Tools For Your Toolbox

Where have I heard This Before?

‍                By Drew McKenna

What comes to mind when you read this passage of text?

"And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep." (Matthew 8:24)

As a student of the Bible, I might have initially begun a study of this passage by breaking down the text into its individual details: There was a great storm, waves, the boat was in danger of sinking, and Jesus was sound asleep. I might even start asking questions like: Why was Jesus asleep, Didn't He know they were taking on water, and Why were they out in this weather in the first place? Of course, my humorous side wonders how tired He must have been to be able to sleep in an open boat that was tossing and turning about while being splashed with water! And then my mind begins to wander further with pictures of thunder and lightning and sheets of rain..., well, I think you get the idea. Essentially, it is effortless to get distracted by all the details and possibilities and then miss the intent of the narrative.

Biblical narratives like this are recorded for us to learn, understand, and get to know the heart of God and Jesus. What if one of the early Biblical authors had already written something similar to our story? Wouldn't it be great to remember what was previously said?

What if we had a straightforward tool we could use to help us get to the point of the story? Before we do anything else, ask ourselves this one simple question, "Where have I heard this before?" "Does this remind me of an earlier story?"

So, why didn't I ask myself this one simple question?

For most of us who grew up in a modern Western world, we want clearcut and concise explanations to words and ideas. We make lists and carefully defined definitions in our Biblical studies. What we don't understand is that the Hebrew language comes from an ancient Eastern Semitic culture that is more likely to describe truth in pictures, in metaphors, in the meaning of places, and in the actions of God or people.

Like all useful tools, they are only worth something if we actually use them, so let's put this new tool to work. Remember, all we are going to do is consider where in the Bible this may have been mentioned before. Proper interpretation comes after we understand what is going on in the story.

I like to keep things simple, so as we read and study our texts, let's ask ourselves this one simple question, "Where have I heard this before, or does it remind me of an earlier story?"

As you read the story of the great storm, peril, and how Jesus was asleep, did you recall any place where winds, waves, boats, and possible danger are mentioned in the Bible? If you did, write down where those references can be found. The next step is to consider this question, how might those stories help us to understand what we are being told?” 

Later, in our story of the “great storm”* after Jesus woke, calms the wind, water, and ends the danger, we read the disciples asking themselves, "Who then is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?" In one of the narratives, and no where else in the Gospels, the disciples say this, "You are certainly God's Son!”**  Why did they say such a thing? 

Being Biblicaly literate to the point of having most of the Tanakh (the portion of the Bible we call the Old Testament) memorized, they may have recalled this statement from the Psalms:

"They cried to the Lord in their trouble and He caused the storm to be still and the waves to be hushed.” (Psalms 107:28-29).

Or maybe the story of Job*** came to their mind.

"Who alone stretches out the heavens, and tramples down the waves of the sea.”  (Job 9:8).

Now, do you see the reason for their excitement, only God can do the things they just witnessed! So they shouted, “You are certainly God's Son!”

Imagine how excited they must have been as they travelled with Jesus recalling all the Biblical stories they had been taught, understanding and seeing them come to life.

Now go and put this tool to work in your regular Bible reading and study. Never stop asking questions, but most importantly, never stop following and learning from Him!

*Matthew 8:23-27, 14:22-33, Mark 4:38-41, and Luke 8:23-25.

** Matthew 14:33

*** Job 9: 5-10

Below are a couple of other examples of how using the “Where have I heard this before?” tool will help you in your study time:

In Matthew 6:22-23 Jesus, in teaching about not storing up treasures on earth, uses the common Jewish idiom "Good Eye & Bad/Evil Eye." Now ask yourself, where have I heard this before?

This first-century Jewish idiom "Good Eye” or “Bad/Evil Eye" is a Hebraic concept taken from Deuteronomy 15:7-11,

"If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks. Beware that there is no base thought in your heart, saying, 'The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,' and your eye is hostile (evil) toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to the Lord against you, and it will be a sin in you. You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings. For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.'"

It was a common, often used idiom used by Jesus and other rabbis during this time and is an idiom that is still used today. A person with a "good eye" is a generous person. A person with a "bad or evil eye" is a stingy person. In John 12:3-8, Mary pours expensive perfume on Jesus, Judas criticizes, and Jesus replies, "The poor you will always have with you…” Jesus is also alluding to Deuteronomy 15:7-11.

In this context, What is Jesus essentially telling Judas?

More information on this topic my be found on the Books/Video page of this website.  

We recommend the books:

Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg