{"id":72157,"date":"2019-03-28T22:35:53","date_gmt":"2019-03-29T04:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=72157"},"modified":"2019-03-28T22:35:53","modified_gmt":"2019-03-29T04:35:53","slug":"new-testament-notes-152-153","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2019\/03\/new-testament-notes-152-153.html","title":{"rendered":"New Testament Notes 152-153"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Metro<\/a>
The current logo of the Cairo metro system. (Above the large red \u201cM,\u201d the stylized Arabic reads \u201cMetro.\u201d)
Wikimedia Commons public domain image<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Matthew 15:29-31<\/a><\/p>\n

Mark 7:31-37<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

This particular passage occurs only in Matthew and Mark, but it\u2019s in the spirit of John, in a way: \u00a0Characteristically, John refers to the miracles of Jesus as semeia<\/em>, or \u201csigns.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

They\u2019re surely not unimportant in themselves, of course, because of the direct impact they have on their recipients. \u00a0But they\u2019re even more important \u2014 certainly for us and for their audience at the time \u2014 as pointers to God and reminders of the divine power of Christ.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Mark 7:34, we have a word quoted from the actual Aramaic spoken by Jesus: \u00a0Ephphatha<\/em>, as the King James renders it. \u00a0\u201cOpen!\u201d or \u201cBe open!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Aramaic is a Semitic language, closely related to Hebrew and Arabic.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

A fond memory from my days living in Egypt came when new, European-manufactured cars and trains had just arrived for the metro line that I regularly rode into and out of downtown Cairo. \u00a0The old trains were run down, and their doors, uselessly long broken, were always agape. \u00a0These new cars, though, had automatically-opening doors that would engage whenever we pulled into a station.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I remember two little boys standing by one of the doors, watching it intently. \u00a0As the train slowed to a stop, one of them said Iftah, ya simsim!<\/em> \u00a0(\u201cOpen sesame!\u201d) \u00a0To his amazed delight, it obeyed\u00a0immediately. \u00a0Just like magic.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ephphatha<\/em> and iftah<\/em>. \u00a0Closely related imperative verbs. \u00a0\u201cOpen!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Tabgha<\/a>
An ancient mosaic at Tabgha, the traditional site of the miracle of the feeding of the multitude, located on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee \u00a0\u00a0(Wikimedia Commons public domain image)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Matthew 15:32-39<\/a><\/p>\n

Mark 8:1-10<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I have absolutely no explanation for the miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fishes narrated in these passages. \u00a0I don\u2019t know how it was done.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

But, to me, that unaccountable miracle isn\u2019t the most important thing here.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What really strikes me is the claim that the God of heaven and earth cared about sending people home hungry.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

He cared about such a simple, mundane, particular detail.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

That, I think, is one of the fundamental messages of the Gospel:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

God cares. \u00a0He cares about even the little things. \u00a0He cares about us. \u00a0He notes the fall of a sparrow. \u00a0And, in the end, despite the apparent evidence to the contrary \u2014 which, quite frankly, is undeniably abundant \u2014 we\u2019ll all recognize that stunning fact.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 Matthew 15:29-31 Mark 7:31-37 \u00a0 This particular passage occurs only in Matthew and Mark, but it\u2019s in the spirit of John, in a way: \u00a0Characteristically, John refers to the miracles of Jesus as semeia, or \u201csigns.\u201d \u00a0 They\u2019re surely not unimportant in themselves, of course, because of the direct impact they have on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nNew Testament Notes 152-153<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"    Matthew 15:29-31 Mark 7:31-37   This particular passage occurs only in Matthew and Mark, but it's in the spirit of John, in a way:\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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