect. In each case, the Kingdom of Heaven is being portrayed by using wheat seed, mustard seed, sour dough, precious treasure, pearl of great price, and a dragnet. The individual parts: wheat, tares, flour, fish, etc., are believers and unbelievers. And finally, the calculated consummation is the end of the world and the final judgment. The variety of substances, situations, and stimuli all indicate the various ways and means by which the kingdom of heaven will be populated and governed.

As the saying goes, sometimes the proof is in the details. In my ministry I’ve encountered a variety of speakers: those who spend little time explaining the details, and use most of their time on the subject’s antithesis. Then, there are those who get bogged down in the details and never put them together to form a thesis. We need to be more like Jesus and proclaim the synthesis of our message for people to understand and be enlightened by the Holy Spirit as to what was meant for them.

Gregory the Great made this comment: “The church is compared to a net because it has been entrusted to fishermen and because all people are drawn up in it from the turbulent waters of the present age to the eternal kingdom, lest they drown in the depths of eternal death. This net gathers all kinds of fish because it calls to forgiveness of sins for everyone, wise and foolish, free and slave, rich and poor, brave and weak. Hence, the psalmist says to God: ‘Unto You will all flesh come.’⁸ This net will be completely filled when it enfolds the entire number of the human race at the end of time. The fishermen bring it in and sit down on the shore, because just as the sea signifies this present age, so the shore signifies its end.”⁹

The key here is that as fishers of men, believers are only given the responsibility to go out into the sea of despair and bring in as many as they can catch. But it will be up to God to decide who He keeps and who will be thrown away. This is exactly what our Lord says next.

Verse 49: It will be the same at the end of time. The angels will come and separate the evil people from the godly people.

Cyril of Alexandria left us this commentary: “The calling that is through Christ is to be extended throughout the whole world. The net of gospel preaching seeks to gather people together out of every nation. People who are expert in catching fish and are mariners by trade let down their net making no discrimination, but whatever has been caught up in the meshes, wholly and entirely, is hauled by them to shore. So likewise the power of preaching and the marvelous and intricate teaching of the sacred doctrines, which the apostles, as good fishermen, wove together, draw people from every nation and gather them together for God. This net will gather all fish together until the time of consummation. Then out of all those who have been dragged out and caught, the angels appointed by God will make a separation between the wicked and the just.”¹⁰

Verse 50: They will throw the evil people into the place of fire. There the people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.

Early church scholar Origen gives us a prophetic look at how he interprets this saying of Jesus: “Those who attended to the net that was cast into the sea are Jesus Christ, the master of the net, and ‘the angels who came and ministered to Him.’¹¹ It is not until the net is filled full that they will draw it up from the sea and carry it to the shore beyond the sea—namely, to things beyond this life—but not until the ‘fullness of the Gentiles’ ¹² has been drawn into it. But when that fullness has come, then they draw it up from things here below and carry it to what is figuratively called the shore. There it will be the work of those who have drawn it up to sit by the shore, there to settle themselves in order that they may put each of the good fish in its own proper place, into the right vessel. But they will cast outside those that are of an opposite character and are called bad. By ‘outside’ is meant the furnace of fire, as the Savior interpreted it as the end of time. Only it must be observed that we are already taught by the parable of the tares and the other similitudes set forth that the angels are to be entrusted with the power to distinguish and separate the evil from the righteous. But here it is said, The angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the righteous and shall cast them into the furnace of fire.”¹³

Verse 51: Then Jesus asked those following Him, “Do you understand all these things?” They said, “Yes, we understand.”

So far in this chapter Jesus has used seven parables to illustrate the construction and materials of the Kingdom of God. These parables included good seed, bad seed, mustard seed, yeast, treasure, a pearl, and fish. The resulting moral of these parables concerning God’s kingdom is this: how it will be planted; attempted sabotage, yet it will still grow large; how its influence will be felt all around; many will find it by surprise, others will find it while looking for something like it; and in the end the good will be saved while the bad are sifted out as not worthy of keeping.

It also emphasizes the ability of the will to exercise its right to choose. However, it is not just man’s choice, but God’s choice as well. This is a case of Jesus making the gospel message simple enough for almost anyone to understand, yet profound enough to cause those who were interested in wanting to learn more. To me, that is the formula of good Bible preaching and teaching.

So often we despair because not every one we witness to is immediately drawn to Christ and accepts salvation. Jesus is trying to tell us that there are somethings He has entrusted to us, and there are other things that He, the Father and the Holy Spirit will take care of. So don’t worry about what they are in charge of, just do the work given to you by God and He will take care of the rest.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Part IV

Verse 42: They will throw them into the place of fire. There the people will be crying and grinding their teeth with pain.

The question here is: What did the Jews understand by our Lord’s reference to the place of fire where people are in agony? To most Christians today the first thing that comes to mind is hell. But when we put this in context, Jesus has been talking about imitation wheat that has been planted among genuine wheat, and then likens them to people who do evil things and cause others to sin. When judgment day comes they will be pulled up and burned. This is a metaphor drawn from the common practice of doing the same thing with the look-alike wheat. As a matter of fact, Jewish writings tell us that these were considered worth nothing more than straw and were used to start fires in stoves and furnaces.¹

So, like the Jews, Jesus uses this as a metaphor for the wicked being rejected from the Kingdom of God because they may look real, but in fact they are fakes and need to be thrown into the fire like the straw. Thus the punishment of the wicked became synonymous with a fiery end. In fact, one Jewish commentary on Abraham’s vision when he was asked to make a sacrifice to God² says: “Gehenna, which was prepared for the wicked in the world to come, will be enveloped in burning flames of fire, into which the wicked will fall when in their lives they rebelled against the law, while the just who had kept it were delivered from affliction.”³ So Jesus was not inventing hell, He spoke of it as the Jews understood it.

Could this idea of burning those who disobey have inspired Nebuchadnezzar to create punishment by fire for those who refused to bow down to the gold statue, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, he set up on the plain of Dura?⁴ Even in a book read by many Jews and quoted by Jude it says: “And Michael, and Gabriel, and Raphael, and Phanuel shall take hold of them on that great day, and cast them on that day into the burning furnace, that the Lord of Spirits may take vengeance on them for their unrighteousness in becoming subject to Satan and leading astray those who dwell on the earth.”⁵ Could those be the angels Jesus referred to in verse 41? So Jesus was not teaching some new radical theology. He then goes on to say:

Verse 43: Then the godly people will shine like the sun. They will be in the kingdom of their Father. You people, listen to me and listen well!

So for the godly, Daniel’s words are paraphrased here, “The wise people will shine as bright as the sky. Those who teach others to live right will shine like stars forever and ever.”⁶ Thus we have sinners going to hell to burn in a fire that causes unimaginable suffering and anguish, and saints going to a place of peace and rest to await the resurrection, something that was easy for these Jewish listeners to understand. This concept has continued in Jewish thinking down through the ages.⁷ But our Lord has more to say about the Kingdom of God.

On this statement by Jesus, Origen offers his thoughts: “When He gathers out of the whole kingdom of Christ all things that make people stumble, and the reasonings that produce lawless acts are cast into the furnace of fire, and the worse elements utterly consumed … then shall the righteous, having become one light of the sun, shine in the kingdom of their Father. For whom will they shine? For those below them who will enjoy their light, just like the sun, which now shines for those upon the earth? Of course, they will not shine for their own sake, but perhaps the saying ‘Let your light shine before men’ can be written ‘upon the table of the heart,’⁸ according to what is said by Solomon, in a threefold way. So even now the light of the disciples of Jesus shines before the rest of humanity, and after death before the resurrection, and after the resurrection ‘until all shall attain to full maturity,’⁹ and all become one sun. Then shall they ‘shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.’”¹⁰

Again we must caution ourselves not to take what was meant as a metaphor literally. The sun is the one light that shines for all the world to see, regardless of race, ethnicity, culture or gender. Therefore, to liken something to the sun is to say that it will be out in the open for everyone to observe, and it will be brighter than the other lights around it. But godly people will also shine for another reason, and that will be their vindication for being right after suffering many long days of persecution and humiliation. So what Jesus also seems to be saying is that as a product of the real seed, don’t despair. The day is coming when all those who have been faithful will shine like the sun.

Verse 44: God’s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field. One day a man found the treasure. He hid it again and was so happy about what he had found that he went and sold everything he owned and bought the field.

Now our Lord offers two parables that are designed to show the value of God’s kingdom. The first is about a treasure that involves finding something hidden. It will be worth everything it takes to acquire and take possession of it. Solomon makes a similar claim for wisdom, “Look for wisdom like silver. Search for it like hidden treasure”.¹¹ Then this wise king says, “Truth, wisdom, learning, and understanding are worth paying money for.”¹²

This concept is echoed in Jewish Scriptures not found in the normal canon, where it says: “These are they who have acquired for themselves treasures of wisdom, and with them are found stores of understanding, and from mercy have they not withdrawn, and the truth of the law I have they preserved”.¹³ And the venerable Joshua ben Sirach said: “Hidden wisdom and unseen treasure, of what value is either? Better are those who hide their folly than those who hide their wisdom”.¹⁴ Had this man simply bought the land and left his treasure hidden, his acquisition would have been a worthless effort for him and everybody else.

I like what one early church leader offers as his reflection on what Jesus said here: “Through the comparison of a treasure in the field to Christ our hope, points to wealth for God discovered in humanity that has been covered up. But we must realize that the treasure was found and kept hidden, for he who found it could have certainly carried it off in secret instead of hiding it; and by carrying it off, there would have been no need for him to buy the field. But an explanation is needed here as to both the subject matter and what was being said. Thus the treasure was hidden there to make it necessary to buy the whole field. The treasure in the field, as we said, signifies Christ in the flesh, who was found by us freely. Indeed, the preaching of the Gospels has no strings attached, but the power to use and own this treasure with the field comes at a price, for heavenly riches are not possessed without a worldly loss.”¹⁵

In this parable Jesus says the man saw that the treasure was worth everything he had. But just in case His listeners didn’t get it, our Lord adds another story. This involves finding something that is evaluated above all others like it. To this Solomon says, “Those who find wisdom find a fortune; they will be blessed when they gain understanding.”¹⁶ Solomon repeats this with a twist that is similar to Jesus’ parable, so let me paraphrase it: “The pearl of wisdom is better than all other pearls, and nothing you would ever want compares with her.”¹⁷ And David sang a song that exemplifies this same principle, “Many people say, ‘I wish I could enjoy the good life. LORD, give us some of those blessings.’ But you have made me happier than they will ever be with all their wine and grain. When I go to bed, I sleep in peace, because, LORD, you keep me safe.”¹⁸ But David’s son Solomon had to learn this the hard way. He tells this in his personal story in Ecclesiastes.¹⁹

There is a similar narration in Greek literature about a man who sold his land, and the new owner discovered a treasure chest hidden in the field while plowing. When the news got out, the seller went to court to claim the treasure, but was ruled against because the treasure went with the sale.²⁰ The philosopher from whose biography this story comes was born circa 15 AD. As a matter of fact, he was compared to Jesus of Nazareth later on by Christians. It may be that since they were contemporaries, Jesus may have heard this story and decided to use it in His teaching. The whole point of the parable is that this man was willing to put his heart where his treasure was so that he may possess it to assure himself a better life.

Not only that, but we also find that Jesus may have been alluding to another story told by Rabbi Mattenaiah that was already part of Jewish tradition. We read about a small parcel of land with sufficient room for a single stalk of corn to grow, under which a pearl is buried.²¹ Since pearls come from oysters, the term, as it is used metaphorically here, either refers to the object found was hidden in the field like a pearl is hidden in an oyster until it is opened, or that what was found was as valuable as a pearl, or, that someone had purchased a valuable pearl and buried it there, or, that the original Hebrew word may be a reference to some other precious stone such as a ruby, diamond, etc. In any case, the main point is that things very valuable can be found in some of the most unusual and unsuspected places.

But in both the parable about the treasure found in the ground and the pearl here found in the marketplace, Jesus is pointing out how when we find something that is missing in our lives that can bring us joy and contentment, it is worth the time and effort to obtain such a precious item. I can remember on many occasions when I would see a quote taken from a particular book, and I was so impacted by it that I went out and bought the book it was taken from where I discovered, even more, pearls of wisdom. So it is with Christ, once a sinner hears what He has to say about God’s love for the world and His reason for coming, it should inspire them to get the whole story so they can understand and appreciate the story even more.