Transfiguration of Jesus:
2 And after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And his appearance was transformed before them, 3 and his clothes became exceedingly white as snow; no fuller on earth can make them white. 4And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tabernacles: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what he was saying, because they were terrified. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them. Then a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” 8 Suddenly they looked around and saw no one but Jesus alone with them. (Mark 9:2-8, Matthew 17:1-8, Luke 9:28-36). (1)
The transfiguration event occurred “six days later” (Verse 2). That is, six days after Peter’s confession, Jesus aimed it at preparing the disciples to accept the upcoming sufferings “so that they may understand that your sufferings were voluntary by your choice, and to proclaim to the world that you are in truth the radiance of the Father” (according to Qandaq Al-Eid).
The event of the Transfiguration in front of three of his disciples, Peter, James, and John, takes place on a “high mountain” (“very” according to the Sinaiticus manuscript and ancient Latin translations), which church tradition considers to be Mount Thabor (while foreign interpreters prefer Hermon because it is closer to Caesarea Philippi).
in Verse 3 The Evangelist depicts the Transfiguration in a brief and eye-catching way. He says, “His clothes became shining white” (“like snow,” according to the canonical text of Manuscript D and the Latin and Syriac translations), and so white that “no fuller on earth can make them white.” A bright light surrounds Jesus that the disciples’ experience does not know. For a moment, as J. Schmid explains, “the heavenly world invades Jesus’ earthly life.”
The appearance of Moses and Elijah (as representatives of the Law and the Prophets) speaking with Jesus (Verse 4) means that the entire Old Testament leads to Christ and prophesies about the Passion (see Luke 9:31, where he said that “they were speaking about his exodus, which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem”).
According to Jewish expectations, they were awaiting the appearance of Elijah in Messianic times (Malachi 3: 22-23). There is a similar rabbinical tradition regarding Moses.
As the disciples were “eyewitnesses of that greatness” (2 Peter 1:16), fear gripped them, so one of them, Peter, began to want to give up the glory of the great tabernacle, so he suggested to the teacher that they make three tents in which to stay (Verses 5-6). The answer was that a cloud shaded them and a voice was heard coming out of it. The cloud, as we know in the Old Testament, accompanies the appearance of God, indicating his presence and at the same time obscuring his vision (Exodus 16:10, 19:9, 24:15 the Transfiguration, Numbers 11:25 Pentecost and others). The voice from the cloud is the voice of God the Father.”This is my beloved Son, listen to him” (Verse 7). This reminds us of the voice of God that was heard at the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:11, see also Psalm 2:6-7, 2 Peter 1:17, Isaiah 42:1). For the second time, God the Father calls Jesus “a beloved son.” If we take into consideration the words of Psalm 2, “I have raised from him a king over Zion... the Lord said to me, ‘You are my son, and today I have begotten you.’” Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance. And I will make you king over all the ends of the earth,” which is the phrase used when enthroning the king. We can say that Jesus is being installed here as the Messiah. Not as an earthly king, but as a Messiah in the sense that we find in the answer given in verse 8:31... (“And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things”), and in Peter’s confession: the Messiah, whose throne will be the cross, and whose glory will be the Passion and the Resurrection.
The transfiguration of Christ and the accompanying light later took on special importance in the Orthodox Church and its theology.
Discussion when they came down the mountain:
9 As they were coming down from the mountain, he commanded them not to tell anyone what they had seen, except when the Son of Man rose from the dead. 10 So they kept the word to themselves, asking, “What does it mean to rise from the dead?” 11 Then they asked him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 Then he answered and said to them, “Elijah will come first and restore all things. How is it written about the Son of Man that he will suffer many things and be rejected? 13 But I say to you, Elijah also has come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him.” (Mark 9:9-13, Matthew 17:9-13).
As they come down the mountain, Jesus forbids his disciples from spreading the story. To the educational method of Jesus known so far through other narratives as well (see the mystery of the Messiah), a new element is now added: this reservation in publishing events that lasts until the resurrection of the Son of Man from the dead. Then the students can talk about it freely. Talking about the resurrection confuses the disciples who wonder, “What is the meaning of rising from the dead?” and they are unable to understand the suffering of the Son of Man (Verse 12b). Then they ask Jesus about Elijah, who was expected by the Jews. He answers them that Elijah came in the person of John the Baptist (see also Matthew 17:13) and the well-known reception about him occurred. The phrase “how it is written about him” (Verse 13It is not clear because the Old Testament does not mention anything about the sufferings of Elijah the Awaited. This is in the event that Jesus (or the Evangelist) did not mean by his words the sufferings of Elijah in his time (3 Kings 19: 2-10).
Some interpreters agree that Elijah came in the person of John the Baptist, without accepting that he came when he appeared in the Transfiguration event (Mark 9:2-8), saying that in verse 13 he refers to another circumstance (see Matthew 11:14, “If you want Accept, for this is Elijah who is about to come.”
Healing the boy with epilepsy:
14 And when he came to the disciples, he saw a large crowd around them, and scribes conversing with them. 15 And immediately the whole crowd, when they saw him, were astonished, and ran and saluted him. 16 Then he asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” 17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought my son to you who has a mute spirit. 18 And wherever he overtakes him, he tears him in pieces, and he foams and grows horribly.” It grows old and withers. So I told your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” 19 Then he answered and said to them, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I endure you? Bring him to me!” 20 So they brought it to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately convulsed him, and he fell to the ground, and rolled about, foaming over. 21 Then he asked his father, “How long has it been since this has happened to him?” He said: “Since his youth.” 22And he often threw him into fire and into water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 Then Jesus said to him, “If you can believe. All things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears and said, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” 25 When Jesus saw that the crowd was running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him: “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and do not enter into him again.” » 26 Then he cried out, and it struck him terribly, and he went out. He became like a dead man, so much so that many said, “He is dead!” 27 Then Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he got up. 28 And when he entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast him out?” 29 Then he said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything except by prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:14-29, Matthew 17:14-20, Luke 9:37-43).
Jesus comes down to the people with a bright face, and the crowd is amazed when he sees him. This reminds us of another image from the Old Testament when Moses descends from Mount Sinai: “And when his face became radiant, they feared to approach him” (Exodus 34:30). We can make the following comparison: Just as Jesus liberated God’s people from slavery in Egypt, so Jesus liberates man from his slavery to Satan “since his youth.” This is what the Gospel emphasizes in several places, especially in this narrative that immediately follows the transfiguration event, which is the narrative of the healing of a young man suffering from epilepsy.
Jesus descends from the Mount of Transfiguration to meet the misery of people under the slavery of Satan. The scribes, the crowd, and the disciples approach Jesus with this psychological decline. The story of the young man suffering from epilepsy and the previous account of the transfiguration form a tragic contrast, as there is the glory of the transfigured Christ in contrast to the misery of humans with their lack of faith and the dwelling of demons within them. In verse 14, that is, between these two contradictory images, the Evangelist Mark inserts a prominent detail: that the remaining nine disciples are in dialogue with the scribes. The religious leaders of the Jews cannot follow Jesus in his glory nor meet and heal the world's pressing illnesses and misery, so they resort to theoretical discussions with the disciples that may be about the inability of the disciples to heal the sick person.
“One of the crowd” rushes to present his sick son to him, and tells him in pain that such an initiative with his disciples was of no use because his disciples were unable to cast out the “mute spirit” that was in his sick son (Verses 17-18). The father describes the symptoms of a terrible disease. These symptoms indicate epilepsy (which Matthew describes as epilepsy with the crescent moon when the moon rises).
Jesus expresses his indignation at the unbelieving generation that he sees before him, and in his words he includes the weak-faith father, the disciples who were unable to heal the sick person, and the scribes who benefited from such failure. As well as the crowd that is easily attracted after them (Verse 19). This discontent brings to mind the suffering of the Old Testament prophets for their message among a corrupt and unstable people. Jesus does not insist on unleashing his anger, but rather takes the initiative to help such a suffering generation. He asks that they bring him the sick young man who, in front of everyone, suffers a new seizure and rolls on the ground and foams (Verse 20). Then Jesus asks his father about the time of the beginning of his illness, not to inquire about the matter as if he did not know it, but rather to show through the father’s answer that man has been suffering “since his youth” from the terrible and painful consequences of his slavery to Satan (Verse 21).
After completing the story of his son’s illness, the father asks for Jesus’ help, expressing his doubt about Jesus’ ability, perhaps taking into account the difficulty of the matter and the patient’s desperate condition: “If you can do anything, have pity on him and help us.” Then, in the face of the doubt of the speaking father, Jesus confronts him with the measure of total faith, wanting to say to him: “The question is not whether I can complete the required healing, but rather whether you can believe.” So the father’s statement, “If you are able,” is matched by Jesus’ answer, “All things are possible to him who believes” (Verses 22-23). In all the Gospel narratives, miracles are not performed in order to highlight faith or to give a dazzling impression, but rather they come as a result of the faith of those concerned. A contemporary commentator interprets the anguished father’s response: “I believe, Lord, so help my lack of faith” (Verse 24) Thus: Jesus' words act in the one with whom he speaks in a double way, as they create in him faith in the power of the Messiah and at the same time reveal his lack of faith. Hence the father's screams and tears, this father who is conflicted by an internal conflict: he confesses his faith, which does not come from within him, but rather as a result of Jesus' words to him, but at the same time he confesses his lack of faith, which he shares with all his generation. He struggles between faith and unbelief, between his desire to show his faith and his assertion that his faith is incomplete.
Jesus sees that the crowd is “running together” and, with his Messianic power, commands the unclean spirit to leave the sick person once and for all and not to enter it again. After the evil spirit comes out, the patient experiences a final attack that gives the impression to those who were not present before that he is completely dead (this impression confirms the lack of faith that this generation was described with before Jesus). But the Lord holds the hand of the one who isdun“And He raises him (Verses 25-27).
After everyone has departed (the crowd, the father, and the healthy young man), the evangelist mentions Jesus’ conversation with his disciples alone in one of the houses, in which he answers their question, “Why couldn’t we cast him out?” He says: “This kind cannot come out with anything but prayer and fasting.” ” (Mark 9:29). Casting out demons from people is a difficult work, and it is done by the power of God, which is mainly possessed by the Messiah, and people can obtain it after prayer and fasting. The disciples were likely relying on their own abilities and not seeking in faith God's power. In Matthew's similar account, Jesus clearly tells his disciples that they were unable to heal the sick person because of their lack of faith (see Matthew 17:20).
The main meanings of the previous narration:
1- The Messiah, the preacher and achiever in himself of the Kingdom of God, is described in the Gospels, especially in Mark, By freeing people from demons residing in them. Only by His word, and by His decisive Messianic command, does He subjugate the demons so that they emerge from people. These miracles mean the victory of the Kingdom of God over the rule of Satan. One of us might say: The concept of attributing diseases, especially psychological ones, to the inhabitation of demons in people, has passed today due to the progress of medicine. But the manifestations of today's man that indicate his enslavement to Satan are so many and varied that, even if we do not accept the point of view that was prevalent in Jesus' day, which says that diseases are due to Satan, there remain many numerous and "satanic" manifestations of man that testify to his inhabitation. The devil is in man. Jesus Christ is the liberator of the world where Satan rules. If a person does not accept the freedom that Christ offers him, he is inevitably a prisoner of Satan. Because even if he is proud of his freedom, he will always remain a prisoner of someone or something.
2- Transfer Faith From the world of relative logic to the supernatural world of grace. “Moving mountains” constitutes an act that is not perceived by the empirical person, but for the believer what is apparently and logically difficult becomes a reality.
3- Faith transforms the world and transforms misery into glory. Owns Faith is a power that transcends the limits of the individual and the believer. It is worth noting that the passage does not mention anything about the faith of the sick son, but rather about the faith of his father. Therefore, the believing person constitutes a house of salvation even for his neighbor.
4- Prayer and fasting fuse the bond between man and God and strengthen faith which, when it is real and living, also becomes miraculous.
The second prediction about pain:
30 And they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and he did not want anyone to know it. 31 For he taught his disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man will be delivered to At the hands of people, they kill him. And after he is killed, he will rise on the third day.” 32 But they did not understand what he said, and were afraid to ask him. (Mark 9:30-32, Matthew 17:22-23, Luke 9:44-45).
After this miracle, Jesus crossed Galilee, trying to escape fame and looking forward in particular to prepare his disciples for his imminent suffering. So he began for the second time to prophesy about his suffering to his disciples, saying that the Son of Man would be delivered into “the hands of men.” A modern commentator views this statement with deep pain: That Jesus was delivered into the hands of demons could have some explanation, but that he was delivered into the hands of the people to whom he did good and healed throughout his life expresses a great contradiction in history. The expression used here to predict the suffering of Jesus is undoubtedly reminiscent of the songs of the suffering servant of Isaiah 53:7-8: “Like a lamb led to the slaughter, and like a blameless lamb before the shearer, so he will not open his mouth.”. In other words, Jesus knows that, as the Son of Man, he goes to suffering to fulfill the will of God as stated in the Old Testament.
Jesus urges his disciples:
41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name because you are Christ's, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward. 42 “And whoever causes one of the little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hanged around his neck and he were cast into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed, than to have two hands and go into hell, into the fire that will never be quenched. 44 Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be cast into hell, into the fire that never be quenched. 46 Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into hell fire. 48 Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. 49 For every man shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. 50 Salt is good. But if the salt becomes no longer salty, how will you season it? “Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.” (Mark 9:33-50).
Verses 33-50 address the disciples, concluding Jesus’ activity in Galilee. The opinion prevails among almost all modern commentators that the Evangelist here brings together sayings that were neglected and independent of each other, and we do not find a logical connection between them, that is, they are not connected by a common content but only externally: thus verses 33-41 are connected to each other by the common phrase “in my name.” Verses 42-48 are linked to the verbs: “stumble” and “I set upon you”, and verses 49-50 are linked to what preceded them through the word “fire”. We can confirm this theory after a comparative study of these sayings with those parallel to them from Matthew and Luke. This applies to the first section, but the second section has serious objections.
Honorable evangelists are the first God-inspired interpreters of Jesus' words and deeds. If they collect sayings of their teacher, they do not do so simply because a conventional word links them together, but because they find unity in the content. Of course, one cannot ask for logical unity in the modern European sense. Rather, there is unity in the goal that Jesus aspires to in his address to his disciples, as well as in the evangelist transmitting his sayings. Firstly, preparing the students for suffering is the main concern of the teacher. Hence the prevailing idea in the verses we are talking about: which is The spirit of sacrifice and pain. If Jesus was walking towards suffering as the end of his work and the culmination of his work, then the fate of his disciples could not be different. The path that awaits them is the path of suffering, the path of sacrifice and deprivation. On the other hand, we note that verses 33-50 directly follow verses 9: 30-32, where he prophesies for the second time about Jesus’ suffering. Within the spirit of sacrifice, the guide serves his brothers, abandons his glories, and deprives himself of friendly faces and necessary things if they constitute a reason for others to doubt. We will investigate this main idea when we examine the verses in detail.
We find the sayings in verses 9:33-37 in Matthew 18:1-5 and Luke 9:46-48, and the sayings in verses 9:38-40 only in Luke 9:49-50, and verse 41 in Matthew 10:42, and the sayings In verses 42-48 in Matthew 18:6-9 and Luke 17:1-2, and the sayings in verses 49-50 in Matthew 5:13 and Luke 14:34-35. The majority of these sayings therefore form part of what is called the ecclesiastical discourse (i.e. the talk about life in the community) in Matthew 18, while other sayings come either in the Sermon on the Mount or in Jesus’ command to his disciples sent to preach.
A - The spirit of sacrifice and service:
33 And he came to Capernaum. And while he was in the house, he asked them: “What were you talking about among yourselves on the way?” 34 And they remained silent, because on the way they argued among themselves about who was greater. 35 Then he sat down and called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then he took a child and placed him in the midst of them, and he embraced him and said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these children in my name welcomes me; For it is not me who receives me, but him who sent me.” (Mark 9:33-37, Matthew 18:15, Luke 9:46-48).
These sayings appear in the Synoptic Gospels immediately after the recovery of the young man suffering from epilepsy and after the second prediction about the Passion. Jesus addresses the disciples, the future leaders of his church that he intends to establish through his death on the cross and resurrection. Considering his suffering, he prepares his disciples, saying to them: The path to primacy is self-sacrifice, humility and service. Evangelicals repeat these sayings repeatedly, most likely intending to emphasize the message of the leaders in the church. The great and first is the one who uses his leadership position in order to serve his subordinates according to the example of Christ, who offered his life on the cross to save people and redeem them from the slavery of Satan. The true leader is not the one who dominates others, but rather the one who serves them and provides his services to the needy, the meek, and the weak among his children. Jesus takes a child and embraces him (see the event and the similar saying in Mark 10: 13-16, Matthew 19: 13-15, Luke 18: 15-17), and takes him as an example of humility that we must imitate in order to enter the kingdom of God, and a symbol of the weak who must be the leader To take care of them. This is how every Christian wants to become great and first in the Kingdom of God. A later tradition says that this boy is Saint Ignatius, possessed of God (see Ecclesiastical History 2:35 by Nicephorus Calistos and Synaxarus, December 20). Jesus presents the boy not only as an objective goal for the disciples to work toward, but also as a personal example for believers to imitate. A child who, due to his weakness, cannot rely on himself, trusts completely in those who are older than him, expects everything from them, and is thus an example of humility. We note that Jesus' contemporaries saw in the boy the one who would become an adult (and only on this basis gave him value); On the contrary, according to Grundmann's careful observation, Jesus comes and sees in the adult man the lost child who must be found again so that he can face God as Father and accept from him with trust and gratitude the gift of the Kingdom.
B - Impermissible neutrality:
38 Then John answered him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and he did not follow us. So we stopped him, because he does not follow us.” 39 Then Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for there is no one who exercises power in my name who can quickly speak evil against me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us. (Mark 9:38-40, Luke 9:49-50).
This passage is weakly connected to the previous one through the common phrase “in my name,” and John, Jesus’ disciple, speaks in it as he rarely does in the Gospels. This discussion is mentioned in Luke and not in Matthew, who, however, spoke about people casting out demons in the name of Christ (Matthew 7:22 “In your name we cast out demons”). The opinion that says that Matthew neglected to mention these words of Jesus because he mentioned words of Jesus that contradict him in Matthew 12:30 is incorrect, knowing that Luke also mentions the same words in Luke 11:23. On the one hand, comparing Mark 9:40 with Matthew does not lead to 12:30 (or Luke 11:23) to confirm the apparent contradiction occurring between the two passages. Let's see what the relationship is between them:
In Matthew 12:30 Jesus says: “Whoever is not with me is against me And whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Luke 11:23). Here Jesus responds to the accusations of the ill-intentioned Jews who claim that he is cooperating with the prince of demons and casts out demons, and tells them that his work is not compatible with the destructive work of Satan. In this conflict, people should not remain neutral. Either one is with Christ and “gathers,” that is, contributes to the work of forming God’s people, the Church, or one divides with Satan, as long as a neutral position is out of the question. This can also be said as a phrase Mark 9:40 “He who is not against us is for us”Whoever is not the Antichrist, like the one who casts out demons and performs miracles in the name of the Lord, is therefore with him. Therefore, the phrases of Matthew 12:30 and Mark 9:40 are expressed in different sentences and do not contradict each other because they both teach that everyone must take a clear position for or against Christ because neutrality is not allowed.
How can we connect these verses to the above? We believe the connection is this: While we see the disciples, including John, in their enthusiasm preparing tendencies in themselves following the example of the slaves in the parable of the tares, Jesus directs their attention to his coming suffering and to the spirit of sacrifice they must have from now on. Through his answer to John and from him to all the disciples, he wants to say that the coming and precise moment of suffering does not give room for criticism of others, but rather must lead them to realize the necessity of gathering their strength in order to serve the world. We must not condemn others and prevent them from working in the name of the Lord because they are not against Him. They are candidates to become active members of the church if they see before them an attitude of service and assistance on the part of the disciples.
C - Behavior towards “little children”:
41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name because you are Christ's, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward. 42 “And whoever causes one of the little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hanged around his neck and he were cast into the sea. (Mark 9:41-42, Matthew 18:6-7, 10:42, Luke 17:1-2).
Here the phrases “for who” and “in my name” connect the passage with the previous verse. In terms of meaning, we can notice the following link: He did not reject the Lord who cast out demons in the name of Christ because he was not part of the circle of the twelve disciples, but he provides a service to the work of Jesus against Satan. Every service offered to divine work is considered an offering for Christ. Even offering a cup of water to the disciples in their apostolic work will not be without reward. Here he is talking about the disciples because these words are mentioned by Matthew in the sermon to the disciples sent to preach (Matthew 10:42 “And whoever gives one of these little ones to drink a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward”).
However, while positive behavior towards students is rewarded, negative behavior towards them is punished, such as placing obstacles in front of them, for example (Verse 42). This verse, although it is linguistically related to what follows it (43-48), where the talk also talks about stumbles, but we link it to verse 41 because the evangelist in both verses talks about the people’s attitude towards the disciples: their positive attitude in the first verse and their negative attitude in the second. It is clear in verse 41 what the offering is (the offering of a cup of water), but we do not know in verse 42 what it is that causes offense.
The question arises: Is Jesus addressing the Twelve in particular, or is he referring to Christians in general? The following two observations make us lean toward the second point of view: A - In similar words in Matthew 10:42, instead of “He gave you to drink,” we read “He watered one of these little ones” or “the weak” (according to manuscript D). The little and the weak, as we shall see below, are a characteristic of Christians in general; B - Remember the phrase “Because you belong to ChristIn similar Pauline expressions (“those who are Christ”: Gal 5:24, 3:29, 1 Cor 1:12, 3:23, 2 Cor 10:7) refer to those who belong to Christ, that is, Christians. Jesus' mind clearly extends from the twelve disciples who will carry on the work of preaching to the wide circle of his followers who will make up the church. Rather, we should think that Jesus is addressing the disciples with whom he is interviewing in verse 33 and the following, but the Evangelist Mark adds sayings directed at all believers without departing from Jesus’ thinking and purpose.
Such expressions are used elsewhere in the Gospels, and they refer to Christians who do not rely on their own strength, but rely with complete confidence on God the Father. This is how they are described, for example, as “the poor in spirit,” “the least brothers,” the brothers of the Son of Man. The expression used in indicates Verse 41 “The little ones who believe in me” However, he does not mean the young ones or the students in general, but rather everyone who is not respected in the eyes of the people, the Christians who are despised by the Pharisees or by the powerful people of this world.
In such a situation, one wonders whether the words in verse 42 are directed to the disciples, the leaders of the church, and warn them not to put stumbling blocks in the face of the young, weak believers, or whether they are directed to the believers coming from outside. It seems likely that he means foreign believers because in verse 41 he speaks of a cup of water coming from those outside. But we must distinguish as much as possible between the first words of Jesus and its interpretation or application by the evangelist or by the church. We have other cases in the Gospels in which Jesus' words are directed against the Pharisees (for example, the words of the blind guide in Matthew 15:14), and are interpreted elsewhere as referring to Christians (the same words about the blind guide refer to the Christian leaders in Luke 6:39). Thus, one can also say here that Jesus’ words about creating stumbling blocks originally refer to the persecutions coming from those outside, who oppose the evangelistic work. But these words are expressed in the life of the church and by the evangelist, and are applied to the leaders of the church who warn not to persecute simple, meek Christians. These ideas are even more true if we take into account that Matthew introduces these words in the church discourse in chapter 18 (verse 6, “And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble...”) and repeats in verse 18:10, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones” (“Those who believe in me.” “Added in some manuscripts), then Matthew directly mentions the parable of the lost and found sheep (18:12-14), the parable in which he addresses the Christian leaders, and ends with the phrase, “Thus it is not the will of your Father...that one of these little ones should perish” (or “One of these little ones” according to the manuscript and the canonical text.
a summary:
So the words of verses 41-42 follow the talk about the strange man who casts out demons and the issue of primacy. Jesus warns the disciples to direct their attention to the path of service, to the spirit of sacrifice and suffering, avoiding the view that they alone perform miracles in the name of Christ even if he does not belong to the circle of disciples (and despite their annoyance with him). This position indicates that he is not against Christ, but with him. Also with him is everyone who offers a cup of water (“cold,” as Matthew adds, emphasizing the value of this giving in the hot country of Palestine) to the Christian missionaries because it facilitates their work. While it would be better to punish anyone who hinders the normal life or apostolic activity of Christians by placing obstacles before them. Christian leaders must also be punished who, through their positions or indifference, create obstacles for their weak, young Christian brothers.
D - Overcoming pitfalls through sacrifice:
43 And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed, than to have two hands and go into hell, into the fire that will never be quenched. 44 Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be cast into hell, into the fire that never be quenched. 46 Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be cast into hell fire. 48 Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. (Mark 9:43-48, Matthew 18:8-9, 5:29-30, Luke 14:34-35).
The meaning of these verses is the following: A person must overcome any stumbling block that comes from within him, from his things, or from his members, and that hinders him from entering the Kingdom of God. This is done through sacrifice and that hinders him from entering the Kingdom of God, and this is done through sacrifice, that is, through liberation from his restrictions. The commentator Theophilectus notes: “If it is something that concerns you, is attached to you, benefits you like your blood, and causes you to stumble, cut it off from you, that is, cut off your friendship with it, its connection with you.” As for the fire and worms mentioned in the passage, the same commentator gives them a distinct existential meaning when he says: “The worms and fire that punish sinners are the conscience of everyone and the memory of all the evil deeds we have done in life. They are like the worms that consume us and the fire that burns us.”
E - Sacrifice is the essential characteristic of a student:
49 For every man shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. 50 Salt is good. But if the salt becomes no longer salty, how will you season it? “Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.” (Mark 9:49-50, Matthew 5:13, Luke 14:34-35).
The end of this collection of sayings contained in the ninth chapter (9:13-50) also speaks of the spirit of sacrifice. What exactly is its true meaning? Here we cannot proceed from the meaning of salt, which was generally used in the language of that era, when it indicated the strength of continuity, value, and divine power. Nor can we primarily use its utility in worship, since it is used to allude to the bread of the sacrifice, thus indicating the virtue of God. The evangelist’s words come within a framework that we cannot ignore. The passage speaks generally of the spirit of sacrifice given the suffering that leads Jesus to Jerusalem. Taking this meaning into consideration, we accept salt as an essential element for the student: Salt is the spirit of sacrifice and self-denial. Without it, the student is like “salt without salt” who is of no use in the world. The disciple who loses this quality does not deserve to continue the work of the Son of Man who sacrificed himself on the cross and suffered for us. Entering the kingdom of heaven requires sacrifice. As for the life of the scholar, it presents the student with all conditions of doubt and pitfalls. No one can escape harsh temptation: “For everyone will be salted with fire.” The fire in verse 49 is not the fire of hell that he talks about in the previous verses, but rather it is the eschatological work of the Messiah who began in the world. It is a work of purification and salvation. Through this eschatological work and through the fire of sacrifice and suffering, the disciple who wants to be useful in the Church and in the world will express himself. He who is not “salted” with the spirit of sacrifice and does not carry his cross is like salt that has lost its saltiness. If someone has a sacrificial spirit, he cannot run after the first places or argue about “who is the greatest,” but rather seek to serve everyone and be at peace with everyone (“Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another”).
The talk about salt occurs in the same sense among other evangelists. According to Luke, Jesus addresses the crowd following him shortly before speaking about salt and says to them: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:25-26). Then we talk about two small parables, about the one who builds a tower without previously estimating its cost, and about the king who goes to war without estimating the enemy’s forces (14: 28-32). Then he says clearly: “Any one of you who does not give up all his possessions cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Then he talks about salt in verses 34-35, where he refers exactly to the spirit of sacrifice and self-denial that characterize the true disciple who, after assessing the difficulties, begins his apostolic work. Luke emphasizes the seriousness of his statements with this sentence: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
As for Matthew, he mentions these sayings about salt in the Sermon on the Mount immediately after the beatification of those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness and those who are persecuted and reproached for the name of Christ (Matthew 5: 10-12). Persecution and reproach characterize the disciples who do not compromise with the world but rather maintain their faith with a spirit of sacrifice. The disciples as a whole, the Church, are the salt of the earth (“You are the salt of the earth”), and they preserve the world through their good works. If they stop doing good works, and thus their persecution “for righteousness’ sake” stops, then they are like spoiled salt that has lost its main quality.
In presenting the topic by Matthew, the Church Fathers rely and emphasize the ability of salt to preserve foods. They talk about such a function that the disciples take on as bearers of good news in the world (“If we are light, says St. Chrysostom, and if we are leaven and lights and salt, then we are to give light and not to oppress, to gather and not divide...”). They consider the disciples to be the salt of the earth, “achieving the virtues mentioned in the Beatitudes.” St. Cyril of Alexandria considers as salt “these divine saving sayings, which if we despise, we become ignorant, reckless, and completely useless.”
(1) Explanation of “Mark 9:1” can be found in the explanation of the eighth chapter... (Al-Shabaka)
Explanation of the ninth chapter of the Gospel of Mark
John Krafidopoulos, Professor and Professor of the New Testament
Transfiguration of Jesus:
2 And after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And his appearance was transformed before them, 3 and his clothes became exceedingly white as snow; no fuller on earth can make them white. 4And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tabernacles: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what he was saying, because they were terrified. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them. Then a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” 8 Suddenly they looked around and saw no one but Jesus alone with them. (Mark 9:2-8, Matthew 17:1-8, Luke 9:28-36). (1)
The transfiguration event occurred “six days later” (Verse 2). That is, six days after Peter’s confession, Jesus aimed it at preparing the disciples to accept the upcoming sufferings “so that they may understand that your sufferings were voluntary by your choice, and to proclaim to the world that you are in truth the radiance of the Father” (according to Qandaq Al-Eid).
The event of the Transfiguration in front of three of his disciples, Peter, James, and John, takes place on a “high mountain” (“very” according to the Sinaiticus manuscript and ancient Latin translations), which church tradition considers to be Mount Thabor (while foreign interpreters prefer Hermon because it is closer to Caesarea Philippi).
in Verse 3 The Evangelist depicts the Transfiguration in a brief and eye-catching way. He says, “His clothes became shining white” (“like snow,” according to the canonical text of Manuscript D and the Latin and Syriac translations), and so white that “no fuller on earth can make them white.” A bright light surrounds Jesus that the disciples’ experience does not know. For a moment, as J. Schmid explains, “the heavenly world invades Jesus’ earthly life.”
The appearance of Moses and Elijah (as representatives of the Law and the Prophets) speaking with Jesus (Verse 4) means that the entire Old Testament leads to Christ and prophesies about the Passion (see Luke 9:31, where he said that “they were speaking about his exodus, which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem”).
According to Jewish expectations, they were awaiting the appearance of Elijah in Messianic times (Malachi 3: 22-23). There is a similar rabbinical tradition regarding Moses.
As the disciples were “eyewitnesses of that greatness” (2 Peter 1:16), fear gripped them, so one of them, Peter, began to want to give up the glory of the great tabernacle, so he suggested to the teacher that they make three tents in which to stay (Verses 5-6). The answer was that a cloud shaded them and a voice was heard coming out of it. The cloud, as we know in the Old Testament, accompanies the appearance of God, indicating his presence and at the same time obscuring his vision (Exodus 16:10, 19:9, 24:15 the Transfiguration, Numbers 11:25 Pentecost and others). The voice from the cloud is the voice of God the Father.”This is my beloved Son, listen to him” (Verse 7). This reminds us of the voice of God that was heard at the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:11, see also Psalm 2:6-7, 2 Peter 1:17, Isaiah 42:1). For the second time, God the Father calls Jesus “a beloved son.” If we take into consideration the words of Psalm 2, “I have raised from him a king over Zion... the Lord said to me, ‘You are my son, and today I have begotten you.’” Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance. And I will make you king over all the ends of the earth,” which is the phrase used when enthroning the king. We can say that Jesus is being installed here as the Messiah. Not as an earthly king, but as a Messiah in the sense that we find in the answer given in verse 8:31... (“And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things”), and in Peter’s confession: the Messiah, whose throne will be the cross, and whose glory will be the Passion and the Resurrection.
The transfiguration of Christ and the accompanying light later took on special importance in the Orthodox Church and its theology.
Discussion when they came down the mountain:
9 As they were coming down from the mountain, he commanded them not to tell anyone what they had seen, except when the Son of Man rose from the dead. 10 So they kept the word to themselves, asking, “What does it mean to rise from the dead?” 11 Then they asked him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 Then he answered and said to them, “Elijah will come first and restore all things. How is it written about the Son of Man that he will suffer many things and be rejected? 13 But I say to you, Elijah also has come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him.” (Mark 9:9-13, Matthew 17:9-13).
As they come down the mountain, Jesus forbids his disciples from spreading the story. To the educational method of Jesus known so far through other narratives as well (see the mystery of the Messiah), a new element is now added: this reservation in publishing events that lasts until the resurrection of the Son of Man from the dead. Then the students can talk about it freely. Talking about the resurrection confuses the disciples who wonder, “What is the meaning of rising from the dead?” and they are unable to understand the suffering of the Son of Man (Verse 12b). Then they ask Jesus about Elijah, who was expected by the Jews. He answers them that Elijah came in the person of John the Baptist (see also Matthew 17:13) and the well-known reception about him occurred. The phrase “how it is written about him” (Verse 13It is not clear because the Old Testament does not mention anything about the sufferings of Elijah the Awaited. This is in the event that Jesus (or the Evangelist) did not mean by his words the sufferings of Elijah in his time (3 Kings 19: 2-10).
Some interpreters agree that Elijah came in the person of John the Baptist, without accepting that he came when he appeared in the Transfiguration event (Mark 9:2-8), saying that in verse 13 he refers to another circumstance (see Matthew 11:14, “If you want Accept, for this is Elijah who is about to come.”
Healing the boy with epilepsy:
14 And when he came to the disciples, he saw a large crowd around them, and scribes conversing with them. 15 And immediately the whole crowd, when they saw him, were astonished, and ran and saluted him. 16 Then he asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” 17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought my son to you who has a mute spirit. 18 And wherever he overtakes him, he tears him in pieces, and he foams and grows horribly.” It grows old and withers. So I told your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” 19 Then he answered and said to them, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I endure you? Bring him to me!” 20 So they brought it to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately convulsed him, and he fell to the ground, and rolled about, foaming over. 21 Then he asked his father, “How long has it been since this has happened to him?” He said: “Since his youth.” 22And he often threw him into fire and into water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 Then Jesus said to him, “If you can believe. All things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears and said, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” 25 When Jesus saw that the crowd was running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him: “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and do not enter into him again.” » 26 Then he cried out, and it struck him terribly, and he went out. He became like a dead man, so much so that many said, “He is dead!” 27 Then Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he got up. 28 And when he entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast him out?” 29 Then he said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything except by prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:14-29, Matthew 17:14-20, Luke 9:37-43).
Jesus comes down to the people with a bright face, and the crowd is amazed when he sees him. This reminds us of another image from the Old Testament when Moses descends from Mount Sinai: “And when his face became radiant, they feared to approach him” (Exodus 34:30). We can make the following comparison: Just as Jesus liberated God’s people from slavery in Egypt, so Jesus liberates man from his slavery to Satan “since his youth.” This is what the Gospel emphasizes in several places, especially in this narrative that immediately follows the transfiguration event, which is the narrative of the healing of a young man suffering from epilepsy.
Jesus descends from the Mount of Transfiguration to meet the misery of people under the slavery of Satan. The scribes, the crowd, and the disciples approach Jesus with this psychological decline. The story of the young man suffering from epilepsy and the previous account of the transfiguration form a tragic contrast, as there is the glory of the transfigured Christ in contrast to the misery of humans with their lack of faith and the dwelling of demons within them. In verse 14, that is, between these two contradictory images, the Evangelist Mark inserts a prominent detail: that the remaining nine disciples are in dialogue with the scribes. The religious leaders of the Jews cannot follow Jesus in his glory nor meet and heal the world's pressing illnesses and misery, so they resort to theoretical discussions with the disciples that may be about the inability of the disciples to heal the sick person.
“One of the crowd” rushes to present his sick son to him, and tells him in pain that such an initiative with his disciples was of no use because his disciples were unable to cast out the “mute spirit” that was in his sick son (Verses 17-18). The father describes the symptoms of a terrible disease. These symptoms indicate epilepsy (which Matthew describes as epilepsy with the crescent moon when the moon rises).
Jesus expresses his indignation at the unbelieving generation that he sees before him, and in his words he includes the weak-faith father, the disciples who were unable to heal the sick person, and the scribes who benefited from such failure. As well as the crowd that is easily attracted after them (Verse 19). This discontent brings to mind the suffering of the Old Testament prophets for their message among a corrupt and unstable people. Jesus does not insist on unleashing his anger, but rather takes the initiative to help such a suffering generation. He asks that they bring him the sick young man who, in front of everyone, suffers a new seizure and rolls on the ground and foams (Verse 20). Then Jesus asks his father about the time of the beginning of his illness, not to inquire about the matter as if he did not know it, but rather to show through the father’s answer that man has been suffering “since his youth” from the terrible and painful consequences of his slavery to Satan (Verse 21).
After completing the story of his son’s illness, the father asks for Jesus’ help, expressing his doubt about Jesus’ ability, perhaps taking into account the difficulty of the matter and the patient’s desperate condition: “If you can do anything, have pity on him and help us.” Then, in the face of the doubt of the speaking father, Jesus confronts him with the measure of total faith, wanting to say to him: “The question is not whether I can complete the required healing, but rather whether you can believe.” So the father’s statement, “If you are able,” is matched by Jesus’ answer, “All things are possible to him who believes” (Verses 22-23). In all the Gospel narratives, miracles are not performed in order to highlight faith or to give a dazzling impression, but rather they come as a result of the faith of those concerned. A contemporary commentator interprets the anguished father’s response: “I believe, Lord, so help my lack of faith” (Verse 24) Thus: Jesus' words act in the one with whom he speaks in a double way, as they create in him faith in the power of the Messiah and at the same time reveal his lack of faith. Hence the father's screams and tears, this father who is conflicted by an internal conflict: he confesses his faith, which does not come from within him, but rather as a result of Jesus' words to him, but at the same time he confesses his lack of faith, which he shares with all his generation. He struggles between faith and unbelief, between his desire to show his faith and his assertion that his faith is incomplete.
Jesus sees that the crowd is “running together” and, with his Messianic power, commands the unclean spirit to leave the sick person once and for all and not to enter it again. After the evil spirit comes out, the patient experiences a final attack that gives the impression to those who were not present before that he is completely dead (this impression confirms the lack of faith that this generation was described with before Jesus). But the Lord holds the hand of the one who isdun“And He raises him (Verses 25-27).
After everyone has departed (the crowd, the father, and the healthy young man), the evangelist mentions Jesus’ conversation with his disciples alone in one of the houses, in which he answers their question, “Why couldn’t we cast him out?” He says: “This kind cannot come out with anything but prayer and fasting.” ” (Mark 9:29). Casting out demons from people is a difficult work, and it is done by the power of God, which is mainly possessed by the Messiah, and people can obtain it after prayer and fasting. The disciples were likely relying on their own abilities and not seeking in faith God's power. In Matthew's similar account, Jesus clearly tells his disciples that they were unable to heal the sick person because of their lack of faith (see Matthew 17:20).
The main meanings of the previous narration:
1- The Messiah, the preacher and achiever in himself of the Kingdom of God, is described in the Gospels, especially in Mark, By freeing people from demons residing in them. Only by His word, and by His decisive Messianic command, does He subjugate the demons so that they emerge from people. These miracles mean the victory of the Kingdom of God over the rule of Satan. One of us might say: The concept of attributing diseases, especially psychological ones, to the inhabitation of demons in people, has passed today due to the progress of medicine. But the manifestations of today's man that indicate his enslavement to Satan are so many and varied that, even if we do not accept the point of view that was prevalent in Jesus' day, which says that diseases are due to Satan, there remain many numerous and "satanic" manifestations of man that testify to his inhabitation. The devil is in man. Jesus Christ is the liberator of the world where Satan rules. If a person does not accept the freedom that Christ offers him, he is inevitably a prisoner of Satan. Because even if he is proud of his freedom, he will always remain a prisoner of someone or something.
2- Transfer Faith From the world of relative logic to the supernatural world of grace. “Moving mountains” constitutes an act that is not perceived by the empirical person, but for the believer what is apparently and logically difficult becomes a reality.
3- Faith transforms the world and transforms misery into glory. Owns Faith is a power that transcends the limits of the individual and the believer. It is worth noting that the passage does not mention anything about the faith of the sick son, but rather about the faith of his father. Therefore, the believing person constitutes a house of salvation even for his neighbor.
4- Prayer and fasting fuse the bond between man and God and strengthen faith which, when it is real and living, also becomes miraculous.
The second prediction about pain:
30 And they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and he did not want anyone to know it. 31 For he taught his disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man will be delivered to At the hands of people, they kill him. And after he is killed, he will rise on the third day.” 32 But they did not understand what he said, and were afraid to ask him. (Mark 9:30-32, Matthew 17:22-23, Luke 9:44-45).
After this miracle, Jesus crossed Galilee, trying to escape fame and looking forward in particular to prepare his disciples for his imminent suffering. So he began for the second time to prophesy about his suffering to his disciples, saying that the Son of Man would be delivered into “the hands of men.” A modern commentator views this statement with deep pain: That Jesus was delivered into the hands of demons could have some explanation, but that he was delivered into the hands of the people to whom he did good and healed throughout his life expresses a great contradiction in history. The expression used here to predict the suffering of Jesus is undoubtedly reminiscent of the songs of the suffering servant of Isaiah 53:7-8: “Like a lamb led to the slaughter, and like a blameless lamb before the shearer, so he will not open his mouth.”. In other words, Jesus knows that, as the Son of Man, he goes to suffering to fulfill the will of God as stated in the Old Testament.
Jesus urges his disciples:
41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name because you are Christ's, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward. 42 “And whoever causes one of the little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hanged around his neck and he were cast into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed, than to have two hands and go into hell, into the fire that will never be quenched. 44 Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be cast into hell, into the fire that never be quenched. 46 Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into hell fire. 48 Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. 49 For every man shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. 50 Salt is good. But if the salt becomes no longer salty, how will you season it? “Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.” (Mark 9:33-50).
Verses 33-50 address the disciples, concluding Jesus’ activity in Galilee. The opinion prevails among almost all modern commentators that the Evangelist here brings together sayings that were neglected and independent of each other, and we do not find a logical connection between them, that is, they are not connected by a common content but only externally: thus verses 33-41 are connected to each other by the common phrase “in my name.” Verses 42-48 are linked to the verbs: “stumble” and “I set upon you”, and verses 49-50 are linked to what preceded them through the word “fire”. We can confirm this theory after a comparative study of these sayings with those parallel to them from Matthew and Luke. This applies to the first section, but the second section has serious objections.
Honorable evangelists are the first God-inspired interpreters of Jesus' words and deeds. If they collect sayings of their teacher, they do not do so simply because a conventional word links them together, but because they find unity in the content. Of course, one cannot ask for logical unity in the modern European sense. Rather, there is unity in the goal that Jesus aspires to in his address to his disciples, as well as in the evangelist transmitting his sayings. Firstly, preparing the students for suffering is the main concern of the teacher. Hence the prevailing idea in the verses we are talking about: which is The spirit of sacrifice and pain. If Jesus was walking towards suffering as the end of his work and the culmination of his work, then the fate of his disciples could not be different. The path that awaits them is the path of suffering, the path of sacrifice and deprivation. On the other hand, we note that verses 33-50 directly follow verses 9: 30-32, where he prophesies for the second time about Jesus’ suffering. Within the spirit of sacrifice, the guide serves his brothers, abandons his glories, and deprives himself of friendly faces and necessary things if they constitute a reason for others to doubt. We will investigate this main idea when we examine the verses in detail.
We find the sayings in verses 9:33-37 in Matthew 18:1-5 and Luke 9:46-48, and the sayings in verses 9:38-40 only in Luke 9:49-50, and verse 41 in Matthew 10:42, and the sayings In verses 42-48 in Matthew 18:6-9 and Luke 17:1-2, and the sayings in verses 49-50 in Matthew 5:13 and Luke 14:34-35. The majority of these sayings therefore form part of what is called the ecclesiastical discourse (i.e. the talk about life in the community) in Matthew 18, while other sayings come either in the Sermon on the Mount or in Jesus’ command to his disciples sent to preach.
A - The spirit of sacrifice and service:
33 And he came to Capernaum. And while he was in the house, he asked them: “What were you talking about among yourselves on the way?” 34 And they remained silent, because on the way they argued among themselves about who was greater. 35 Then he sat down and called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then he took a child and placed him in the midst of them, and he embraced him and said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these children in my name welcomes me; For it is not me who receives me, but him who sent me.” (Mark 9:33-37, Matthew 18:15, Luke 9:46-48).
These sayings appear in the Synoptic Gospels immediately after the recovery of the young man suffering from epilepsy and after the second prediction about the Passion. Jesus addresses the disciples, the future leaders of his church that he intends to establish through his death on the cross and resurrection. Considering his suffering, he prepares his disciples, saying to them: The path to primacy is self-sacrifice, humility and service. Evangelicals repeat these sayings repeatedly, most likely intending to emphasize the message of the leaders in the church. The great and first is the one who uses his leadership position in order to serve his subordinates according to the example of Christ, who offered his life on the cross to save people and redeem them from the slavery of Satan. The true leader is not the one who dominates others, but rather the one who serves them and provides his services to the needy, the meek, and the weak among his children. Jesus takes a child and embraces him (see the event and the similar saying in Mark 10: 13-16, Matthew 19: 13-15, Luke 18: 15-17), and takes him as an example of humility that we must imitate in order to enter the kingdom of God, and a symbol of the weak who must be the leader To take care of them. This is how every Christian wants to become great and first in the Kingdom of God. A later tradition says that this boy is Saint Ignatius, possessed of God (see Ecclesiastical History 2:35 by Nicephorus Calistos and Synaxarus, December 20). Jesus presents the boy not only as an objective goal for the disciples to work toward, but also as a personal example for believers to imitate. A child who, due to his weakness, cannot rely on himself, trusts completely in those who are older than him, expects everything from them, and is thus an example of humility. We note that Jesus' contemporaries saw in the boy the one who would become an adult (and only on this basis gave him value); On the contrary, according to Grundmann's careful observation, Jesus comes and sees in the adult man the lost child who must be found again so that he can face God as Father and accept from him with trust and gratitude the gift of the Kingdom.
B - Impermissible neutrality:
38 Then John answered him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and he did not follow us. So we stopped him, because he does not follow us.” 39 Then Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for there is no one who exercises power in my name who can quickly speak evil against me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for us. (Mark 9:38-40, Luke 9:49-50).
This passage is weakly connected to the previous one through the common phrase “in my name,” and John, Jesus’ disciple, speaks in it as he rarely does in the Gospels. This discussion is mentioned in Luke and not in Matthew, who, however, spoke about people casting out demons in the name of Christ (Matthew 7:22 “In your name we cast out demons”). The opinion that says that Matthew neglected to mention these words of Jesus because he mentioned words of Jesus that contradict him in Matthew 12:30 is incorrect, knowing that Luke also mentions the same words in Luke 11:23. On the one hand, comparing Mark 9:40 with Matthew does not lead to 12:30 (or Luke 11:23) to confirm the apparent contradiction occurring between the two passages. Let's see what the relationship is between them:
In Matthew 12:30 Jesus says: “Whoever is not with me is against me And whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Luke 11:23). Here Jesus responds to the accusations of the ill-intentioned Jews who claim that he is cooperating with the prince of demons and casts out demons, and tells them that his work is not compatible with the destructive work of Satan. In this conflict, people should not remain neutral. Either one is with Christ and “gathers,” that is, contributes to the work of forming God’s people, the Church, or one divides with Satan, as long as a neutral position is out of the question. This can also be said as a phrase Mark 9:40 “He who is not against us is for us”Whoever is not the Antichrist, like the one who casts out demons and performs miracles in the name of the Lord, is therefore with him. Therefore, the phrases of Matthew 12:30 and Mark 9:40 are expressed in different sentences and do not contradict each other because they both teach that everyone must take a clear position for or against Christ because neutrality is not allowed.
How can we connect these verses to the above? We believe the connection is this: While we see the disciples, including John, in their enthusiasm preparing tendencies in themselves following the example of the slaves in the parable of the tares, Jesus directs their attention to his coming suffering and to the spirit of sacrifice they must have from now on. Through his answer to John and from him to all the disciples, he wants to say that the coming and precise moment of suffering does not give room for criticism of others, but rather must lead them to realize the necessity of gathering their strength in order to serve the world. We must not condemn others and prevent them from working in the name of the Lord because they are not against Him. They are candidates to become active members of the church if they see before them an attitude of service and assistance on the part of the disciples.
C - Behavior towards “little children”:
41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name because you are Christ's, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward. 42 “And whoever causes one of the little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hanged around his neck and he were cast into the sea. (Mark 9:41-42, Matthew 18:6-7, 10:42, Luke 17:1-2).
Here the phrases “for who” and “in my name” connect the passage with the previous verse. In terms of meaning, we can notice the following link: He did not reject the Lord who cast out demons in the name of Christ because he was not part of the circle of the twelve disciples, but he provides a service to the work of Jesus against Satan. Every service offered to divine work is considered an offering for Christ. Even offering a cup of water to the disciples in their apostolic work will not be without reward. Here he is talking about the disciples because these words are mentioned by Matthew in the sermon to the disciples sent to preach (Matthew 10:42 “And whoever gives one of these little ones to drink a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward”).
However, while positive behavior towards students is rewarded, negative behavior towards them is punished, such as placing obstacles in front of them, for example (Verse 42). This verse, although it is linguistically related to what follows it (43-48), where the talk also talks about stumbles, but we link it to verse 41 because the evangelist in both verses talks about the people’s attitude towards the disciples: their positive attitude in the first verse and their negative attitude in the second. It is clear in verse 41 what the offering is (the offering of a cup of water), but we do not know in verse 42 what it is that causes offense.
The question arises: Is Jesus addressing the Twelve in particular, or is he referring to Christians in general? The following two observations make us lean toward the second point of view: A - In similar words in Matthew 10:42, instead of “He gave you to drink,” we read “He watered one of these little ones” or “the weak” (according to manuscript D). The little and the weak, as we shall see below, are a characteristic of Christians in general; B - Remember the phrase “Because you belong to ChristIn similar Pauline expressions (“those who are Christ”: Gal 5:24, 3:29, 1 Cor 1:12, 3:23, 2 Cor 10:7) refer to those who belong to Christ, that is, Christians. Jesus' mind clearly extends from the twelve disciples who will carry on the work of preaching to the wide circle of his followers who will make up the church. Rather, we should think that Jesus is addressing the disciples with whom he is interviewing in verse 33 and the following, but the Evangelist Mark adds sayings directed at all believers without departing from Jesus’ thinking and purpose.
Such expressions are used elsewhere in the Gospels, and they refer to Christians who do not rely on their own strength, but rely with complete confidence on God the Father. This is how they are described, for example, as “the poor in spirit,” “the least brothers,” the brothers of the Son of Man. The expression used in indicates Verse 41 “The little ones who believe in me” However, he does not mean the young ones or the students in general, but rather everyone who is not respected in the eyes of the people, the Christians who are despised by the Pharisees or by the powerful people of this world.
In such a situation, one wonders whether the words in verse 42 are directed to the disciples, the leaders of the church, and warn them not to put stumbling blocks in the face of the young, weak believers, or whether they are directed to the believers coming from outside. It seems likely that he means foreign believers because in verse 41 he speaks of a cup of water coming from those outside. But we must distinguish as much as possible between the first words of Jesus and its interpretation or application by the evangelist or by the church. We have other cases in the Gospels in which Jesus' words are directed against the Pharisees (for example, the words of the blind guide in Matthew 15:14), and are interpreted elsewhere as referring to Christians (the same words about the blind guide refer to the Christian leaders in Luke 6:39). Thus, one can also say here that Jesus’ words about creating stumbling blocks originally refer to the persecutions coming from those outside, who oppose the evangelistic work. But these words are expressed in the life of the church and by the evangelist, and are applied to the leaders of the church who warn not to persecute simple, meek Christians. These ideas are even more true if we take into account that Matthew introduces these words in the church discourse in chapter 18 (verse 6, “And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble...”) and repeats in verse 18:10, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones” (“Those who believe in me.” “Added in some manuscripts), then Matthew directly mentions the parable of the lost and found sheep (18:12-14), the parable in which he addresses the Christian leaders, and ends with the phrase, “Thus it is not the will of your Father...that one of these little ones should perish” (or “One of these little ones” according to the manuscript and the canonical text.
a summary:
So the words of verses 41-42 follow the talk about the strange man who casts out demons and the issue of primacy. Jesus warns the disciples to direct their attention to the path of service, to the spirit of sacrifice and suffering, avoiding the view that they alone perform miracles in the name of Christ even if he does not belong to the circle of disciples (and despite their annoyance with him). This position indicates that he is not against Christ, but with him. Also with him is everyone who offers a cup of water (“cold,” as Matthew adds, emphasizing the value of this giving in the hot country of Palestine) to the Christian missionaries because it facilitates their work. While it would be better to punish anyone who hinders the normal life or apostolic activity of Christians by placing obstacles before them. Christian leaders must also be punished who, through their positions or indifference, create obstacles for their weak, young Christian brothers.
D - Overcoming pitfalls through sacrifice:
43 And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed, than to have two hands and go into hell, into the fire that will never be quenched. 44 Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be cast into hell, into the fire that never be quenched. 46 Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be cast into hell fire. 48 Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. (Mark 9:43-48, Matthew 18:8-9, 5:29-30, Luke 14:34-35).
The meaning of these verses is the following: A person must overcome any stumbling block that comes from within him, from his things, or from his members, and that hinders him from entering the Kingdom of God. This is done through sacrifice and that hinders him from entering the Kingdom of God, and this is done through sacrifice, that is, through liberation from his restrictions. The commentator Theophilectus notes: “If it is something that concerns you, is attached to you, benefits you like your blood, and causes you to stumble, cut it off from you, that is, cut off your friendship with it, its connection with you.” As for the fire and worms mentioned in the passage, the same commentator gives them a distinct existential meaning when he says: “The worms and fire that punish sinners are the conscience of everyone and the memory of all the evil deeds we have done in life. They are like the worms that consume us and the fire that burns us.”
E - Sacrifice is the essential characteristic of a student:
49 For every man shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. 50 Salt is good. But if the salt becomes no longer salty, how will you season it? “Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.” (Mark 9:49-50, Matthew 5:13, Luke 14:34-35).
The end of this collection of sayings contained in the ninth chapter (9:13-50) also speaks of the spirit of sacrifice. What exactly is its true meaning? Here we cannot proceed from the meaning of salt, which was generally used in the language of that era, when it indicated the strength of continuity, value, and divine power. Nor can we primarily use its utility in worship, since it is used to allude to the bread of the sacrifice, thus indicating the virtue of God. The evangelist’s words come within a framework that we cannot ignore. The passage speaks generally of the spirit of sacrifice given the suffering that leads Jesus to Jerusalem. Taking this meaning into consideration, we accept salt as an essential element for the student: Salt is the spirit of sacrifice and self-denial. Without it, the student is like “salt without salt” who is of no use in the world. The disciple who loses this quality does not deserve to continue the work of the Son of Man who sacrificed himself on the cross and suffered for us. Entering the kingdom of heaven requires sacrifice. As for the life of the scholar, it presents the student with all conditions of doubt and pitfalls. No one can escape harsh temptation: “For everyone will be salted with fire.” The fire in verse 49 is not the fire of hell that he talks about in the previous verses, but rather it is the eschatological work of the Messiah who began in the world. It is a work of purification and salvation. Through this eschatological work and through the fire of sacrifice and suffering, the disciple who wants to be useful in the Church and in the world will express himself. He who is not “salted” with the spirit of sacrifice and does not carry his cross is like salt that has lost its saltiness. If someone has a sacrificial spirit, he cannot run after the first places or argue about “who is the greatest,” but rather seek to serve everyone and be at peace with everyone (“Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another”).
The talk about salt occurs in the same sense among other evangelists. According to Luke, Jesus addresses the crowd following him shortly before speaking about salt and says to them: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:25-26). Then we talk about two small parables, about the one who builds a tower without previously estimating its cost, and about the king who goes to war without estimating the enemy’s forces (14: 28-32). Then he says clearly: “Any one of you who does not give up all his possessions cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Then he talks about salt in verses 34-35, where he refers exactly to the spirit of sacrifice and self-denial that characterize the true disciple who, after assessing the difficulties, begins his apostolic work. Luke emphasizes the seriousness of his statements with this sentence: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
As for Matthew, he mentions these sayings about salt in the Sermon on the Mount immediately after the beatification of those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness and those who are persecuted and reproached for the name of Christ (Matthew 5: 10-12). Persecution and reproach characterize the disciples who do not compromise with the world but rather maintain their faith with a spirit of sacrifice. The disciples as a whole, the Church, are the salt of the earth (“You are the salt of the earth”), and they preserve the world through their good works. If they stop doing good works, and thus their persecution “for righteousness’ sake” stops, then they are like spoiled salt that has lost its main quality.
In presenting the topic by Matthew, the Church Fathers rely and emphasize the ability of salt to preserve foods. They talk about such a function that the disciples take on as bearers of good news in the world (“If we are light, says St. Chrysostom, and if we are leaven and lights and salt, then we are to give light and not to oppress, to gather and not divide...”). They consider the disciples to be the salt of the earth, “achieving the virtues mentioned in the Beatitudes.” St. Cyril of Alexandria considers as salt “these divine saving sayings, which if we despise, we become ignorant, reckless, and completely useless.”
(1) Explanation of “Mark 9:1” can be found in the explanation of the eighth chapter... (Al-Shabaka)
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