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Explanation for:
Matthew
16
:
2
But he answered and said to them: When it is evening, you say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.
8
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Blessed Jerome refers to certain manuscripts that lack the latter part of the second verse beginning with \\"When evening comes\\" and the entirety of the third verse up to the phrase \\"To recognize the signs of the times.\\" In numerous manuscripts of the Holy Scriptures, this content is absent; yet the interpretation remains evident: they were able to anticipate both fair and stormy days through the continual and accurate harmony of the world’s elemental components."},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Mark recounts that when they approached Him with their inquiry, He replied, 'Why does this generation seek a sign?' (Mark 8:12). Though one might expect such a question to elicit frustration and wrath, the compassionate and tender Lord experiences sorrow and anguish for them, akin to the grief felt for the unhealed sick who, after witnessing numerous demonstrations of His might, still challenge Him. Their questioning was not aimed at genuine belief but rather at trapping Him. Had their purpose been to believe, He would have surely provided them a sign. He who earlier addressed the woman with 'It is not good' (Matt. 15:26) to then bestow a blessing would have likewise granted them a sign. Yet, because their request was not motivated by a desire to believe, the Redeemer labels them as hypocrites elsewhere, noting their words and thoughts were at odds. If they truly held faith, they would not have sought a sign, and their lack of belief is evident in their reaction to His admonition; they did not persist in their demand nor express, 'We lack understanding and wish to learn.'"},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Mark states that as He sighed deeply in His spirit, He spoke, expressing an inner anguish that comes from the soul, as we might say, from the depths of the heart. Aware of their treachery, He was moved by their incurable dishonesty and addressed them:"},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"He refrained from gratifying the cunning demands of the Pharisees and Sadducees, reminding them that if they had observed closely the remarkable events surrounding him and the works he performed, they would not have sought signs, whether from the heavens or the earth, as they typically did with the natural occurrences of daily life. The appointed times of the House of Salvation also hold their own signs and significance, akin to the familiar shifts in the atmosphere recognized through lived experience. There is indeed a specific moment reserved for a heavenly sign—the time of Christ's second coming, when celestial powers will be shaken, and the moon will cease to shine; unlike the era of the first coming, which bears no such signs. As it is written, “And in the evening ye shall say, The bucket, the sky is darkening; and in the morning, Today is winter, the sky is darkening.” You can analyze the appearance of the sky with reasoning, but you cannot manipulate the signs of the times."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Turning to the individuals who questioned him, He responded: In the evening, you assert that it will rain because the sky has taken on a red hue, and in the morning, you declare that the day will be dry because the sky appears scarlet. When a cloud approaches from the west, you quickly say, ‘It is going to rain,’ and indeed it does. And when a southern wind blows, you claim, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it proves to be so. Hypocrites! You are adept at interpreting the signs of the weather, yet you fail to discern the signs of the times. These indicators, revealed by God's Providence at specific moments, are clear to all who do not willingly choose to blind themselves, as you do, to avoid acknowledging them. Can you not see these signs? You are capable, yet you choose not to perceive them! Witness: the blind regain their sight, the deaf are able to hear, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the dead are brought back to life, all through my power. Are these not enough signs to affirm that the kingdom of the Messiah is at hand, that He Himself is in your midst? Yet you refuse to comprehend these indicators. Understand this: just as there are various signs that signify stormy weather, and different indications of a bucket’s presence, so too are there distinct timings for my coming, as well as for my eventual return. Earthly signs are presently necessary, while heavenly signs will be reserved for a later time. I have come now as a Healer, but then I will return as a Judge; I have come to seek out the lost, but at that time I will call for accountability. This is why I am here discreetly now, but in the future, I will arrive with great assurance: I will roll back the heavens like a scroll, darken the sun, and withhold light from the moon; then the celestial forces will tremble, and the manifestation of My coming will be as swift and visible as lightning that flashes across the sky. But now is not the hour for such signs, for I have come to suffer and endure the most profound humiliation."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Understanding their deceitful intentions, Jesus gazed at them with sorrow, sighed deeply, and mused, ‘Why does this generation seek a sign? The times were replete with remarkable signs: the era of Daniel had passed; the scepter had faded from the lineage of Judah; the Jewish people were under the dominion of a Gentile ruler, awaiting the promised Redeemer; John had come in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the path for the Lord; and Jesus had manifested himself, fulfilling all that the prophets proclaimed concerning the Messiah through His works. These are the indicators that those well-versed in the Scriptures should have recognized as the fulfillment of the time of the Messiah! However, the Pharisees and Sadducees, blinded by their misguided notions of the Messiah, failed to perceive these signs of the age. While they were adept at predicting the future by familiar signs, like forecasting weather changes—telling that a red sky in the evening indicates fair weather or a purple sky in the morning suggests bad weather—they stubbornly refused to acknowledge the signs that pointed to the arrival of the Messiah. Hypocrites, Jesus rebuked them, you discern the appearance of the sky, yet you cannot identify the signs of the times. Then, seemingly addressing those around Him rather than the Pharisees and Sadducees, He declared: Truly I say to you, no sign will be granted to this generation."},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"When Jesus arrived at the western shore of the sea, the Pharisees and Sadducees approached Him to debate. These two groups, fundamentally opposed to each other, found a common adversary in Jesus, as both feared losing their influence and power among the people. United in their animosity towards Him, they plotted against Him. The nature of their competition—specifically, the demand for a miracle as noted in Mark's gospel—remains unspecified by the Evangelists. Ultimately, this confrontation led them to request a sign from heaven, a remarkable celestial occurrence that would verify Jesus' identity as the Messiah. In response, the Lord declined their request and instead directed their attention to the prophet Jonah, presenting it as the definitive sign they would witness later (Matt. 16:4, 12, 38-40; Lk. 11:29-30). He pointed out that the signs of the times (Matt. 16:2-3), extraordinary occurrences available to all, are sufficient for anyone earnestly seeking the truth—especially His miraculous deeds (Matt. 11:3-5). Compared to Matthew's account, Mark provides a much briefer narrative. He omits the lesson concerning Jonah and the inability of the questioners to discern the signs of the times. However, Mark does capture a notable detail: when Jesus responded to those seeking a sign, He did so with a deep sigh. Jesus perceived the deceit behind their request and recognized the hardened hearts of His questioners—souls so entrenched in their disbelief that no sign could guide them toward salvation. His heart was filled with compassion for their plight. The wicked inquiries posed by the Pharisees and Sadducees, who would later become instrumental in Christ's Passion, may have led Him to ponder His forthcoming sufferings, and the deep exhalation of His divine spirit foreshadowed the immense agony He would endure in the garden of Gethsemane."},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"After this miraculous event, the Lord swiftly left the area and journeyed across the lake to the other side of the river, arriving in Magdala. There, He encountered the Pharisees and Sadducees, who presented Him with a challenging request. He remained briefly (as noted in Mark 8:10, 13) before once again entering the sea. Following a brief period in the wilderness—suggested by the disciples' concern over insufficient loaves—He arrived at Bethsaida. The Pharisees demanded that He provide a sign from heaven to confirm His divine mission. They disregarded the miraculous works He had performed on earth as inadequate proof. The Lord responded, pointing out that if they had carefully noted all the deeds accomplished through Him and around Him, much like they observed atmospheric changes, and if they were able to interpret the signs of the times regarding the proximity of the Messiah's kingdom and the judgment facing their corrupt generation, they would have required no additional signs, whether from heaven or earth. Nonetheless, the Lord stated that even this generation would be given a sign—the sign of Jonah the prophet."}]}
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