Wisdom of Solomon 1:1-15

Exhortation to Uprightness (Wis 6.1-11)

            1:1      Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth,

think of the Lord in goodness

and seek him with sincerity of heart;

            2          because he is found by those who do not put him to the test,

and manifests himself to those who do not distrust him.

            3          For perverse thoughts separate people from God,

and when his power is tested, it exposes the foolish;

            4          because wisdom will not enter a deceitful soul,

or dwell in a body enslaved to sin.

            5          For a holy and disciplined spirit will flee from deceit,

and will leave foolish thoughts behind,

and will be ashamed at the approach of unrighteousness.

            6          For wisdom is a kindly spirit,

but will not free blasphemers from the guilt of their words;

because God is witness of their inmost feelings,

and a true observer of their hearts, and a hearer of their tongues.

            7          Because the spirit of the Lord has filled the world,

and that which holds all things together knows what is said,

            8          therefore those who utter unrighteous things will not escape notice,

and justice, when it punishes, will not pass them by.

            9          For inquiry will be made into the counsels of the ungodly,

and a report of their words will come to the Lord,

to convict them of their lawless deeds;

            10        because a jealous ear hears all things,

and the sound of grumbling does not go unheard.

            11        Beware then of useless grumbling,

and keep your tongue from slander;

because no secret word is without result,

and a lying mouth destroys the soul.

            12        Do not invite death by the error of your life,

or bring on destruction by the works of your hands;

            13        because God did not make death,

and he does not delight in the death of the living.

            14        For he created all things so that they might exist;

the generative forces of the world are wholesome,

and there is no destructive poison in them,

and the dominion of Hades is not on earth.

            15        For righteousness is immortal. (Wisdom of Solomon 1:1-15, NRSV)

On April 29, 2007 (the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year One), comments were repeated from April 17, 2005 (the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year One); the are repeated here with editing and supplement:

This work of “Solomon” was written to Jews living outside of Israel in the first century B.C., written probably in Alexandria, Egypt, according to Walter T. Wilson (NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, Introduction to the Wisdom of Solomon). “Written as a message of encouragement and exhortation for Jews” who were “immersed in a cosmopolitan, pagan culture, one that generally viewed Judaism with suspicion if not contempt,” the writer both “affirms the basis of that faith [i.e. Judaism] and critiques those who oppose it” (ibid.). According to David Winston, revised by Thomas H. Tobin,

The first part of the book has a chiastic, or concentric, structure: 1:1-15 (A) and 6:1-21 (Aʹ ) are exhortations to rulers to seek uprightness (A) and wisdom (Aʹ ); 1:16-2:24 (B) and 4:20-53 (Bʹ ) contain the defense by the ungodly of their decision to persecute the just (B) and their confession of their error in doing this (Bʹ ); 3:1-4:19 (C) is the central section and contains disproof of that defense and proof of the integrity of the just. It draws heavily on the scriptural motif of the persecution and vindication of the just person (Pss 27;; 35; 37; 38; 86; 109; Isa. 52:13-53:12; Dan. 12:1-3). (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Wisd. 1:1-6:21)

The prologue (today’s reading, section A in the analysis of Winston and Tobin) sets wisdom and righteousness in contrast with their opposites. The opening lines would have been excellent advice for Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar and Darius, three kings who had to learn the hard way about the wisdom and power of Daniel’s God. “Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth,” says the “Solomon” persona, “think of the Lord in goodness / and seek him with sincerity of heart” (Wisd. 1:1). A reason is given: “because he is found by those who do not put him to the test, / and manifests himself to those who do not distrust him” (v. 2). At the outset, according to Wilson, “the address to Gentile rulers is part of the book’s literary fiction (cf. 6:1); the intended readers are Jews governed by such rulers” (op. cit., on Wisd. 1:1).

On the one hand, sin and deceit are incompatible with faith and righteous living. “For perverse thoughts separate people from God, / and when his power is tested, it exposes the foolish; / because wisdom will not enter a deceitful soul, / or dwell in a body enslaved to sin” (vv. 3-4). On the other hand, “a holy and disciplined spirit will flee from deceit, / and will leave foolish thoughts behind, / and will be ashamed at the approach of unrighteousness” (v. 5). Hints of the later personification of Wisdom (Wisd. 6:12-16), who was with God at the creation of the world (7:22; cf. vv. 22-30; Prov. 8:22-30)) and instructed Solomon (Wisd. 8:2-20), appear in the prologue. “For wisdom is a kindly spirit (filavnqrwpon . . . pneu:ma, philanthrōpon . . . pneuma), / but will not free blasphemers from the guilt of their words; / because God is witness of their inmost feelings, / and a true observer of their hearts, and a hearer of their tongues” (1:6). “Kindly spirit,” say Winston and Tobin, is “lit. ‘lover of humanity,’ a Greek expression” (op. cit., on Wisd. 1:6). Wilson presents a similar interpretation, including pneu:ma (pneuma) in the phrase: “A kindly spirit [is] literally ‘a philanthropic spirit,’ i.e., loving humankind (cf. 7:22-23; 12:19; 15:1)” (op. cit., on v. 6). Wisdom represent’s God’s character, loving human beings and entering both body and soul, unless prevented by sin and deceit. In the continuation she is called “the spirit of the Lord”: “Because the spirit of the Lord has filled the world, / and that which holds all things together knows what is said, / therefore those who utter unrighteous things will not escape notice, / and justice, when it punishes, will not pass them by” (vv. 7-8). This comes close to making wisdom/spirit the agent, or means, of God’s omnipresence and omniscience. “that which holds all things together,” say Winston and Tobin, is “a Stoic expression adopted here to describe the spirit that holds the cosmos in existence (Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.148)” (ibid., on v. 7).

Given these aspects of deity and the mediating wisdom/spirit, the sinner cannot conceal his ways from God. “For inquiry will be made into the counsels of the ungodly, / and a report of their words will come to the Lord, / to convict them of their lawless deeds; / because a jealous ear hears all things, / and the sound of grumbling does not go unheard” (vv. 9-10). In the light of this reality, “Solomon” warns against grumbling. “Beware then of useless grumbling, / and keep your tongue from slander; / because no secret word is without result, / and a lying mouth destroys the soul” (v. 11). “Grumbling,” says Wilson “[refers] especially to Israel’s complaints against God in Ex. 15-17; Num. 11; 14; 16;l 20-21” (op. cit., on vv. 10-11). The warning is repeated to explain the danger of erroneous action and God’s desire for something better for his people. “Do not invite death by the error of your life, / or bring on destruction by the works of your hands; / because God did not make death, / and he does not delight in the death of the living” (vv. 12-13; cf. Ezek. 18:32). “Death,” say Winston and Tobin, “the lot of the sinner, is eternal separation from God; the author of Wisdom pays little attention to the reality of physical death” (op. cit., on vv. 12-13). God’s intention for humankind was abundant living, not wickedness and its punishment. “For he created all things so that they might exist; / the generative forces of the world are wholesome, / and there is no destructive poison in them, / and the dominion of Hades is not on earth” (v. 14). According to Winston and Tobin, “Hades is personified (Job 38:17; Rev. 6:8; 20:14)” (ibid., on v. 14). Wilson compares “Hades, the abode of the dead in Greek tradition,” to Hebrew ‘Sheol’ ” (op. cit., on v. 14).

The reading concludes with a brief statement: “For righteousness ( dikaiosuvnh, dikaiosyne) is immortal (ajqavnatovV ejstin, athanatos estin). According to Winston and Tobin, “Immortality is not a natural quality, but dependent on living in conformity with God’s will, i.e., according to righteousness (v. 1)” (op. cit., on v. 15). Wilson, with a similar understanding, refers to “Philo, On the Confusion of Tongues, 149).

  or Genesis 18:22-33 (an alternative reading for the Presbyterian and Lutheran traditions)

22 So the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the LORD. 23 Then Abraham came near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the LORD said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.” 27 Abraham answered, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 Again he spoke to him, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place. (Genesis 18:22-33, NRSV)

The following comments are based on those of January 29, 2006 (the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year Two), and those of April 29, 2007 (the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year One), when comments were repeated from April 17, 2005 (the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year One):

Genesis, chapter eighteen, is introduced with the statement that “the LORD appeared to Abraham” (Gen. 18:1), but this “appearance” takes the form of a visit by “three men” (v. 2). After Abraham welcomes them with the customary hospitality (vv. 3-8), they deliver the news that “Sarah shall have a son” (v. 10), which Sarah overhears and receives with laughter (v. 12), which leads to discussion of whether she did or did not laugh (vv. 13-15). In this discussion, “the LORD” addresses Abraham directly (v.13), and after the group are referred to as “the men” who “set out from there” (v. 16), it is “the LORD” who says,

Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? No, for I have chosen him, that he may charge his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice; so that the LORD may bring about for Abraham what he has promised him. (Gen. 18:17-19, NRSV)

And the LORD’s deliberation continues: “Then the LORD said, ‘How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin! I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will know” (vv. 21-22). According to David M. Carr, “This second speech by the LORD [cf. vv. 17-19, above] echoes his decision at Babel to go down and see what was going on there (11:5; cf. divine self-43flection in 3:22; 6:3, 5-7; 11:6-7). Unlike vv. 17-19, this speech suggest that the LORD has not yet decided what to do” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on Gen. 18:20-21).

 All of this is the backdrop for today’s lesson, the story of Abraham’s intercession–some have called it expostulation, “reasoning earnestly with someone in an effort to dissuade or correct” (American Heritage Dictionary, s.v. “expostulate”)–for Sodom and Gomorrah. “So the men turned from there,” says the narrator, “and went toward Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the LORD” (v. 22). “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” asks Abraham (v. 23). “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it?” (v. 24). Abraham reminds God of his justice and righteous character. “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you!. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (v. 25). The LORD concedes justice in Abraham’s hypothetical situation. “And the LORD said, ‘If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake’ ” (v. 26). Having won this concession, Abraham presses the point. He “answered, ‘Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?’ And he said, ‘I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there’ ” (vv. 27-28). Abraham’s questions continue. “Suppose forty are found there?” (v. 29), thirty? (v. 30), twenty? (v. 31), ten? (v. 10). For every question the LORD responded, “I will not destroy it if I find fifty, forty-five, forty, thirty, twenty, ten.” Note that in this kind of auction in reverse, the intervals in Abraham’s bidding numbers increased. The intervals of five (50 to 45 to 40) increased to ten (40 to 30 to 20 to 10), a sign of his increasing courage (or audacity)? But he knew, sensing the situation or lacking the courage, not to lower his bid further. I see three lessons in this story: (1) It’s not a sin to question God (even though Job “repented,” if you can call it that, Job 42:6). (2) Prayer of intercession is valid and often necessary. (3) Other people’s destinies, the consequences of their wickedness, and so forth, are, in the final analysis, in God’s hands. Abraham’s concern was legitimate, but he was constrained within himself not to ask what would happen if less than ten righteous people were found.

 Abraham’s “expostulation” has been compared with Job’s protests, and also with God’s treatment of his prophets. Jon D. Levenson says,

In this section [18:16-33], God treats Abraham as a prophet (cf. 20:7), disclosing His plans to him (vv. 17-21; cf. Amos 3:7), and Abraham, like one of the prophets of Israel, eloquently demands justice from God (vv. 23-25; cf. Jer. 12:1-4) and pleads for mercy (Gen. 18:26-32; cf. Amos 7:1-6). (Levenson, p. 40, on Gen. 18:16-33)

Levenson notes that Abraham does not demand “that the guilty be punished and the innocent spared, but rather that the LORD forgive [the entire city] for the sake of the innocent . . . who are in it.” He likens this idea to the notion found in rabbinic literature that “the righteous effect deliverance for the entire community” (ibid.). Rabbi Hertz waxes eloquent on the character of Abraham.

The remainder of the chapter [Gen. 18:23-33] forms one of the sublimest passages in the Bible or out of the Bible. Abraham’s plea for Sodom is a signal illustration of his nobility of character. Amid the hatreds and feuds of primitive tribes who glorified brute force and despised pity, Abraham proves true to his new name and embraces in his sympathy all the children of men. Even the wicked inhabitants of Sodom were his brothers and his heart overflows with sorrow over their doom. The unique dialogue between God and Abraham teaches two vital lessons: first, the supreme value of righteousness: and, secondly, God’s readiness to pardon (Ezek. Xxxiii, 11), if only He can do so consistently with justice. (Hertz, p. 65 on Gen. 18:23)

1 Peter 5:1-11

Tending the Flock of God

5:1 Now as an elder myself and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you 2 to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it-not for sordid gain but eagerly. 3 Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away. 5 In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for

“God opposes the proud,

but gives grace to the humble.”

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the power forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:1-11, NRSV)

On April 7, 2008 (Monday in the week of the Third Sunday of Easter, Year Two), comments on 1 Peter 5:1-14 were repeated from April 29, 2007 (the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year One), comments for 1 Peter 5:1-11 were combined with revision and supplement from April 17, 2005, two years ago (the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year One) and from May 1, 2006 (Monday in the week of the Third Sunday of Easter, Year Two). The combined comments are repeated here:

Except for the final greetings and benediction (1 Pet. 5:12-14), today’s reading brings 1 Peter to a close. Peter addresses the “elders” (presbuvteroi, presbyteroi), church leaders here, though the same term occasionally refers to those older in age (e.g. 1 Tim. 5:1, 2), “as an elder myself” (sumpresbuvteroV, sympresbyteros; “fellow elder,” NIV). Against other (unnamed) commentaries, who see only a loose connection between the present passage and preceding passages, J. D. N. Kelly finds that

Actually the paragraph is much more closely integrated both with what precedes and with what follows (cf. ‘therefore’ in 6) than is commonly allowed. The writer has deliberately placed his special instructions to leaders and the community as a whole here because, in the testing situation with which all his previous exhortations have been concerned, effective and disinterested pastoral leadership and mutual respect between members are absolutely indispensable. [The conjunction] So (ou\n oun) underlines that the counsel which follows is the practical corollary of the advice and encouragement he has been trying throughout to give. (The Epistles of Peter and Jude, 196).

So the advice to “tend the flock of God that is in your charge” (1 Pet. 5:2) represents a situation that “demands urgent action” because the imperative verb (poimavnate, poimanate) “is the ingressive aorist” [i.e. “begin tending the flock”] (ibid., 199-200). Peter implies the metaphor of the “shepherd” (poimhvn, poimēn; cf ajrcpoivmhn, archipoimēn, ‘chief shepherd,’ v. 4) as “pastor” (from Latin pāstor, ‘shepherd.’). The elders are “to tend the flock (poivmnion, poimnion) of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulson but willingly, as God would have you do it–not for sordid gain but eagerly” (v. 2). The phrase “exercising the oversight” translates the participle ejpiskopou:nteV (episkopountes), from the verb ejpiskopevw (episkopeō), “oversee, care for,” which is related to the noun ejpivskopoV (episkopos), “overseer, bishop.” This phrase is missing from a few of the older and better manuscripts; if present in the original text of 1 Peter, it would suggest similar functions for the “bishop” or “overseer” and the “elder” (cf. Titus 1:5, 7). As earlier in the letter, Peter appeals to the example of Christ, who is “the chief shepherd”(ajrcpoivmhn, archipoimēn) (v. 4): “And when the chief shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away” (v. 4). There is emphasis here on the concept of servant leadership (cf. Mk. 10:42-45). “Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock” (v. 3). As he continues, Peter addresses “you who are younger” (newvteroi, neōteroi), telling them to “accept the authority of the elders” (presbuvteroi, presbyteroi). While the term “elders” clearly refers to church leaders in verse 1, it may rather refer in verse 5 to older people whose authority the “younger” are to accept. Peter H. Davids lists possible meanings in this context and concludes that the term “younger” (newvteroi, neōteroi) is not a term for “deacons” or other lower church officers. “There is little evidence that “younger men” ever meant deacons or other lower officials in the church” (Peter H. Davids, The First Epistle of Peter, NICNT, 1990, p. 183 on 1 Pet. 5:5). There is a transition from instruction to church leaders, “elders,” to the whole Christian community. The younger people are advised to “accept the authority of the elders,” whether that means the authority of the ruling elders or of the older people. The transition is clear in the continuation. “And all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another” (v. 5b), which is supported by the quotation from Proverbs 3:34 (in v. 5c).

So the call for humility is repeated. “Humble yourselves therefore under the might hand of God,” says Peter, “so that he may exalt you in due time” (v. 6). The readers are encouraged: “Cast all your anxiety on him [God], because he cares for you” (v. 7). They are to “discipline” themselves and “keep alert,” because, “like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour” (v. 8). “Resist him,” says Peter, “steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering” (v. 9). According to David L. Balch, revised by Paul J. Achtemeier, “resisting the devil, God’s enemy, points to the larger struggle between good and evil within which the Christians are to understand their suffering” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on 1 Pet. 5:8-9). Peter brings the body of his letter with a promise, “And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you” (v. 10), and a brief ascription, “To him be the power forever and ever. Amen” (v. 11).

In the closing–actually beyond the present reading–Peter mentions assistant (scribe), Silvanus. “Through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, I have written this short letter to encourage you and to testify that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it” (v. 12). He sends greetings from “your sister church in Babylon, chosen together with you” (v. 13a). According to Balch and Achtemeier, “Babylon [is] the author’s name for Rome (see Rev. 17:5, 18).” (op. cit., on v. 13). Greetings are also sent from “my son Mark” (v. 13b). According to M. Eugene Boring, “Silvanus and Mark were companions of Paul (Acts 15:22; 2 Cor. 1:19; Philem. 24)” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on 1 Pet. 5:12). According to Papias, Bishop of Hierapolis (near Colossae) in the 2^nd century, Mark was Peter’s interpreter, and when Peter died (as a martyr) Mark wrote down what Peter had been preaching. Papias quotes a “presbyter,” who said,

Mark having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately whatsoever he remembered. It was not, however, in exact order that he related the sayings or deeds of Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor accompanied Him. But afterwards, as I said, he accompanied Peter, who accommodated his instructions to the necessities [of his hearers], but with no intention of giving a regular narrative of the Lord’s sayings. Wherefore Mark made no mistake in thus writing some things as he remembered them. For of one thing he took especial care, not to omit anything he had heard, and not to put anything fictitious into the statements. (Papias, Fragment no. VI, Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, on the Internet at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.vii.ii.vi.html, accessed May 2, 2009).

Matthew 7:15-29

A Tree and Its Fruit (Mt 12.33; Lk 6.43-45)

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will know them by their fruits.

Concerning Self-Deception (Lk 6.46; 13.26-27)

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ 23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’

Hearers and Doers (Lk 6.47-49)

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell--and great was its fall!”

28 Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, 29 for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. (Matthew 7:15-29, NRSV)

The following comments are based on those of April 29, 2007 (the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year One), comments on Matthew 7:13-21 of October 3, 2007 (Wednesday in the week of the Sunday closest to September 28, Year One), comments on Matthew 7:22-29 of October 4, 2007 (Thursday in the week of the Sunday closest to September 28, Year One), comments on Matthew 7:13-21 of April 26, 2008 (Saturday in the week of the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year Two), comments on Matthew 7:22-28 of May 2, 2008 (Friday in the week of the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year Two), and other comments as noted for these.

On the Saying about A Tree and Its Fruit

The Bible has several passages on the “fruits” that people produce. Well known is Isaiah’s song of the vineyard (Isa. 5:1-7), in which God laments the fact that he expected “grapes” from his vineyard Israel, but instead received “wild grapes” (literally ‘stinking things,’ Isa. 5:2, 4); he expected “justice, but saw bloodshed/righteousness,/but heard a cry” (v. 7). A happier picture emerges later, when Israel becomes “a pleasant vineyard” (Isa 27:2, cf. vv. 2-6). Paul’s passage on the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23) is well known. Here, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns us to “beware of false prophets” (Mt. 7:15), understood by Matthew, apparently, as a reference to false teachers arising within the Christian community. “You will know them by their fruits,” says Jesus (v. 16a). The “bad plants” are just weeds, “thorns” and “thistles” (v. 16b). In the parallel passage in Luke, the saying is more directly addressed to Christian believers. One could make the case for some use of the somewhat sour fruit of a thorn tree, or the blackberries from a bramble bush (Lk. 44), but that figs and grapes are better. Wholehearted faithful Christian living produces the best fruit.

The thistles (a[kanqai, akanthai) and thorns (trivboloi, triboloi) mentioned by Matthew are simply useless weeds. But Luke’s terms, the thorns (a[kanqai, akanthai) and the bramble bush (bavtoV, batos), are different. The latter is a kind of blackberry bush, according to botanists Harold and Alma Moldenke (The Plants of the Bible, 1952). Luke’s thorn is the “Christ Thorn,” which produces a useful fruit, dry, but somewhat comparable to figs, and with a little imagination, one may see a resemblance between a blackberry and a bunch of grapes. Clearly, Jesus was talking about good trees and bad trees, but in reference to the false prophets, the bad plants were worthless weeds. In the other context, when Jesus was talking to disciples, there was something of a call for improvement. Figs are better than the fruit of the thorn bush (like apricots? sand hill plums? [found in Kansas]) and grapes are better than blackberries. Could we make a similar point with oranges and lemons? The warning about false prophets is to recognize and avoid them. But the admonition to the disciples is to bear good (better?) fruit. A key to that is the statement, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Mt. 12:34; Lk. 6:45). “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Prov. 4:23).

On the Saying about Self-deception

Luke’s version of this saying is a rather direct question: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you?” (Lk. 6:46). But in another context, Luke’s version is very strict. “Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught us in our streets.’ But he [the “owner of the house” in the parable] will say, ‘I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!’” (Lk. 13:26-27). In the context of today’s reading, both Matthew and Luke continue with the story of the House Built upon the Rock (Mt. 5:21-27; Lk. 6:46-49), which illustrates the fate of those who hear Jesus’ words and obey them, versus the fate of those who do not do so.

Matthew’s version of Jesus’ warning of the listeners against themselves is, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (v. 21). Either way, it’s a stern warning to “be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves” (Jas. 1:22), and comparable to the prophetic warning given by Samuel to Saul, “Surely, to obey is better than sacrifices, / and to heed than the fat of rams” (1 Sam. 15:22).

At the judgment, “on that day,” says Jesus, “many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’” (Mt. 7:22). Jesus adds that he will say, “I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers” (v. 23). Similar teaching occurs in Luke in a context which includes various teachings about the kingdom of God. After admonition to “strive to enter through the narrow door” (Lk. 13:24a; cf. Mt. 7:13-14), Jesus expands the image of the door in a kind of mini-parable. “Many,” he says,

will try to enter and will not be able. When once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then in reply he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!’ (Lk. 13:24b-27, NRSV)

John Wesley took the warnings here to heart. On Matthew 7:22 he says, “We have prophesied–We have declared the mysteries of thy kingdom; wrote books; preached excellent sermons. In thy name done many wonderful works–So that even the working of miracles is no proof that a man has saving faith” (John Wesley, Explanatory Notes on the New Testament, reprint, 1981, vol. I, no page no., on Mt. 7:22). On the following verse (23), he says, “I never knew you–There never was a time that I approved of you; so that as many souls as they had saved, they were themselves never saved from their sins. Lord, is it my case?” (Ibid. These notes are found online at http://wesley.nnu.edu/john_wesley/notes/matthew.htm#Chapter+VII, accessed again May 2, 2009).

On the Two Houses

The comparison of well-built houses to poorly built houses to illustrate the consequences for those who obey Jesus’ teaching and those who don’t concludes Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7), and a similar comparison ends the sermon known as the Sermon on the Plain in Luke (Lk. 6:20-49). (Both sermons open with beatitudes, and much of the teaching is parallel, though many of Luke’s sayings parallel to the Sermon on the Mount are found later in Luke, in different contexts.) The two versions of this comparison are set side by side in the following table:

Matthew says that “everyone who hears these words of mine,” where Luke refers to “someone . . . who comes to me, hears my words,” both adding “and acts on them” (Mt. 7:24a; Lk. 6:47). The first comparison is that such a man “will be like” (Mt.) “is like” (Lk.) “a (wise, Mt.) man “who built his house” (Mt.) / “building a house” (Lk.) “on a rock” (Mt.) / “who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock” (Lk.) (Mt. 7:24b; Lk. 6:48a). With his reference to digging and laying the foundation (qemevlioV, themelios, Lk. 6:48, 49, cf. “founded,” qemeliovw, themelioō, Mt. 7:25). The “foolish man,” “who hears these words of mine and does not act on them,” but builds his house “on sand” (Mt. 7:26), or “who hears and does not act . . . [but] built a house on the ground without a foundation” (Lk. 6:49a), has opened the floodgates, so to speak, for disaster. In Luke’s version, the second house is destroyed by a flood, “when the river burst against it [and] immediately it fell” (Lk. 6:49b), whereas, in Matthew’s version, the second house is destroyed by the winds that, accompanying the rains and flood, “beat against that house” (Mt. 7:27). Matthew concludes with the words, “and great was its fall (ptw:siV, ptōsis, cf. e[pesen, epesen, Mt. 7:27; sunevpesen, synepesen [‘fall together, collapse’], Lk. 6:49)!” but Luke says, “and great was the ruin ( rJh:gma, hrēgma) of that house.” Luke’s language may seem a little more technical with reference to the process of construction, but both houses are founded on rock. And Luke’s language is perhaps a little more technical in referring to the “collapse,” or “ruin” of the second house. But the point remains the same: one should hear and obey Jesus’ teaching.

On the Conclusion of the Sermon

The end of the Sermon on the Mount is marked by these verses which note that “Jesus had finished saying these things” (Mt. 7:28), a formula that marks the end of five major speeches by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. Others are “Now when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples . . .” (11:1; cf. 10:5-42); “When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place” (13:53; cf. 13:3-52); “When Jesus had finished saying these things . . .” (19:1; cf. 18:1-35); and “When Jesus had finished saying all these things . . .” (26:1; cf. 24:1[23:1?]-25:46). But only at the closing of the Sermon on the Mount is special attention called to the effect on the crowds: “the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes” (Mt. 7:28-29). This and the fact that the Sermon on the Mount is the first public event in Jesus’ ministry reported by Matthew (apart from the calling of disciples, not really public, 4:18-22) and the summary of his preaching and healing presented in Matthew 4:24-25, not really a single event, but certainly preparation for the gathering of the crowds for the Sermon (5:1)–these all point to the programmatic role of the Sermon in Matthew’s presentation of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus is the Teacher par excellence, who teaches a righteousness that “exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees” (5:20), whose rulings can supercede those of Moses (cf. the six antitheses, antithetical paragraphs–“You have heard . . .But I say . . .” in Mt. 5:21-48), whose word is to be heeded at all costs.

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

deanworden@comcast.net