Thursday, February 23, 2012

Matthew 5:29

"And if your right hand offends you, so to speak, lift it out and cast it from you, for it is more profitable for you that one of your members should be loosed from wholeness rather than your whole body to be cast into a garbage dump in Hinnom Ravine."

If a word or phrase is not literally present in the text, then Holy Wind Living Breath New Testament uses italics in the translation to indicate those words.  In this verse, Jesus uses a figure of speach, hyperbole, to make a point about wasting our lives.  So, HWLB makes this clear with the phrase in italics, so to speak.  It is much better to discipline ourselves than for our entire life to wasted, thrown into a garbage dump, so to speak.  The Greek text has the word, transliterated from Hebrew, GEHENNA.  Ultra-literally, this refers to the ravine southwest of Jerusalem used for burning refuse.

Focusing our lives on Jesus' way of justice and peace results in the fullest life possible.  The opposite way leads to...the garbage dump! 

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Matthew 5:27,28

"You have heard that it was said, You will not commit adultery, but I say to you, that everyone who is viewing toward a woman to intensely feel after her, has already committed adultery on her within the heart."

Rules as solutions.  Jesus responded in several ways to his rule making society.  One way is to move inward to the heart.  Another is to change the definition.  Here, he does both.

In Holy Wind Living Breath New Testament, the 'present' or 'continuous' tense is often made emphatic.  So, here, "everyone who is viewing."  When this viewing of another woman becomes continual, there is a problem.  Likewise, the problem becomes severe when this viewing has a distinct purpose: to intensely feel (KATA, used as an intensifier, along with the verb TO FEEL) after this person. If one reaches this stage, says Jesus, the adultery is a fait accompli.  At least from the perspective of the inward life, our heart.

So, rules as solutions?  Not really.  Learning to respect ourselves and then learning to respect others is the fundamental life principle.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Matthew 5:25,26

"Become well minded to your adversary quickly, while you are with the same, in the journey, so the the adversary does not give you over to the judge and the judge give you over to the officer and you be cast into prison.  Amen I say to you, you will definitely not come out from there, until you have paid the last quadran."

Jesus' teaching on how to relate to those who consider themselves our adversaries: first, it begins with our minds.  We become, very literally in Holy Wind Living Breath New Testament, "well minded."  Without a well mind, reconciliation with adversaries seems improbable.  Part of the affliction of modern fundamentalist religion is the way in which it abrogates reason.  A mental lobotomy makes peace with others very difficult.  Second, reconciliation begins while you are with that person.  Long distance reconciliation is harder. Third, begin the process while you're traveling together, "in the journey."  Otherwise we are all liable to inhabit our own special prisons.

And, note the connection between money and imprisonment during Jesus' time: "until you have paid the last quadran."  Not a lot has changed in the past couple millennia.  The relationship of money and jail time remains very clear.  Those who can pay receive the 'justice'.  .   .