This one has me stumped. This is a very perplexing scene in terms of trying to understand how it may have developed. Here are the versions of it across the Gospels:
The last one actually comes from BeDuhn, but he is working from Adamantius.
It must also be noted that nothing else in Luke or Mark or *Ev is similar to this scene, but there are mutliple similar scenes in Matthew.
This raises a number of questions and suspicions.
Firstly, Jesus is called "Son of David" many times in Matthew, and that he is a "Son of David" is the very first thing we are told in Matthew. Jesus is only called "Son of David" once in Mark, Luke, and *Ev, and he denies being a "Son of David" in Mark, Luke, and *Ev, as well as in Matthew. Mark 12 has:
This is a teaching against the claim that the Messiah, which is Jesus, is a son of David. Matthew, Luke and *Ev all contain this scene as well.
That all of these Gospels contain the scene from Mark 12 can be explained by them copying the scene, whether they really understood it or liked it or not. So the contradiction between being called "Son of David" and the argument that the Messiah is not the Son of David across all the Gospels can be explained as a product of copying, but the healing of the blind man is problematic.
Firstly, the scene in Matthew appears most primitive. Secondly, the scene in Matthew closely matches other scenes and themes in Matthew, but does not match themes in Mark, Luke or *Ev. One could attempt to explain this by saying that the scene originated in Mark, and the writer of Matthew built on the concepts from this scene and expanded them to other scenes. Potentially.
Why does Matthew not include the identification of Jesus as being from Nazareth? Why would Matthew, of all people, drop this identification?
Interestingly, this is the one and only "miracle" performed by Jesus outside of Galilee in the Gospel of Mark (not counting the cursing of the fig tree). Another point of suspicion.
Why does Matthew appear to "drop" the statement about faith? Clearly Matthew is comfortable with statements about faith as they are present in comparable Matthean scenes.
I don't have answers, but something is clearly amiss here.
Mark 10:
46 Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” 50 Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. 51 And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Master, I want to regain my sight!” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.
46 Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” 50 Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. 51 And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Master, I want to regain my sight!” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.
Luke 18:
35 As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 36 Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was. 37 They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38 And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him, 41 “What do you want Me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!” 42 And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.
35 As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 36 Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was. 37 They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38 And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him, 41 “What do you want Me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!” 42 And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.
Matthew 20:
29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 30 And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 32 And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 33 They said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.
29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 30 And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 32 And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 33 They said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.
Adamantius citing *Ev:
Now it happened, as he was approaching Jericho, a certain blind person was sitting beside the road begging.
And when he heard a crowd passing through, he was inquiring what this might be. And people reported to him,
“Jesus is passing by!” So he cried out, saying, “Jesus, son of David, pity me!” And those who were going in
front were rebuking him that he should be silent. So stopping, Jesus ordered that he be led (to him).
And when he approached, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
So he said, “Master, that I might see again.” And, answering, he said to him, “See again; your trust has rescued you.” And instantly he saw again.
Now it happened, as he was approaching Jericho, a certain blind person was sitting beside the road begging.
And when he heard a crowd passing through, he was inquiring what this might be. And people reported to him,
“Jesus is passing by!” So he cried out, saying, “Jesus, son of David, pity me!” And those who were going in
front were rebuking him that he should be silent. So stopping, Jesus ordered that he be led (to him).
And when he approached, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
So he said, “Master, that I might see again.” And, answering, he said to him, “See again; your trust has rescued you.” And instantly he saw again.
The last one actually comes from BeDuhn, but he is working from Adamantius.
It must also be noted that nothing else in Luke or Mark or *Ev is similar to this scene, but there are mutliple similar scenes in Matthew.
Matthew 1: 1 The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Matthew 9: 27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28 When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!” 31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.
Matthew 15: 21 Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.” 23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 But she said, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.
Matthew 21: 6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, 7 and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. 8 Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. 9 The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David;
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest!”
10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”
12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.”
14 And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” 17 And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
“Hosanna to the Son of David;
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest!”
10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”
12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.”
14 And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” 17 And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
This raises a number of questions and suspicions.
Firstly, Jesus is called "Son of David" many times in Matthew, and that he is a "Son of David" is the very first thing we are told in Matthew. Jesus is only called "Son of David" once in Mark, Luke, and *Ev, and he denies being a "Son of David" in Mark, Luke, and *Ev, as well as in Matthew. Mark 12 has:
Mark 12:
35 And Jesus began to say, as He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself said in the Holy Spirit,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet.”’
37 David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him.
35 And Jesus began to say, as He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself said in the Holy Spirit,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet.”’
37 David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him.
This is a teaching against the claim that the Messiah, which is Jesus, is a son of David. Matthew, Luke and *Ev all contain this scene as well.
That all of these Gospels contain the scene from Mark 12 can be explained by them copying the scene, whether they really understood it or liked it or not. So the contradiction between being called "Son of David" and the argument that the Messiah is not the Son of David across all the Gospels can be explained as a product of copying, but the healing of the blind man is problematic.
Firstly, the scene in Matthew appears most primitive. Secondly, the scene in Matthew closely matches other scenes and themes in Matthew, but does not match themes in Mark, Luke or *Ev. One could attempt to explain this by saying that the scene originated in Mark, and the writer of Matthew built on the concepts from this scene and expanded them to other scenes. Potentially.
Why does Matthew not include the identification of Jesus as being from Nazareth? Why would Matthew, of all people, drop this identification?
Interestingly, this is the one and only "miracle" performed by Jesus outside of Galilee in the Gospel of Mark (not counting the cursing of the fig tree). Another point of suspicion.
Why does Matthew appear to "drop" the statement about faith? Clearly Matthew is comfortable with statements about faith as they are present in comparable Matthean scenes.
I don't have answers, but something is clearly amiss here.
Statistics: Posted by rgprice — Thu Dec 05, 2024 3:29 am