In my opinion, the first step in reading any Gospel text is to situate the text within the context of the organization of the Gospels. Most scholars agree that Matthew and Luke had before them the Gospel of Mark and another source Q. The only evidence that we have for Q are the common passages in both Matthew and Luke. Both Mark and Luke draw on sources which are unique to each of them.
All the material in last week's parable on the Master and Steward and this week's parable on the Rich man and the Poor Man are from Luke's sources. Nothing from Mark at all! However, there is one very significant passage from Q:
Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
If we look at where this passage occurs in Matthew (below the break) we see that it occurs in a whole series of Q passages in Matthew. We know they are Q because Luke has brought them all into different places in his Gospel. It is likely that Matthew just copied Q, while Luke used the passages in various places to shape his Gospel
When we study or preach upon the Gospels for last week or this week it should be within the context of them being interpreted in the light of Q presented likely in its original form in Matthew, i.e. the contrast between Heavenly Treasures and Early Treasures.
In last week's Gospel the steward was so concerned for his self-interest and earthy treasures that he was criticized for neglecting his master's interests. In this week's Gospel the rich man is so concerned with his earthly treasures that he neglects storing up heavenly treasure in the form of taking care of the poor on his doorstep.
I would begin preaching this week's Gospel with the Luke 16:13 that ends last week's Gospel and then articulate simple lifestyles that focus upon placing the heart where true lasting treasure abides in contrast to those of the rich and famous.
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DRA Matthew 6:19 Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust, and moth consume, and where thieves break through and steal. 20 But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal. 21 For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also. |
DRA Luke 12:33 Sell what you possess and give alms. Make to
yourselves bags which grow not old, a treasure in heaven which faileth not:
where no thief approacheth, nor moth corrupteth. 34 For where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also. |
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DRA Matthew 6:22 The light of thy body is thy eye. If thy eye be
single, thy whole body shall be lightsome. 23 But if thy eye be
evil thy whole body shall be darksome. If then the light that is in thee, be
darkness: the darkness itself how great shall it be! |
DRA Luke 11:34 The light of thy body is thy eye. If thy eye be
single, thy whole body will be lightsome: but if it be evil, thy body also
will be darksome. 35 Take heed therefore, that the light which is
in thee, be not darkness. 36 If then thy whole body be lightsome,
having no part of darkness; the whole shall be lightsome; and as a bright
lamp, shall enlighten thee. |
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DRA Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate
the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the
other. You cannot serve God and mammon. |
DRA Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will
hate the one, and love the other; or he will hold to the one, and despise the
other. You cannot serve God and mammon. |
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25 Therefore I say to you, be not solicitous for your
life, what you shall eat, nor for your body, what you shall put on. Is not
the life more than the meat: and the body more than the raiment? 26 Behold the birds of
the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns: and
your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not you of much more value than they? 27 And which of you by
taking thought, can add to his stature by one cubit? 28 And for
raiment why are you solicitous? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they labour not, neither
do they spin. 29 But I say to you, that not even Solomon in all
his glory was arrayed as one of these. 30 And if the grass of the field, which is today, and
tomorrow is cast into the oven, God doth so clothe: how much more you, O ye
of little faith? 31 Be not solicitous therefore, saying, What shall we
eat: or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed? 32
For after all these things do the heathens seek. For your Father knoweth that
you have need of all these things. 33 Seek ye therefore first the
kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto
you. 34 Be not therefore solicitous for tomorrow; for the morrow
will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. |
DRA Luke 12:22 And he said to his disciples: Therefore I say to you,
be not solicitous for your life, what you shall eat; nor for your body, what
you shall put on. 23 The life is more than the meat, and the body
is more than the raiment. 24 Consider the ravens, for they sow not, neither do they
reap, neither have they storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them. How much
are you more valuable than they? 25 And which of you, by
taking thought, can add to his stature one cubit? 26 If then ye be
not able to do so much as the least thing, why are you solicitous for the
rest? 27 Consider the lilies,
how they grow: they labour not, neither do they spin. But I say to you, not
even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these. 28 Now if God clothe in
this manner the grass that is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into
the oven; how much more you, O ye of little faith? 29 And seek not you what you shall eat, or what you shall
drink: and be not lifted up on high. 30 For all these things do
the nations of the world seek. But your Father knoweth that you
have need of these things. 31 But seek ye first the kingdom of God
and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you. 32
Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give you a
kingdom. |
My approach to reading the Gospels is a literary approach whose fundamental principle is that Mark is the best interpreter of Mark, etc. However, for Matthew and Luke they are both interpreting Mark and Q as well as their particular sources.
ReplyDeleteMark is interpreted through his use of structure, e.g. the rupture of the heavens at the Baptism, Transfiguration, and Temple during the passion, the contrasting Galilee and Journey to Jerusalem missions, and the various locations (seaside, homes, synagogues, mountain tops) and repetition of words. Each book has its own structure.
I am interested in whether words are OT words (Torah, Prophets, Psalms and Wisdom literature, and how much they are shared with the other Gospels, and Pauline literature.
Luke is an amazing author in terms of his use of OT Greek words, often calling upon unique words to emphasize parallels, e.g. Elizabeth's laughter at her pregnancy is the same as Sarah's.
Thanks, Jack. That's an interesting approach.
ReplyDeleteComparative textual analysis is always interesting. Do you find that it helps you uncover commonalities among the Gospels that bring you closer to the essentials Jesus was trying to get across?
ReplyDeleteI would say that the commonalities bring me closer to the essentials that the writers of the first century have in common, their oral and written teachings, and their shared Greek OT background.
DeleteThat does not necessarily give me the answer to the question What Would Jesus Do with today's problems? But it is far better than some random bible quote, or some preacher's interpretation of some text, or an AI interpretation of what's out there.
BibleWorks, a software package that is no longer available or supported, has the capability of searching many original and translated texts.
ReplyDeleteParticularly powerful is its ability to search all the standard Greek OT and NT texts in all their cases, tenses, etc. For me it is the only way to read and understand the Bible.
When I read the Greek text, I have also the Latin text (which is close to a literal translation of the Greek text) and the Douay Rheims English (a literal translation of the Latin text) as well as many English texts.
When I post bible studies, I like to use the Douay Rheims because it is in the public domain, and its literal translation reflects the Latin and Greek heritage of the Church i.e. most writers in the history of the Catholic Church would have been familiar with the Bible in either it Latin or Greek forms.
I have the Jerusalem Bible, which is kosher for both Anglicans and Catholics. I think it is a newer incarnation of the D-R.
DeleteThe Rheims–Douai Bible is a translation from the Latin Vulgate. The Jerusalem Bible is a translation from the original languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek).
DeleteThanks. I was wrong about their coming from a common source.
DeleteWhen I was in 7th and 8th grade we used the Confraternity Version in school, which was a hybrid translation. The New Testament was from the Latin Vulgate and the Old Testament was from original Greek and Hebrew texts. I still have my copy and always liked that version.
DeleteThe Confraternity Version was an update of Douay-Rheims. Mainly modernizing the English without doing a translation from the Greek.
DeleteI thought the OT of the Confraternity did actually go back to Hebrew and Greek texts, and the NT was more or less an update of the Douay-Rheims. Of course the NAB and subsequent updates superseded it.
DeleteOff-topic. Trump is now moving to use foreign anti- terrorism tools against Americans and American groups. This is the biggest attack yet on our freedoms. It will be used only against “ liberals” I assume. For example, one reason to be targeted will be “ doxing” - organized harassment. Ironic since one of Kirk”s“ achievements “ was creating a data base of professors deemed too liberal (including my favorite commentator, Heather Cox Richardson at Boston college). The data base is used to give personal information about the targets, including personal phone numbers, home addresses , family members etc. for malicious use. Harassment. This summary is from Arnold and Porter, one of DCs very top law firms. Does anyone besides me find this chilling? Still in denial that this administration is systematically turning us into a fascist country?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.arnoldporter.com/en/perspectives/blogs/enforcement-edge/2025/09/turning-counterterrorism-tools-onto-domestic-policy-targets
Essentially, dissent from any trump position can be called a crime. Protests against anything - peaceful protests- can be a called a crime.
DeleteOne of my monthly donations goes to Jesuit Refugee Services. They were cut off, of course, from grants that used to support their work. Today is the annual World Day of Refugees and Migrants. There will be a “ procession “ today downtown. I received an email this morning emphasizing the word “procession “ in bold. It is not a protest, or a “march” apparently. In past years it was called a march I think, but I don’t remember for sure. The email requests no signs.
DeleteThis new directive was just published 3 days ago. It seems that the JRS isn’t going to risk being designated a terrorist group. Will the bishops speak out about any of this? Probably not. Because their protest could be deemed “ hostile “. Some Catholics seem unaware of the fact that Charlie Kirk was not particularly friendly towards Catholicism even though his wife is Catholic. They think he was going to convert. Evangelicals are not particularly friendly towards Catholicism. Once they are officially in control - Christian Nationalism is official - the bishops may realize that they sold their souls to the devil when aligning with the evangelicals.
"Does anyone besides me find this chilling?" Yes. I have been in the freezer regarding Trump for a long time.
DeleteAnd yes, the bishops are going to live to regret making common cause with evangelicals to get what they wanted. Because basically they think we're idolaters and pope-worshipers.
Yeah, it all sucks. Seems like I keep hearing that.
DeleteWrite your letters, vote, march if you can, pray for strength, throw a few bucks at something if you've got any $$.
Most important, do what you can to alleviate misery at the local level. Not everybody's going to make it out of the next four years alive.
Good advice, Jean. I like Hedges’ saying: “You don’t fight fascists because you’re going to win. You fight fascists because they are fascists.” And helping others IS fighting fascists and one can be arrested for it. Being that I seem to be health-wise built on my mother’s plan, I could live another 18 years. But with Trump and his nutty administration, I feel like I’ve just gotten a problematic diagnosis from my doctor. All bets are off. Well, it should be interesting to see what bit part I’ll get in this disaster movie. And how brief will be the role?
DeleteYes, Trump is like living with a chronic disease. And I say this as someone living with a chronic disease--saps yr energy, dominates yr thoughts, and makes you feel like sh*t.
DeleteAgee Jean, that is why I avoid the news. Except everyone once in a while I search the NYTimes for the very little they publish that is not directly or indirectly related to Trumpery.
DeleteIgnoring it won't make Trump or chronic disease go away. It has to be addressed sometimes. But I get trying to keep things in perspective. I have stopped reading editorials, pundits, and commentators.
Delete