Tobit 9 – Tobias sends Azariah
(Raphael) to Gabael, the cousin of his father with whom he long ago left the
silver. He also lives in Media. Tobias wants him to come to the wedding feast
that is planned. Azariah goes to Gabael, presents him with the receipt [Tobit’s
half] and tells him about the marriage of Tobias and Sarah. The seals to the
sacks of silver are “still intact” (9:7). They load the silver on the camels
and the next morning set off for the feast together. When Gabael sees Tobias,
he is overcome with joy. He looks so much like his father.
Tobit 10 – Back at home in
Nineveh, Tobit waits anxiously for his son to return. But his mother, Anna, is
really despairing. Raguel, Sarah’s father, has insisted that Tobias stay at
their home for fourteen days of feasting, and Tobias knows his father and
mother must be very worried about him.
When
the fourteen days are over, Tobias and Sarah leave. Raguel, true to his
promise, “gave Tobias half his wealth, menservants and maidservants, oxen and
sheep, donkeys and camels, clothes and money and household things. And so he
let them leave happily” (9:10-11). They leave with words of blessing and hopes
of seeing them and the children they know they will have sometime again.
Luke 22 – Passover is near.
The chief priests and scribes are still “looking for a way to put Jesus to
death” (22:2). Satan enters into Judas; he arranges to betray Jesus for money.
It is the day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed; Jesus
sends Peter and John to prepare for their meal.
When
they gather, Jesus says, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you
before I suffer; . . . I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in
the kingdom of God” (22:16). He thanks
God and shares bread and wine with his friends—his body and blood, which will
be “poured out for you,” the “new covenant in my blood” (22:17-20). He
tells them that the one who betrayed him is at the table. The “Son of Man is
going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!” (22:22)
Luke puts
the dispute over who is going to be the greatest here; in Matthew and Mark,
it takes place much earlier in Jesus’ ministry (Matt. 18:1 and Mark 9:33). Jesus’
admonition to them is that “the greatest among you must become like the
youngest, and the leader like one who serves” (22:26). Jesus
says, “you are those who have stood by me in my trial; and I confer on you,
just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink
at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve
tribes of Israel" (22:29-30). He tells Simon that Satan will “sift all of
you like wheat,” but he will pray for them that their faith will not fail. He
asks Simon to “strengthen your brothers” (22:32) once he “turns back.” And he
predicts Peter’s denials of him.
He reminds them of when he sent them out with nothing, how they
lacked for nothing. But now they
must go armed with purses, bags and swords. They show him two swords they have and he replies, “it is
enough” (22:38).
They are not
understanding him again, and I confess I am with the disciples in their
confusion.
After
dinner, he goes out as he usually did to the Mount of Olives; the disciples go
with him. He leaves them a little
bit away from him and tells them to pray that they will not fail at the time of
trial. Then he goes and prays, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup
from me; yet, not my will but yours be done” (22:42). An angel from heaven strengthens him. Then he prays even more earnestly and “his sweat became
like great drops of blood falling down on the ground” (22:43-44). The Jerusalem Bible note
says some ancient manuscripts do not have verses 43 and 44. When he
concludes his anguished prayer, he comes to find his disciples all sleeping “because of grief,” (22:45) and he rebukes them
mildly.
Suddenly
a crowd comes and Judas approaches Jesus to kiss him. Jesus says, “Judas, is it
with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?” (22:48) His disciples ask if they should strike out, and one of
them cuts an ear off of the high priest’s slave. Jesus rebukes them and heals the ear. To the chief priests, officers of the
Temple guard and elders, Jesus says “this is your hour to act, when the power
of darkness rules” (22:53).
They
bring him to the high priest’s house with Peter following at a distance. They
all go to a courtyard when there is a fire burning that people are huddling
around, and a slave girl approaches Peter, saying that he “was with Jesus”
(22:56). Peter denies that he knows
Jesus. Twice more he is identified
and twice more he denies knowing him; Jesus, who is also in the courtyard,
“looked straight at Peter and Peter remembered that the Lord had said to him,
‘Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out
and wept bitterly” (22:61-62).
The
guards mock Jesus and beat him.
They tell him to prophesy, blindfolding him and telling him to tell them
who is beating him. The next
morning, they take him to a council of elders, chief priests and scribes. They ask him if he is the Messiah. He says, “If I tell you, you will not believe; and
if I question you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be
seated at the right hand of the power of God” (22:67-69). They ask him if he is saying he’s the Son of God? “He said to them,
‘You say that I am’” (22:70), and they take it as terrible blasphemy, a
confession in fact.
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