Scriptural accuracy, spelling, or grammar the wisdom of the wise

JESUS RESPONDS [WISDOM IS REVEALED]

Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who was caught in adultery; and they made her to stand in the midst. 4 They said to him, Teacher, this woman was caught openly in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law of Moses it is commanded that women such as these should be stoned; but WHAT DO YOU SAY? John 8:3-5 Peshitta Text 100 A.D.

Note: The temple area is about thirty-five acres. At that time around three sides of the large enclosure there was a long, covered walkway called a cloister. Josephus wrote that Roman soldiers would patrol along that walkway and through the crowds, keeping a sharp eye out for any unrest. The entire scene unfolding around Jesus was under Roman observation, and everyone was conscious of this armed military presence because of the feast.

THE WISDOM OF GOD

The scene could hardly be more dramatic. They quoted Moses and then directly challenged Jesus, in public, to agree or disagree with the great lawgiver. The crowd was listening intently, and the Roman soldiers were also watching.

THE TWO OPTIONS:

1. 
   On the one hand, Jesus could say, “Yes, let’s stone her.” Such a ruling would have caused an outcry and triggered enough commotion that Jesus would surely have been arrested even if the violence against the girl had not begun. John records that the Romans had denied the Jews the right to put anyone to death (John 8:4-5)
   

2. 
   Jesus’ other option was to say something like: Gentlemen, we know what the Law of Moses requires, but the realities of the political world in which we live cannot be avoided. Just look around you. Yes, we long for the day of liberation from Rome, after which we will be able to obey the Law of Moses in a strict fashion. But in the interim we are obliged to be patient and make allowances.
   

If Jesus had given such a speech, his opponents would have accused him of cowardice. Was he against the Law of Moses? Or was he simply unwilling to pay a price to pursue the national cause? In short, if he decides to carry out the Law of Moses, he will be arrested. If he opts to set the Law of Moses aside he will then be discredited. What is it going to be: Moses or Rome? Either way he loses and his opponents win.

“The queen of the south will rise up in judgment with this generation and find it guilty; for she came from the far ends of the earth that she might hear Solomon’s wisdom, and behold, A GREATER THAN SOLOMON IS HERE.” Matthew 12:41 Peshitta Text the God who gave Solomon his wisdom has come to earth and is now speaking to you. Paul the Learner

THE TRADITION KEPT

The primary requirement for keeping the law on the Sabbath was to refrain from work, and the rabbis defined writing as work. They then determined that “writing” was making some kind of permanent mark like putting ink on paper. Writing with one’s finger in the dust was permissible because it “leaves no lasting mark.” [Reference Mishnah, Sabbat 12:5 (Danby, pages 111-112); Babylonian Talmud, Sabbat 104b] No violation here. The wind would soon blow it away and it was thereby an acceptable activity on the Sabbath.

The Mishnah was recorded as a book in about A. D. 200, and its legislation may not have been in force at the time of Jesus, but it is the best source available for Jewish life in the first century. Jesus actions in the story seem to be informed by these Sabbath rules.

THE GIVER OF THE LAW TO MOSES KNOWS THE LAW WELL

Jesus first response was to bend down and write with his finger in the dust.

THE WISDOM OF GOD

By Jesus doing this he made it clear to his accusers that he was not only familiar with the written law but also well versed in the developing oral interpretation of that law. He was saying, “I am not a country bumpkin. I know the law very well, and I also know current interpretation of it.

WHAT DOES HE WRITE?

Kenneth E. Bailey is convinced that he wrote, “Death” or “kill her” or “stone her with stones.” His following words presuppose that he decreed the death penalty. “…he, who is among you WITHOUT SIN, let him first throw a stone at her.” John 8:7 Peshitta Text Jesus opted for a strict observance of the Law of Moses. Mobs will do anything! In the aftermath of war, or when civil authority breaks down, or when a crowd overwhelms the police force, mobs will loot, destroy, kill, burn –anything!

With so many people involved, there is no one to arrest. In a mob, individuals can escape accountability for their behavior. If therefore everyone in the crowd stones the woman, no individual will bear responsibility for her death. But when Jesus says, “Let the one among you who is without sin cast the first stone,” he puts a name and a face on everyone in the crowd. He asks each individual to acknowledge responsibility for participation in the act. With this challenge Jesus says to his opponents, “Gentlemen, you clearly want to go to jail for the Law of Moses, I am willing to do so. I have ordered that she be killed.

I have ordered that she be killed. But I want to know which one of you is willing to volunteer to accompany me into that cell?” In this story, if a person steps out of the crowd claiming to be sinless, such an act will be remembered to his shame because Isaiah wrote, “All we like sheep have gone astray” (Isaiah 53:6). Ecclesiastes 7:20 says, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” With such texts in the tradition, would any religious teacher dare claim to be sinless?

NOW THE PRESSURE STARTS FOR THE OPPONENTS OF JESUS

Suddenly and dramatically the entire scene is changed. Jesus’ opponents are now under pressure, and each of them must make a decision. In the Middle East, in such circumstances, people naturally turn to the eldest person present. The crowd turns to see if that elder has the courage to respond to Jesus’ challenge. From the oldest to the youngest his opponents withdraw, humiliated. As this is happening Jesus again bends down and writes a second time in the dust. The story leaves no clue as to what he wrote, but by looking at the ground, he chooses not to watch the public humiliation of his opponents.

Jesus takes no pleasure in humiliating them – he simply want to save the woman. The stage is now empty and Jesus is alone with the accused. A few minutes earlier the terrified woman had expected brutal violence and a painful death. Suddenly the Pharisees are angry at Jesus rather than at her. Again at great cost Jesus has shifted their hostility from her to himself, and he doesn’t even know her name! Jesus demonstrates the life-changing power of costly love.

THE WISDOM OF GOD

This scene provides us with an insight into Jesus’ understanding of the significance of his own suffering. A core aspect of his “doctrine of the atonement” is here displayed. In his final words to the woman Jesus neither condemns her nor overlooks her self-destructive lifestyle. He walks a razor’s edge between the two with the words, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again.” Looking at the larger picture, Jesus accepts the sexual code of the Old Testament tradition, but removes its penalty. The lady is not for stoning!

Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes Paul the Learner

THE PARABLE OF THE WISE AND FOOLISH YOUNG WOMEN

Text Matthew 25:1-13

1. 
   It shall be compared the kingdom of heaven MEET THE GROOM
   

To ten young women who took their lamps (expectation)

And came out to meet the bridegroom [and Ten Come Out

The bride]. Five were dimwitted and five

Were thoughtful]

2. 
   When the dimwitted took their lamps, they
   

Took no oil with them. DULL – NO OIL

But the thoughtful took flasks of oil with Thoughtful – Oil

Their lamps.

3. 
   As the bridegroom was delayed, ALL SLEEP
   

They all dozed and fell asleep.

4. 
   But at midnight there was a cry, MEET THE GROOM
   

“Behold the bridegroom! (Arrival imminent)

Come out to meet him!”

5. 
   Then all those young women arose
   

And serviced their lamps. ALL ARISE

6. 
   And the dimwitted said to the thoughtful,
   

“Give us some of your oil, for our lamps DULL – NO OIL

Are going out.” But the thoughtful replied Thoughtful – Oil

“Perhaps there will not be enough for us

And you. God rather to the dealers and buy

For yourselves.”

THE WISDOM OF GOD

7a And while they went to buy, the bridegroom MEET THE GROOM

Came, and those prepared went in with him (realization)

To the marriage feast, FIVE GO IN –

And the door was shut. FIVE SHUT OUT

7b Afterward the other young women came

Saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us.” But he

Replied, “Amen I say to you, I do not know TOO LATE!

You.” Watch therefore for you know neither

The day nor the hour.

The parable of the wise and foolish young women (Matthew 25:1-13)

RESULTS

3. 
   In each there are people waiting for something important to happen.
   
4. 
   The question of being prepared or not prepared is important to both groups.
   
5. 
   Having lamps, burning or not, at the moment of the arrival of the master is important in both stories.
   
6. 
   “Staying awake” verses “falling asleep” is important in each parable.
   
7. 
   The door of the house is a dramatic prop in both. (Is it open or closed, and who is to open it?)
   
8. 
   The delay of the “master” is an issue in each account.
   
9. 
   The time of his arrival is UNKNOWN in both stories.
   
10. 
    The central figure is called master / bridegroom in Matthew. In Luke he is master / Lord.
    

In this parable we are talking not only of a wedding feast, but also of a gathering of believers in Jesus Christ, we call this the ‘rapture of the church’

“Now I want you to know, my brethren that you shall not grieve over those who are dead, as those do who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so those who have died in Jesus, God WILL BRING WITH HIM. 15 For this we say to you by the very word of our Lord, that we who ARE ALIVE and REMAIN until the coming of our Lord shall not overtake those who are dead. 16 For our Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and the voice of the archangel with the trumpet of God; and those who died in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be CAUGHT UP TOGETHER with them in the clouds to meet our Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with our Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Peshitta Text 100 A.D.

THE WISDOM OF GOD

Note: in this story of the wise and foolish virgins we see in 25:11 the foolish virgins asks the Lord to OPEN TO US and He answers I KNOW YOU NOT.

1. 
   All were virgins
   
2. 
   All at one time had oil in their lamps
   
3. 
   All fell asleep waiting
   
4. 
   All were expecting his return
   
5. 
   All thought that they were ready
   

In the church of Jesus Christ there are different classes of people:

1. 
   There are some who are true believers and labor for the master daily.
   
2. 
   There are some who try to live the life that is pleasing to our master, but fail often.
   
3. 
   There are some who at one time made a commitment to Jesus and then forgot it.
   
4. 
   There are some who attend church and give in the offering and live for God one hour a week on Sunday.
   
5. 
   There are some who attend church to impress others and seeking contact with a young man or a young woman to possibly marry in the future.
   
6. 
   There are some who hold hatred in their heart against a brother or sister because what they did to them, so they do not forgive and so according to scripture are not forgiven.
   
7. 
   There are some who only want to find fault with either the preacher’s sermon or with some body in the ministry of the church.
   

Only #1 qualifies as the church of Jesus Christ. The other has made their choice to serve Satan and live for him. But God has an answer for you “He who is concerned about his life shall lose it; and he who LOSES HIS LIFE FOR MY SAKE SHALL FIND IT.” Matthew 10:39 Peshitta text

You will find in heaven three types of believers:

1. 
   In Revelation 3:10 “Because you have KEPT THE WORD of my patience, I also will KEEP YOU FROM THE HOUR OF TEMPTATION which shall come upon all the world to try those who dwell upon earth.” Peshitta text this is speaking about those believers in Jesus from the book of Acts until He comes for the church. These called [Philadelphia] are made up of Jews and Gentile who make up the church. We find them sang a praise to the Lamb and it says of them that they were redeemed to God by the blood of Jesus from every tribe and tongue and people and nation according to Revelation 5:9 all this takes place before the judgments of God fall on the earth.
   

2. 
   We find in Revelation 12:17 that the children of Israel who keep the commandments of God and also have the testimony of Jesus will be persecuted by the beast. So according to Revelation 13:10 for three and one half years the beast will imprison believers and kill some.
   

THE WISDOM OF GOD

And according to Revelation 13:15 the beast will kill many who do not take his mark. And in Revelation 7:9-17 we find these believers who have been killed for Jesus Christ in heaven because of the clause in Matthew 10:39 DURING THE JUDGMENTS

3. 
   In order to understand this next section we must turn to Ezekiel 9:2-11 reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 23:33-36 that because they had rejected the king and His kingdom and have persecuted those who the king sent, all of the judgments of God will be poured out without measure and this took place in 70 A.D. when 1,100,000 Jews died and many more thousands were sent into the mines and the arena to face death. But in all of this God has a plan for the preservation of the nation of Israel. It is called the remnant [See Isaiah 10:21; 11:16; Jeremiah 23:3; 31:7-11 etc.] Now the third group is found in Revelation 7:1-8 where 144,000 born again Jews are sealed by God and kept safe from the wrath of the beast. You will also find them in heaven in Revelation 14:1-3.
   

Paul the Learner

Now back to our subject.

The scene focuses on preparations for a wedding banquet that is to take place in the home of the groom. The reading of the story fits traditional village life and is probably the original. In any case, the presence of the bride is implied even if not mentioned. The ten young women are very circumspect in their behavior. All have lamps, and each of the lamps is burning. But there are differences among them. Half of them have brought extra olive oil with them in small flasks, while the other half has not taken their precaution.

As is often the case, the reader of the parable is left hanging. Does the bridegroom relent and let them in or not? The listener / reader are not told. The locked door is what they deserve. We do not know what they receive when the conversation is over. In the Middle East the word no is never an answer, rather it is a pause in the negotiations. The reader has to FINISH THE PLAY. What then is the story all about?

1. 
   The place of women
   

Ibn al-Tayyib, of the eleventh century in his commentary on this text points out that in the Gospels, the church is always feminine: the bride of Christ is the MOTHER of us all. Thus it is appropriate that Jesus has here chosen women to act the part of the membership of the church, both wise and foolish. Also that it took ten Jewish males to form a valid wedding ceremony. Thereby this parable has ten women. And by choosing ten women, Jesus is trying to compensate for the gender gap in the religious culture of his day.

2. 
   Borrowed resources
   

You cannot borrow your own preparations for the coming of the kingdom of God.

THE WISDOM OF GOD

3. 
   The long haul
   

Life in the kingdom of God requires commitment to the long haul. There is neither instant discipleship nor instant maturation in the fullness of the kingdom. The wise, thoughtful women knew it might be a long night and prepared accordingly.

4. 
   Reactions to failure
   

When short of oil they screamed at their friends, “give us some oil!” When they arrived late and found the door of the house locked them again cried to the bridegroom, “Lord! Lord! Open the door!”

On the theological level Jesus appears also to be saying four things:

1. 
   There is Jesus’ disappointment at the lack of readiness to receive the kingdom when it arrives.
   
2. 
   There is a challenge and a warning related to his second coming. For each believer, on a personal level, that meeting with the Lord will occur at the time of death. Thus the parable holds an existential challenge for all.
   
3. 
   The kingdom has a door that can and does close. For all who are committed to the host of the banquet, the door to the banquet is open. But near the end of the parable that door is closed.
   
4. 
   This parable is a warning that the time of the arrival of the bridegroom is unknown and the speculation regarding the hour is pointless. (Mark 13:32)
   

Jesus is the returning bridegroom who will arrive joyfully at the end of the age, extend a warm welcome to all the guests who have patiently remained in waiting for his coming, and are duly prepared for his arrival. Blessed those whose lamps are faithfully kept burning as they watch and wait for his appearance. Jesus through Middle Eastern eyes

This ends this section and study about wisdom Paul the Learner

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