Sex and justice

Last updated on: September 7, 2017 at 12:01 am By Peter Leithart

In his Theology of the Body Explained: A Commentary on John Paul II’s , Christopher West perceptively notes that John Paul II cut through “the false dichotomy between the typically labeled ‘liberal’ concern for social justice and the ‘conservative’ concern for Church doctrine on sexual morality.” He continues: “John Paul is viewed as a man of contradiction because of his staunch support for both. Yet the contradiction does not lie in him. Social justice and sexual morality flow from the... Read more

God of the Living

Last updated on: September 6, 2017 at 11:42 pm By Peter Leithart

John Paul II again: “the resurrection of Christ is the final and fullest word of the self-revelation of the living God as ‘God not of the dead but of the living’ . . . . It is the final and fullest confirmation of the truth about God, who from the beginning has expressed himself through this revelation.” Read more

Covenant of Life

Last updated on: September 6, 2017 at 10:51 pm By Peter Leithart

In discussion Jesus reply to the Sadducees in Matthew 19, John Paul II makes this brief comment abut the meaning of covenant: “Although, due to sin, bodily death has become man’s lot and access to the tree of Life . . . was denied to him . . . , nevertheless, when the living God enters his covenant with man (Abraham, the patriarchs, Moses, Israel), he continually renews in this covenant the very reality of Life, reveals again its prospects,... Read more

You Shall See

Last updated on: September 6, 2017 at 11:47 pm By Peter Leithart

When Judas returns the thirty shekels of silver, the chief priests and elders tell him (in the NASB) “see to that yourself” (Matthew 27:4). Pilate says virtually the same thing to the Jews during the trial of Jesus: As he tries to wash off the stain of Jesus’ blood, he says “see to that yourselves” (27:24; NASB). The only difference is that Pilate speaks in the plural, and the chief priests in the singular. What are they saying? ”Take... Read more

Sermon notes

Last updated on: September 7, 2017 at 12:02 am By Peter Leithart

INTRODUCTION Jesus predicted that His disciples would be “delivered” to Gentile kings and governors, and testify to them (Matthew 10:17-20). But it happens to Jesus first. The disciple is not above His master. Jesus the King goes first before the Gentiles. THE TEXT “Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’ Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you say’ . . . . (Matthew 27:11-31). (more…) Read more

No Canaanites

Last updated on: September 7, 2017 at 12:09 am By Peter Leithart

Zechariah ends with “In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of Yahweh of hosts.” How’d we get Canaanites in the house of the Lord to begin with? Sweeney points out that the LXX of Zechariah 11:7 assumes a different vowel-pointing than the MT, and thus has “the Canaanites of the sheep” rather than the “poor of the sheep.” He notes that “Canaanite” can mean “merchant,” which fits the context of Zechariah 11 with its... Read more

Judas the Shepherd

Last updated on: September 6, 2017 at 11:45 pm By Peter Leithart

A gloss on my comments on Matthew 27 earlier today: Judas is indeed an ironic version shepherd of Zechariah 11. He is hired by the merchant-shepherds for thirty pieces of silver (drawing again on Sweeney on Zechariah). Judas delivers up a lamb, the Lamb, to the priests to slaughter. He is the instrument of the oppressive priests in carrying out holy war against the flock, a mercenary shepherd, and not only the instrument but the exemplar: Judas makes explicit what... Read more

Den of Brigands

Last updated on: September 6, 2017 at 10:53 pm By Peter Leithart

Jesus’ condemnation of the temple as a “den of brigands” is drawn from Jeremiah’s temple speech. Because of the idolatries, injustices, and bloodthirstiness of the temple authorities, the temple is going to be destroyed. But the text might also hold a fainter allusion to Zechariah 11. Matthew conflates Zechariah and Jeremiah in chapter 27, and his explicit quotations from Zechariah (your king is coming; strike the Shepherd; thirty pieces of silver) are interspersed throughout the Passion narrative not only with... Read more

Potter’s Field

Last updated on: February 20, 2010 at 10:02 am By Peter Leithart

The best I can make, at this point, of Matthew’s strange conflated quotation of Jeremiah 18-19/Zechariah 11 in Matthew 27:9-10. Judas took thirty pieces of silver from the Jewish leaders to betray Jesus. Reading this in the light of Zechariah 11, we know that this expresses the contempt of the Jews for Jesus’ labors as the shepherd who seeks to raise up those who are thrown down (9:36). Also in the light of Zechariah 11, there is the ironic hint... Read more

Potter’s Field

Last updated on: September 7, 2017 at 12:04 am By Peter Leithart