If one acts as a historian or Biblical scholar and views the Old Testament prophets analytically, one can conclude that all the prophets spoke, in a way, as evangelists. Three powerful examples:
ISAIAH 53: 1 Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God,and afflicted .5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth .8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand; 11 he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but thou dost not answer; and by night, but find no rest. 3 Yet thou art holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 In thee our fathers trusted; they trusted, and thou didst deliver them .5 To thee they cried, and were saved; in thee they trusted, and were not disappointed. 6 But I am a worm, and no man; scorned by men, and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock at me, they make mouths at me, they wag their heads; 8 “He committed his cause to the LORD; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” 9 Yet thou art he who took me from the womb; thou didst keep me safe upon my mother’s breasts. 10 Upon thee was I cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me thou hast been my God. 11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is none to help. 12 Many bulls encompass me, strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax, it is melted within my breast; 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; thou dost lay me in the dust of death .16 Yea, dogs are round about me; a company of evildoers encircle me; they have pierced my hands and feet –17 I can count all my bones — they stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots . 19 But thou, O LORD, be not far off! O thou my help, hasten to my aid! 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the dog! 21 Save me from the mouth of the lion, my afflicted soul from the horns of the wild oxen! 22 I will tell of thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee: 23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! all you sons of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you sons of Israel! 24 For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; and he has not hid his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. 25 From thee comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him. 26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live for ever! 27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him. 28 For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. 29 Yea, to him shall all the proud of the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and he who cannot keep himself alive. 30 Posterity shall serve him; men shall tell of the Lord to the coming generation…
Psalm 69:1 Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. 3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God. 4 More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me, those who attack me with lies. What I did not steal must I now restore? 5 O God, thou knowest my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from thee. 6 Let not those who hope in thee be put to shame through me, O Lord GOD of hosts; let not those who seek thee be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel. 7 For it is for thy sake that I have borne reproach, that shame has covered my face. 8 I have become a stranger to my brethren, an alien to my mother’s sons. 9 For zeal for thy house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult thee have fallen on me.10 When I humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach. 11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them. 12 I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me. 13 But as for me, my prayer is to thee, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of thy steadfast love answer me. With thy faithful help 14 rescue me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. 15 Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me. 16 Answer me, O LORD, for thy steadfast love is good; according to thy abundant mercy, turn to me. 17 Hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in distress, make haste to answer me. 18 Draw near to me, redeem me, set me free because of my enemies! 19 Thou knowest my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to thee. 20 Insults have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. 21 They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. 22 Let their own table before them become a snare; let their sacrificial feasts be a trap. 23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see; and make their loins tremble continually. 24 Pour out thy indignation upon them, and let thy burning anger overtake them. 25 May their camp be a desolation, let no one dwell in their tents. 26 For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten, and him whom thou hast wounded, they afflict still more. 27 Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from thee. 28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous. 29 But I am afflicted and in pain; let thy salvation, O God, set me on high! 30 I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. 31 This will please the LORD more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. 32 Let the oppressed see it and be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive. 33 For the LORD hears the needy, and does not despise his own that are in bonds. 34 Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves therein. 35 For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah; and his servants shall dwell there and possess it; 36 the children of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell in it.
Archive for the ‘06 Scripture & Theology’ Category
Evanglistic Prophets
In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/04/23 at 3:39 PMMount of Olives Psalms
In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/04/22 at 3:35 PMThe early church began to recite the Psalms with new insight, having recognized Jesus as the new David. They heard Christ speaking through the Psalms. They recognized the unity between the two Testaments which Jesus had consistently demonstrated.
On the Mount of Olives, Jesus prayed the Psalms of which he was the subject. “Jesus’ utterly personal prayer and his praying in the words of faithful, suffering Israel are here seamlessly united.” J. Ratzinger
Sweet Nails, Sweet Tree
In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/04/22 at 3:34 PM“Sweet nails, sweet tree, where life begins.” Hymn, Crux Fidelis
St. Augustine, as he ponds the Psalms 21, 11, 8 considers the question of: “Why, so much suffering?” and concludes that all was done in order to redeem us; we have been ransomed.
If you gaze at a crucifix, you will be moved to begin to understand. The redeeming act of Christ was for you, and you can truly say: Jesus Christ “loved me and gave himself up for me.” (Gal. 2:20)
Pascal heard him say to him: “Those drops of blood I shed for you.” (Pensees, VII)
All through history, people look upon the disfigured face of Christ, and there they recognize the glory of God.” J. Ratzinger
Peter or Judas?
In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/04/21 at 1:45 PMPaul Claudel calls attention to the words Peter and Judas exclaim in identifying the person of Jesus:
Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Judas: “He is the man”.
Following Claudel’s lead, we can see the difference clearly. Peter acknowledged Jesus’ divinity while Judas, through a series of backsliding events, no longer saw the divinity but only his humanity.
All heresies are attacks on the Incarnation; each taking a different form. Belloc and Chesteron have commented extensively on heresies and term them deviations of the Truth; a heresy begins with a truth but then one part is stressed to the detriment of another.
Sin involves the denial of Christ, but heaven is populated with sinners who repented. Our Lord looked at Peter with sadness but without condemnation. Peter’s repentance became the occasion of a new and powerful encounter with his Lord.
Our Lord also looked at Judas with compassion and love. Had Judas been contrite, hope would have been restored to his soul, and he could have become a great saint, dying a martyr’s death instead of that of a coward.
Christ died for us that we might live. When we fail him, which model will we follow: Peter or Judas?
Holy Week
In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/04/21 at 1:52 AMDuring this week which Christians traditionally call holy week, we are given another chance to reflect on and to re‑live the last hours of Jesus’ life. All the things brought to our mind by the different expressions of piety which characterize these days are of course directed to the resurrection, which is, as St Paul says, the basis of our faith. But we should not tread this path too hastily, lest we lose sight of a very simple fact which we might easily overlook. We will not be able to share in our Lord’s resurrection unless we unite ourselves with him in his passion and death. If we are to accompany Christ in his glory at the end of Holy Week, we must first enter into his holocaust and be truly united to him, as he lies dead on Calvary.
Let us meditate on our Lord, wounded from head to foot out of love for us. Using a phrase which approaches the truth, although it does not express its full reality, we can repeat the words of an ancient writer: “The body of Christ is a portrait in pain.” At the sight of Christ bruised and broken — just a lifeless body taken down from the cross and given to his Mother — at the sight of Jesus destroyed in this way, we might have thought he had failed utterly. Where are the crowds that once followed him, where is the kingdom he foretold? But this is victory, not defeat. We are nearer the resurrection than ever before; we are going to see the triumph which he has won with his obedience. J Escriva
Generosity
In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/04/20 at 7:01 PMYour Lord says this to you: give to me and receive. In due course, I will give back what is due to you. What will I give back? You gave little to me, you will receive a great deal; you gave me earthly things, I will give back heavenly things; you gave me temporal things, you will receive eternal things; you gave me what was mine, you will receive me, myself. See who you have lent to. He nourishes other and yet He Himself suffers hunger for your sake; He gives and is needy. When He gives, you wish to receive; when He is needy, you are unwilling to give. Christ is needy when a poor man is needy. He who is disposed to give eternal life to all His own has deigned to receive temporal thing in the person of anyone who is needy.
Psalm 34 and the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ
In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/04/19 at 4:42 PMPSALM 34 in the light of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ
The psalmist in Psalm 34 petitions God for justice. He had followed the teachings of psalms: do good, seek peace, yet he
was harassed even by the people he treated well. His description of the situation is found in its most extreme form in the
Lord’s life. He “went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil.” (Acts 10:38) ”They hated Him without
cause.” (John 15:24; Ps 35:19.)
A Spanish priest wrote this forceful meditation on Psalm 34:
“He came to save the world,
and His own denied Him before Pilate.
He showed us the path to goodness,
and they dragged Him along the way to Calvary.
He gave an example in everything He did,
and they preferred a thief convicted of murder.
He was born to forgive,
and without cause they condemned Him to the gallows.
He came along the paths of peace, and they declared war on Him.
He was the light,
and they handed Him over to the powers of darkness.
He brought love,
and they repay Him with hatred.
He came to be King,
and they crown Him with thorns.
He became a slave to free us from sin, and they nailed Him to the Cross.
He took flesh to give us Life,
and we rewarded Him with death.”
Knowledge Enhanced
In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/04/18 at 9:06 PMIn order to acquire knowledge effectively, one needs to follow a certain logical order. First come the facts (knowledge), which you must seek to understand. Once understood, in order to make it practical, you need to apply it to yourself. For deeper understanding, it is essential first take the content apart (analysis) and then re-assemble it, (synthesis) in order to decide its moral, ethical or practical value (evaluation).
Following are some questions in the Scriptural realm:
JOHN THE BAPTIST
KNOWLEDGE: Who exactly was he?
UNDERSTANDING: What was his mission, his role?
APPLICATION: What can we learn from him?
ANALYSIS: What is his place in salvation history?
SYNTHESIS: How is he a link between the Old and New Testament?
EVALUATION: How did he fulfill his role? What did Jesus think of him?
NICODEMUS
KNOWLEDGE: What was his station in life?
UNDERSTANDING: Why did he come to Jesus?
APPLICATION: What great lesson do we learn through him?
ANALYSIS: What concept did he originally fail to grasp?
SYNTHESIS: How did he act later?
EVALUATION: What lesson does he give? What did Jesus think of him?
SAMARITAN WOMAN
KNOWLEDGE: Who was she?
UNDERSTANDING: What was she seeking?
APPLICATION: What can we learn from her?
ANALYSIS: What was her role in saving others?
SYNTHESIS: What did she receive?
EVALUATION: What role did she play in salvation history? What did Jesus think of her?
ADULTRESS
KNOWLEDGE: Why this one?
UNDERSTANDING: How did Jesus handle the situation?
APPLICATION: How should we deal with accusers?
ANALYSIS: What admonition did our Lord give her (and us)?
SYNTHESIS: What point did Christ make ?
EVALUATION: What do you think she should have done? What did Jesus think of her?
MAN BORN BLIND
KNOWLEDGE: How did this blind man get cured?
UNDERSTANDING: What transformations did he undergo?
APPLICATION: Do we really see or do we have cataracts?
ANALYSIS: How many forms of blindness were evident?
SYNTHESIS:How did he handle the priests and teachers of the law?
EVALUATION: How did he testify for Christ to them? What did Jesus think of him?
LAZARUS
KNOWLEDGE: What was the relationship between Lazarus and Christ?
UNDERSTANDING: Why did Christ wait to go to him when he was ill?
APPLICATION: What does this tell us about God’s timing and plans?
ANALYSIS: Why did Jesus command him by name?
SYNTHESIS: What were the concepts on afterlife?
EVALUATION: What would have been his “living” testimony? What did Jesus think of him?
PILATE
KNOWLEDGE: What was his position?
UNDERSTANDING: What were his main concerns?
APPLICATION: Did he give our Lord a fair trial and sentence?
ANALYSIS: What does his appeasement reveal of his character?
SYNTHESIS: How did deal with the Jews and Christ?
EVALUATION: How is TRUTH recognized? What did Jesus think of Pilate?
CONTRAST: Jesus & Barabbas, Peter & Judas, Pilate & Nicodemus
First Easter
In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/04/12 at 5:56 PMWhen our Lord rose from the dead, the apostles clearly realized His divinity. The risen Christ opened their minds and explained to them the Scriptures….Now they grasped the inner meaning of everything they had heard and seen Jesus do. The Holy Spirit reminded the apostles of everything Jesus said, and enabled them to understand the whole truth concerning Christ and His saving mission and the meaning of His words and miracles. —Blessed John Henry Newman
Divine Love Affair
In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/04/12 at 5:50 PM“I shall never be able to capture the full richness and depth of Our Lordʼs personality….once we begin to be interested in Christ, our interest can never cease. There is always something more to be known, more to be said….infinitely more. Everything to do with Christ is so rich, there are such depths to explore…”.– Pope Paul VI
Truth to Ponder 