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The endgame may be approaching, but we take another break
from that here and return to our moralizing. Which starts off in a
rather charming fashion, extolling the virtues of children! (A much
more pleasant idea than staining them with original sin…) I wish
the strongest statements weren’t in support only of “these little
ones which believe in me” (from Matthew 18:6), but we’ve seen
rather worse in that regard. And I like the parable of the sheep,
too, “if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone
astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the
mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?” (from Matthew
18:12). In between those bits, we have “Wherefore if thy hand or
thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is
better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than
having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.”
(Matthew 18:8, with a similar bit about eyes in Matthew 18:9.)
Which is a tough message, but yeah, doing the right thing sometimes
requires tough choices. And the good thing here is that you’re
cutting off your own hand or foot: cutting off somebody else’s to
(in your view) help them is a different matter entirely. The
chapter ends with preaching forgiveness: “Then came Peter to him,
and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I
forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto
thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven” (Matthew
18:21-22), followed by the parable of the king and his servants in
Matthew 18:23-35. Which is great stuff, though I am a bit bemused
by Matthew 18:34, “And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the
tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him”: I
understand where the king is coming from there, but tormenting
somebody (Lattimore translates the word as “torturers” rather than
“tormentors”) isn’t going to pay the bills, either. Still, it’s an
expression of the Tit for Tat strategy, and I’m happy with that;
quite a chapter, all in all. Matthew 19 is more of a mixed bag. I
take my marriage very seriously, but that doesn’t mean that I
support the strong anti-divorce pronouncements here. (E.g. “What
therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder”, from
Matthew 19:6.) If I felt that Jesus appreciated sexuality or sexual
equality more, then my reaction would be somewhat less negative,
but still: marriages are more complicated than that. And the bit
about eunuchs in Matthew 19:12 just seems odd. Then we return to
the themes that we saw in Matthew 18:8-9, this time taking the spin
of selling your wealth to help the poor. Which is hard, but
necessary: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (from
Matthew 19:24). I’m not entirely comfortable with this, but maybe
that’s just because it’s something that I don’t practice nearly as
much as I should.

Post Revisions:

Changes:

December 30, 2010 @ 08:17:40Current Revision
Title
Deleted: making a mockeryAdded: gospel morality: matthew 18-19
Content
Deleted: The endgame may be approaching, but we take another break 
Deleted: from that here and return to our moralizing. Which starts off in a 
Deleted: rather charming fashion, extolling the virtues of children! (A much 
Deleted: more pleasant idea than staining them with original sin...) I wish 
Deleted: the strongest statements weren't in support only of "these little 
Deleted: ones which believe in me" (from Matthew 18:6), but we've seen 
Deleted: rather worse in that regard. And I like the parable of the sheep, 
Deleted: too, "if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone 
Deleted: astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the 
Deleted: mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?" (from Matthew 
Deleted: 18:12). In between those bits, we have "Wherefore if thy hand or 
Deleted: thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is 
Deleted: better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than 
Deleted: having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire." 
Deleted: (Matthew 18:8, with a similar bit about eyes in Matthew 18:9.) 
 Added: The endgame may be approaching, but we take another break from that here and return to our moralizing. Which starts off in a rather charming fashion, extolling the virtues of children! (A much more pleasant idea than staining them with original sin...) I wish the strongest statements weren't in support only of "these little ones which believe in me" (from Matthew 18:6), but we've seen rather worse in that regard. And I like the parable of the sheep, too, "if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?" (from Matthew 18:12).
 Added: In between those bits, we have "Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire." (Matthew 18:8, with a similar bit about eyes in Matthew 18:9.) Which is a tough message, but yeah, doing the right thing sometimes requires tough choices. And the good thing here is that you're cutting off your own hand or foot: cutting off somebody else's to (in your view) help them is a different matter entirely.
 Added: The chapter ends with preaching forgiveness: "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:21-22), followed by the parable of the king and his servants in Matthew 18:23-35. Which is great stuff, though I am a bit bemused by Matthew 18:34, "And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him": I understand where the king is coming from there, but tormenting somebody (Lattimore translates the word as "torturers" rather than "tormentors") isn't going to pay the bills, either. Still, it's an expression of the Tit for Tat strategy, and I'm happy with that; quite a chapter, all in all.
 Added: Matthew 19 is more of a mixed bag. I take my marriage very seriously, but that doesn't mean that I support the strong anti-divorce pronouncements here. (E.g. "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder", from Matthew 19:6.) If I felt that Jesus appreciated sexuality or sexual equality more, then my reaction would be somewhat less negative, but still: marriages are more complicated than that. And the bit about eunuchs in Matthew 19:12 just seems odd.
Deleted: Which is a tough message, but yeah, doing the right thing sometimesAdded: Then we return to the themes that we saw in Matthew 18:8-9, this time taking the spin of selling your wealth to help the poor. Which is hard, but necessary: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (from Matthew 19:24). I'm not entirely comfortable with this, but maybe that's just because it's something that I don't practice nearly as much as I should.
Deleted: requires tough choices. And the good thing here is that you're 
Deleted: cutting off your own hand or foot: cutting off somebody else's to 
Deleted: (in your view) help them is a different matter entirely. The 
Deleted: chapter ends with preaching forgiveness: "Then came Peter to him, 
Deleted: and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I 
Deleted: forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto 
Deleted: thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven" (Matthew 
Deleted: 18:21-22), followed by the parable of the king and his servants in 
Deleted: Matthew 18:23-35. Which is great stuff, though I am a bit bemused 
Deleted: by Matthew 18:34, "And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the 
Deleted: tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him": I 
Deleted: understand where the king is coming from there, but tormenting 
Deleted: somebody (Lattimore translates the word as "torturers" rather than 
Deleted: "tormentors") isn't going to pay the bills, either. Still, it's an 
Deleted: expression of the Tit for Tat strategy, and I'm happy with that; 
Deleted: quite a chapter, all in all. Matthew 19 is more of a mixed bag. I 
Deleted: take my marriage very seriously, but that doesn't mean that I 
Deleted: support the strong anti-divorce pronouncements here. (E.g. "What 
Deleted: therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder", from 
Deleted: Matthew 19:6.) If I felt that Jesus appreciated sexuality or sexual 
Deleted: equality more, then my reaction would be somewhat less negative, 
Deleted: but still: marriages are more complicated than that. And the bit 
Deleted: about eunuchs in Matthew 19:12 just seems odd. Then we return to 
Deleted: the themes that we saw in Matthew 18:8-9, this time taking the spin 
Deleted: of selling your wealth to help the poor. Which is hard, but 
Deleted: necessary: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a 
Deleted: needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (from 
Deleted: Matthew 19:24). I'm not entirely comfortable with this, but maybe 
Deleted: that's just because it's something that I don't practice nearly as 
Deleted: much as I should. 

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