Pulelulu ‘Epeleli 14, 2021

a leper came and worshiped Him

na‘e ha‘u ha kilia ‘o ne hū kiate ia

Matiu 8 (Matthew 8)

(v. 2-3) 2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

(v. 2-3) 2 Pea ‘iloange na‘e ha‘u ha kilia ‘o ne hū kiate ia, ‘o ne pehē, ‘Eiki, ka ne ke loto ke fai, te ke lava ke fakama‘a au. 3 Pea mafao atu ‘e ia hono nima ‘o ala ki he tangata, ‘o ne pehē, ‘oku ou loto pē: ke ke ma‘a koe. Pea na‘e fakama‘a leva hono kilia.

 

*Commentary: David Guzik Study Guide on Matthew*

In the ancient world, leprosy was a terrible, destructive disease – and still is in some parts of the world. The ancient leper had no hope of improvement, so this leper came to Jesus with a great sense of need and desperation.

“Leprosy might begin with the loss of all sensation in some part of the body; the nerve trunks are affected; the muscles waste away; the tendons contract until the hands are like claws. There follows ulceration of the hands and feet. Then comes the progressive loss of fingers and toes, until in the end a whole hand or a whole foot may drop off. The duration of that kind of leprosy is anything from twenty to thirty years. It is a kind of terrible progressive death in which a man dies by inches.” (Barclay)

According to Jewish law and customs, one had to keep 6 feet (2 meters) from a leper. If the wind was blowing toward a person from a leper, they had to keep 150 feet (45 meters) away. The only thing more defiling than contact with a leper was contact with a dead body.

Despite his desperate condition, this man not only begged Jesus – he also worshipped Him.

“The Greek verb is proskenein, and that word is never used of anything but worship of the gods; it always describes a man’s feeling and action in presence of the divine.” (Barclay)

How did the leper worship Jesus?

· He worshipped Jesus by coming to Him, honoring Him as the One who could meet His otherwise impossible need.

· He worshipped Jesus with his posture, probably bowing or kneeling before Jesus.

· He worshipped Jesus with the word “Lord,” honoring Him as master and God.

· He worshipped Jesus with his humility, by not demanding but leaving the request up to the will of Jesus.

· He worshipped Jesus with his respect of the power of Jesus, saying that all that was necessary was the will of Jesus, and he would be healed.

· He worshipped Jesus with his confidence that Jesus could make him more than healthy; Jesus could make him clean.

“The leper rendered to Christ divine homage; and if Jesus had been merely a good man, and nothing more, he would have refused the worship with holy indignation.” (Spurgeon)

“Those who call Jesus ‘Lord,’ and do not worship him, are more diseased than the leper was.” (Spurgeon)

 Tusite ‘Epeleli 13, 2021

ASK – SEEK - KNOCK

KOLE - KUMI - TUKITUKI

Matiu 7 (Matthew 7)

(v. 7-11) 7  Ask,  and it will be given to you;  seek, and you will find;  knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

(v. 7-11) 7 Kole, pea ‘e foaki kiate kimoutolu: kumi, pea te mou ‘ilo: tukituki, pea ‘e to‘o kiate kimoutolu: 8 he ‘ilonga ‘a ia ‘oku ne kole ‘oku ne ma‘u, pea ko ia ‘oku kumi ‘oku ne ‘ilo, pea ko ia ‘oku tukituki ‘e to‘o kiate ia. 9 He ko e tangata fē ‘iate kimoutolu, ka kole ki ai ‘e hono foha ha fo‘i mā, te ne ‘ange koā ha fo‘i maka? 10 Pea ka kole ki ha ika, te ne ‘ange ha ngata? 11 pea kapau ā ‘oku mou ‘ilo ke foaki me‘a‘ofa lelei ki ho‘omou fānau, neongo ko e fa‘ahinga kovi kimoutolu, huanoa ho‘omou Tamai ‘oku ‘i Hēvani, ha‘ane foaki me‘a lelei kiate kinautolu ‘oku kole kiate ia.

 

*Commentary: The NIV Study Bible*

7:7-11 Ask. Disciples should come to God in humility and awareness of need. Seek connects one's prayer with responsible action in pursuing the will of God. Knock suggests perseverance. Disciples are to persist in prayer, confident that their Father will provide whatever is best for them, according to his sovereign, gracious will.

Monite ‘Epeleli 12, 2021 

Beware of  practicing your righteousness before other people

‘Oua te mou fai pe ke hā pe ki kakai´ 

Matiu 6 (Matthew 6)

(v. 1) Beware of  practicing your righteousness before other people in order  to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

(v. 1) KAE vakai, telia na‘a mou fai ho‘omou tō‘onga fakalotu ke hā ki he kakai, koe‘uhi ke nau siofia kimoutolu; he ka pehē, ‘oku ‘ikai ha‘amou totongi mei ho‘omou Tamai ‘oku ‘i Hēvani.

 

*Commentary: The NIV Study Bible*

6:1-18 Jesus gives examples of how a person's faith can be expressed in a hypocritical way, when giving to the needy (vv. 2–4), praying (w. 5–15), and fasting (vv. 16–18).

6:1 before other people. Public acts of obedience are valuable and honorable, but if they are done merely for the sake of public recognition, there will be no reward from God (cf. w. 2, 5, 16).

GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA, ‘OKU . . )

4        GOD IS INFINITE

God is great, because he is abundant in power (omnipotent) and measureless (infinite) in his understanding (omniscience).

Because God is eternal and omnipotent, nothing can limit him or be too hard for him: “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jer. 32:27). He is the eternal, independent, powerful God who determines all things. He is perfection, so that nothing extends beyond him. God's infinity consists not in “indefiniteness" or "potentiality" but in the perfection of his attributes. God is fully actualized potentiality. In other words, he cannot "become” anything; he always has and always will be what he alone is: a fully actualized being who needs nothing and possesses everything.

Affirming God's infinity implies his incomprehensibility. We can never know God as he knows himself, for the finite cannot comprehend the infinite. We possess a bounded understanding, because we are creatures. God has a boundless understanding as the infinite, eternal God. We could sooner fit the oceans of the world in a teacup than understand God. Our grasp of God compared with God's actual being is like a dim light compared with the vast radiance of the sun. We can say with certainty that what we know about God can never be full but only adequate (i.e., saving) knowledge, which can always increase.

4   KO E ‘OTUA´ ‘OKU ‘INIFINAITE (ta‘efakangatangata)

‘Oku lahi ‘a e ‘Otua, he ‘oku mahulu atu ‘a hono ivi (‘ominipoteni) pea ‘ikai fa’alaua (‘inifinaite) ‘i he ‘ilo kehekehe (‘ominisieni).

Pea koe’uhi, ‘oku lau ‘itaniti mo mafimafi ‘a e ‘Otua, ‘oku ‘ikai ha me’a te ne fakangatangata ia pe ha me’a ‘e faingata’a kiate Ia. “Sī ni, ko Sihova au, ko e ‘Otua ‘o e kakano kotoa: hono ai ha me‘a ‘e faingata‘a kiate au?” (Selemaia 32:27). Ko e ‘Otua Ia ‘o ‘itaniti, ‘oku tau’ataina mo mafimafi pea ‘oku ne pule’i ‘a e me’a kotoa pe. Ko Ia ‘a e haohaoa, pea ‘oku ‘ikai ha me’a ‘e ope atu ‘iate Ia. Ko e tu’unga ‘inifinaite ‘a e ‘Otua, ‘oku ‘ikai ke ‘uhinga pe ki he’ene “ta’efakangatangata”, ka ko e tu’unga haohaoa ‘o hono natula. Ko e ‘Otua, ‘oku a’ua’u ‘a ‘ene haohaoa. ‘E ‘ikai te ne toe hokosi pe a’usia ha tu’unga ‘e taha; ko e tu’unga kuo ne ‘i ai, mo e tu’unga ‘oku ‘i ai, ko ia kotoa pe ia: ko ha tokotaha kuo ‘osi kakato haohaoa ‘iate Ia pe, pea he ‘ikai te ne toe fiema’u ha me’a he ‘oku ne falute ‘a e me’a kotoa pe.  

Ko ‘etau fakapapau’i ‘a e tu’unga ‘inifinaite ‘o e ‘Otua, ‘oku ki ai mo hono tu’unga ta’emahakulea. ‘E ‘ikai pe te tau a’u ki ha tu’unga te tau ‘ilo kanokato ai ‘a e ‘Otuaa, ‘i hono tu’unga faka-’Otua; ‘oku ‘oku ‘ikai ke lava ‘e he tangata ‘oku ngata hono anga, ke ‘iloa ‘a e ‘Otua ta’efakangatangata. ‘Oku ngata pe ‘etau ‘ilo, he ko e me’a fakatupu pe kitautolu. Ko e ‘Otua, ‘oku ta’efakangatangata ‘a ‘ene ‘ilo, he ‘oku ‘inifinaite mo lau’itaniti ‘a ‘ene ‘afio. Ko e taukakapa ‘a e ‘ilo ki he ‘Otua, ‘e tatau mo ha’ata feinga ke lilingi ‘a ‘oseni ki ha ipu ti. Ko e kehekehe ‘o ‘etau taufaa ki he ‘Otua pea mo hono naunau, ‘e hange ko ha’atau fakatatau ha ki’i maama poipoila ki he kakaha ‘a e la’aa. ‘Oku malava pe ke tau fakapapau’i, ko ‘etau ‘ilo ki he ‘Otua, ‘e ‘ikai ‘aupito pe ke kakato ka ‘oku fakafe’unga pe mai pe pea ‘oku malava ke tupulaki.  

 Sapate ‘Epeleli 11, 2021

Blessed are  the poor in spirit

Monū‘ia ā ka ko kinautolu ‘oku ongo‘i masiva honau laumālie 

Matiu 5 (Matthew 5)

(v. 1-3) 1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3  “Blessed are  the poor in spirit, for  theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them, and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see the nakedness of the land!”

(v. 1-3) 1 PEA ‘i he‘ene sio ki he ngaahi fu‘u kakai, na‘a ne ‘alu hake ki he mo‘unga, pea ‘i he‘ene nofo hifo ke malanga na‘e ‘unu‘unu atu kiate ia ‘ene kau ako: 2 pea ne ‘ofa‘aki ‘ene lea, ‘o ne ako‘i kinautolu, ‘o pehē, 3 Monū‘ia ā ka ko kinautolu ‘oku ongo‘i masiva honau laumālie; he ‘oku ‘onautolu ‘a e Pule‘anga ‘o Hēvani.

 

*Commentary: The NIV Study Bible*

5:3-12 The Beatitudes all begin with “Blessed are ...” They are called “beatitudes” from Latin beatus, "blessed, happy". These short statements summarize the essence of the Sermon on the Mount.

5:3 Blessed. More than a temporary or circumstantial feeling of happiness, this is a state of well-being in relationship to God that belongs to those who respond to Jesus' ministry. The poor in spirit are those who recognize they are in need of God's help. theirs is the kingdom of heaven. It belongs to those who confess their spiritual bankruptcy.

 Tokonaki ‘Epeleli 10, 2021

Jesus was led up by the Spirit

NA‘E toki ‘ohake ‘a Sīsū ‘e he Laumālie Mā‘oni‘oni

 Matiu 4(Matthew 4)

(v. 1) 1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

(v. 1) NA‘E toki ‘ohake ‘a Sīsū ‘e he Laumālie Mā‘oni‘oni ki he toafa ke ‘ahi‘ahi‘i ‘e he Tēvolo.

 

*Commentary: The NIV Study Bible*

4:1 Jesus was led up by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit guided Jesus in his earthly life, providing a pattern for Jesus' followers to be empowered and led by the Holy Spirit (Gal.5:16;5:17; 5:18). The Greek for tempted (peirazo) can also mean "test." While God clearly never tempts anyone to do evil (James 1:13), he does use circumstances to test a person's character (e.g., Heb. 11:17). by the devil. Diabolos (Gk. “slanderer, accuser") is here preceded by the definite article to indicate that this one who tempts Jesus is uniquely “the devil" (see also Matt. 4:5, 8, 11; 13:39; 25:41). Although the devil intends to thwart God's plan and purposes, the Father uses his evil intention for the good purpose of strengthening Jesus in his messianic role.

Falaite ‘Epeleli 9, 2021

 Falaite ‘Epeleli 9, 2021

“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire”

‘e papitaiso kimoutolu ‘e ia ‘i he Laumālie Mā‘oni‘oni mo e afi

Matiu 3 (Matthew 3)

(v. 11) “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.” So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.”

(v. 11) Ko au ‘oku ou papitaiso vai kimoutolu ki he fakatomala: ka ko ia ‘oku muimui mai ‘oku ne mālohi ‘iate au, ko e Toko Taha ia ‘oku ‘ikai te u taau ke takitaki hono topuva‘e: ‘e papitaiso kimoutolu ‘e ia ‘i he Laumālie Mā‘oni‘oni mo e afi.

 

*Commentary: The NIV Study Bible*

3:11 He who is coming after me expresses strong messianic expectation, is mightier than I. John announces the nearness of the kingdom, but the Coming one will arrive with the power of God to inaugurate messianic rule.

baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. John's water baptism will be superseded by the baptism associated with the Coming One (see note on 12:13). Those who repent and trust in him will receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit (cf. Joel 2:28–29; Acts 2:16-21), while the unrepentant will receive the judgment of eternal fire, and even the repentant may undergo a purifying fire.

GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA, ‘OKU . . )

4        GOD IS INFINITE

Bavinck provides another way of understanding God's infinity: "When applied to time, God's immutability is called eternity; when applied to space, it is called omnipresence. Infinity helps us to understand how immutability and eternity coincide or how immutability and omnipresence relate.

When we consider God's attributes, we must always consider them as infinite. His infinity is a positive concept, so that we must say that his attributes are intensively and qualitatively infinite. God's infinity is the highest sense of perfection. “Not yet finished” (or "indefinite”) is an improper way to understand infinity with regard to God. Rather, without bounds or limits or degrees, God knows infinitely (Isa. 40:28) and is a sphere whose center is everywhere and circumference nowhere. He is as present in our midst as he is farthest from us in the universe. Yet while he is present in one place, he is never confined to any place.

The psalmist explicitly acknowledges God's infinity: “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure" (Ps. 147:5). God's understanding exists without measure. The psalmist here combines one attribute with another, as he does elsewhere. God is great, because he is abundant in power (omnipotent) and measureless (infinite) in his understanding (omniscience).

4        KO E ‘OTUA´ ‘OKU ‘INIFINAITE (ta‘efakangatangata)

‘Oku ‘omi ‘e he tangata teolosia ko Heamani Pavineki ha founga ‘e taha ki hono mahino’i ‘o e tu’unga ‘Inifinaite (ta’emalaua) ‘‘o e ‘Otua: “‘I hono fakafelave’i mo e taimi, ko e tu’unga ta’eliliu ‘o e ‘Otua ‘oku ui ia ko e lau’itaniti; ‘I hono fakafelave’i mo e feitu’u, ‘oku tau ui ia ko e ‘ominipeleseni (‘Otua ‘i he potu kotoa pe).” ‘Oku tokoni ‘a e tu’unga ta’e fakangatangata ‘o e ‘Otua ke tau mahino’i ‘a e felava’i ‘a e tu’unga ta’e liliu ‘o e ‘Otua mo e tu’unga lau ‘itaniti, pe, ko e fekau’aki ‘a e tu’unga ta’e liliu mo ‘Ene ‘i he potu kotoa pe.

‘I he taimi ‘oku tau fakakaukau ai ki he ngaahi ‘ulungaanga ‘o e ‘Otua, kuopau ke tau lau kotoa kinautolu ‘oku nau ‘inifinaite (ta’emalaua). Ko hono tu’unga ‘inifinaite, ko ha fakakaukau positivi (‘oku fakamo’oni mai), pea ‘oku tau pehe leva; ko hono tu’unga ‘inifinaite (ta’efakangatangata) ko ha me’a ‘oku tupu fakautuutu mo ta’efa’alaua. Ko e fakakaukau ‘o e tu’unga “te’eki ke fakakakato” (tu’u ava ki he kaha’u) ‘oku ‘ikai ko ha founga lelei ia ki hono fakamatala’i ‘a e tu’unga ta’e fakangatangata ‘o e ‘Otua. ‘Oku ‘ikai hano me’afua pe fakangatangata, he ko e ‘ilo ‘a e ‘Otua ‘oku ta’emahakulea (‘Ais 40:28) pea ko e senitaa ‘o hono kolope ‘oku ‘i he potu kotoa pe, pea ‘oku ta’e ‘iloa ‘a hono maokupu. ‘Oku tatau pe ‘a ‘Ene ofi kiate kitautolu ‘i hotau lotolotonga, mo ‘ene taukakapa meiate kitautolu ‘i he ‘univeesi. Pea neongo ‘a e malava ke ne ‘i ha potu pe ‘e taha, ‘oku ‘ikai malava ke pukepuke ia ‘i ha potu.

‘Oku fakamatala mahino ‘aupito ‘e he Fa’u Saame ‘a e tu’unga ‘inifinaite ‘o e ‘Otua: “‘Oku lahi hotau ‘Eiki, pea fu‘u kaukaua; Pea ko ‘ene ‘ilo ‘oku ta‘emalaua” (Saame 147:5). Ko e ‘ilome’a ‘a e ‘Otua ‘oku ‘i ai pea ‘oku ta’emalaua. ‘I he veesi ko eni, ‘oku ‘omi ‘e he fa’u Saame ‘a e ‘ulungaanga ‘e taha ‘o ha’i ki he ‘ulungaanga ‘e taha, ‘o hange pe ko ‘ene fai pehe ‘i he ngaahi potu tohi kehe.

 Tu’apulelulu ‘Epeleli 8, 2021

they fell down and worshiped him

pea nau fakatōmape‘e ‘o hū kiate ia

Matiu 2 (Matthew 2)

(v. 11) And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh

(v. 11) Pea ‘i he‘enau hū ki he fale, na‘a nau ‘ilo ‘a e tamasi‘i, ‘oku ‘i he‘ene fa‘ē ko Mele; pea nau fakatōmape‘e ‘o hū kiate ia: pea na‘a nau tangaki ‘enau ngaahi ‘angame‘a, ‘o nau ‘atu kiate ia ‘a e ngaahi me‘a‘ofa, ko e koula mo e laipeno mo e mula.

 

*Commentary: The NIV Study Bible*

2:11 The wise men did not arrive at the time of Jesus' birth in a manger, but up to two years later, when Jesus was living in a house (see note on v. 16).

worshiped him. It is doubtful that these quasi-pagan religious men understood Jesus' divine nature, but their actions were unknowingly appropriate and wonderfully foreshadowed the worship of Jesus by all the Gentile nations (cf. 28:19; Rom. 1:5; Phil. 2:9-11; Rev. 7:9-10; 21:24).

Gold and frankincense and myrrh. The number of gifts contributed to the tradition that there were three men, but the actual number is unknown. Frankincense is resin used ceremonially for the only incense permitted on the altar (Ex. 30:9, 34–38). Myrrh is sap used in incense and perfume and as a stimulant tonic. The gifts were likely used providentially to support the family in their flight to Egypt (Matt. 2:13-15).