Repetition is the foundation of knowledge. A student repeats vocabulary. An athlete repeats a physical movement. An apprentice repeats a task. A reporter repeats what someone else said so that it can be heard. Whether memorizing, practicing, recounting, drilling, or mastering, repetition is a common denominator of all forms of education. More than this, in…
Category: The Bible as Literature
Flash-forward, Be Afraid
The opening verses of the Judgment in Matthew 25 establish what the Bible repeatedly proclaims on every page, within every paragraph, and in every single verse. There is one power, one judge, and one authority in the Bible. On the precipice of the Crucifixion, Matthew reminds us that the weakling sheep whom we are about…
Wisdom
The human being approaches every situation with the satanic question, “What’s in it for me?” From there, we establish goals, define measurements, and declare success when we hit our numbers. This works great in the boardroom but hasn’t helped much with school shootings and truly, has no place in the Kingdom of the Heavens. In…
Not Our Mercy
To modern students of the Bible, it seems unfair that the least capable servant—to whom the least was given—was treated the most harshly by the Lord. Fortunately, for those in need, the Lord’s mercy is not our mercy. Truly, from the twisted perspective of our backward understanding of mercy and justice, the Lord is definitely…
The Merchant Class?
The parable of the Talents must be heard in the context of Matthew’s storyline. Jerusalem is about to fall. Jesus has repeatedly warned everyone to make ready for the end. In American terms, the market is about to crash forever. The makers of widgets and the economy that supports them are doomed. In this context,…
Take It and Work It
The Parable of the Talents is a story about work assignments. How much work can each person do? How will each person—from the least to the greatest—be judged for the results of their work? Everyone is accountable for doing this work. What is the work assignment in Matthew? Obviously (for those who have ears to…
In the Fear of God
No parable is more widely abused than the Parable of the Talents. On the heels of a series of Matthean stories that warn of destruction and judgment, the Master assigns a duty to each of his slaves in anticipation, yet again, of the coming judgment. He does not want their money. He has no interest…
The Jury is Still Out
People who live comfortably look to religion as a source of comfort and stability. They construct their religious worldview as the Pharaohs of old built pyramids of stone: to maintain a self-serving status quo. Nobody living in comfort wants their situation to change. Nobody wants to answer for their sins. Nobody wants to stand before…
Bread and Oil
For those who impose a triumphalist or sectarian premise on the Bible, it is impossible to hear the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Even if they accept Matthew’s warning that the church will be judged—even if they understand that the virgins represent churches—they immediately assume that their church is numbered among the prudent. But the…
Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth
The Lord’s warning in Matthew 10, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword,” (10:34) is often abused as a justification for militarism. In truth, as with so much biblical imagery, this verse exemplifies the Bible’s Ezekielian appropriation of the kingly symbols of power. The sword, the destruction of cities, exile, the decimation…