The words of Jesus in modern verse
paraphrased and annotated by Donivan Bessinger
Numbers in parentheses refer to line numbers.
[ Information on sources and other notation. ]
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50. Reeds in the desert. Mt 11:7-24. This Matthew text
follows S-18
a (1-20) cf Lk
7:24-28
b (13-14) q Mal 3:1
c (15-17) cf Th 46
d (21-23) cf Lk 16:16
e (29-39) cf Lk
7:31-35
f (32, 33)
Apparently an ironic reference to some familiar children's game of that day.
There was no punctuation in the mss -- line 33 (“wailing”) may be an
interpretation by J., not a part of the game. Wailing was a ritualistic feature of funerals, not
necessarily sincere. Maybe the game was something like “All fall down” when the
music stops.
g (36) I
came, lit: son of man came
h (40-45) cf Lk
10:13-15
(40) `cities':
Chorazin and Bethsaida, near northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Tyre and Sidon were `foreign' seacoast
cities.
i (41) powerful
forces < dynamis/1411
j (42) turned
around, lit: repented in sackcloth and ashes
k (44) Sodom: ancient
city destroyed by wickedness
l
(46)Capernaum: Galilean lakeshore city in which J. was teaching.
51. Healing by Satan? Mt
12:25-32; Mk 3:23-30; Lk 11:17-23
a (22-30) cf Lk 12:10
(22) mistake
< hamartia/0266. See notes on “missing the mark” at S-100
and S-101
(23) irreverence,
lit: blasphemy
b (25) me,
lit: son of man
c (27) speaking
out against – In Mt: < legw/3004: speak (present tense). In Mk and Lk < blasphEmew/0987 (aorist tense, i.e. in the past entered
into a state which by implication continues to be in effect.)
(28-29) tou
pneumatos/4151) tou hagion/0039, lit: the spirit the holy, a construction
equivalent to ‘holy spirit’. The traditional interpretation is `The Holy
Spirit', but it was only later that orthodoxy divided the Godhead three ways
d (30) Mt, lit: it
shall not be forgiven him neither in this age nor the coming [age]; Mk, lit:
has not forgiveness (< aphesis/0859: deliverance) to eternity but is liable
to eternal judgment. In the language
of depth psychology, denial of spirit is “unforgivable” while ego is blocking
awareness of (“denying”) the
collective unconscious (the eternal, spiritual realm) through which healing is
achieved. It is essential to personal wholeness (`wholiness', salvation) to
acknowledge the power of the spiritual realm, which is already available within
(Lk 17:21, S-73.)
52. Seed and the Word (1-61)
Mt 13:3-23; Mk 4:3-20; Lk 8:5-15
a (15) In Mt, c (62-66) connects here
b (22-30) q Is.
6:9-10
c (62-66) Mt
13:12; Mk 4:25; Lk 8:18.
53. Growing seed. Mk 4:26-29.
54. The field with weeds. Mt
13:24-30, 36-40
a (4)
angry neighbor, lit. enemy
b (32) spiritual
forces for good, lit. angels
55. Mustard seed. Mt 13:31-32; Mk 4:30-32; Lk
13:18-19.
56. Flour and yeast. Mt 13:33; Lk 13:20-21. This is a striking metaphor. Jesus acknowledges God's work of preparing and nurturing the spiritual realm as a feminine action.
57. Hidden treasure. Mt 13:44,
58. Pearl. Mt 13:45-46.
59. Net. Mt 13:47-50
a (2) net <
sagEnE/4522: large seine, dragnet, drawnet
b (13) lit:
furnace of the fire; there shall be the wailing and the gnashing of the teeth.
60. Lost sheep
a (1-2) Mt 18:11, not
in all mss; or: I am here. This saying has many more layers of meaning than the
English `lost' can convey. Lk places it with the story of Zacchaeus, S-87
b (2) lost < appolumi/0622: destroy
utterly, kill, bring to nought, lose, make void, stray, put to death; (2) save < swzw/4982: make whole, heal, save, rescue;
deliver.
c (3-24) Mt 18:12-14;
Lk 15:1-7.
61. Lost coin. Lk 15:8-10. Note the strong
parallelism in Lk, combining S-60, S-61 into one `poetic' unit, with both
masculine and feminine actions.
a (1) coins <
drachmE/1406.
62. Little children
a (1-8) Mt 19:14; Mk
10:14-16; Lk 18:16-17; cf S-40, S-69
b (3) IS little children < toiouton/5108: having the nature
or quality of; KJV: `of such is the kingdom'
(4-6) cf. Mt
18:3
c (7-12) Mt 21:16,
when the Pharisees complained that children in the temple were calling out `Hosanna
to the son of David.'
63. Unmerciful servant. Mt 18:23-35.
a (41) torturers,
lit: torturer, tormentor < basanistEs, < vb.basanizo/0928. (One wonders whether this was a slang
term for something like a bailiff, in which case it would be another example of
J’s teaching by colorful exaggeration.)
64. Laborers. Mt 20:1-16
a (61) jealous,
lit: Is your eye evil, an idiom,
here giving a poetic contrast between good and evil. Eye < ophthalmos/3788, can refer to the eye of the
mind (understanding; as in Acts 26:18, and as in English).
65. Ten maidens. Mt 25:1-13
a (5) the
bride is not in all Mss, see GP 160n. The remainder of the story refers only
to ‘bridegroom'.
b (21) tend
< kosmew/2885: make ready, trim, put in order. The relationship to Kosmos
hints an interesting additional layer of possible interpretation.
66. Water into wine. Jn 2:5-8.
67. Pay constant attention
a (1-17) Lk 12:35-38
b (3) owner <
Kyrios/2962: Lord
c (4) compare the
mystical marriage (mysterium conjunctionis) as symbol of the healing and
fulfillment of psyche (Jung). This teaching is usually given an eschatological
(end of time) interpretation, but it can have a much more immediate, personal
and practical meaning.
d (9) compare the
story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet, using his own towel, S-110
e (15-46) Mt 24:43-51; Lk 12:39-46
f (21-23) cf Mk
13:35-36. Image-of-God,
lit son of man
g (25) owner
Kyrios/2962: Lord
( 26) measure
grain, in Lk < sitometrion/4620: measure of corn, wheat, grain. Mt uses
< trophE/5160: portion of food, nourishment (KJV has meat in due season. GNT
has corn, an important life symbol in many cultures, especially Native
American.
h (27) master,
< Kyrios/2962
i (38) cut off < dichotomew/1371: to
cut in two. (Psychologically, to be “cut off” by the master is to be cut off
from the central Self. Such a
‘dichotomy' of the psyche leads to a serious neurosis or psychosis. Note that
the term schizophrenia refers to a `split' with reality.)
j (40-50) Lk
12:47-48.
68. `Thesaurus'. Mt 13:51-52.
This short saying, which sets the theme of this project, especially illustrates
the expressive meaning sometimes buried by conventional translation. The KJV
has as follows:
-51-
Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him,
Yea, Lord.
-52- Then
said he unto them, Therefore every scribe [which is] instructed into the
kingdom of heaven is like unto a man [that is] an householder, which bringeth
forth out of his treasure [things] new and old.
The bracketed words (italicized in KJV) were supplied by the translators --
they do not appear in the Greek. The Greek speaks of every mathEteutheis/3100
(discipled or trained) grammateus/1122 (scribe, writer, copier of manuscripts)
who brings forth from the thEsaurou/2344 (treasure; our modern thesaurus is a treasure of
words).
Since `scribe' sets the context, the `things' brought forth must be words.
Oikos/3624 means house (or other building) and its contents, including its
family. The oikodespotE/3617
is the master or steward of that house. `House' is a common dream image and
metaphor for the whole person, not merely the body, but its `contents' as well,
i.e. the unconscious psyche and its `family' of archetypal images.
a (4) words of
Spirit < kingdom of heaven. [Back to
TITLE page]
69. Who is greatest?
a (1-8) Mt
18:3-5; Mk 9:33-42, 10:15; Lk 9:48; cf. Lk 18:17, S-40, S-62
b (9-13) Lk
22:26; cf. Mt 20:26-27; Mk 10:43-44; S-86.
c (14-19) Mt
23:11-12; Lk 14:11, 18:14.
70. Stranger healing. Mk
9:39-41; Lk 9:50
a (8-10) OP/GP
96.
71. Rich young man. Mt
19:16-30; Mk 10:17-31; Lk 18:18-30
a (11) whole < teleios/5046: perfectly complete
in all parts
b (20) millionaire
< plouisios/4145: abounding in riches.
c (25) new beginning
< paliggenesia/3824. KJV: regeneration; RSV: in the new world. The root pali
refers to again, back, further, or alternative. Genesis/1078 refers to birth or
beginning (cf Jn 3:3, S-93) Another possible
interpretation is `in the new age', or theologically, new covenant. See
also S-111
and line 53 below.
d (28-36) cf. Lk
22:28-30
e (29) Lk 22:28
f (34) Mt: sit on
twelve thrones < krinw/2919: to sit over, presiding or judging. The
inflected form, krinontes, sounds like krinon/2918, the word for lily, an
interesting poetic image, now associated with Easter tradition.
g (36) The `twelve
tribes of Israel' may be taken poetically to refer to the whole of the being
(see teleios above); or perhaps the whole of humanity, for `twelve tribes' in
Hebrew literature essentially means all of the people; or perhaps, all of the
`people' (archetypes) of one's own psyche.
h (41) `in the age
(aiwn/0165) that is coming, eternal life (zwen/2222 aiwnion). An aion is an
`age' of extremely long or indeterminate duration, i.e. eternal or timeless.
i (43-46) cf. Lk
13:30; S-64:63-66.
72. Theological debates
a (1-13) Mt 22:29-32;
Mk 12:24-27; Lk 20:34-40.
b (4) rise above
death, lit: in the resurrection < anastasis/0386, a word combining
ana-/0303 (upwards, up) and stasis/4714 (level, ordinary, stable state), i.e.,
a rising up. [The meaning of rising from the dead dates at least from
Aeschylus, where in The Eumenides Apollo says it is something men cannot
do.]
Lk. elaborates this dialog, contrasting “this age” with “that age” where they “cannot die any
more” and are “equal to angels” and “are sons of God, being sons of the
resurrection.” (RSV). Whether
there is a resurrection of souls was a continuing and divisive debate between
Saducees and Pharisees. In the context of J’s teachings about the spiritual
realm, present here and now, anastasis can have an immediate symbolic
meaning for the “dead souls” of the living, especially in view of the quote at c
and in S-73. Later doctrines about
the resuscitation of Jesus’ own dead body deal with an altogether different
issue.
c (9-13) q. Ex
3:6. Mt and Mk follow this quote
with S-31.c, then resume at d
d (14-25) Mt
22:42-45; Mk 12:35-37; Lk 20:41-44
(15) Messiah < Christos/5547:
Messiah, the anointed one.
e (21-23) q. Ps.
110:1.
73. Coming of the realm
a (1-7) Lk
17:20-21
(2) see
< paratErew /3906: to observe intently
b (7) entos/1787:
within; you is plural and dative, hence THR reads `among you', giving the
spiritual realm a collective dimension.
c (8-11) OP/GP
p 125.
d (12-29) Th 3
e (30-37) Th
113
f (38-99)
Lk 17:22-37. For lines 38-45 cf
Mt. 24:26-28)
Though traditionally read as a literal description of future general
events in spacetime, this passage is a continuation of the discourse on the
coming of the spiritual realm within. The general tone of the passage seems to
be that of a change in psychic state rather than of spacetime events. As such,
it can be read as a description in dream-like imagery of the personal encounter
with the divine Image-of-God.
Note the changes in the verb to see: In saying that one cannot see the
coming of the kingdom (a, line 2), the verb means to see by careful
observation (e.g. of weather signs). When saying there will come a time you want to see (f,
catch a glimpse of) the spiritual realm, the verb is from horaw/3708, which
means to see generally, but it can also mean to perceive mentally as by
contemplation, and the verb is in the aorist tense often used poetically. [Lit:
see one of the days of ] In
saying you will not sight it, the verb again is horaw, in the future
indicative, which I take to mean to see with the physical eyes.
g (51) I, lit:
son of man
(53)
Image-of-God, lit: son of man
h (55-63) cf.
Mt 24:37-41
i (84-87)
cf. Mt 10:39
(84) save
your psyche < psychE/5590: life, breath of life, soul.
j (90) one
will receive it < paralambanw/3880 < para/3844 (to the side, beside)
+ lambanw/2983 (receive) Where the
KJV speaks of `being taken' (from the bed, field, etc.) the verb is
paralambanw/3880, which can also mean to receive by transmission, as in Col
4:17 and Heb 12:28. The verb is passive [one will be received …], but the ego
is received into the spiritual realm by receiving the spiritual realm into awareness.
(91) left
out < aphiEmi/0863. Where KJV speaks of `being left', the verb is from
aphiemi/0863 which means to leave, set aside, omit, forgive. The ones `left
out' have an ego which is unprepared, and the teaching recognizes that
different people are prepared at different times (f, line 38). Even if
the word choices for the KJV and subsequent English translations were
conditioned by already set
doctrine, there is a hidden meaning there which agrees with modern
knowledge of depth psychology.
Note that he disciples also had a problem with the interpretation.
k (98) body <
swma/4983; Jesus' reply again takes the issue out of spacetime and poetically
affirms the unity of body and spirit. In Lk, the word for body is swma, which
usually means living body. Its living aspect is clear in derivative words such
as swmaskew (to exercise, wrestle) and phrases such as ai tou somatos Edonai
(sensual pleasures). On the other hand, swmatophulakion means tomb,
sepulchre. The parallel text
in Mt uses ptoma/4430 meaning corpse (the word connotes `fallen'). That word
choice also adds to the confusion of interpretations of this passage.
(99) eagles <
aetos/0105. The word for eagle connotes its wind-like flight, and its root is
related to air and unconscious breathing. The correlation between respiration
and inspiration is even more clear in the Latin roots of our modern words. The
eagle also symbolized Israel's deliverance from Egypt: In Ex 19:4 the Lord says
to Moses, `... I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself'; see also
Deut 32:11-12, Is. 40:31, and twenty-nine other references in the OT to eagles
as symbols of spirit.