Luke 8: 22-25 Essay
Having just listened to the stirring sermon based on Luke 8:22-25, I have come to a few conclusions. The pericope was not taken into account in providing correct context for the interpretation. This section is a tiny part of Jesus educating the people about himself and the life of a Christian. They experienced the miracles to highlight who he was, but they did not fully understand in the moment what historians have had the opportunity to glean from the look back. The need to keep historical and literary context was not adhered to, it appears the desire for a quick answer for the listeners was the goal. The book of Luke in its entirety is a narrative about who Jesus was and includes teachings from Jesus to the people around him.
Luke 8 is a compilation of stories about the interaction between Jesus and the people. Specifically Luke 8:22-25 is about the fear people have when they think God (Jesus) is not paying attention to their own needs. In the book of Luke, each story or parable is showing how faith is not easy. Additionally, there is work required to be a believer of Christ. There is not a place in the Bible that says God is a short order cook and will take your order and fix your world as you see it …show more content…
should be. On the cross, even Jesus says to God, as you wish, not me. When placed in this context of learning who and what God and Christianity are about, how can stories about the struggle to cross a lake be taken as God will fix your struggle immediately? It is a continuation of the teaching by Jesus about the life of a Christian. Jesus had taken care of the disciples, had fed hungry people, had described his true family and now he rests. In this short moment of inattention to his disciples, danger appears. His response of where is your faith is not a reflection on how he could and did calm the seas. It is a continuance of the instruction that struggle will happen, and God will provide pathways as he sees fit, not as you demand. The concept of context was violated as well as the failure to read horizontally. The teaching of faith is being demonstrated, the use of miracles catches the attention of the participants. The according to our Fee and Stuart text, the book of Luke was a narrative of Jesus life, combined with the teachings of Jesus, and as such should have a broad brush approach, not the direct action reaction that demanding a response from God is implied in this preachers words.
When taken in context, this story is not a story of immediate response from God. The story is a reminder of the faith needed to be a Christian and the proof of the power of God to control things as he decides. Passages that are taken out of context provide irrational expectations of those being taught.
John 13:1-20 is Jesus physically teaching a psychological principle to his disciples. It was normative that the lowest of household slaves wash the feet of the visitors. Christ was showing that Christians should be willing to do for others even if it was not easy or appropriate. He was also explaining the result of his upcoming death would be to clean a part of each believer, depending on the believer to keep the other parts clean. I refer to Jesus stating in verse 10 that only the feet needed to be clean if the traveler had been consistent in keeping the rest of him clean. Jesus’ death cleans our heart, but it remains our responsibility to keep our minds and actions “clean.”
As Jesus was showing a concept that would be considered historical context today, I take the position that actually cleaning the feet of my guests is not necessary. Jesus was showing that he was reducing himself to the lowest level to serve the disciples. It was the idea of taking care of the needs of others when that action may be below your status might be needed to show the basis of Christianity. A reminder that no one is more important than another and needs should be met before providing the words of Christianity. Fee and Stuart show that just because it was normal for a slave to wash the feet, it was not to become required for Christians to wash the feet of others.
A current application of teaching this principle is the mission work done by high schoolers in Mexico. They meet the needs of the community by building houses, and simultaneously meet their spiritual needs through love and biblical teachings. Jesus met the need to have clean feet and a clean heart. The command from Jesus was one to serve, not specifically clean feet.
Based on the fact that the individual is stating that only a brain and the Holy Spirits is needed to understand the Bible, I would begin with the basics. The person asking the question would not have knowledge of the language of more intense Bible study, such as pericope, word study, hermeneutics, exegesis, apostle, epistle, parable etc. In order to have a conversation with this person, I would find a common starting point and work from there. I would start with the reminder of looking at Homer’s Iliad and Shakespearean plays. I would request the person remove the religious aspect of the Bible from the discussion and view it as a 2333 page book they have to read for school.
The first read through of any book can give you the surface understanding of the words. If you come across a word you do not understand, you go to the dictionary to find its meaning. If there is an event you are unfamiliar with, you check historical references to identify the event’s meaning and practices. Many books have been rewritten into current English and provide an easier read initial writing. Shakespeare was infamous for having two story lines going through each play; until a teacher informed me of this fact, the intertwining of the ideas and characters was confusing. Studying the Bible with the aid of a teacher helps to point out underlying items that are not obvious. The Bible is a narrative of a people in a time and place we are unfamiliar. The language the Bible was written in has led to difficulties in finding the exact English word at times. Cultural norms have changed and an example is the way we currently react to men talking to women is different, so understanding the culture adds more depth to the understanding of the words. Bible commentaries provide others ideas and understanding of the words to help answer or guide our questioning of the Bible. Initial read through is basic, further study adds understanding as to the where, when and who the words are referring.
Our text books are helpful in providing direction when questions come up when reading the Bible.
Learning how to use the many resources available means quicker answers to questions. Bible dictionaries provide descriptions of the words and ideas in modern language and isolate the meanings as they were meant when the Bible was written. Atlases geared toward the years the Bible was written provide visual ties to the words. Shakespeare has scenes where cultural norms shock us today. It is expected that the Bible would have the same. Colleges provide classes on Shakespeare and other literature, providing guidance in how to read and understand these older writings. This makes sense and is transferable to taking a class on the Bible and some ways in which to
study.
Reading the Bible reflects many layers. The basic reading will give the basic ideas. Taking the time to understand where and when the Bible was written adds color to the mental pictures as you read. Having the opportunity to speak with others as you discover facts and ideas within the Bible is another reason for taking a class. If the only understanding of the Bible was from personal reading without placing it in history and culture, many nuances can be missed. This class has given me the tools to redirect my understanding from current times to historical times. The awareness of online resources and the use for each one has broadened my understanding of historical and cultural context. My final comment to the individual would be taking the time to explore the layers of the Bible is no different than time it takes to understand any book, sport or custom one wants to understand. Nuances are the key, finding them is the challenge, understanding them is the goal. I need more than the Holy Spirit, I have to use the brain God gave me to question and learn about things around me.
Luke 8 is a compilation of stories about the interaction between Jesus and the people. Specifically Luke 8:22-25 is about the fear people have when they think God (Jesus) is not paying attention to their own needs. In the book of Luke, each story or parable is showing how faith is not easy. Additionally, there is work required to be a believer of Christ. There is not a place in the Bible that says God is a short order cook and will take your order and fix your world as you see it …show more content…
should be. On the cross, even Jesus says to God, as you wish, not me. When placed in this context of learning who and what God and Christianity are about, how can stories about the struggle to cross a lake be taken as God will fix your struggle immediately? It is a continuation of the teaching by Jesus about the life of a Christian. Jesus had taken care of the disciples, had fed hungry people, had described his true family and now he rests. In this short moment of inattention to his disciples, danger appears. His response of where is your faith is not a reflection on how he could and did calm the seas. It is a continuance of the instruction that struggle will happen, and God will provide pathways as he sees fit, not as you demand. The concept of context was violated as well as the failure to read horizontally. The teaching of faith is being demonstrated, the use of miracles catches the attention of the participants. The according to our Fee and Stuart text, the book of Luke was a narrative of Jesus life, combined with the teachings of Jesus, and as such should have a broad brush approach, not the direct action reaction that demanding a response from God is implied in this preachers words.
When taken in context, this story is not a story of immediate response from God. The story is a reminder of the faith needed to be a Christian and the proof of the power of God to control things as he decides. Passages that are taken out of context provide irrational expectations of those being taught.
John 13:1-20 is Jesus physically teaching a psychological principle to his disciples. It was normative that the lowest of household slaves wash the feet of the visitors. Christ was showing that Christians should be willing to do for others even if it was not easy or appropriate. He was also explaining the result of his upcoming death would be to clean a part of each believer, depending on the believer to keep the other parts clean. I refer to Jesus stating in verse 10 that only the feet needed to be clean if the traveler had been consistent in keeping the rest of him clean. Jesus’ death cleans our heart, but it remains our responsibility to keep our minds and actions “clean.”
As Jesus was showing a concept that would be considered historical context today, I take the position that actually cleaning the feet of my guests is not necessary. Jesus was showing that he was reducing himself to the lowest level to serve the disciples. It was the idea of taking care of the needs of others when that action may be below your status might be needed to show the basis of Christianity. A reminder that no one is more important than another and needs should be met before providing the words of Christianity. Fee and Stuart show that just because it was normal for a slave to wash the feet, it was not to become required for Christians to wash the feet of others.
A current application of teaching this principle is the mission work done by high schoolers in Mexico. They meet the needs of the community by building houses, and simultaneously meet their spiritual needs through love and biblical teachings. Jesus met the need to have clean feet and a clean heart. The command from Jesus was one to serve, not specifically clean feet.
Based on the fact that the individual is stating that only a brain and the Holy Spirits is needed to understand the Bible, I would begin with the basics. The person asking the question would not have knowledge of the language of more intense Bible study, such as pericope, word study, hermeneutics, exegesis, apostle, epistle, parable etc. In order to have a conversation with this person, I would find a common starting point and work from there. I would start with the reminder of looking at Homer’s Iliad and Shakespearean plays. I would request the person remove the religious aspect of the Bible from the discussion and view it as a 2333 page book they have to read for school.
The first read through of any book can give you the surface understanding of the words. If you come across a word you do not understand, you go to the dictionary to find its meaning. If there is an event you are unfamiliar with, you check historical references to identify the event’s meaning and practices. Many books have been rewritten into current English and provide an easier read initial writing. Shakespeare was infamous for having two story lines going through each play; until a teacher informed me of this fact, the intertwining of the ideas and characters was confusing. Studying the Bible with the aid of a teacher helps to point out underlying items that are not obvious. The Bible is a narrative of a people in a time and place we are unfamiliar. The language the Bible was written in has led to difficulties in finding the exact English word at times. Cultural norms have changed and an example is the way we currently react to men talking to women is different, so understanding the culture adds more depth to the understanding of the words. Bible commentaries provide others ideas and understanding of the words to help answer or guide our questioning of the Bible. Initial read through is basic, further study adds understanding as to the where, when and who the words are referring.
Our text books are helpful in providing direction when questions come up when reading the Bible.
Learning how to use the many resources available means quicker answers to questions. Bible dictionaries provide descriptions of the words and ideas in modern language and isolate the meanings as they were meant when the Bible was written. Atlases geared toward the years the Bible was written provide visual ties to the words. Shakespeare has scenes where cultural norms shock us today. It is expected that the Bible would have the same. Colleges provide classes on Shakespeare and other literature, providing guidance in how to read and understand these older writings. This makes sense and is transferable to taking a class on the Bible and some ways in which to
study.
Reading the Bible reflects many layers. The basic reading will give the basic ideas. Taking the time to understand where and when the Bible was written adds color to the mental pictures as you read. Having the opportunity to speak with others as you discover facts and ideas within the Bible is another reason for taking a class. If the only understanding of the Bible was from personal reading without placing it in history and culture, many nuances can be missed. This class has given me the tools to redirect my understanding from current times to historical times. The awareness of online resources and the use for each one has broadened my understanding of historical and cultural context. My final comment to the individual would be taking the time to explore the layers of the Bible is no different than time it takes to understand any book, sport or custom one wants to understand. Nuances are the key, finding them is the challenge, understanding them is the goal. I need more than the Holy Spirit, I have to use the brain God gave me to question and learn about things around me.