Mark2b vs 13-22 Notes
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13 He out again beside sea |
foot travel by lake near town |
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all crowd coming to Him |
mobbed by people everywhere he went |
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He was teaching them |
His focal service / and ours: proclaim truth |
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14 He passed by Levi Bar-Alphaeus |
aka Matthew (Mat9:9) a Jew named from priestly tribe worked as a traitor / extortioner |
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sitting at tax booth |
tax agent collects excise on commerce* |
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"Follow me" |
Jesus wants him as learner |
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he rose and followed. |
Why leave lucrative business? likely never able to return. Greater appeal in Jesus. |
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15 He reclined at table in his house |
Seems a 'going-away' party for Levi. |
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many publicans and sinners |
Many friends -- of similar background. |
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reclining with Jesus & disciples |
Rabbi and students invited |
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because many followed Him. |
as well as others. An open-door party. |
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16 Pharisaic scribes saw |
Religious men watching Jesus |
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him eating with sinners and publicans |
Friend with unholy and traitors |
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said to disciples, "Why?" |
Explain please, how can He do this? |
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17 Jesus heard it and said |
answer both simple and profound: |
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"Well people don't need a doctor, |
A healthy man doesn't bother with doctor. These 'holy' men did not need help. |
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but those who are sick. |
The sick seek out healing. (Tho many who do are not helped -- 5:26). |
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I came to call sinners |
My purpose in coming (to earth?) iaw: I'm with those who need me. |
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- not righteous -- to repentance." |
The cure for the 'sin-disease' is repentance: to re-consider & change for good. The self-right won't change -- can't be cured. |
*Tax Farming in the Roman Empire
- Roman senate accessed average of only 1% on the provinces. Sometimes poll or head tax, but often be commercial activity in the area.
- Auctioned off the position of tax-collector by region. Based on projection of yield. An enterprising investor bid for the job, was given office and went to work. Of course, he kept whatever he could extract above his cost as profit.
- Fishing the lake was a taxed activity. Matthew bought into this revenue stream from Galilee. Jesus had the tax man and fishers together in His group!
continued...
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18 John's disciples and Pharisees fasting. |
tradition of 2x week fasting (Lk18:12) / abstinence from food for spiritual purpose |
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People came and said to Him, |
observers compare this Rabbi to others / what standard of measure do they use? |
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"Why do John's and Pharisees' disciples fast, |
learners unto the denominations of Judaism -- stressing repentance or holiness |
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but yours do not fast?" |
we don't observe them doing as accustomed / binding fast days suits human tradition. |
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19 Jesus said, "Can the wedding guests fast |
Another wedding parable: Preparations are made for great ocassion |
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while the bridegroom is with them? |
In fact, it is the guests' duty to cause the bride and groom to rejoice. |
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As long as they have the bridegroom |
Even if 7 day, the party is short Q: who is this groom? |
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they cannot fast. |
inappropriate to fast in time of feasting / once-in-life festivity supersedes ritual |
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20 Days come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, |
When the wedding it over, friends and guests go back to their normal lives. |
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then they will fast in that day. |
Fasting is useful as aid to faithfulness. We are in 'that day.' Consider fasting. |
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21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth |
Repairs made to conserve clothing |
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on an old garment |
materials must match in age, wear, use |
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If he does, the patch tears away from it, |
new cloth will shrink and break old fiber |
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the new from the old, |
new & old don't mix, naturally separate |
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and a worse tear is made. |
improper repair makes rend larger |
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22 And no one puts new wine |
fresh from the press, un-fermented |
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into old wineskins. |
used, stretched skins are not elastic |
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If he does, the wine will burst the skins - |
fermenting wine expands |
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and the wine is destroyed, |
wasting the good wine |
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and so are the skins. |
even old skins good for old wine or water |
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But new wine is for fresh wineskins. |
New teaching for untaught minds. Only they can expand to contain it. |
Note: Cannot expect old learners to accept new concepts -- they are stuck in their ways. See book of rabbinic traditions, written from 200BC, compiled by 200AD, Pirkei Avot 4:20.
20. Elisha the son of Avuyah would say: One who learns Torah in his childhood, what is this comparable to? To ink inscribed on fresh paper. One who learns Torah in his old age, what is this comparable to? To ink inscribed on erased paper.
Rabbi Yossei the son of Judah of Kfar HaBavli would say: One who learns Torah from youngsters, whom is he comparable to? To one who eats unripe grapes and drinks [unfermented] wine from the press. One who learns Torah from the old, whom is he comparable to? To one who eats ripened grapes and drinks aged wine.
Said Rabbi Meir: Look not at the vessel, but at what it contains. There are new vessels that are filled with old wine, and old vessels that do not even contain new wine.
notes by David Teel Sunday, February 02, 2014
