Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

I’m Jemima L Yeggs, a.k.a. Stinker.  Pink Lady Apple Yeggs, my landlady and my auntie, wants to read about how younger people, especially couples respond to what the Bible says.  And she wants to know how God is at work at Lily the Pink.

Mary, Arabella, and I were in our “green room.”

Stormie and Joan were already in the classroom playing with the other children.  I think Easy was watching them, hopefully with his eyes open.  Ethan was on the swooning couch having a snack from his mommy.

Arabella was fixing my hair, “You do realize most of what we are discussing has already been discussed, Aunt Jemima.”

I replied, “Arabella, repetition is important in learning.  And we are looking back, where before, we were looking forward.  There is something from an old story by Mark Twain that Easy always talks about when we are on our adventures.  It was one of Mark Twain’s books about travelling the Mississippi River.  The captain had the young Twain stand at the stern and look at where they had been.  Twain was bored silly, so he asked the captain why he was doing that.  The captain told him that he should be memorizing the path that the pilot takes.  The pilot knows where there are sand bars that must be avoided.  The steamboat could get stuck there for days.  If there were submerged stumps, the ship could be ripped apart and sunk.  It was the pilot’s job to know where safe water was.  The captain was having Twain memorize the route because he would pilot the steamboat on the way back down the river.”

Arabella grumbled, “Why does Uncle Easy talk about an old story about a steamboat on a river?  He just drives the Turtle.”

I turned to B.B., “B.B., my friend and companion on storm chases, how often do we go down country roads during a storm chase and then when we cut off the chase, Easy needs directions to get back to the main road?”

B.B. laughed, “No matter how many turns he makes to keep up with the storm or to avoid the storm, Easy can retrace his steps back the other direction.  It’s like his superpower or something.  But there were two times that he asked for directions.  I was a bit flustered.  For one, my emotions were in my throat since we had just chased a storm.  And for another, Easy never asked.  But those two times were when trees fell across the road after we passed by and we could not return the way we had come.  Of course, one big reason to return the way we came is to see if people need help.  Twice out of hundreds is a low percentage.  What do you think, Sinker?  Have you and easy chased at least two hundred storms?”

I shrugged, “Ask Easy.  I never thought of counting, but Easy has that analytical mind.  He probably has every storm memorized.”

Arabella sighed, “He is the husband of a good friend, but he’s a nerd.”

B.B. and I looked at each other.  “She lost the contest and started laughing first.”

Arabella held the door and bowed.

Mary gathered Ethan into her arms.

Rev. Joseph led us in prayer.

Emmett and the choir sang To Be with Jesus.

I asked, “Why that song?  Matthew does not talk about eternal life that much.”

Emmett laughed, “Oh?  You are putting me to the test? ‘Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.’ (Matthew 19:27-29).”

I smiled, “I did not say that Matthew never mentioned eternal life.”

Emmett smiled, “Okay, then how about this?  ‘Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.’ (Matthew 25:46).”

I snickered, “You are toying with me.  Why this song?”

Emmett laughed, “To Be with Jesus was written by Matthew West and a couple of other people not named Matthew.”

I laughed, “Matthew is going to take two weeks.  So, the following week you are going to do Mary, Did You Know?”

Emmett smiled, “Of course not, Aunt Jemima.  Now that you have mentioned it because it was written by Mark Lowry, it would not be a surprise.”

Samuel asked, “Where are we searching for Jesus today, Aunt Jemima?”

I smiled, “We are looking at the Gospel of Matthew.  Arabella, do you need Mr. Dictionary?”

Arabella nodded, “Aunt Jemima, this book and the next three are all about Jesus, just about every paragraph.  So, other than the usual Who, When, Where stuff, do we cover every verse?”

I asked, “Did I e-mail every verse?  No, we are covering the verses that Matthew quoted.  I hope to follow this series with a short series on the things that are unique in each Gospel.”

Easy said, “Are you done, Sweetie?  I haven’t started with the Who, When, Where stuff.  Arabella, ‘After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.’ (Luke 5:27-28). I know what you are going to say.  That is Levi, not Matthew.  In Matthew, it uses Matthew.  Many of the disciples have two names.  ‘As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.’ (Matthew 9:9).  Some think that he changed his name upon becoming a follower, like Simon becoming Simon Peter.  But it could be a matter of Jew versus Greek/Roman.  Saul becomes Paul as he starts his ministry among the Gentiles.  But among the disciples, the various lists interchange Thaddaeus with Judas, son of James.  Nathaniel is called Bartholomew.  So, Levi can be Matthew.  And before we dig much deeper, Matthew is the son of Alphaeus, and James the son of Alphaeus is obviously a son of Alphaeus.  But it never says they were brothers, half-brothers, or cousins.  It could be two different people named Alphaeus who had sons who were apostles.“

Arabella smiled, “Thank you, Mr. Dictionary.”

Dr. James (Matthew 1:23) “’The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).”

Dr. James Kildare said,”This is Matthew quoting Isaiah. ‘Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.’ (Isaiah 7:14).  King Ahaz claimed that he did not want to put God to the test, so Isaiah proclaimed this prophecy before him.”

Mags (Matthew 2:6) “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Mags said, “This is where the chief priest and the teachers of the law quoted Micah.  ‘But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.’ (Micah 5:2).  The Magi had lost sight of the star.  They asked King Herod.  And then once they found Jesus, they had a dream to go home by a different route.”

Mercy (Matthew 4:4) “Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’””

Mercedes said, “Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy. ‘He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.’ (Deuteronomy 8:3).  Jesus was being tempted by Satan.  Every time Satan would tempt Jesus, Jesus would quote Scripture.  I know that is the best way to tell Satan to take a hike, but I don’t know the Bible that well.”

I smiled, “Thank you, Mercy.  That is one of the reasons that we have this class.”

Arabella asked, “What are the other reasons, Aunt Jemima?”

I sighed, “I should have expected that comment.  Okay, Arabella, we have become a family of sorts.  Christian fellowship is important.  If one of us needs something…”

Arabella smiled, “We call you.”

I growled, “I was going to say that we can call each other.  Someone within this room might have the answer to the problem or the skills and time to help.”

Baldy said, “If your toilet is clogged, I’m your man.”

Arabella groaned, “I don’t want to think about that one.”

And Paddy said, “And some of us come here just to hear Arabella say something goofy.”

Arabella gritted her teeth, “I know where you live.”

Hannah, holding little Conor McCreary, said, “And so does everyone else in the room, Arabella.  The Gargoyle House is walking distance from your parents’ farm.  And you are all welcome any time.”

Sophie added, “And threatening a police officer is not a smart thing to do.”

Paddy laughed, “I did not take her comment as a threat.  I welcome Arabella.  She makes us laugh.”

I asked, “Can we get back to the class?”

Matthew Dykstra (Matthew 5:31) ‘“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’’

Matthew said, “I guess you chose me because my name is Matthew.”

I smiled, “No, Matt, a.k.a. Business Man.  You are Mercy’s significant other.  But it is a nice coincidence.  What about the verse?  Or are you dodging the question?”

Matt smiled, “I’m sorry, Aunt Jemima.  Jesus is expanding upon the Mosaic Law in the Sermon on the Mount.  He’s taking the Ten Commandments and applying an intent to them.  ‘If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the Lord. Do not bring sin upon the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.’ (Deuteronomy 24:1-4).  But that provision was given because we are sinful people. God never intended for marriage to be anything other than forever.  Thus, Jesus had just talked about adultery, and Jesus was about to talk about not giving an oath or vow unless absolutely necessary.  The three tie together.  When we marry, we make a solemn vow, and we should not break that vow.  And I really like the next verse in Deuteronomy 24, but since my codename is Business Man, I don’t know how it will work.”

I asked, “What’s the next verse?”

Matt said, “’If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married.’ (Deuteronomy 24:5).  You know, wake up and make your wife happy.  Have lunch and make your wife happy.  Have dinner and make your wife happy.”  Mercy had slid her hand over to his, and they nested their fingers.

Mags groaned, “Forget it, Matthew.  There are not enough oysters in the world to give you that kind of stamina.  For a whole year?!  Forget it.  Not in our spare bedroom.”

I quickly said, “Moving on.”

Madison Dykstra (Matthew 5:33) ‘“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’”

Maddie, a.k.a. Empath, said, “Just like my brother to steal my thunder.  This verse relates to three verses in the Old Testament, starting with Leviticus … ‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.’ (Leviticus 19:12).  And then, in Numbers… ‘When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.’ (Numbers 30:2).  And then in Deuteronomy…  ‘If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin.’ (Deuteronomy 23:21).  So, when your brother promises to wash the dishes so that you can talk to your boyfriend on a video chat, and then he forgets because he’s on the back porch, smooching with his girlfriend, then barring any lust going on, he sinned for not doing as he promised.  Right?”

Matt said, “I finally got around to washing them.”

Mike asked, “Which boyfriend?”

Maddie snickered, “You, silly, I only have one!”

Mercy asked, “Let me get this straight.  I was the girlfriend who was kissing you?”

Matt nodded, “Yes, Mercy, the one and only.”

Arabella asked, “Are there a couple of rooms handy?”

Mags said, “I think we need to move on to the next verses in Matthew.”

I nodded, “Great idea.  And the idea that Matt and Mercy are just casual friends…  Yikes!”

Mike Kildare (Matthew 5:35) “or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.”

Mike said, “This continues what Maddie was talking about. ‘This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?’ (Isaiah 66:1).  And then in Psalm 48… ‘Beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth, like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King.’ (Psalm 48:2).  People made a habit of swearing oaths to mountains and cities and such.  We should let our word stand alone.  If we always live up to our vows or promises, then we don’t have to swear to anything.  If we always deliver what we promise, they simply trust us without an oath.  But if we swear to anything, it’s not our thing.  The thing was created by God or made by man from things that God created.”

Fitzi Mitzi (Matthew 5:38) “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’”

Mitzi said, “Jesus is talking about justice and revenge.  But He is going to talk about Mercy.  Mosaic Law justice is in three books, at least.  Starting with Exodus 21.  “But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.’  (Exodus 21:23-25).  And then in Leviticus… ‘Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury.’ (Leviticus 24:19-20).  And then in Deuteronomy… ‘Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.’ (Deuteronomy 19:21).  These rules make sense, but they are equal.  There is some sense of justice there, but Jesus is saying that Mercy should prevail.  And the reason for that is that God gives us Mercy.  We should pass it on.  Right, Baldy?”

Baldy smiled, “I am here because of God’s Mercy.”

Mercy said, “I don’t mind everyone talking about Mercy.  My name is really Mercedes.  Just wanted to put that out there.”

Baldy (Matthew 7:23) ‘Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Baldy smiled, “This is not the only time that Jesus mentions turning away people who were not true disciples, but it has its origin in the Old Testament, ’Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping.’ (Psalm 6:8).  Was that okay, Aunt Jemima?”

I laughed, “Yes, Baldy, you did good.”

Dr. James said, “Can I say something, Jemima?  From Matthew’s verse through Baldy’s verse, we have been in the Sermon on the Mount.  I have heard a lot of sermons come from these three chapters of Matthew.  Most focus on Jesus having a ‘new revelation.’  But while some was a move from the act to the intent to do the act, a lot was already in the Old Testament.  The Greatest Commandment is really quoting Old Testament Scriptures.  The Israelites were supposed to be showing their neighbors how loving and welcoming God was, and even after Jesus ascended into Heaven, the Jews tried to make the Gentile believers into Jews.  We miss the point, to some extent, when we talk of Jesus changing things.  God does not change, but Jesus pointed everyone in the direction we should have been going all along.  What changed was His sacrifice.  Jesus paid the price necessary for the focus to switch from vengeful justice to mercy.”

Maddie asked, “Can I say something, Aunt Jemima?  What you said about us being a family.  Well, we are only part of this class because our new grandmother set us up with the Kildare’s kids for the wedding and we had enough dance lessons to get to know each other.  But our Dad wasn’t a good father until Grabbabs talked to him and he accepted Jesus.  If God didn’t have a part in Grabbabs coming here and Dad cleaning up his life, we probably wouldn’t be here.”

Mags smiled, “If I had not met Jesus back when I was drunk and stoned at the same time, I wouldn’t have saved my marriage, but even my past caught up with me.  My husband was murdered.  No telling where we would be if I had not gotten a job here and met Dr. Kildare.  So, all four of you children are here by the grace of God.  That’s why we are family.”

I said, “Thank you for the kind remarks, but Pink Lady had a little to do with all of that.  God uses us at times to shine His Light.  Let’s do two more.”

Fred (Matthew 9:13) “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Fred said, “This verse is almost the same as in Matthew 12. ‘If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.’ (Matthew 12:7).  That comes from Hosea. ‘For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.’ (Hosea 6:6).  And this was what Samuel said to Saul. ‘But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.’ (1 Samuel 15:22).  And this is when Samuel prophesied that the kingdom would be taken away from Saul and given to another.”

Wilma (Matthew 11:29) “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Wilma said, “And we can compare that to Jeremiah… ‘“This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’’ (Jeremiah 6:16).  And sometimes, I get so tired, but then I realize that I’m trying to do it on my own.”

Dr. Ellie said, “And when it comes to your homework and exams, it better be your work and not your boy toy helping you.  I am not saying anyone does that, just a reminder.  Asking God for help is wonderful.”

I muttered, “And I think Dr. Ellie might be speaking from experience of her wanton lifestyle as an undergrad.”

Dr. Ellie muttered, “Sure, but it is still good advice, and you are now a graduate assistant.  So, you’ve advanced from one side of the aisle to the other.”

Grannie Fannie (Galatians 1:3-5) “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Lauren ran up to Grannie Fannie and hugged her.  “Are you ready to drive us?”

Brooke said, “Stormie, church time!”

Stormie laughed and said, “Aunt Brooke.  Church!  Yay!”

Credits

The other three gospels have less quotations from the Old Testament, and some have already been discussed here, especially in the synoptic gospels.

The discussion about Mark Twain and piloting a steamboat along the river stuck with me from reading his books as a child.  I look in the rearview mirror sometimes to get a mental image of how the intersections look when going the other direction.  But in my advanced years, that skill is no longer fool proof.

And applying that concept to reading prophecies, and then how that prophecy came to pass, varies only slightly from reading the stories of Jesus and seeing how His actions fulfill the prophecies.  Looking at the same thing in both directions puts us in a difference of mindset of looking forward or looking backward.

When I am using quoted verses in the New Testament, I got those verses (different translations) from Seeing Jesus – Bible Encounter Study Guide by Marilyn Hickey.  The concept of doing this in a Sunday school setting is based on her book.  When the youngster gives the other verse, Aunt Jemima had sent the comparison verse from the Hickey book, but occasionally, a verse is added (easily found in the cross references).  The rest is from internet searches, a variety of commentaries and study Bibles, and personal knowledge.

Here is the To Be with Jesus from Matthew West.  It was written by Matthew West, Jeff Pardo, and AJ Pruis.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.