As
a child I was enthralled with optical illusions. I would intently study theses pictures. Initially I would see a certain image and then
all of a sudden my perspective would change and an entirely different image
would appear before my eyes. It wasn't a
magical transformation. The image had
been there all along - I just didn't see it. This same thing has happened to me as I have
been writing this series of posts on "Messianic Musings in Matthew". God has been altering my biblical perspective.
I am a Gentile believer and I saw
Scripture through those eyes. Basically,
it was all about me.
I
have mentioned that I have been using Rabbi Barney Kazan's Messianic commentary
called Matthew Presents Yeshiva, King
Messiah. I have been so blessed by
what I have been studying. God has opened my eyes in a new way to the beauty of
His love for His Chosen People, the Jews.
This has been especially evident as I have studied Matthew 24 and 25.
In
these chapters, Jesus is on the Mount of Olives teaching His disciples about
the End Times, also known as the Time of Jacob's Trouble or the Great
Tribulation. The commentary I have been
reading, in addition to our Wiersbe study, both stress the Jewish context of
these passages. A few of the specific
reasons why they believe this is the reference to the Sabbath (only a concern
for the Jews) as well as the parable of the fig tree (a fig tree has always been
a symbol of Israel).
This
brings me to Matthew 25:31-45, the parable of the sheep and the goats. Much has
been taught about this passage and respected biblical scholars hold different
interpretations of its meaning. The view
presented by Rabbi Kasdan was different than I had ever heard taught. I ask you
to think about it through fresh eyes - to consider, as I did, that it is not
all about us.
Jesus
was comparing the sheep to the goats as two different groups of people. He said of the sheep, that they had met His
needs by giving food, clothing, and helping in times of trouble. On the other hand the goats did not do any of
these things. The sheep asked when did
we do these things for You? Jesus
replied "Truly, I say to you, as you
did it to one of the least of these my
brothers, you did it to Me" (Matt. 25:40).
It
was my understanding that in this passage Jesus was reiterating the principle
found throughout the Bible that we should help those in need - all those in
need. While true, this is not what Rabbi Kasdan believes Jesus is saying here. Jesus calls those in need "My brothers". Kasdan goes on to say that this passage is not
about Gentile believers helping other Gentiles but Gentile believers helping
Jesus' brothers - the Jewish people. He goes on to say that this passage is
about the important relationship between true Gentile believers and God's
Chosen People. Putting this into the context of Jesus' teaching on the End
Times, Rabbi Kasdan believes this is a strong warning to those who actually go
through the Great Tribulation. The Bible prophesies that this will be a time of
great suffering, especially for the nation of Israel. The Jewish people will be
in great need. How Gentile believers act will be an accurate reflection of
their authentic relationship with Jesus.
I leave you with a
quote from Rabbi Kasdan: "The
parable emphasizes that one of the best fruits for non-Jews will actually be
their treatment of the Jewish people in their daily lives. Since the days of
Abraham, God has given both a promise and a warning regarding how the nations
treat Israel. Clearly, the fruit of one's salvation may be evident in many
ways, but it is reasonable that the proper treatment of God's own people will
be a direct manifestation of that fruit.
With respect to the parable of nations, are you a sheep or a goat?"
(Pp 325, 327).
No comments:
Post a Comment