Monday, April 03, 2006
Place of Shame
Matt. 11:8 "But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' palaces.
Luke 7:25 "But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces.
Jesus rhetorically asks another silly question, “But (well then) what did you so out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing?” In retrospect we see John in Matt. 3:4 Now John himself had a garment of camel's hair, and a leather belt about his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. John was the modern version of Elijah; 2Kings 1:8 And they answered him, "He was a hairy man with a leather girdle bound about his loins." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."
Jesus continues to turn up the heat on this crowd by a multifaceted statement that would send their minds reeling. He says, “Behold, those who wear soft clothing live in luxury and are found in royal palaces.” The facts are, John is not dressed soft clothing but camel hair. He is not in the royal palace but in the royal prison.
The facts continue in that all Jesus has said is undisputed. John is who and what they knew to be a prophet by biblical understanding. John is in prison and the Jewish thought was that anyone imprisoned was worthy of shame; it was a shameful place to be. The words of Zechariah would now underscore their thoughts as they considered 13:4 "Also it will come about in that day that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not put on a hairy robe in order to deceive.”
This fickle crowd is guilty of the same doubt common to any man that John had. Yet, John was right to come to the source of authority to remedy his doubt.
Luke 7:25 "But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces.
Jesus rhetorically asks another silly question, “But (well then) what did you so out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing?” In retrospect we see John in Matt. 3:4 Now John himself had a garment of camel's hair, and a leather belt about his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. John was the modern version of Elijah; 2Kings 1:8 And they answered him, "He was a hairy man with a leather girdle bound about his loins." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."
Jesus continues to turn up the heat on this crowd by a multifaceted statement that would send their minds reeling. He says, “Behold, those who wear soft clothing live in luxury and are found in royal palaces.” The facts are, John is not dressed soft clothing but camel hair. He is not in the royal palace but in the royal prison.
The facts continue in that all Jesus has said is undisputed. John is who and what they knew to be a prophet by biblical understanding. John is in prison and the Jewish thought was that anyone imprisoned was worthy of shame; it was a shameful place to be. The words of Zechariah would now underscore their thoughts as they considered 13:4 "Also it will come about in that day that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies, and they will not put on a hairy robe in order to deceive.”
This fickle crowd is guilty of the same doubt common to any man that John had. Yet, John was right to come to the source of authority to remedy his doubt.
# posted by Castusfumus : 5:19 PM
