Week 13 - Hebrews and James
April 20, 2021
Welcome to Week 13! This week we will finish the "Matthew track" by reading through Hebrews and James. These two letters (epistles) are included in this track because of their Jewish flavor which goes along with the Jewish emphasis in Matthew's gospel.
The letter of Hebrews presents Jesus as the mediator. He is the one who mediates between a holy and righteous God and sinful people like us. Through Jesus, we are reconciled to God and our sins are forgiven! In James, we encounter the faith vs. works debate. Some suggest that Paul and James are at odds. You may recall from reading through the letters of Paul that his emphasis is on grace and faith. James seems to emphasize works ("faith without works is dead"). I love how Michael Williams brings faith and works together through his theme for James: "God enables a life of good works that flow from a genuine faith."
As you read, keep in mind our reading questions. Use these as general questions to keep in mind as we read to help formulate your reflections, observations, and questions.
Our guiding questions are these:
- What stood out to you in the reading?
- Was there anything confusing or troubling?
- Did anything make you think differently about God?
- How might what you read change the way you live?
Please post a comment below with some of your questions, comments, and reflections from this week's reading.
In Matthew there was the verse. I say that there are some people standing here who will see the Son of Man coming with the kingdom before they die. Who was Jesus referring to here?
ReplyDeleteThere is much debate about the meaning of these words of Jesus. Some suggest that "coming with the kingdom" refers to the Transfiguration (next chapter in Matthew); others suggest Pentecost; still others, Jesus' second coming. If it refers to the second coming, then "death" has a more spiritual than physical meaning. It could mean Jesus suggesting that even though he will die (see earlier verses), most of the disciples will be spared (except Judas, of course). The possibility of the connection to the Transfiguration is interesting because the Transfiguration gives Peter, James, and John a "preview" of Jesus in his glory, almost as if they are transported to the future for a moment as a way to show them what Jesus' ultimate purpose is. Lots to think about and wonder about in this text.
DeleteMatthew 26 verse 54 touched me. When after Jesus was arrested he said But it must happen this way to show the truth of what the scripture said.
ReplyDeleteAlso we had talked about what happened to Judas and there is another different account of what happened to him in Matthew and I am wondering if there are different story's because they are relayed by different people.
Jesus was fully aware of his mission and submitted himself to it, even though it was painful and difficult. How amazing!
DeleteYes, the accounts of Judas differ in some details. I found this explanation online. It's a bit graphic, but is helpful in describing the two accounts - this one in Matthew and the other in Acts 1:18.
"Some people have wrongly assumed that Matthew and Luke (the author of Acts) are contradictory in their account of Judas’ death. Since the Bible is inerrant Judas cannot have died by hanging and died by falling and bursting open. Rather they are two different viewpoints of the same event. For example, if I saw a car hit a pedestrian, I might simply say that the pedestrian died because he was hit by the car. The coroner who came on the scene later but did not actually see the accident might give a graphic description of the injuries to the pedestrian. Both the coroner and I are describing the same event just different aspects of it.
Matthew tells us that Judas died by hanging (death is inferred from the passage). Luke, being a doctor, gives us a graphic description of what occurred following the hanging. The reason for ordering the events as such is twofold. First, if someone has fallen and their internal organs spilled out, they would die and so could not subsequently die from hanging. Second, even when people suffer bad falls, they do not usually burst open and have their internal organs spill out. Skin is very tough, and even when it is cut in the abdominal area, internals do not usually spill out. Thus, it is unlikely that Judas could die in this manner merely from falling.
Gruesome as it is, Judas’ dead body hung in the hot sun of Jerusalem, and the bacteria inside his body would have been actively breaking down tissues and cells. A byproduct of bacterial metabolism is often gas. The pressure created by the gas forces fluid out of the cells and tissues and into the body cavities. The body becomes bloated as a result. In addition, tissue decomposition occurs compromising the integrity of the skin. Judas’ body was similar to an overinflated balloon: as he hit the ground (due to the branch he hung on or the rope itself breaking), the skin easily broke, and he burst open with his internal organs spilling out.
There is no contradiction surrounding Judas’ death but rather two descriptions given by two different authors of the same event.