The Bible as Literature

Once you hear the biblical text and understand that the Bible satirizes and dismantles the arrogance and foolishness of war, political schemes, government powers, and the absurdity of any ruling authority, you can’t hear the Old Testament without bursting into laughter, the way that God laughs at us. The gift of biblical satire—with all its fury—is true freedom from the historical tyranny of the hell that surrounds us. Thank God that God judges and condemns us in the Bible. Only a monster would bless the monsters we are: men and women who do such monstrous things in his name, using his book, which lays out the epic parables of our monstrous forbears, whose legacy we are so desperate to manifest as our “new” destiny in West Asia. I challenge all of you to find one inch of Western society that hasn’t been coopted, sold, or sold itself out to slogans or navel-gazing. “What does it really mean that anyone can buy and sell activist discourse? Besides the trivialization of real issues…it is unclear who has claim to and who is profiting from this commodification. Think about all of the BLM merch sold on the website Etsy.com. On this site, anyone who makes anything can sell it. That being said, it is hard to know exactly who you are buying from on this site and where the money is going. I clicked on one seller with the username thewomenstore and saw that next to a shirt that read “Black Lives Matter” was a shirt that read “Tequila is Gluten Free.” … Are these phrases, priced the same, equally as important? Did this seller simply add a Black Lives Matter shirt to her collection because she knew it would sell?” — jaenichelle, Blavity.comThere are signs of hope, always, but we can count on our Western institutions to fight against them in the name of the almighty dollar. After all, our institutions were established by David and administered by Absalom. Ah, yes, “A student is not above his teacher.”This week, I discuss Luke 6:39-40.Show Notesע-ו-ר (ʿayin-waw-resh) / ع-و-ر (ʿayn-waw-ra)In Arabic, the word أَعْوَر ( ’a‘war) means “one-eyed” or “having one eye.” עִוֵּר corresponds to τυφλός in Luke 6:39, which also appears in Romans 2:19. פ-ח-ת (pe-ḥet-taw)פַּ֫חַת—pit; ravineThe corresponding term βόθυνος (bothynos) does not appear in the New Testament, except in some Greek manuscripts where it onlyappears in Luke 6:39. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Why is there violence in the Bible?Why did the authors of Deuteronomy present parables of genocide? Why did the gospel writers posit a story about tribal, religious, and political betrayals, acts of treason, and violent acts by the hand of God? Why do both Testaments deal with war, cruelty, violence, and the threat of God's wrath? The New Testament is not new in its content. It is the same old content directed at a new audience.The Bible is not a bunch of broken fragments from different writers patched together arbitrarily. This is a boring orientalist theory invented by German colonial scholars that nobody who knows what they are talking about takes seriously anymore.J,E,D,P,Q. The last one is my favorite. If you can't find the source, there must be an all-powerful imaginary source called “Q.” It was such an excellent idea that Gene Roddenberry named an entire race of fictional narcissistic deities “Q.” Good job, biblical scholarship! You're so “mystical.”For heaven's sake, pick up a copy of Tarazi and catch up.As inconvenient as it is for Westernized (Hellenized) Christians, Paul's teaching of grace—his repurposing of Roman gratia in submission to the teaching of the Cross—was a reapplication of Deuteronomy's literary wrath against Israel's sense of self-entitlement and self-importance. A redirection of God's judgment against the latest monsters to invade and occupy Mesopotamia. Deuteronomy was something like a “directed conversation” held indirectly with all parties in which God himself warns everyone, beginning with Israel:“The land belongs to me. It put you in, and I can talk you out. ”The New Testament repeats this warning to a new audience: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” (Deuteronomy 21:22-23; Galatians 3:13) This verse or “sign” is the novelty of the prophetic self-destruction of the Temple and of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and its sign is clear: the Emperor has no clothes.I wish Congress understood Deuteronomy. But how could they? Even Western scholars, let alone the clergy, don’t get it.“Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear.” (Deuteronomy 29:4)Remember, the writers of the Torah, who wrote under the pen name “Moses,” were something akin to disillusioned and disaffected State Department employees.So why did Scripture deal with violence head-on, placing all violence in the hands of the unseen and indepictable God? Let me count the ways for you. For all of you “evolved” and “enlightened” Westerners.The following are notable genocides and massacres committed by invaders against occupied populations, starting from the Mesopotamian era through the Greek and Roman periods.Conquest of Sumerian City-States by Sargon of Akkad (2334–2279 BC)Gutian Invasion and Destruction of Akkad (2150 BC)Destruction of Ur by the Elamites and Amorites (2004 BC)Destruction of Mari by Hammurabi (1761 BC)Destruction of Babylon by the Hittites (1595 BC)Elamite Conquest of Babylon (1155 BC)Assyrian Destruction of Susa (647 BC)Destruction of Babylon by Assyrians (689 BC)Persian Conquest of Elam (540 BC)Destruction of Thebes (335 BC)Siege of Tyre (332 BC)Destruction of Carthage (146 BC)Massacre of the Lusitanians (150 BC)Gallic Wars (58–50 BC)If you want to get a sense of the cruelty and horror of each of these events, read Deuteronomy!“NOTHING CHANGES UNDER THE SUN.” 🍉This week, I discuss Luke 6:38.Show NotesThe triliteral root for the Hebrew word מִדָּה (middah) is מ-ד-ד (mem-dalet-dalet), which generally relates to the concept of measuring or measuring out. It corresponds to μέτρον in Luke 6:38. Its various uses can function as measures, portions, or the act of measuring something. The corresponding root in Arabic is م-د-د (mīm-dāl-dāl). This root generally relates to extension, lengthening, or spreading. Words derived from this function can include مدّ (madda), meaning "to extend" or "to stretch out," and مِقدار (miqdār), meaning "measure" or "amount."Here are some common Arabic words derived from this function:مَدَّ (madda) - to extend, stretch, or lengthen.مَدّ (madd) - extension, lengthening, or a stretch.مِدَاد (midād) - ink (historically referred to the extension of writing).مُدَّة (mudda) - duration or period of time.مِقدار (miqdār) - amount, measure, or quantity.مَديد (madīd) - long or extended.مُتَمَدِّد (mutamaddid) - stretched out, lying down, or expanded.تَمْدِيد (tamdīd) - extension or prolongation.مَامُود (mamūd) - a well-known old term meaning praised or extended (rare usage).إِمْدَاد (imdād) - reinforcement, support, or supply.“You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement (מידה, middah) of weight, or capacity.” (Leviticus 19:35)The triliteral root for the Hebrew word נתן (natan) is נ-ת-נ (nun-tav-nun). This root generally means “to give” or “to grant.” It is used in various contexts to denote acts of giving, granting, or placing. It corresponds to the word δίδωμι in Luke 6:38.“Then God said, ‘Behold, I have given (נָתַתִּי, nāṯattī) you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you.’” (Genesis 1:29 ) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This week, Fr. Paul emphasizes that the hearing of scripture is a literary battleground where various traditions compete for control over its meaning. He critiques how translations like the Septuagint and later Christian adaptations have altered the original intent of the Hebrew consonantal text, arguing that figures such as Philo and Josephus Flavius laid the groundwork for this betrayal. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The word “آية” (āyah) in Arabic refers to a “verse” in Scripture. It can also mean a “sign” or “miracle.” Its root in Semitic is ء-ي-ي (hamza-ya-ya) or ء-ي-ن (hamza-ya-nun), depending on the classical derivation one follows.The equivalent of “آية” (āyah) in biblical Hebrew is אוֹת (’ot), which means “sign,” "proof," or “mark.”“And He said, ‘Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign אוֹת (’ot) to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.’” (Exodus 3:12)In Exodus, God himself spoke to Moses. The fact that God spoke is itself the sign, and Moses, in turn, is his sign—living proof of God's promise: “Certainly I will be with you, and you shall worship me.”“If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign (’ot), they may believe the witness of the last sign (’ot).” (Exodus 4:8)“But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply my signs (’otot) and my wonders in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 7:3)In Exodus, Moses is living, functional proof that God himself has spoken. Moses is the ’ot elohim, the “آية الله” (āyat allāh), the “sign of God,” the ”proof of God” to Pharaoh.But as Moses confirms in Deuteronomy, the signs in Exodus are not the miracles and wonders themselves, but rather, the verses that carry them, the āyāt that record what God has spoken. These verses serve as the true “signs,” the otot that carry God’s will and instruction to the people.In turn, all those who proclaim these verses—for example, Jesus in Luke’s Gospel—are judged by those who shun God. Yet, in fulfillment of God’s command, even Jesus would not judge them before the time. His only purpose was to give God’s signs as proof in anticipation of the one Judge whose Kingdom rules over all.This week, I discuss Luke 6:37.Show NotesThe word “āyāt” in Arabic is written as آيات. It is the plural form of “āyah” (آية), which means “verse” or “sign” and is commonly used to refer to the verses of the Abrahamic texts. “They have sold the proofs' of God at a cheap price and turned away from? His path; evil is what they did.” (Surah Al-Tawbah 9:9) ש-פ-ט (shin-fe-ṭet)To judge, to rule or govern, a judgment, to administer justice. Related to the function ש-ל-מ (mem-sheen-lamed), mashal—can signify a parable but also signifies ruling, judging, and making comparisons. It can also mean “to rule” or “to have dominion.” In Arabic م-ث-ل (mīm-thāʾ-lām) is “to resemble” or “to compare” مثل (mathal).ר-ש-ע (resh-shin-‘ayin) / ر-س-ع (rā-sīn-‘ayn)To be wicked, to act wickedly. A wicked person. In Arabic, رَسَعَ can mean looseness or slackness of limbs. From the Hadith of Ibn Amr ibn al-As: “بَكَى حَتَّى رَسَعَتْ عينُهُ” (baka hatta rasa‘at ‘aynu) “He cried until his eye changed, became damaged, or its eyelids stuck together.” The word رَسَعَتْ (rasa‘at) here means: 1. Changed or became altered, 2. Became damaged or corrupted, 3. The eyelids stuck together due to excessive crying. Ibn al-Athir al-Jazari. al-Nihāya fī Gharīb al-Hadīth wa-l-Athar. d. 1210, Arabic Lexicon. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

It’s difficult to be part of any relationship, at an individual or group level, without attempting to exert control. We rationalize to ourselves that we don’t want control, but it's not true. If you carefully examine your relationships in life, the level of control you attempt to exert is commensurate with your level of investment, which, in a culture of excess, precedes your commitment.In a Roman household, your level of commitment is not optional. If you are living under the pressure of your patron, you’re stuck. Whether you’re a family member or a slave, you must operate within the confines of the sheepfold in which you are found. That is your life. It’s not a question of what you choose or your level of commitment; you are committed. That’s what you do. It’s your job. Most people in the world, in day-to-day life, don’t have the opportunity to ask what entitled Americans ask. They don’t get to say, “I wonder what my purpose in life is,” or, “What is my dream job?” They just get a job if they’re fortunate and are thankful to be able to do something that provides income so that they can live.So, if you are found in a Roman household, whatever your function or status, you are committed to do whatever you are committed to do. But if your patron has not been baptized by Paul, then your reference is not Christ; your reference is Caesar. This means that the favors your patron provides the sheepfold are not given freely. They come with a price.Even though you are fully committed and have no power over your station, you still have to earn your spot. There is an expectation that your family gods, your patrician, the broader neighborhood (the familia, or city block under your patrician), and more importantly, your chief god, the emperor, expect an offering from you in order for the grace of Caesar’s favor through his patrician to be maintained.But in the end, if you act correctly because you know that your gods, your father, or your neighbors are expected to act correctly or give you something in return, is that grace? Are you committed within the sheepfold, under God through Jesus Christ, or are you still somebody else’s slave?This week I discuss Luke 6:32-36.Show Notesח-נ-נ (ḥet-nun-nun) / ح-ن-ن (ḥāʾ-nūn-nūn)חָנַן (ḥanan): “to be gracious” or “to show favor”תְּחִנָּה (teḥinnah): “supplication” or “plea for grace”حَنَان (ḥanān): meaning “tenderness” or “compassion.”تحنّن (taḥannun): meaning “to show mercy” or “to act compassionately.”נָח (nun-ḥet) NoahIn Hebrew, נָח (nun-ḥet) refers to resting, settling, or being at rest.In Arabic, أَنَاخَ (’anāḫa) “he made camels kneel down”; مُنَاخ (munāḥ) “resting place of camels”. The triliteral ن-و-خ (nūn-wāw-khāʾ) is a different root, but related, according to Klein. This connection underscores biblical shepherdism. “But Noah נָח (nun-ḥet) found favor (חֵן, ḥēn) in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8)In this week’s podcast, Fr. Marc explains how Luke dismantles Rome’s system of gratia, highlighting three categories of “untouchables” in the American system, all related to control of the land. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This week, Fr. Paul examines later additions to biblical manuscripts, such as Greek breathing marks and the differentiation between uppercase and lowercase letters, which were not in the original texts. He criticizes poor translation choices, like rendering the Hebrew "yarash" as "possess" instead of "inherit." He also discusses Kamal Salibi’s original discovery that the Hebrew consonants for "raven" and "Arab" are identical, allowing for different interpretations. Salibi's work, which questioned specific translation choices, remains unresolved, emphasizing the need to hear the text consonantally and showing that the biblical text resists modern interpretive control and should be read on its own terms. (Episode 328) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

If you accept the Bedouin axiom, “The tree begins with a seed”, you have taken your first step to joining the human race; to accepting that pragmatism is the currency of facts. Admit to yourself that it’s a dog-eat-dog world and operate on that basis, or lie to yourself that you aspire to a higher ideal as you continue to operate in a dog-eat-dog fashion, with blinders on. In both cases, you are squarely under God’s judgment. In the second example, with the added charge, “bearing false witness.”Whether you console yourself with your fake ideals or justify your sins with the inevitability of pragmatism, the truth is, whatever men build, create or devise, no matter their intention, it ends in moral bankruptcy. System failure is coded in your DNA.This is why, by design, the sacrifice of Isaac confounds and mocks human ethics and morality.There is another Bedouin proverb, Habibi, that reflects the actual pragmatism of life, the fact of the anti-philosophical fate in which you are found:“The hand that gives is upper one.”The problem is not interpretation, absolutism, the constitution, authoritarianism, legality, or your ability to adapt to change. The problem is you. You are not and cannot be your own reference.Learn another saying, Habibi, from the first Bedouin:“God will provide for himself the lamb for the offering.” (Genesis 22:8)People misunderstand the admonition of Luke. Yes, you are commanded to offer the other cheek, but it is not yours to give in the first place, and it given under the pressure of his upper hand, because, as he said, you are wicked.It is he who found you in utter darkness. In his wrath he is testing you as one in time of battle. He is pressuring you. You are under his judgment, for the sake of his honor.It is not your enemy who strikes you, then you could bear it. It is him.“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11)This week I discuss Luke 6:29-31.Show Notes - ​נ-כ-ה (nun-kaf-he) / ​ن-ك-ه (nun-kaf-he)The Hebrew verb נָכָה (nakhah) means “to strike” or “to beat.”“Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating (מכה, makkeh) a Hebrew, one of his brethren.” (Exodus 2:11)“He went out the next day and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender, ‘Why are you striking (תכה, takkeh) your companion?’” ​ (Exodus 2:13)“Thus says the Lord, ‘By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, I will strike (נכה, nakkeh) the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and it will be turned to blood.’” (​Exodus 7:17)“He who strikes (מכה, makkeh) his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.” (Exodus 21:15)In Arabic, the root نَكَى (nakā) shares a similar meaning related to causing harm, injury or damage. The noun نِكَايَة(nikāyah) refers to “the inflicting of injury.” ​ن-ك-ه (nun-kaf-he) is rare in the Qur’an but appears in contexts related to harm or inflicting damage, particularly in warfare.نَكِيل (nakīl) – punishment, severe retribution. It often refers to a severe or exemplary punishment meant to serve as a deterrent or warning.نَكِيلًا (nakīlan) – severe punishment or retribution, often used in Quranic or formal contexts to describe intense chastisement.“Indeed, with us [for them] are shackles and burning fire. And food that chokes and a painful punishment. On the day the earth and the mountains will convulse, and the mountains will become a heap of sand pouring down. Indeed, we have sent to you a messenger as a witness upon you just as we sent to Pharaoh a messenger. But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger, so we seized him with a ruinous punishment (nakīlan).” (Surah Al-Muzzammil 73:12-16) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Am I humble?Am I arrogant?Am I pious?Am I blasphemous?Am I cruel?Am I kind?Who is the judge?Search me.Who can tell?There is only one who can tell.Any attempt to test, judge, discover, search, or discern is human folly. You can’t tell. You can’t even discover yourself. It’s a lost cause. Your best effort is to study (darash) God’s scroll, and in doing so, discover that it is God who studies you. Then there is a chance that you will be found wandering in your darkness (qoder), a chance that you will be found out, and then you will find hope.You will find God’s power in your fate (qadr) and reprieve from your mourning (qoder).If you have no control over your own fate, Habibi, why does it matter what others do? You yourself are not the judge. St. Paul will not even judge himself.There is only one judge. It’s not that you do not understand his words when they are fed to you; you just don’t like their taste in your ears.Why do you care what other people do?It’s because you want control. You want to own God. You want to keep him as your pet—at least, for starters. Your true aim is to become God.You want the throne.You want control.But you’re not the Shepherd, let alone the Divine “Emir” (أ-م-ر), his Father, who commanded his prophets “to speak” (א-מ-ר) the words that you can’t stomach:“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”This week I discuss Luke 6:27-28.My thanks to Matthew Cooper, the OCABS scholar who unlocked the inter-functionality of the Arabic word “emir” with the Hebrew verb “amar.” ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Subscribe: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2350896.rssAll of us, like Job, “go about in darkness (qoder), without comfort;” we “stand up in the assembly and cry for help.” (Job 30:28)That is what I did, under the cloud of darkness (qoder), in which God found me. I made a call, as I do each week in the assembly: you must do the work, in that state in which you have been found, because there is work to be done.This is your fate, Habibi.ק-ד-ר (Qof-Dalet-Resh)It is the same function in Arabic. The expression, laylat al-qadr (ليلة القدر), refers to the command of God given to his prophet at night: in the “night of [his] decree,” the “night of [his] power.” John Pearson was indeed attentive that night, and the result is The Slow Bible Study podcast.As fate challenges each of us, John challenges American individualism, urging his hearers to submit to Scripture as it was originally intended—through its ancient languages, in its historical setting. By stripping away interpretations and theologies, John emphasizes the Bible’s clear, uncompromising call to bow down before the Lord. His podcast confronts the pervasive egoism of American culture, encouraging us to hear and obey Scripture as God's command in the assembly, rather than our personal interpretations, reminding us that the Bible is a call to submission, not a prop for our self-justification.“In my distress, I cried to the Lord, and he answered me.” (Psalm 120:1)He who has ears to hear let him hear! I give you the premiere episode of The Slow Bible Study podcast. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

This week, Fr. Paul condemns the Masoretes for stamping vowels on the Hebrew consonantal text, arguing that it served as a method of control over the Bible and its later interpretation by theologians. He explains that this imposition corrupted the biblical dabar, twisting it into the Platonic logos of Greek philosophy, ultimately undermining the authority of the Torah.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, Fr. Paul asserts that the prophetic function, particularly within the clergy, is crucial for dismantling entrenched religious practices and ideologies that contradict the proposition of the biblical text.In a provocative analysis, Fr. Paul contends that the church’s fixation on orthodoxy has overshadowed the biblical emphasis on orthopraxy—right practice—as heard in Paul’s criticism of Peter for not “walking correctly” in Galatians. Fr. Paul challenges modern clergy to abandon the use of terms and practices not found in the Bible, arguing that they perpetuate a false security among believers, similar to the misguided faith in the temple criticized by Jeremiah or the misuse of scriptures such as the book of Joshua, currently unfolding in Gaza.Through this lens, the Fr. Paul calls for a radical disruption of the church’s understanding and proclamation of the the biblical text, urging clergy to submit to the prophetic command to dismantle and deconstruct the false logic and practices that have become entrenched in the life of the modern church. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

I am a fortunate man because when I hit my twenties, I was exposed to teachers who refused to give praise or express gratitude. These were people who took their cues from the cruelty and mercy of God in the Biblical text, and that’s how I’ve conducted my ministry as a priest.In recent years, it has become more difficult in the United States. Assailed by the angst of materialism and individualism, Americans push themselves further away from the cruelty of God’s mercy, desperately seeking comfort and answers to the pain that everyone feels inside their troubled hearts—a deep suburban sadness that leads to rage. We all want validation and approval; unfortunately, a commercial-industrial society that seeks to exploit you is eager to please.There is no shortage of false prophets ready to proclaim, “Good job, thank you, we appreciate you. Now please write us a check,” or “Thank you for your check. Thank you for your amazing efforts, you work so hard. Thank you for your beautiful chanting voice, Marc. Thank you for your financial support. Thank you for all you do.” But this is not love. It is not appreciation. It is exploitation. Such hubris quickly becomes: “Damn right. I did that.” But that is not what was written by the finger of God.When you are born, you are given a munificent gift of immeasurable value, for free. It did not come from you or your parents, and its only cost is measured at its moment of expiration, by the one who provides it. Instead of saying thank you for this free gift, we exploit it as though it is a business opportunity, against the will of him who gave it. “For,” Paul said, “We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” (1 Timothy 6:7) Yet, our exploitation of God has become institutionalized, not just in the churches but in our families, schools, and government.This is what has happened to us, and it has reached dystopian levels. One can actually hear people espouse beautiful values—whether in the name of Jesus Christ, the civil rights movement, or high-minded secular values—we hear them say beautiful words in Chicago (at the DNC), and observe the faithful swoon like evangelicals as they preach, when, in fact, what’s coming out of their mouths is transactional. It is evil. “All who trust in them are like them.” (Psalm 115:8)But for those who are being saved, who have accepted the comforting cruelty of the Cross, the admonition against laughter, wealth, and praise in Luke is a biblical sign of hope in these troubling and worrisome times. This week, I discuss Luke chapter 6:24–26. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

One way or another, people want to control what the teacher says and what the teacher does.They want control.Every relationship, no matter what people tell themselves, is about their power.They want to purchase God online, have him delivered to their door, and display him at parties as part of their collection.The most wicked phrase in the human lexicon in any language is “I love you.”It is a lie, Habibi.Human beings are liars. They are incapable of love.Every time you have preached about love, philosophized about love, mourned a person’s inability to love or be loved, you have accrued divine wrath against you.Do you really think all of this is about your love? Let’s be honest before God: I do not love you and you do not love me.After so many years of ministry, the vast majority of those for whom I have slaved want to control what I say and what I do under the pretext of love and how hard they work. Well, Habibi, I do not need your love. I have fallen into the inevitable, terrible, terrifying and unmanageable hands of the iconoclastic, invisible, and inexistent God.You can’t find him pleasuring himself with friends, or hanging out at comfy social gatherings with “loved” ones.He holds vigil with those who die alone, like little girls assailed by machine-gun fire in the back seats of cars, or suffocating alone, bleeding out in bombed hospital rooms.Does your post modern god exist? “What’s the point,” you ask, in your dystopian haze, as you plan “your life” for “your children”?God is definitely real, and it has nothing to do with you and your military industrial solipsistic white picket nonsense in the suburbs, which you call “love.”“We have to unite to save democracy.”No, dummies. You have to stop killing kids.The true God, the one whom you do not love, meets his children under the rubble.Under your boot.I became a priest to teach. I am not so arrogant as to imagine that I am capable of love.The only difference between you and me is that I admit it to myself and I tell you to your face, in his name, not mine.He is my God. In him do I trust.But people do not trust God or love him, let alone the priest because they come to church for the building. Their investment is with the building.The building is their future, not God. Their building is their hope, not the teaching. Their building is their white picket fence in the suburbs. In their mind, priests come and go, but the building abides forever.But that is not what the Good Book said: “There was silence, then I heard a voice:‘Can mankind be righteous before God?Can a man be pure before his Maker?If God places no trust in his slaves,if he charges his angels with error,how much more those who live in houses of clay,whose foundations are in the dust,who are crushed more readily than a moth!Between dawn and dusk they are broken to pieces;unnoticed, they perish forever.Are not the cords of their tent pulled up,so that they die without wisdom?’” (Job 4:16-21)This week’s episode is dedicated to the unearned love presented to me by God, a beloved wife of 25 years, who has been a steadfast companion in difficulties. She continues to support me, in her words, not because she loves me or because we are family, but because she believes in the content of what I teach. If only there were more people like you, Alla. You may be flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone, but I thank God every day that I did not make you. This week I discuss Luke 6:12-23. (Episode 530)The Destructive Power Of Motherly LoveBy Anthony Costello"One of the most chilling scenes in fiction is the portrayal of a mother named “Pam” in C.S. Lewis’ novel, The Great Divorce. In the story, Lewis envisions the eternal separation between heaven and hell, where we encounter a number of ghostly beings who are invited to visit heaven from what is presumably hell (or possibly purgatory). For a moment, these vapor-like specters are allowed to see the divine realm with their own “eyes.” These lost souls receive one final opportunity, a last chance, to choose God and eternal life. In the end, all but one of these visitors, when offered the full reality of the heavenly places and the divine light, reject the offer to stay there. Instead they opt out and return to hell. The return to hell is also a return to their own self-centered and self-created realities."[Read more] ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

When you hear someone say, “If we just stick together,” it is always spoken by an individual. In truth, this individual is saying, “If you just stick with me, I will provide an outcome, and ensure a benefit.”That mechanism—“stick with me and I will provide”—is, in fact, what St. Paul describes as the power of death. It is a threat. Stick with me or else.The use of the pronoun “we” cloaks death in the garment of connection. This threat is the same evil “we” that funds death while giving campaign speeches about "sticking together.”It is the anthem of fascism. Can you hear its song in your music? Never “go back” to what? You are already what you fear.There is no question that care for the flock is paramount in Scripture. Love of neighbor and table fellowship are the only matter at hand in the commandment. The problem is, who is the “I” of the matter, that you cloak with your idolatrous “we”?To whom does the flock pertain?Colonial scholars get caught up with the Twelve Tribes in the Old Testament...but “there is only one Shepherd in the Bible, which means one flock, no matter how many tribes you find.” (Dark Sayings, p. 84)That’s why the Scribes and the Pharisees were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus in Luke; that’s also why Jesus understood their intention. Not because he was a mind reader—but because reactionary, insecure people who believe in their own values and are willing to ignore human suffering to cling to power in defense of their fake “we” are easy to understand.You do not need a degree in psychology to predict their thoughts, let alone their next move.All you need do is emasculate them; liberate what they have bound up; and tear down down what they have built up.Nonviolently, with much love, and in a spirit of fellowship.You can’t do that in congress, Habibi. But you can do it in Scripture.This week, I discuss Luke 6:8-11. (Episode 529) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

There’s a riddle I’ve been working out as a pastor for many years. I’ve accepted the biblical premise that the gospel is not about growing churches or building temples. I’ve observed the scandal it creates in meetings and discussions with mission boards, parish councils, and planning committees.All of that makes sense as the institutional scandal of the crucifixion.What has been most eye-opening, or perhaps better stated, “ear-opening” for me, has been how it plays out in pastoral relationships. It all goes back to the Parable of the Sower in Mark.Everyone wants to be the plant that takes root and bears fruit. Unfortunately, all of us have to reconcile what it means scripturally to come face-to-face with a God who can’t be depicted. No matter how long it takes, the implications of this reconciliation are—in a very literal sense—life-shattering.Our human tendency is to attempt to contextualize this reconciliation in terms of human community, relationships, or personal connection, which we naturally understand in terms of loyalty—in other words—the way we understand family. If we just stick together, we rationalize, we can survive.But that’s not how it works in Scripture.I was doing a Bible study this week with a friend from the Jesuit community, a poet and teacher. We were hearing the Gospel of Mark while studying Fr. Paul’s commentary and looking at lexicography.I noticed something interesting in Mark with the use of the word “synagogue.” A similar pattern appears in Luke with respect to the problem of people gathering.Humans gather for security, fellowship, even for celebration, when we should be on the move—moving outside of the city wherever the teaching moves, away from human control.My daughter asked me this week if there was anyone I thought could be president of the United States who could stand up to the criticism of the Bible. I said, “no,” and quickly added, “I myself don’t stand up to this criticism.”I established a small mission church in my hometown with people I knew. As with most humans, everyone involved, including me, had good intentions.Still, like the government, it’s a human institution with all the same complications, difficulties, and corruption because it’s made up of human beings who want something other than what Jesus brings to the synagogue.The reason people don’t like it when the gospel dismantles their idols is that if they can’t believe in something—a system, a program, a nation, an idea, a hero—they can’t believe in themselves. So as long as you’re defending something—anything you judge worthy of being redeemed—you will never be able to encounter the inexistant, undepictable, indescribable, and incomprehensible God of Scripture, whose pass of entry demands that you have no other gods before him—least of all and last of all, yourself. I keep saying it, but none can hear it, because none are willing to believe it.If I say it nicely, you will praise my humility—shutting yourself out of the Kingdom. If I act it out, you will see what I am and condemn me—and then there is hope for both of us: because all will see that we who have gathered at church are no different than the prostitute and the thief.As Paul said, “because there is no difference; οὐ γάρ ἐστιν διαστολή” (Romans 3:22)We are the evil Americans.This week, I discuss Luke 6:6-7. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In The Republic, the Platonic school discusses the origin of the state and the nature of human justice, implying that necessity drives the creation of human invention.Years later, in 2024, Plato’s school produced Blue Anon and its twin cousin, the historical realization of President Camacho. They gave birth to a son, and they called his name Adenoid Hynkel. He appeared unto them as a guest speaker in the hallowed hall of Plato's democracy.But remained the scroll of Genesis, wherein (despite their ignorance of its unvocalized Semitic letters) the biblical text ridicules human invention, circumscribing the act of creation to a deity that cannot be depicted, described, or conceived of as an imaginary projection of the human mind.According to _Genesis_, a political gathering comprised of touching personal narratives is blasphemous because this God cannot appear in your stories. Likewise, your spin doctors are an affront to God—your powerful people who justify violence, propping up a Manchurian candidate—your city builders and storytellers, creatives who invent things out of the necessity of Plato's state.Their mother is your lust for survival.You know who they are in the original Star Wars universe, And if Obi-Wan were here, you know what he would say.“That is not the mother you are looking for.”Throughout the books of the Law, the God of Abraham utters ordinances and statutes with his promise of life, which is given part and parcel of the threat of the curse of the Law.In Ezekiel, the hearers of the Law come face to face with this teaching in exile.What does the Sabbath mean in the wilderness?What is the blessing of God’s curse?Why do Ezekiel, Leviticus, and Luke prescribe necessity as the mother, not of invention, but obligation?This week I discuss Luke 6:2-5.(Episode 527) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Things are never what they seem and your eyes can deceive you. Maybe that’s why Sesame Street was so important for so many of us growing up in the seventies.In 1968, Joan Ganz Cooney introduced the show with the teaching segment, “One of These Things.” Her work, set to music by Joe Raposo, conveyed a methodology for study and a life-saving template for correct behavior.“One of these things,” brothers and sisters, always and forever, is not like the others.Thank God for that; and thank God for Sesame Street, and the teachers of that era who gave a damn, made an effort and used their capacity to teach as many kids as possible (people they would never meet) the power of observation.Roots, Habibi, not fruits.“One of these things is not like the others.”Are these things different?How do these things fit together?Why do some things stand apart?Why do things appear as they do?Should these things be excluded because they are different?Are they different?‘Ayin-Bet-Resh‘Ayin-Resh-BetPlease, somebody, can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”This week, I discuss Luke 6:1.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

When you hear a parable on the lips of the Master, the worst thing you can possibly do is try to figure out what the parable means based on your understanding of the biblical narrative or narrative context.But people do this all the time. It’s been done on this podcast—and it’s wrong.The last thing any Bible student should do is try to figure out what the text is saying based on their knowledge.Take, for example, the parable of the wineskins in Luke. Typical explanations compare old and new covenants, which leads less discriminating disciples to compare old and new communities.Uhuh.You sound like teenagers evaluating their parents—because your premise is that you are new and improved, better than what came before you.Disgusting. Like those who bravely protested the Vietnam War in the sixties before growing up to become the apologists and suppliers for the Gaza Genocide.Western Values, habibi.Like I said, disgusting. Nothing new here—or anywhere else under the sun.You believe in this nonsense because you approach the biblical text in terms of your understanding of a narrative, which is no different than your theology. It’s the same thing—a god in your head—a statue you construct to elevate yourself above others as a reference.You and your “personal relationship” with a king you can manipulate control. You know, the Jesus that wants you to kill Palestinians. That one. The one you constructed in nineteenth-century Europe. Or was it much earlier? Why? Because you are like Hymenaeus and  Philetus—you need to be loved.So, you refuse to submit as a hearer of the Bible. Instead, you insist on reading it because when you read the Bible, you control what you process and make what you control the reference. According to Luke, when you do this, you become the old wineskin. You become the thing to be disregarded because you become the needy teacher.If you want to hear the riddle—the dark saying—and submit to the mashal of the old wineskin, you must first stop vying to be the teacher who needs to be loved. The key to the wineskin’s riddle is not your narrative; it’s the Bible’s terminology.This week, I discuss Luke 5:36–39.(Episode 525) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Institution and family (or tribe, or community, or friends, take your pick) are two sides of the same coin. Both mechanisms rely on ancient forms of currency to maintain control.The most obvious form of human currency is currency itself, money. But friends and family, just like big institutions and powerful kings, use other mechanisms of control to maintain what they perceive as wellbeing, safety, and security. The worst of these is violence—but the most insidious is the infamous “personal relationship.” The merchant class calls it “networking.” Sociologists refer to it as “reciprocity.” That’s why Christians love to boast about their “personal relationship” with Jesus Christ. What their theology proclaims is a less than mystical obsession, not with love, but their own self-importance They want to be insiders. They want influence over the crown. Lonely Americans want to be the mother, brother, or sister that Jesus turns away in Luke 8. (Luke 8:21) They want to be his insider. His Peter. They want to be the guarantors of security.But security for whom? Much later, in John (21:17), Jesus warns his betrayer, “I’m not interested in your love. I'm interested in the work.”The educated class in the United States is easily fooled by Western imperialism, because they have been groomed from a young age to believe in themselves, their lives, their feelings, and the centrality of their relationships.They are incapable of hearing Scripture, which is not about their feelings and has no interest in their personal lives. The God of Scripture is neither relatable nor relational. He is instructional.“Do this and you shall live.” (Luke 10:28)That’s good news for the poor. However, for the well meaning colonial, it is confusing. They need their tyrant to be a “decent man who cares deeply” about the people of Gaza, while funding and supplying Gaza’s extermination. How else could they feel good about living out their lies?  It is not complex. You are self-righteous.  Shall I pause, now, for you to extrospect? You sound like Tobit, habibi. A well-meaning, upstanding, almsgiving do-gooder who complains to God, “I have had to listen to undeserved insults.”Yes, Tobit. Yes. You blind fool! God is insulting you: because the Bridegroom did not come to call “Tobit the Righteous” to repentance. Father Marc discusses Luke 5:34-35 (Episode 524)  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What is self-righteousness? You hear the command of God, and refuse to introspect. You do not, as Paul teaches, “look to yourself.” You look to others. You gossip. You nitpick. You complain. You find fault. You do everything under the sun but consider the one thing that is needful in God’s eyes:The most likely possibility. That you, oh man (or woman)—I mean, let’s be generous—oh bipedal humanoid earth mammal—you, and nobody else but you, are the problem. But you do not consider this. You do not introspect. So when the voice of the Lord touches your heart, you “extrospect.” You observe and consider the external world and external things. What a lovely capitalist you make. You are the perfect fit for judging others, for giving your opinion: for shopping, and critiquing what people do, how they talk, how they conduct their affairs, even how they look. Extrospection is just another word for playing God—playing Judge. To borrow and bend a line from Captain America: “There’s only one God, ma’am, and I’m pretty sure he is not you.”Introspection, the extrospective theologian boasts, leads to prayer and fasting. Why? Because the extrospect worships the very control they seek through extrospection. So prayer, for the extrospect, is not submission. It’s AIPAC money. Fasting, for the extrospect, is not weakness. It’s a corporate PAC. I have bad news kids. God the Father is not for sale. Jesus is not Bernie Sanders. You’re not trying to fit into the system. And make things work.The good news is, he will not sell you out. The bad news is, he cannot be bought.This week, I’ll explore the Hebrew and Arabic functions that ground Luke’s use of the term deēseis in Luke 5:33. Passage:Οἱ δὲ εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτόν· Οἱ μαθηταὶ Ἰωάννου νηστεύουσιν πυκνὰ καὶ δεήσεις ποιοῦνται, ὁμοίως καὶ οἱ τῶν Φαρισαίων, οἱ δὲ σοὶ ἐσθίουσιν καὶ πίνουσιν. (Luke 5:33)And they said to him, “The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same, but yours eat and drink.” (Luke 5:33)Father Marc discusses Luke 5:33 (Episode 523)  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★