The Purple Pinata
Saturday, November 29, 2003
Matters Biblical and Christological, as in the Christmas commentary on Matthew 1:18-25.
We finally begin the Christmas story proper, with Matthew 1:18-25, the Conception of Jesus and First Dream of Joseph. The purpose of this pericope is to reamplifiy that Jesus is an ancestor of King David, and also to reveal his Divine origin and identity.
When Matthew says that Mary was betrothed to Joseph, here is what he means: The Jewish matrimonial procedure at that time had two steps. The first step was the formal exchange of vows before witnesses. However, the wife remained with her family for about a year before the second step. The second step was to formally transfer the betrothed (wife) to the husband's family home. Joseph and Mary are in between these two steps as we join the story.
We read how Jesus becomes a "Son of David." Joseph is described in verse 20 as a descendant of David, "son of David" (this is the only instance of someone other than Jesus being called "son of David" in the New Testament.) Joseph, in our scripture, becomes Jesus' legal father, through a two step process: First he takes Mary into his home, thus completing the marriage process. The second, and more important step, is to name the child (see the end of verse 25), thus acknowledging him as his own. By Joseph becoming the legal father, Jesus as a result becomes a "Son of David."
The name Joseph gives to this child is the name he is told to give him by the angel. Our English translation of the name is Jesus, which happens to be a transliteration of the Greek Yaysus. (Remember the New Testament was orginally written in the Greek language.) But the Greek Yaysus is from the Hebrew name Yeshua (often shortened to Yeshu), with Yeshua an already shortened version of Yehoshua, which is translated into English as Joshua. (The name Yeshua is close to the noun in Hebrew for "salvation," thus Matthew's play on words in verse 21.) So Jesus' real name properly translated into English is Joshua or even Josh (!?).
At the core of this scripture is Joseph's dream in which an angel reveals that Mary's pregnancy is "through the Holy Spirit." Here Joseph learns that Jesus is God's Son, though Matthew doesn't use the phrase "God's Son" or "Son of God." This is reamplified when Matthew quotes from Isaiah 7:14 in verse 23, in which Jesus is referred to as "Emmanuel which means 'God with us.'" This designation does not mean that Matthew is calling Jesus "God," rather he is emphasizing Jesus as God's special presence among his people. (Also recall that the Davidic kings were known as God's sons.)
While Matthew's use of Isaiah 7:14 in verse 23 is meant to emphasize Jesus' divine identity, the reader should look at Isaiah 7:13 to see that 7:14 is part of the same quote addressed to the "house of David." As a result we see an intertwining of Jesus as Son of David and Son of God.
Finally, we note that it is through a virginal conception, both, that Jesus becomes Son of David, through Joseph via legal paternity, and Son of God, through Mary via the Holy Spirit. Matthew then uses Isaiah 7:14 to indicate "fufillment of God's plan made known in prophecy [142]."
Thursday, November 27, 2003
Matters of Shock and Awe, as in the President's Thanksgiving visit to Baghdad.
The Drudge Report is carrying the raw notes of one of the pool reporters who made the trip to Baghdad with President Bush for Thanksgiving. It's quite a read. Notice that before they left Texas, some of the pool photographers actually thought it was all an elaborate prank that was being played on them.
Upstaged and Overshadowed: Sen. Hillary Clinton (NY) on her own Thanksgiving visit to Afghanistan (and apparently Iraq afterward).
Matters Ecclesiastical and Liturgical, as in, when does Advent begin?
The first Sunday of Advent always falls on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. This year the First Sunday of Advent falls on November 30, with November 27 being the earliest date and December 3 being the latest date for the First Sunday of Advent.
Because the First Sunday of Advent is considered the first Sunday of the church year and the previous Sunday, Christ the King Sunday, is considered the last Sunday of the church year, what are we to make of the intevening six days. Here is my suggestion, though I have never seen it written anywhere.
Notice that November 27, the earliest possible date for the First Sunday of Advent, is 40 days prior to Epiphany, January 6 (more on the Advent/Christmas/Epiphany cycle in a later posting). Thus the November 27-January 5 period is a kind of 40 day preparation for Epiphany (originally celebrated as Jesus' baptism).
So my suggestion is that Advent (and thus the church year) begins on November 27. Indeed, most Advent devotionals are structured to accomodate 28 days in Advent. So 28 days of Advent and 12 days of Christmas give us 40 days prior to Epiphany on January 6.
Matters Historical, Theological and Cultural, as in the Puritan origins of our nation, which we remember on Thanksgiving.
When the Mayflower landed in what is now Massachusetts 383 years ago this month, a small group of Pilgrims seeking religious freedom came to the shores of America, and with them came a world view that was to profoundly influence our nation.
The Pilgrims (conservative Puritans) were part of the Protestant religious tradition (the Calvinist theological persuasion) that emphasized finding and pursuing one’s calling in life. They believed that if you successfully discovered your God given gift, then it was a good sign that your salvation was secure. This view has been a deeply felt force in American thinking.
The reason this has been such an influence in American culture can be traced to the fact that in 1776 when our nation was founded, the United States was the most Protestant nation ever to exist, with at least 85% of the population holding theological views close to those of the Puritans. As Puritan Calvanism has diminished in America, the impulse to successfully pursue one's calling has not diminshed, whether among Americans of a religious or a nonreligious persuasion.
Sunday, November 23, 2003
Matters Ecclesiastical and Liturgical, as in Christ the King Sunday.
Today, November 23, is Christ the King Sunday, the Last Sunday of the Church Year. The last Sunday of the church year always occurs on the Sunday before the First Sunday of Advent, the First Sunday of Advent being considered the first Sunday of the new church year. The name "Christ the King Sunday" is relatively recent. It was originally instituted by the Roman Catholic Church in 1926 as the Sunday before November 1. In 1970 it was transferred to the present last Sunday of the church year. Many Protestant denominations have followed suit since 1970 in designating this last Sunday of the church year as "Christ the King Sunday."
Saturday, November 22, 2003
Matters Biblical and Christological, as in my continuing Christmas commentary, focusing on Matthew's pattern in his Christmas story.
Before we look at Matthew's Christmas story itself in verses 1:18 - 2:23, we want to note some patterns to his infancy narrative.
The key pattern involves 5 episodes alternating between Joseph and Herod (remember that Jesus is just a baby, so he's not doing much yet):
Joseph (1:18-25)
Herod (2:1-12)
Joseph (2:13-15)
Herod (2:16-18)
Joseph (2:19-23)
Each of the 3 Joseph episodes is built around an angel appearing to him in a dream. (This should remind the reader of the patriarch, Joseph, the dreamer of dreams in Egypt).
When we focus on the baby Jesus, we note parallels with the life of Moses. For example, in Mt. 2:16, Herod orders the massacre of all boys two years and under, while in Exodus 1:22, Pharaoh orders new born Hebrew males cast into the Nile.
Even non-biblical folklore about the Moses story that was well-known at the time Matthew was writing could have influenced his infancy narrative. One bit of folklore has Pharaoh forewarned about the birth of a Hebrew who will be a threat to his kingdom. Likewise, Herod, in Matthew's Gospel, is forewarned about a "king of the Jews," which he saw as a threat to his kingdom.
Finally, Matthew cites Old Testament scripture in each of the 5 scenes listed above. For example, Isaiah 7:14 is cited in the Joseph scene of 1:18-25. Most likely these Old Testament citations were meant to teach the Christian community that Jesus' life was all part of God's greater plan.
Matters Technical, as in the failing Japanese spacecraft heading to Mars.
Here is a great piece by James Oberg on the Japanese spacecraft approaching Mars. Unfortunately it was crippled by a solar flare a year and a half ago and apparently will not be able to achieve Martian orbit.
Thursday, November 20, 2003
More Matters Cultural and Critical, as in this great piece by Richard Kirk in the North County Times.
Most every week Richard Kirk has a great opinion piece in the Faith and Values section of the North County Times, the paper serving north San Diego County.
His article today, The odor of musical mendacity, is a great critique of the cesspool of rap and other music in the popular culture.
Matters Cultural and Critical, as in my email to Hugh Hewitt read on the radio!
Today, Thursday November 20, Hugh Hewitt, the nationally syndicated radio talk-show host has been bitterly criticizing the bizarre media preoccupation with the arrest of Michael Jackson when much more important news is deserving of attention: the bombing in Istanbul, the continuing actions in Iraq, the Bush visit to the United Kingdom (and much more).
I sent Hugh the following email, saying in my subject line that he should "Look in the mirror"... the email speaks for itself:
Look in the mirror: Here you are a Harvard graduate, a well educated lawyer, worked for a former President, worked in the White House, and are an articulate center-right spokesman and yet..............
YOU have an hour of Emmet the unblinking eye every week,
YOU constantly joke about trivial things like your softball team, Ohio sports teams,
YOU have openly admitted that you see countless movies (I see about 2 a year).
If a person with your credentials does all of the above, IS IT REALLY THAT SHOCKING THAT THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA IS SPENDING SO MUCH TIME ON JACKO FOR A CITIZENRY THAT HAS CREDENTIALS THAT CAN HARDLY TOUCH YOURS!!!
Hugh read the email on the air half way through the program, around 4:30 p.m. PST, without mentioning my name. He didn't give much of a response to the email, except that he was expecting on a day like today the media should be giving more coverage to the serious news.
More on this general topic in an upcoming blog.
Sunday, November 16, 2003
Matters Biblical and Theological, as in the Christmas commentary beginning Matthew's infancy narrative.
Both Matthew's and Luke's infancy narratives, coming at the beginning of their gospels, provide a nice transition from the Old Testament. While I agree with German scholar Martin Hengel that Luke was probably written before Matthew, we will proceed with the commentary, as does Raymond Brown, by beginning with Matthew.
The reason that Matthew was placed first in the order of the Gospels, despite that it was apparently the third one written after Mark and Luke, has to do with it providing such rich instruction for the new Christian communities, and because of its superior transition from the Old Testament with its infancy narrative, most especially the opening genealogy. Also, because Matthew was the first Gospel named after a disciple, that too increased its importance. (I agree with Martin Hengel that the names of the Gospels - Mark, Luke, Matthew, John - were known from the beginning and were not added later as many assume.)
Before we launch into the text itself, one more introductory comment is in order. On Matthew's mind during the writing of his gospel was apparent irritation at the Jews for expelling Jewish Christians from the synagogues after 70 A.D., while at the same time recognizing the positive reception many Gentiles were giving the Christian message. Thus the Gospel is for Jew and Gentile, yet there is a positive movement toward the Gentiles. This may be reflected in the geography of the infancy narrative. Note that the Christmas story in Matthew moves from Bethlehem, the city of the King of the Jews (David), to Galilee of the Gentiles.
We begin with Matthew 1:1-17, which is the genealogy of Jesus. While this is not the most memorable Christmas passage, there are a couple of significant points to make. The genealogy is meant to point us toward the significance of Jesus, and not provide us with an accurate ancestral lineage. (This genealogy has plenty of discrepancies with Luke's genealogy, where Luke's is not part of his Christmas story, but comes after Jesus' baptism. Matthew and Luke are also at odds with the genealogies in the Old Testament.)
The significance is really summarized in the first verse where Jesus Christ is described as the "son of David, son of Abraham." The phrase "son of David" is meant to signify Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, while the phrase "son of Abraham" is meant to point to blessing of the Gentiles, recalling from Genesis that all the nations of the world will bless themselves through Abraham's offspring.
Also of note in the genealogy are four women other than Mary that are listed: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Uriah's wife. What these four women have in common is an irregular union with their partners and "the women showed initiative or played an important role in God's plan [73]." This foreshadows the role of Mary. (All citations will be page numbers from Raymond Brown's book, The Birth of the Messiah.)
Matters Political, Legal and International, as in the sovereignty panel at the recent lawyer's conference held by the Federalist Society.
Not to be missed was the CSPAN coverage of the panel on "Unilateralism, Multilateralism and American Sovereign Interests" held Thursday November 13 at a lawyers conference sponsored by the Federalist Society. There were many notable quotes and exchanges.
One of particular note was a condescending remark by John Richardson from the European Community Delegation to the UN. He indicated that it would have been wise for the U.S. to listen more closely to those Europeans who opposed the war in Iraq, given, that it was shown since the war that the threat from Iraq was not imminent.
Apparently Mr. Richardson had not realized he had put his foot in his mouth, and Charles Krauthammer was there to nail him on it. Krauthammer pointedly reminded everyone that President Bush made clear in his 2003 State of the Union address that the threat from Iraq was not imminent. This was the whole point of preemption. Krauthammer also made this point in an editorial, Why Did Bush Go to War? on July 18, 2003.
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
Matters Biblical and Theological, as in my continuing Christmas Commentary.
Why did Luke and Matthew write their infancy narratives (Christmas stories)? (1) Curiosity about the Jesus' beginnings.
(2) As a response to Jewish skeptics who could not believe a Messiah would come from Galilee (as opposed to Judea). (3) For Matthew, to show a parallel between Joseph, the father of Jesus, and Joseph the patriarch. (Howerver, Jesus' birth is patterned after the birth of Moses.) (4) As part of the process of the development of christology (the work and person of Christ).
Concerning reason (4), note the following development as we move in the order of first written to last written: Paul, Mark, Luke and Matthew and John. Paul saw Jesus' resurrection as the point at which God identifies who Jesus really is. The Gospel of Mark has Jesus' identity gradually unfolding during Jesus' ministry up to the crucifixion/resurrection (though it is revealed to the reader at his baptism). But for Luke and Matthew, Jesus special identity is known at Jesus' conception. The Gospel of John presses this farther back to Jesus' preexistence.
Matters Political as in debunking the "Halliburton Sweetheart Deal" accusation.
Steven Kelman, a member of the Clinton administration, refutes the accusation that there is a "Halliburton Sweetheart Deal" for Iraq War contracts in this editorial, No 'Cronyism' In Iraq, in the Washington Post. Kelman was interviewed by Dennis Prager on this issue on Mon. November 10.
Friday, November 07, 2003
Matters Local, Environmental and Terrible, as in the environmentalist's species protection plans behind the San Diego Wildfires.
Hugh Hewitt has an outstanding article, Up In Smoke, in the Weekly Standard (click on the title) which explains how the environmental activists created the conditions that led to such horrific wildfires we've experienced in San Diego. A key phrase from the article is "The core problem is that species protection prohibits many ordinary fire precautions."
Saturday, November 01, 2003
Matters Ecclesiastical and Memorable, as in All Saints' Day, today November 1.
Today for much of Christianity, especially the Roman Catholic Church, is All Saints' Day. This day is set aside to commemorate the saints and martyrs of the church. A "saint" in the Roman Catholic tradition is someone whose life was so exemplary that the Church has officially declared the person to be in heaven. For the remaining departed souls, November 2 has been set aside as All Souls' Day to commemorate them.
In many Protestant churches, the Sunday on or just after November 1 is designated All Saints' Sunday (The liturgical color is white). For Protestants it is a day to especially remember members of the church who have died in the past year. It is also a time to remember all departed Christians, making it a kind of Christian Memorial Day.
In England, All Saints' Day, November 1, is called All-Hallows, or Hallowmas (from the Old English haelou meaing 'saint'). The evening before, October 31, was called All Hallow Even, which has been shortened to Halloween.
