1 Hutchinson Friends New Testament Exegetical Sermon 17 June 2007 Exegetical Work Background work Translation 9 Καὶ παράγων ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐκεῖθεν εἶδεν ἄνθρωπον καθήμενον ἐπὶ τὸ τελώνιον, Μαθθαῖον λεγόμενον, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ, Ἀκολούθει μοι. καὶ ἀναστὰς ἠκολούθησεν αὐτῷ. 10 Καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτοῦ ἀνακειμένου ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ, καὶ ἰδοὺ πολλοὶ τελῶναι καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἐλθόντες συνανέκειντο τῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ. 11 καὶ ἰδόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ἔλεγον τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ, Διὰ τί μετὰ τῶν τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐσθίει ὁ διδάσκαλος ὑμῶν; 12 ὁ δὲ 1 ἀκούσας εἶπεν, Οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ ἀλλ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες. 13 πορευθέντες δὲ μάθετε τί ἐστιν, Ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν οὐ γὰρ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλούς. Sermon use list Content Passing by there, Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting in the toll-booth, and he said to him: Follow me. and he got up and followed him. And it was, as he was reclining with [other s] in the house, there were many taxmen and sinners came and reclined with Jesus and his disciples. Seeing [this] the Pharisees said to his disciples: Why is your teacher with taxmen and sinners? Hearing this, he 2 said: It is not the strong who need a physician, but the sick. Go and learn what that is, I wish to have mercy and not sacrifice, for I did not come to call the just, but sinners. Note: I wish to have mercy and not sacrifice is a quote from Hosea 6:6 1. The devotion of the tax-collector, Matthew... who got up and left his table (with all the money on it.) 2. Jesus and the disciples ate with sinners and tax collectors a social justice picture. 3. The need of the gospel to go to the sinners (not to those who are already OK.) 4. Compare and contrast MERCY with SACRIFICE. 5. What does it mean that JESUS did not come to call the just, but sinners? Significant textural issues This passage is very clear (in the Greek.) the greatest difficulty is that the KJV, and the 1 TR/BYZ adds Ἰησοῦς 2 TR/BYZ reads Jesus UBS4 could be read They, but in context, it makes very little sense.
2 Jubilee, Douay-Rheims, and others say: I will have mercy, and not sacrifice. Will translates θέλω, which means to desire, to wish. This of course is a correct (though somewhat archaic) use of the word will but will have is unclear to the point of being wrong in today's English. Of course newer translations are somewhat easier to understand. Important grammar Grammar seems clear. List of Key terms Mercy, Sacrifice, follow, just, sinner, tax collector. Small word study Ἀκολουθέω: Ἀκολούθει μοι is used whenever Jesus calls his disciples. This phrase is found several times in the N.T.: Matthew 8:22, 9:9, 16:24, 19:21. Mark 2:14, 8:34, 10:21. Luke 5:27, 9:23, 9:59, 18:22, John 1:43, 12:26, 21:19, 21:22. Acts 12:8. Matthew 8:22 Luke 9:59&60 Matthew 8:22 ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς λέγει αὐτῷ, Ἀκολούθει μοι, καὶ ἄφες τοὺς νεκροὺς θάψαι τοὺς ἑαυτῶν νεκρούς. Luke 9:59 Εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς ἕτερον, Ἀκολούθει μοι. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, [Κύριε,] ἐπίτρεψόν μοι ἀπελθόντι πρῶτον θάψαι τὸν πατέρα μου. 60 εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ, Ἄφες τοὺς νεκροὺς θάψαι τοὺς ἑαυτῶν νεκρούς, σὺ δὲ ἀπελθὼν διάγγελλε τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ. Mathew 8:22: Then Jesus said to him: Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead. Then he said to him: Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go preach the kingdom of God. Luke 9:59-60: Then Jesus said to the other: Follow me. Then he said: Lord, first let me bury my father. Matthew 9:9, Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27: This is the calling of Matthew, in all three, Matthew (Levi) leaves his table and follows Jesus. Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23: If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross [daily] and follow me. Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:21, Luke 18:22: This is from the story of the rich young ruler. He asks what he must do to be saved, and Jesus tells him, first go sell all you have give to the poor then come follow me.
3 John 1:43: Calling of Philip. John 12:26: If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there will my servant also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. (WEB) John 21:18-22 Most assuredly I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself, and walked where you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you, and carry you where you don t want to go. 19 Now he said this, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. When he had said this, he said to him, Follow me. 20 Then Peter, turning around, saw a disciple following. This was the disciple whom Jesus sincerely loved, the one who had also leaned on Jesus breast at the supper and asked, Lord, who is going to betray You? 21 Peter seeing him, said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man? 22 Jesus said to him, If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you? You follow me. Acts 12 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side, and woke him up, saying, Stand up quickly! His chains fell off from his hands. 8 The angel said to him, Get dressed and put on your sandals. He did so. He said to him, Put on your cloak, and follow me. 9 And he went out and followed him. He didn t know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out, and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. τελῶναι καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὶ Matthew 9:10, Mark 2:15 (tax collectors and sinners) Ἔλεος Very common, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. It means to show pity, compassion, or mercy. If someone makes mercy it is to do good. θυσίαν: A sacrifice I think perhaps in the context of Matthew 9, religious duty.
4 Historical-Cultural items Why are sinners grouped with Tax collectors? -- Because the tax-collectors collaborated with the Romans. Why would Jesus tell the Pharisees to learn what this is? (We need to know about the pharisees..) What is the significance of sacrifice? What was the significance of Mercy? What does it mean to learn a verse from the prophets? Why did people recline to eat? Questions of Context (Gospels) Identify form This is narrative in form. Synopsis Jesus calls Matthew, and Matthew follows Jesus. Jesus and his friends later eat (perhaps at Matthew's house), and the pharisees want to know why Jesus would eat with Tax collectors and sinners. Jesus answers them back saying three things: 1: The strong don't need a physician, but the sick do. 2: Learn what God means when he said: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. 3: I did not come to call the just, but sinners. Setting in the life of Jesus ---- fill this in later. --- Present arrangement?????????????????? (other) Historical Context Literary context Secondary Literature Commentaries Sacrifices were the principal part of the worship of the Jews, and hence came to signify external worship in general. (Barns notes) I am not come to call the righteous, etc. No human beings are by nature righteous, Ps 14:3;
5 Rom 1:18-32, 3:10-18. Other Secondary Literature Biblical/Theological context Relation to scripture Relation to Theology Application List of life issues Showing mercy, how to behave to to others, religious duty etc. Clarification of nature and area Identity of audience and categories Final translation for reading: Why am I doing this? Main points Purpose Response Introduction and conclusion Outline The Sermon itself Making a Sermon <Main text>
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7 Bibliography Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 1995.