CADRE Comments

Introductory note from Jason Pratt: see here for the previous entry; and see here for the first entry of the series. (It explains what I'm doing, and how, and contains the Johannine prologue.) Blind Sheep, Blind Shepherds, and the Door of Life Now (says the Evangelist, telling of something several months later), the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles (early-to-mid autumn) was near. So the brothers of Jesus said to Him: "Leave here and go into Judea, so your disciples (there) may also behold your works which you are doing. For no one does anything in hiding when he is seeking publicity--if you are doing these things, reveal yourself to the world!" For not even His brothers were trusting Him (to know what He was doing). Jesus therefore said to them, "This is not My season yet; but the season for you is always here. The world cannot hate you; but it hates Me, because I testify about it that its acts are evil. "Go up to the feast yourselves; I am not going up to this fe...

Introductory note from Jason Pratt: see here for the previous entry; and see here for the first entry of the series. (It explains what I'm doing, and how, and contains the Johannine prologue.) This 'chapter' runs rather long, for obvious reasons so I've broken it into two entries. Scripture refs for both parts are given together at the end of this entry. The King Declares the Kingdom (Part 2 of 2) "Beware of doing your fair-togetherness in front of people to be noticed by them; otherwise, surely you have no reward with your Father in the heavens! "Therefore, when you do an act of charity, you should not sound a trumpet in front of you!--the way that hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by people. Truly I tell you: this is all the reward they will have! "But when you do charity, do not even let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your alms (the money given in charity) may be in hiding; and yo...

Introductory note from Jason Pratt: see here for the previous entry; and see here for the first entry of the series. (It explains what I'm doing, and how, and contains the Johannine prologue.) This 'chapter' runs rather long, so I've broken it into two entries. In essence, this is the first dramatic climax of the whole story: it explains how and why some (though not yet all) teachers first seriously began to think that Jesus not only needed close watching but outright stopping--up to and including killing Him, somehow, if that's what it took. (It also synchs together a particular piece of shared Synoptic material with the first important speech in GosJohn, via a GosMatt link that scholars have long noticed has peculiarly Johannine characteristics.) There have been earlier places where keeping previous story elements in mind helped bring extra meaning and clarity to the current incidents; but this is the most important such situation up to now. Watch for Plotnotes...

Introductory note from Jason Pratt: see here for the previous entry; and see here for the first entry of the series. (It explains what I'm doing, and how, and contains the Johannine prologue.) Actions and Consequences Now it occurs (the Disciple and the Scholar and the Follower say), as Jesus is in one of the cities (of Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God and healing)... look! a man full of leprosy! Seeing Jesus, he falls on his face (apparently after having followed Jesus to a house where Jesus was staying), imploring Him: "Sir! If you are willing, you can make me clean!" Moved with compassion, and reaching out His hand, Jesus touches him, saying: "I am willing! Be cleansed!" And the leprosy went straight away from him, at His saying this; and he was made clean. Yet, growling under His breath, Jesus strictly charges the man: "Look here! You may not say anything of this to anyone! Now go, show yourself to the (local) priest, and bring for your cleansin...

Introductory note from Jason Pratt: see here for the previous entry; and see here for the first entry of the series. (It explains what I'm doing, and how, and contains the Johannine prologue.) The next several 'chapters' are relatively short, but also footnote heavy; so watch for indications where I've left notes in the comments that I thought would be unwieldy to mention within the narrative. Also, since some of the chapters are long enough that I'll want to break them into two parts, I'm taking the opportunity to consolidate some short chapters here. First Disciples The next day (says the Evangelist), John (the Baptist) again was standing with two of his disciples (one of whom remains unnamed); and seeing Jesus as He walked (passing nearby), he says: "Behold! The Lamb of God!" Now the two disciples, hearing him say this, follow after Jesus. Jesus, turning and having seen them as they follow, is saying to them: "What are you seeking?" They...

Introductory note from Jason Pratt: see here for the previous entry; and see here for the first entry of the series. (It explains what I'm doing, and how, and contains the Johannine prologue.) Dinners and Proposals (7 and 6 days until the end...) Now entering Jericho (says the Scholar, on the way westward to Jerusalem), He was passing through. And look!--a man whose name is called Zaccheus, and he was chief of tax collectors (for the area) and he was rich! Yet he sought to see who Jesus is, and was not able for the crowd, for he was short in height. [Plotnote: also indicating that the crowd had no respect for him, despite (or because!) of his position in the community.] Now running on ahead, he climbed up on a mulberry-fig, in order to see Him, seeing that He would be passing through that way. [Plotnote: a relatively short tree with very thick foliage; Zaccheus is trying to hide from being seen by the crowd, so that he will not be mocked by them. Moreover, this probably takes pla...

Introductory note from Jason Pratt: see here for the previous entry; and see here for the first entry of the series. (It explains what I'm doing, and how, and contains the Johannine prologue.) The Sending Through the Kingdom Now after these things (says the Scholar, taking the lead for this part of the tale), the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them two by two ahead of Him ('before His face') to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. [See second comment below for a footnote here.] And He was saying to them (similar instructions to how He had sent out the Twelve the year before): "The harvest indeed is vast! Yet, the workers are few. So, earnestly ask the Lord of the harvest, that He should be rapidly sending out workers into His harvest! "Go! See!--I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves! "Carry no purse, nor bag (for they are not beggars), nor even sandals--and greet no one along the way! [See third comment below for a footn...

Introductory note from Jason Pratt: see here for the previous entry; and see here for the first entry of the series. (It explains what I'm doing, and how, and contains the Johannine prologue.) The Salting In Capernaum Now from there (the mountain country near Caesarea Philippi, where the Transfiguration occurred), they went out and began to pass through Galilee; but He was unwilling for anyone to know about it. And while they were conspiring into Galilee, Jesus said to them: "The Son of Man will soon be given up into the hands of men; and they will kill Him; but when He has been killed, then on the third day He will be raised up." [See first comment below for a footnote here.] But this word they did not understand; and they feared to ask Him of it--and were deeply grieved. ....... Now they came into Capernaum. And when they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the double-drachma came to Peter and said, "Does your Rabbi not pay the double-drachma?” (i.e. the t...