A Light to the Nations

A Light 66.Inclusio.“Isn’t this where…we came in?”If you’ve ever listened to Pink Floyd’s the Wall, you will notice that the album closes with the same piece of music that it opens with. Similarly, another Pink Floyd album, Dark Side of the Moon, begins and ends with the sound of a heartbeat. In literature, when a word or motif appears at the beginning and at the end of a work, scholars call it  inclusio (a Latin phrase meaning “enclosure”). The evangelist Mark employs this literary device in his Gospel. Galilee is mentioned early on as the place where Jesus comes from; and it is to Galilee that his disciples are directed to go, if they want to see him, after his resurrection. The purpose of inclusio is usually to bracket off a section of the work in order to zero in on it. In Mark, “Galilee” bookends the entirety of the Gospel, and the message this conveys to the hearer is powerful and unmissable.In this episode, we look at Mark 1:35-39 and how it anticipates “literarily” the ending of the Gospel in Chapter 16. That ending, in turn, sends the hearer back to the beginning of the Gospel to hear the story again. 

In the gospel of John, the call of Andrew, the apostle with the Greek name, precedes the call of Simon, whose name is derived from Aramaic. For this reason, Andrew is referred to as the “First-Called.” In the narrative, Andrew goes and tells his brother that they have found the Christ. The same pattern is repeated in the call of Phillip - a classic Greek name - who goes and finds Nathanael, who is explicitly identified as “an Israelite.” In this, John seems to be reversing the Scriptural sequence of “Jew first, then Greek” (Romans 2:9-10).Tune in to this bonus episode of A Light to the Nations as we discuss the importance of Andrew as “first called” and how it relates to calling Jesus “the Lamb of God.”Notes:The Rise of Scripture by Paul Nadim Tarazi (OCABS Press, St. Paul, MN, 2017).“Ruff Enuff” performed by Prince featuring MonoNeon. 

On November 21 in the Holy Orthodox Church the feast day of the Entrance of the Theotokos in the Temple is celebrated. The epistle reading assigned for this feast is Hebrews 9:1-7, which speaks of the regulations for worship under the first covenant and describes the two parts of the tabernacle, called the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. In that text, the author of Hebrews emphasizes that the tabernacle had to be prepared before sacrifices could be offered. On this feast day, that preparation is applied to Mary, the Theotokos. When we speak of her being prepared, we don’t want to understand that this somehow qualified her to be the mother of Jesus. Mary is depicted in the Gospels as highly favored and full of grace. If her preparation somehow makes her worthy, that diminishes the grace and her election becomes a reward, something owed to her. The preparation is for Mary’s benefit, not God’s. Notes: Hebrews 9:1-7Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28κατασκευάζω (kataskeuazó) - to prepare thoroughly πρόθεσις (prosthesis) - presence, presentation “Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Book” performed by Dead Can Dance.

This episode looks at the remembrance in the Orthodox Church of Archangel Michael, the Chief Commander of the Bodiless Powers, in light of the reading at Vespers from Joshua Chapter 5. The victory granted to Joshua and the children of Israel is based on their adherence to the commandments of the Lord. The sword drawn in the hand of the supreme commander of the army of the Lord is not merely an instrument of war, but something more dreadful. Scripturally speaking, it is the Lord’s judgment.  Notes:Joshua 5:13-15Exodus 3:1-5Genesis 3:24Ephesians 6:11-17“Fortune Presents Gifts Not According To The Book” performed by Dead Can Dance.“Koran” performed by Delirium.

In the previous passage, verses 21-28, the direction of movement was out. Here, it is in - from the synagogue (representing Judaism of the diaspora) to the “house” of Simon (representing the temple, thus the Judaism of Jerusalem).  And in that house, Jesus does exactly what he had done to the demon-possessed man - he brings healing through the gospel. This parallel is meant to show that the Jews in Jerusalem are in no different a position than those in diaspora: both need the gospel. Join me in a discussion of Mark 1:28-34.Notes:2 Samuel 7:5-7Galatians 1:1, 15-16; 2:9εὐθὺς (evthys) - immediately οἶκος (oikos) - houseστῦλοι (styli) - pillars δοκέo (dokeio) - to seem, to appear soπενθερὰ (penthera) - mother-in-lawhttps://www.ocabspress.org/new-testament-products/vol-41-mark-part-1“Rumeta” performed by 3rd Eye Girl.Photo by Tim Mossholder: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-and-white-concrete-building-3690734/

In the Antiochian Orthodox Church, St. Raphael of Brooklyn is commemorated on the first Saturday in November. At Divine Liturgy, the assigned readings are from the gospel of John and from the epistle to Hebrews. In Chapter 10 of John, Jesus speaks of himself as the good shepherd, the one whose voice the sheep hear when he calls them by name and leads them out. The emphasis on his leading them out reflects a scriptural motif. God takes his people out of Egypt to lead them into Canaan; in between the two is a 40-year period of instruction and testing in the wilderness. It is through obedience to that instruction, to the words that proceed out of the mouth of God, that the people are promised life.Our understanding of the text in John chapter 10:3 in which the Shepherd first leads his sheep out hinges on the meaning of the Greek term αὐλή, which is translated as “sheepfold.” Later in John chapter 18, the same word is translated as “courtyard,” and is thus associated with the temple. Jesus leads his sheep out of the earthly Jerusalem, represented by the temple, into a place of pasture. And along with others which are not of this fold, he leads them to the temple in the Jerusalem above.  In her commemoration of hierarchs, such as St. Raphael, the Church applies this aspect of shepherding to them.Notes:Ezekiel 34:23-24John 10:1-3; 9-16; 18:15Hebrews 7:26-28; 8:1-2αὐλή aulé - sheepfold, courtyard Icon by the hand of Diana Voyajalou.Troparion and Kontakion are performed by *Ncense.

Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets. In Chapter 3 of Galatians, St. Paul teaches an understanding of Christ that begins with the Pentateuch (the Books of Moses), via the story of Abraham, and goes ⅔ the way through the last scroll of the Latter Prophets, via Habakkuk. He literally “begins with Moses and all the Prophets” to explain all the things in Scripture concerning Jesus Christ. At the conclusion of the Gospel of Luke (24:26), Jesus does precisely the same for his disciples. Notes:Luke 24:25-26, 35, 39, 44-47, 52Galatians 2:16; 3:11Insight into the significance of “Emmaus” in Scripture is courtesy of Fr. Paul Nadim Tarazi’s Introduction to the New Testament Vol. 2: Luke and Acts (SVS Press, 2000).Original music composed and performed by Raphael Shaheen. 

You Don’t Find God. He Finds You.In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus enters Capernaum, a place whose name means “village of grace.” Scripturally, Jesus is bringing the news of the gospel to the people in that city as a gift. He goes into the synagogue, the place where the Jews of the diaspora gather to be taught, on the Sabbath, the day for that purpose. It is there that Jesus cleanses a man with an unclean spirit with a word of command. When it says he “entered” the synagogue, the stress is on the fact that grace is coming to them from outside. The gospel does not come from them, but it is unto them. This parallels the movement in Exodus where the children of Israel receive the Torah as a gift and are commanded to follow the voice of the Lord by keeping his statutes, in the wilderness. In Scripture, we don’t find God in a temple; rather, he leaves his abode in the heavens and comes to us through the word he puts into the mouth of his prophet.   Join me as we continue our reading through the Gospel of Mark.Notes:John 16:27, 28, 30εἰσέρχομαι eiserchomai - to come into, to enter in, or go through ἐξέρχομαι exerchomai - to go out ofיצא yatsa’ - to go out ofεὐθὺς evthys - immediately ἐξουσίαν exousian - authority ὑπακούω hupakouó - to obeyὁρίζω horizó - to declare Photo by hanabi dae.“Hallucination Rain” and “The Exodus Has Begun” courtesy of NPG Vandals.

A Light To The Nations - Bonus Episode The Seed Of Instruction. In the Bible, biological reproduction is simply a given, and not a matter of concern. What the Bible emphasizes is progeny through instruction, which it presents using the terminology of biological reproduction - see for example the Parable of the Sower from Mark ch. 4, Luke ch. 8, and Matthew ch. 13. This emphasis is underscored in the passage of Phillip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts. A total outsder with no chance of progeny happens to be reading Isaiah 53, a text in which we hear that the servant of the Lord offers up himself; in doing so he “sees his seed,” and “prolongs his days.” With this episode, we take a break from our reading through Mark to we look at passages about the Apostle Phillip the Deacon from Acts chapter 8. This apostle with a Greek name (same as the father of Alexander of Macedon) preaches to and baptizes Samaritans; and he is led by the Spirit to the farthest, most outlying areas where there is little or no chance for life - except that which the Gospel offers.See my companion article on Substack.Hear the related sermon on Luke’s Parable of the Sower on YouTube.NotesIsaiah 53:10Luke 8:5-15Acts 6:1-6; 17Original music composed and performed by Raphael Shaheen.Photo by MART  PRODUCTION: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photograph-of-a-man-reading-a-bible-7218329/

In this passage we hear about Jesus passing by the Sea of Galilee and calling two sets of brothers. First, we encounter “Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon.”  It is said that they were “casting a net” for they were fishermen. Mark’s use of the verb ἀμφιβάλλοντας is important to note here. Ballo by itself means to throw; the prefix amphi adds the sense of “around” or “on both sides.” Although there is no direct object, English translators supply “their nets” since that’s the implication. But hearing it in Greek, it sounds like they were “casting” or “throwing back and forth,” as in “vacillating,” “tergiversating.” Join me in a discussion of Mark 1:16-20.Notes:βάλλω ballo - to throw, cast, put, place Joshua 7:1Mark 8:33; 14:29John 10:12-13Galatians 2:9; 11; 12-13; 4:26Photo by Erik Mclean: https://www.pexels.com/photo/out-of-use-information-on-petrol-dispenser-11058870/“Thirteen and 1/4” and “Ten and 1/2” performed by Madhouse.

Bonus Episode - A Test Case.The value of the story in the gospel of John about Thomas’ doubt is that it’s an opportunity for teaching. The gospel proclamation comes to us in a word. We know that Jesus has been raised from the dead because it has been preached to us by the apostle. When we accept it, we do so based solely on the word of preaching. It is our sole reference. The gospel comes to us through this particular venue, which is according to Scripture, and when we submit to it we get the package deal. We accept not only it, but also the way it is communicated to us. We can’t say we accept the preaching and then look for other venues to support what we heard.In this episode, we look at the story of Thomas’ disbelief in John Chapter 20 as a testing ground for Jesus’ teaching in John Chapter 5. “Run Amok” and “A Couple of Miles” performed by The Flesh.

In Mark 1:14, John the Baptist is dismissed from the narrative with a reference to his being arrested. Mark mentions the arrest to close the preaching of John; he wants to move on to his real topic of interest: Jesus and the heralding of the gospel. When he introduced John in verse 4, he omitted the term “gospel,” suggesting that he is reserving it exclusively for the one who is coming after John, that is, Jesus.Mark will come back to John and tell us the circumstances surrounding his arrest and eventual death, but even then it’s not for the purpose of advancing the narrative. John is only functional in the gospel in how he relates to Jesus, who is the content of the gospel. John is the forerunner. What he says may be the same as what Jesus says - and, later, Matthew will underscore this by making the words of Jesus correspond to the words of John verbatim - but in the gospel of Mark, the sole reference is Jesus, the Christ. For him, Jesus is the gospel.  Notes:Jeremiah 40:12; 44:28Mark 6:30Galatians 1:11-12Ephesians 4:20κηρύσσων (kérussó) - to herald, proclaim λέγων  (legò) - to say, to speakκαιρὸς (kairos) - timeχρόνος (chronos) - time μετανοέω (metanoeó) - to repent, to change one’s mind שׁוּב - to return πιστεύω (pisteuó) - to believe, to trust Tarazi, Paul Nadim: New Testament An Introduction vol. 4 - Matthew and the Canon (SVS Press, 2009)“Sing A New Song Unto Me” performed by Raphael Shaheen.“Funky” performed by Miles Davis and Prince.Photo: Religion Picket On Street.

In this episode we continue our reading of the Gospel of Mark, covering Chapter 1:9-14. Although Mark had introduced his work as the Gospel of Jesus, calling him “the Christ” and “the Son of God” he qualifies both of these titles, which are parallel, by the phrase, as it is written in the prophets. Mark is telling his hearers that they cannot understand Jesus as Christ/Son of God, in just any old way, but exclusively according to Scripture, and specifically its second part, the prophets. And Mark uses both Isaiah and Ezekiel as his touchstones. Mark’s expression that Jesus “comes from Nazareth of Galilee,” as well as his mention of Jordan as the location of Jesus’ baptism connects Jesus, via Isaiah, to the mission to the Gentiles. In Mark, Jesus as a teacher, the use of parables to teach, and the title Son of Man are all connected in that they have their source in Ezekiel. Notes:Isaiah 1:9ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον - he was speaking to them the word Mark 3:7Ezekiel 1:1Mark 4:33-34ἐγένετο - it came to pass, it happened ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις - in those days Mark 13:24-27ἀγαπητός - beloved εὐθὺς - straightway, immediately εὐθείας - straightרוּחַ - spiritEzekiel 1:7, 12“Sing A New Song Unto Me” performed by Raphael Shaheen.“Voodoo Who” performed by The Flesh.Photo by Ron Lach : https://www.pexels.com/photo/orthodox-icon-of-jesus-christ-baptism-scene-10619928/

In Matthew 17, a boy’s father brings him to Jesus’ disciples to be healed but they cannot do it. Since the man is “from the multitude”, that is a Gentile, his son may be said to represent the second generation of the ekklesia, the Church, the primary addresses of Matthew’s Gospel. This story depicts the Gentiles in need of healing (the gospel), but prevented from hearing it because of the disciples’ “little faith.” Matthew is intentional in his word choice, changing Mark’s “having a mute spirit” to “an epileptic,” which in Greek means literally “under the influence of the moon,” or “moonstruck.” In Scripture the first reference to the moon in the creation narrative says it is “for a sign.” Thus, as a sign, it is merely a pointer to something, and not itself the reference. Matthew’s use of “epileptic” suggests that, as a Gentile, the boy was under the control of the sign, but kept from accessing the thing he really needed, which the sign merely points to: the preaching unto repentance.Join me in a discussion of Matthew 17:14-23. *Note that the next episode will continue our reading through the Gospel of Mark. Stay tuned!Notes:Genesis 1:14Galatians 1:11-12Matthew 12:38-39; 16:1, 4; 28:18-20κατ’ἰδίαν (kat’idian) - apart, by themselves, privatelyκατεγνωσμένος (kategnosmenos) - fully condemnedσεληνιάζεται (selēniazetai) - epileptic, literally under the influence of the moon; moonstruck אוֹת (ōth) - sign, miracle; Greek σημεῖον (sēmeion)προσευχῇ (proseuchē) - praying, prayer, place of prayerPhoto by Joonas kääriäinen: https://www.pexels.com/photo/clouds-under-full-moon-239107/“Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Book” performed by Dead Can Dance.

In Scripture, God’s people don’t come to him, but he comes to them via the word that he puts into the mouth of his prophets. In Mark, John the Baptist follows this Scriptural pattern by beginning his ministry outside of Judea and Jerusalem. In other words, God appears in the wilderness and his people meet him there by hearing and accepting his words via what is preached by the one he sent, who is John. Mark also tells us they “were baptized by him in the River Jordan confessing their sins” (1:5). In Scripture the Jordan represents the line of demarcation between on the one hand, the wilderness and on the other, Canaan, the land of milk and honey. After being delivered from Egypt, the sons of Israel crossed the Red Sea; before entering Canaan, they passed through the Jordan. Thus, in the gospels, baptism is associated with the Jordan, since after entering Cannan, the Israelites sinned and were cast out again into the wilderness of Babylon. This “second” crossing, as it were, of the Jordan via baptism is like acknowledgment of that sin; and their being washed via the prophetic word of John leads them not into Canaan, but into the Kingdom of God, the Jerusalem above (see Galatians 4:26). But why is John’s food said to be locusts and (wild) honey? Mark’s reference is Scriptural, specifically to the prophets Joel (1:4) and Ezekiel (3:1-3).Join me as we continue working our way through the Gospel of Mark, 1:4-8.“Brand New Orleans” performed by Prince.

Many biblical scholars consider Mark to be the earliest production among the four gospels. Unlike Luke and Matthew, Mark contains no infancy narrative of Jesus. And compared to the other three, there is little by way of a post-resurrection appearance. What is there (Mark 16:8-20) seems to be compiled from the accounts in the other gospels; moreover, these verses are not found in the earliest manuscripts. When one considers how, for centuries, Jesus’ nativity and resurrection have been the main foci of Christian theology, the virtual absence of both in Mark, the first written gospel, is striking. In Mark, we are left to deal with Jesus first and foremost as teacher. The concern isn’t so much who Jesus is as what he says. Still, who he is matters. and Mark addresses it in the opening verse of his gospel scripturally, having no need to resort to philosophy or theology: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as it it written in the prophets.”With this episode, A Light To The Nations begins an exclusive focus on the Gospel of Mark. Every two weeks we will hear the text and discuss its content, particularly the terminology in the original Greek. Join me today for The Beginning Of The Gospel (Episode 58), and our discussion of Mark 1:1-3.Notes:“Passing Clouds” performed by Roger Limb

What does Jesus mean when he says that, for those who are willing to accept it, John the Forerunner “is the Elijah to come”? How does John function as Elijah in the Gospels? In this episode we discuss the text that is heard in the Orthodox Church on the Nativity of the Forerunner, in which John is said to go before the Lord “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17).Koran performed by Delerium.Photo by Brett Jordan: https://www.pexels.com/photo/page-of-book-of-malachi-in-bible-20764514/

The Scriptural God has no representative statue, no temple and no earthly city. As such, he is unique among other deities of the ancient near east; they are made by the hands of men, they reside in temples made of stone, set in fortified cities and governed by a king who, like the statue, is the representative of the deity, his plenipotentiary on earth. By comparison, the Scriptural God seems like an anti-god. He is present among his people exclusively through his word of instruction, his Torah.The heaviness, the weight of this God is to be found not in a statue, but rather in his statutes. References כְּב֣וֹד - ke-bowd - δόξης (Greek) glory; weight, heavinessὑποστάσεως - hypostasis - substance; something that stands under or supports something χαρακτὴρ - charaktēr - a graver, character, imprint, or expression Exodus 13:21-22; 16:10Isaiah 53:6-12Mark 14:36Philippians 2:5-10Hebrews 1:1-4, 13 7:28; 8:1; 10:12; 12:1-2Brand New Orleans performed by Prince.Photo by Sidorela Shehaj: https://www.pexels.com/photo/low-angle-shot-of-an-athena-statue-under-a-cloudy-sky-14458428/

Have You Anything Here To Eat?This episode is the audio of a sermon given on the Feast of Annunciation. The prescribed texts for the feast are Acts 1:1-12 and Luke 24:36-53. In the New Testament, table fellowship (koinonia) between Jews and non-Jews is an expression of the oneness of the Gospel. Peter was taught in Acts 10 that he must not call “common” what God has cleansed, and Jesus continued to teach that to his disciples until he was taken up into Heaven. The dietary differences between Jews and Gentiles didn’t matter because the food itself was secondary. The word of teaching cleansed what was considered common. In the table fellowship, the breaking of the bread, Jesus taught his disciples that the real food is the bread of instruction proceeding from his mouth. References Acts 10Luke 24:41 - ἀπὸ τῆς χαρᾶς (“falling away from the joy”)John 10:16Mark 16:19“Fortune Presents Gifts Not According To The Book” performed by Dead Can Dance.“Koran” performed by Delerium.Photo by Mizuno K: https://www.pexels.com/photo/men-with-coffee-13335452/

Harmonizing the Narrative is a Betrayal of the Text.The Church considers the complete and necessary depiction of Jesus to be that which is drawn out of all four gospels. Rather than assuming a harmonized narrative that each one gives some little glimpse into, the Church has always affirmed the full authority, and thus the necessity, of all four. This is apparent in Church’s use of similar but different stories involving a woman anointing Jesus. Elements of Luke 6 are used in the hymnography to shed light on the Gospel reading from Matthew 26 on Wednesday in Holy Week. Join me in a discussion of the texts from Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 7 and John 12.“Fortune Presents Gifts Not According To The Book” performed by Dead Can Dance. Hymn of Kassiani chanted in Byzantine Tone 8 by the Very Rev. Fr. George Shaheen (of blessed memory).