Our final example of ‘skandalizo’ the verb comes in John 6; once again it is Jesus’ teaching which ‘scandalizes’, but those ‘scandalized’ are his own disciples, though not the twelve. In v.66 we read: “from this time, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” This reminds us of the second of the two basic meanings of ‘skandalon’ that we are considering, as a ‘stumbling-block’, something that trips you up and turns you back from the walk of faith. Earlier in the chapter, these same disciples had eagerly followed Jesus from one side of the lake to the other, attracted and excited by the miraculous feeding of the five thousand with bread and fish. Indeed, such was their enthusiasm that Jesus withdrew from them, “knowing that they intended to come and seize him and make him king” (v.15). Now here they are, scarcely 50 verses later, withdrawing from him, ‘scandalized’ (v.61). What has Jesus said to them that has put them off and turned them round (the wrong kind of conversion !) ? As with the narrative of his confrontation with the Pharisees in Matthew 15, the text does not make it clear exactly what it is that ‘scandalized’ them: here Jesus just asks: “Does this offend you ?”. We cannot be sure whether “this” refers just to the immediately preceding verses, or to the whole discourse from v.25 on. A possible clue occurs in v.61, where John writes that “Jesus knew in himself that the Jews were murmuring about this”. The word for ‘murmur’ here is the splendidly onomatopoeic ‘gonguzo’, derived, apparently, from the murmuring, muttering, clucking noises made by a gaggle of pigeons. More significantly, it is the word used in the LXX to translate the regular ‘murmurings’ of the Israelites against Moses and the hardships of life in the wilderness, so that John’s use of it here may be wryly ironic, subtly making the point that the Jews here, though not true disciples of Jesus, are certainly true descendants of their forefathers, ‘murmuring’ as they did despite being fed by a miracle from heaven. The word expresses everything from grumbling discontent to indignant outrage – the typical reactions of those who are, in one way or another, scandalized.. This latter meaning is well illustrated by the reaction of the Pharisees, inevitably, at Levi’s party, when they see Jesus eating and drinking “with tax-collectors and sinners” (Luke 5.30). ‘Grumbling discontent’ is perhaps the better translation to describe the reaction of the all-day labourers in the vineyard, in Jesus’ parable in Matthew 20.11, when they discovered that they were being paid no more that those who had only worked an hour or two: scandalous! In John 6 we are told twice that these Jewish disciples ‘murmured’ at Jesus’ teaching, not just in v.61, already referred to, but also in v.41. This suggests that his words placed at least two stumbling-blocks in their path.
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
SKANDALON 4 (i) Jesus' teaching a 'scandal' to his own disciples: John 6
Our final example of ‘skandalizo’ the verb comes in John 6; once again it is Jesus’ teaching which ‘scandalizes’, but those ‘scandalized’ are his own disciples, though not the twelve. In v.66 we read: “from this time, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” This reminds us of the second of the two basic meanings of ‘skandalon’ that we are considering, as a ‘stumbling-block’, something that trips you up and turns you back from the walk of faith. Earlier in the chapter, these same disciples had eagerly followed Jesus from one side of the lake to the other, attracted and excited by the miraculous feeding of the five thousand with bread and fish. Indeed, such was their enthusiasm that Jesus withdrew from them, “knowing that they intended to come and seize him and make him king” (v.15). Now here they are, scarcely 50 verses later, withdrawing from him, ‘scandalized’ (v.61). What has Jesus said to them that has put them off and turned them round (the wrong kind of conversion !) ? As with the narrative of his confrontation with the Pharisees in Matthew 15, the text does not make it clear exactly what it is that ‘scandalized’ them: here Jesus just asks: “Does this offend you ?”. We cannot be sure whether “this” refers just to the immediately preceding verses, or to the whole discourse from v.25 on. A possible clue occurs in v.61, where John writes that “Jesus knew in himself that the Jews were murmuring about this”. The word for ‘murmur’ here is the splendidly onomatopoeic ‘gonguzo’, derived, apparently, from the murmuring, muttering, clucking noises made by a gaggle of pigeons. More significantly, it is the word used in the LXX to translate the regular ‘murmurings’ of the Israelites against Moses and the hardships of life in the wilderness, so that John’s use of it here may be wryly ironic, subtly making the point that the Jews here, though not true disciples of Jesus, are certainly true descendants of their forefathers, ‘murmuring’ as they did despite being fed by a miracle from heaven. The word expresses everything from grumbling discontent to indignant outrage – the typical reactions of those who are, in one way or another, scandalized.. This latter meaning is well illustrated by the reaction of the Pharisees, inevitably, at Levi’s party, when they see Jesus eating and drinking “with tax-collectors and sinners” (Luke 5.30). ‘Grumbling discontent’ is perhaps the better translation to describe the reaction of the all-day labourers in the vineyard, in Jesus’ parable in Matthew 20.11, when they discovered that they were being paid no more that those who had only worked an hour or two: scandalous! In John 6 we are told twice that these Jewish disciples ‘murmured’ at Jesus’ teaching, not just in v.61, already referred to, but also in v.41. This suggests that his words placed at least two stumbling-blocks in their path.
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