Why Four Gospels?

Welcome to my Treasure Hunting series, in which I try to work through some books of the New Testament and find interesting data, stories, connections hidden among the lines.

     Why four gospels? Have you thought about this question yet? Why not only one, straightforward, full story and we wouln't need to look for similarities or get confused of differences. Why not three gospels, like the Godhead has three persons. Or seven, as it is the number represents the fullness, and also there were seven dwarfs with Snow White.

     In the National Gallery in London, there are three representation on a single canvas of Charles I. In one, his head is turned to the right; in other to the left; and in the centre we find the full-face view. The story comes with it is the following: Anthony Van Dyck, Flemish painter painted this for Bernini, the Roman sculptor that by combining the impressions the sculptor would be better able to produce the "speaking" likeness of the king.

It might be true that the Gospels were intended to serve the same purpose of Jesus' portrait - each represents a different aspect of His life and together we have a complete picture.

     Matthew was one of Jesus' first twelve disciples who - previously been a tax collector - was an eye-witness of all the teachings and miracles. He presents Jesus as a King, the Son of David. It was written primarily to the Jews that is why it is full with quotations from the Old Testament Scriptures. It contains the Sermon of the Mount and His teachings are about the Kingdom.

     Mark - who wrote his gospel during apostle Peter's narration -  introduces Jesus as a Servant and he wrote it to the Romans. More miracles are found here than in any other gospels, because the Romans, who were the rulers of the world at that time, cared little for words, far more for deeds.

     Luke as an educated doctor wrote his gospel for the educated Greeks, who were lovers of poetry, culture and beauty, and he sets forth Jesus as the Perfect Man. Only in Luke's gospel we can find songs (Magnificat, Zacharias's praise, angels and sheperds are singing).

     John, who was also a disciple of Jesus, wrote his "good news" for all people, who will believe. He portrays Jesus as the Son of God. In this gospel there are many intimate talks and moments which has got one purpose: to lead people to the Lord.

     And just to see the beautiful portrait of Jesus, here are the closing remarks of the four gospels:

Matthew 28:18-20- Jesus, the King is commanding and commissioning His disciples. 

Mark 16:20 - Jesus, the Servant is pictured as still labouring with His disciples.

Luke - Jesus, the Perfect Man ascending to heaven to His Father.

John 21:25 - Jesus, the Son of God did many other things, that there would be not enough books in the whole world to contain it.

Bookworm? (EN)

I just bought some nice books with Miriam at ASDA Baby & Toddler Event. They were reasonably priced and they have got nice colours and logical. Yes, logical, because I am fed up with those kind of books - which have nowadays flooded the market - where there are purple elephants, red cats and aliens. I could hardly find any books with natural-coloured animals. Or  there were a series of little books, where they want to teach numbers for kids, but the figures (aliens) were larger than the numbers themselves or what they want to emphasize.
Well, we succeeded finally with our search for books and my little daughter loves them very much!

W.W.M.D. (GB)

I remember, in Hungary about 5 years ago (probably earlier in Western Europe) , there was a big movement called W.W.J.D. - What Would Jesus Do. The purpose of this was, that in our everyday moment, not just at Sunday "church-time" we would try do everything the way Jesus would.

On the Christian market the different "fashion" items started to appear, and you could purchase mugs, bracelets, pens, bags, notebooks etc. with the emblem of W.W.J.D., so if you have your morning coffee, you can drink it how Jesus would drink it; during the day your bracelet could remind you about your behaviour if you had a glimpse of it; at work or school your pen or notebook were the helpful items to help live the life of Jesus. And you could get Bible covers embroidered with the magic letters on it, just in case you forget or are not reminded by the Scriptures in your hand and don't know whom to think about.

Nowadays my thoughts are also around 4 letters: W.W.M.D. And the question in my head is "What Would Mary Do?"
Yes, Mary... Jesus' mother. Oh, no it is not a writing of a Catholic freak, who adores Mother Mary. These are only the thoughts of a Christian mum, who tries to think biblically about motherhood and to imagine how Mary dealt with Jesus, when our Saviour was a pre-toddler: did she comfort Him, when He was teething? How did she comfort Him? How did she play with Him? Did she sing to Him? What could be the life for them - when Mary was 9 month pregnant she had to sit on a donkey and go to Bethlehem; after the visit of the 3 wise men, they had do escape with a toddler to an unknown, foreign country: Egypt; later they travelled back to Galillei.

Mary's life wasn't easy, but I am sure God chose her, because she was a strong woman, who understood, that she was only the caretaker of her son, Jesus, and her task was to provide a warm nest and to get Him ready to His big ministry in the Earth - to save us.