Messianic Musings ~ The Missing Matzah

In our study this week Jesus was celebrating Passover with those closest to Him, the 12 Apostles.  You might not know the very first Passover was celebrated on the eve of the Exodus and still continues today as commanded in scripture.  God tells His people in Exodus 12:14 "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord - a lasting ordinance". 

I have had the blessing and privilege of attending a Passover Seder on several occasions.  Actually, 'attending' isn't really the correct word - 'participating' would be much more accurate.  The guests are not just observers but are heavily engaged as they take part in the beauty of the tradition.  I have heard my friend, who hosts this celebration, say many times why she loves this day.  So many of the holidays we celebrate, even 'Christian' holidays, can take on a secular twist.  Passover is about the Lord, plain and simple.

The celebration of Passover centers on the reading of the haggadah.  This means 'the telling' and is the fulfillment of the commandment found in Exodus 13:8 "You shall tell your son on that day, 'It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt'."  There is no way I could do justice to the richness of the Jewish traditions that surround the reading of the haggadah  in a short blog post so I am going to focus on just one aspect of the meal.

It says in Matthew 26:26 "Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it, broke it and gave it to His disciples".  According to the commentary I have been reading, the piece of bread Jesus took was a very specific piece of matzah.  (Matzah is the unleavened bread commanded by God to be used during Passover.)  The matzah would have been taken from a ceremonial container called the matzah tash.  What is special about the container is that it has three distinct compartments.  At the beginning of the Seder the matzah from the middle container is broken in half.  One half is put back in the matzah tosh and the other half is given a specific name, the afikoman.  The afikoman is wrapped in a napkin and hidden away for later in the meal.  At a specific point in the reading of the haggadah the children who are present are given the task of searching for the hidden afikoman.  The lucky finder is rewarded.  This piece of matzah  was the bread Jesus would have blessed and broken and distributed to the disciples.

Without doubt, the ceremony of the afikoman is ripe with symbolism, not just to the Jewish people who have celebrated the Passover for centuries, but to us as well.  Jewish scholars are not sure when this part of the ceremony was incorporated into the haggadah but the commentary I am using believes that the ceremony of the afikoman illustrates the full ministry of Jesus, the Messiah.  Jesus' appearance - when the matzah first appears in the meal.  Jesus' death - when the matzah is broken in half.  Jesus' resurrection - when the hidden matzah is found and revealed.

As we have seen before, God is very deliberate.  There are many things that He has ordained in the past that the meaning was not fully revealed until a later time.  Some of what God had ordained in the Old Testament has been revealed to us in New Testament times.  Some will not be revealed until the age to come!

"Praised are You, O LORD our God, King of the Universe, who sustains the world with goodness, with grace, and with infinite mercy.  You give food to every creature for your mercy endures forever."  (The Haggadah)

Messianic Musings ~ It's Not All About Me

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).

Messianic Musings ~ What is Jesus Really Saying?

Has anyone ever said to you, "I want you to hear what I am NOT saying."?  Sometimes we may have a preconceived idea of what someone is going to say to us. When this happens we can hear what we think they are going to say rather what they are really saying. This can happen when we read Scripture as well. 

I think many of us began our study of Matthew with the presupposition that Jesus and the religious leaders, meaning all of the religious leaders, were on two sides of a battle. We have seen in Matthew that Jesus was often accused of taking a stand against the law of Moses and Jewish tradition. We have learned this was far from the truth. Jesus Himself says in Matthew 5:17, "Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them".  

Reading through Matthew 23, it might seem that Jesus is speaking against the Law. He has some harsh things to say to the scribes and Pharisees who have been confronting Him. Jesus speaks about their words, their actions, and even their attire. What we may hear is what He is NOT saying.

Let's look at what Jesus is saying specifically about their attire: "For they make their phylacteries broad " (v.5). You may be wondering what a phylactery is. This is a small leather box that during times of prayer would be worn on the arm and the forehead. Inside the box was a small scroll that would have the words of the Sh'ma on it. The Sh'ma is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5: "Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God, the Lord is One. You shall love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might".  Deuteronomy 6:8 goes on to say: "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes".

So is Jesus criticizing the Pharisees for wearing them? Quite the contrary. Jesus Himself was an observant Jew and would have worn phylacteries of His own. Wearing these prayer boxes would be a beautiful fulfillment of the law given in Deuteronomy 6:8. What Jesus was condemning was that some of the Pharisees would make their prayer boxes very large. It was not about what they were doing, rather, why they were doing it. If small is good, than large would be much more holy, right? They were doing this for man to see, not to honor God.

We have seen again and again that Jesus is after our hearts. We may not wear phylacteries on our heads but I am sure we could take this example and apply it to some of the religious actions in our own lives. Perhaps you could ask God to show you if there is something you are doing that is more about what others see than the joy of pleasing Him.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)

Messianic Musings ~ Choosing the Passover Lamb

This coming week we are going to be reading a portion of scripture that may be very familiar. It details Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem prior to the celebration of Passover.  Growing up as a Christian, we celebrated this day as Palm Sunday. It was followed by Holy Week - a week set aside to remember Jesus' last days prior to His crucifixion.  Then the joyful celebration of Easter!

As I read the Messianic commentary on this passage my eyes were opened to something I never saw before.  Looking at the events of Holy Week from a Jewish perspective and the actual Passover preparation gave me a much deeper appreciation of God's timeline. One aspect of Passover really caught my attention.

The lamb was a focal point in the Passover celebration. Going all the way back to the night of the exodus from Egypt God gave very specific instructions how the lamb was to be prepared: "Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month (Nissan) each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household" (Ex. 12:3).  It also tells us in this passage that the lamb was to be without defect and was to be chosen four days prior to the celebration of Passover, which would be on the 14th of Nissan. During these four days the lamb would be inspected to insure it was free from defects, broken bones or other impurities. They wanted to ensure that it was the best of the kosher offerings.

As believers in Jesus as the Messiah we know that Jesus was the Lamb of God. John the apostle tells us: "The next day john saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"(John 1:29).  Now let's look at our passage in Matthew 21:6-11. These verses recount Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, on a road strewn with palm branches. This was very different from the times that He had come before this to visit the temple or teach His disciples. This was a public presentation. He was greeted with the words: "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna is the highest!" (Matt. 21:9). As my commentary pointed out this occurred four days prior to Passover, the 10th of Nissan! "On this day Jesus was presented publicly to Israel as if to say "See if I am the kosher Lamb of God, your Messiah!" (Matthew, presents Yesua, King Messiah, Kasdan, pg. 234).

Sometimes as Christians I think we can miss out on the wonders of God because we simply are not familiar with the Jewishness of the events that we read about in the Bible. In the big picture the timing of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem did not seem significant to me but as I studied it in light of Passover I was amazed by God. He is so purposeful in what He does. His plan is not arbitrary or random. The LORD gave Moses the Passover requirements in 1446 BC. Jesus entered Jerusalem in the donkey in 30 AD. That is almost a 1,500 year span!! God is so purposeful in what He does. His plan is not arbitrary or random. How thankful I am that I have committed my life to a God who knows the end form the begining, who is the Alpha and the Omega!!

"Open my eyes that I may behold wonderous things out of Your law." (Psalm 119:18, ESV)

Messianic Musings ~ Which Way is Up?

Let's say you were  taking a trip to our capital city, Washington D.C. and you lived in Florida. You might say something like  'I am going up to D.C.'   What about if you lived in NYC? Then, of course, you would say something like 'I am going down to D.C.'  Have you ever noticed in the Bible that whenever anyone was going to Jerusalem they would always be going up to Jerusalem? If you were to look at a map of Israel you would see that Jerusalem is very close to being in the middle of the county. Has this ever struck you as odd?

In Matthew 20:18 Jesus tells the apostles "We are going up to Jerusalem..". In this verse Jesus is using a common Hebrew idiom of making aliyah (pilgrimage) by going up to the Holy City.  In the Jewish calendar there were three great Holy Days. At these times, the Jews living outside of Jerusalem would make a pilgrimage up to the Holy City to worship the LORD.  They would not always be traveling physically north but they would be making a spiritual aliyah, of drawing close to God's presence. Prior to the time when believers were indwelt with God's Holy Spirit, the only way they could encounter Him was within the walls of the temple where the Ark of the Covenant resided.

In your Bible if you were to look at Psalm's 120 to 134 you would notice that these Psalm's are labeled 'Songs of Ascent'.  In Hebrew the word for ascent is ma'aloth. This word means 'to go up'.  These songs were sung as the pilgrims made their way to worship the Lord at the place where His presence dwelt in the Holy city of Jerusalem. Imagine what it would have been like for them, with each mile they walked they drew closer to the presence of the Lord!!  

Here are some of the words they would have worshiped with:

"I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1-2)

"I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go up to the house of the LORD."  That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel." (Psalm 122:1,4)

"Let us go to His dwelling place; let us worship at His footstool - arise O LORD, and come to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might." (Psalm 132:7-8)

"Praise the LORD all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD." (Psalm 134:1-2)

As I read the words of these Psalms my heart filled with thankfulness and joy. We no longer need to make a physical aliyah to draw near to God. How very blessed we are that God is always present in our day.  Are we really aware how special this is? Each one of us is on a spiritual aliyah. There is truly nothing that can keep us from Him - the choice is ours.  I pray that you would take time away from the business of the day to purposely draw near to God and rejoice in His presence.

"Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage." Psalm 84:5

Messianic Musings ~ A Matter of Perspective

The gospel of Matthew is peppered with accounts of the apostle Peter. When Jesus called him as an apostle he immediately left his fishing business and followed Jesus. He witnessed Jesus heal his mother and many others. At Jesus call, he walked on water. Like us, he sometimes blew it and sometimes he exhibited great faith. From what I have read and studied I think I could safely describe Peter as a man of action.

Chapter 17 of Matthew opens with one of the great wonders of Jesus' time of ministry on earth - the Transfiguration. In this passage, Peter, along with James and John, accompanied Jesus to a mountain top. "And He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with Him" (Matt. 17:2-3). Peter's response was immediate, " Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" (Matt. 17:4).

I have often read this passage and confess that my underlying attitude toward Peter's actions has been a little judgmental. It seemed to me that Peter's words were spurred by his somewhat impulsive personality. After doing a little studying in the Jewish commentary I learned that there was more to this passage than my gentile mindset appreciated.

The Jewish scriptures (Tanakh), that Peter would have known well, are composed of the Law and the Prophets. According to Jewish tradition, The Law is represented by Moses and Elijah would represent The Prophets. The significance of these two men together is found in Deuteronomy/Devarim 3:17: "Moses, I swear to you, as you devoted your life to their service to the world, so too in the time to come when I bring Elijah, the prophet, unto them, the two of you shall come together".  Jewish tradition also believes that Elijah would one day appear to announce the coming of King Messiah and His kingdom.

Going back to Matthew 16:28,  Jesus had promised the apostles: "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom".  When both Elijah and Moses appeared with Jesus, this would have been a profound moment for Peter.

Let's bring another Jewish tradition into the mix. The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot),  is celebrated by the Jewish people every year. This feast celebrates the presence of God dwelling with His people. As a part of this celebration, temporary shelters would be built that the Jews would dwell in for the eight days of the festival.

Now let's put this all together and look at things through Peter's perspective. The appearance of Moses and Elijah was a sign that the Kingdom of God would soon be ushered in. Add to this Jesus' promise in Matthew 16:28. How natural would Peter's response have been? Peter's actions were not an impulsive response. He read the signs of the times and acted on what he knew based on Jewish tradition and teachings. This changed the whole context of how I viewed this passage of Scripture!

Reading through the rest of the passage, we do know that the Transfiguration was not the time that the Lord's kingdom would be fully established. That was still yet to come.  But it was a moment that the Lord's splendor was made known with a promise of things to come.

"Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness."  Psalm 29:2

Messianic Musings ~ The Breaking of Bread

Many of us are now in the midst of preparation for Thanksgiving. We may be pondering what to cook? What will we be eating? Or even thinking about some of the things that we are thankful for this year. For some, the Thanksgiving tradition will include a prayer of thanks before the meal. Even if it doesn't, I think we all could conjure up the vision of a person residing over the table with head bowed, eyes closed, hands folded, praying over the food.

This week we will be studying Matthew 14.  This chapter of scripture recounts one of Jesus' best known miracles where He feeds the 5,000 people who were gathered in a solitary place to hear Him speak.  We read in Matthew 14:19a, "And He directed the people to sit down on the grass.  Taking the fives loaves and two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves."  

On the surface, Jesus prayer of thanks may seem similar to our own Thanksgiving tradition.  If we delve into the Jewish perspective of meal-time prayer I think it will give us a deeper understanding of our own prayer this Thanksgiving.

Prior to a meal, a blessing (b'akhah) would be said called the Motzi: "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth". As Jesus gave thanks this is probably what He said.  Jesus was not blessing the bread itself, but the Lord Who provided the food. You might also note from Matthew 14:19 that Jesus looked up to heaven when He prayed which was the more traditional Jewish posture of prayer.

To most of us, the fact that Jesus broke the bread would have little significance yet to a Jewish mindset this was significant.  Often when bread was distributed at a meal, it would be torn off the end of the loaf, not cut with a knife. This was a symbol of the day when nations would no longer be torn apart by the sword, something we eagerly await. Also, to Christians, 'breaking bread' might specifically refer to our communion service but to the Jewish people it would refer to anytime a meal was shared.

As we gather together this Thursday to 'break bread' with the people God has placed in our lives many things might come to mind that we are thankful for. I pray we would have time to look up to heaven and to bless God alone, not just for what He has given us. Simply because He is.

"Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever." Psalm 136:26

Messianic Musings ~ The Joy of Shabbat

As chapter 12 of Matthew opens, Jesus is once again confronted by the Pharisees because of His activities on the Sabbath, or Shabbat, as the Jewish people would call it. Have you ever wondered why this was such an issue for the Pharisees? What was driving their intense reaction?

We are all familiar with one of the earliest commands that God gave His people, the Israelites:

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work....Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." (Ex. 30:8-9a, 11b.)

As I studied the Jewish perspective on this commandment I began to see the Sabbath in a new light. The observance of Shabbat has been one of the most revered of all the commandments in historical Judaism. Even today, two candles are lit on the evening of Shabbat to symbolize both the remembrance and the observance of this holy day.  We (as 21st century Christians ) may have the impression that this was a solemn and oppressive day, a day marked by "do not's".  It was anything but. In Isaiah 58 God calls the Sabbath a delight and a blessing.  For those who observe this holy day, God promises, "then you will find joy in the LORD. and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob" (Isaiah 58:14).

From our perspective, we may see the restrictions that the Jewish people were under as a burden. They saw these restrictions as a gift. They were a safeguard on their day of rest. It was a remembrance that they could rejoice that they were no longer slaves to anyone - not the Egyptians and not the demands of modern society.

When Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees concerning His observance of the Sabbath, He did not deny the celebration of this special day. He did speak against the religious practices that followed the letter of the law at the cost of overlooking the spirit and intent of the law.

This year in our homework we have been striving to apply the lessons we are learning in Matthew to our own lives. Each week we look at what we have specifically learned in the Bible passage we have studied. Next, we look at how God would want us to realign our hearts based on what we have learned. Lastly, we must ask ourselves how we can implement these truths in our lives practically.

I asked myself these questions as I studied the Sabbath. What did I learn? I learned that the Jews desired to safeguard the observance of the Sabbath because it was a gift to them. How does God want to realign my heart? God wants me to realize that I can take the Sabbath for granted, forgetting that He wants it to be a day of joy and a blessing. And lastly, what will I do about it? Well, that's between me and the LORD!!

Messianic Musings ~ The Dust of His Feet

Several years ago I took a course that was required for those entering the profession of grade school teacher. The class was called Principles of Education. The purpose of the class was to instill in teachers an understanding of the foundational educational principles  of the American school system.  The course began with an overview of the great philosophers of history and their contribution to the framework of the system that we have all been a part of. Two of the men who had the most significant impact were Greek philosophers  - Socrates and Plato.  

The way that the ancient Greeks taught was very different than the model of Jewish education. The Greek style of learning was basically concerned with the transfer of information from the teacher to the student. The Jewish model went much deeper. In the Jewish tradition, when a rabbi saw students who held promise, he would call them to become his apprentices and he would be their mentor.  The students (or talmid) would follow the rabbi closely, day in and day out. Spiritual lessons were not just a matter of transferring information but rather the talmid would learn from the rabbi as they watched the rabbi live his life. They would follow the rabbi so closely that it was said that the talmid would be covered by the dust of the rabbi's feet.  The goal wasn't just acquisition of information but of a fully transformed life.

In Chapter 10 of Matthew, as was the Jewish custom, Rabbi Jesus called his disciples. The gospels are full of accounts of the disciples following Jesus. We see how they sat at his feet as He taught. They were with Him as He ate. They were with Him as He prayed, as He healed, as He walked....as He lived. Their lives were transformed as they followed Him closely.

I think we all "get" learning as the transferring of information. It has been ingrained in us since the earliest years of school. In the secular world this has its place but I think we have to be wary of bringing this mindset into our spiritual lives. Yes, there is biblical information that we should know. We worship God with our minds as we study His Word. But if Jesus is our Lord and Savior and we call ourselves His disciples we are called by Him to go deeper. He doesn't just want us to know about Him. He wants us to know Him. That means following Him closely.

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself take up his cross and follow me". (Matt. 16:24)

Messianic Musings ~ Out with the Old

“Out with the old in with the new.”

It’s that time of year again, time to put away all the old clothes from summer and breakout that new fall wardrobe.  For me it is more a matter of necessity than anything else.  While some people look forward to trashing some older clothes for newer ones, I am just looking to get warm.  I am also not one to just completely pitch everything I have.  I tend to hold onto my favorites (like for decades) while getting rid of the items that rarely made an appearance over the last year.  I tend to keep what is best and relinquish the rest.

“Out with the old in with the new.”  I think as Christians this can be our underlying hermeneutical bent towards interpreting scripture.  We look at Matthew 9:16-17 and we see new clothe and new wineskins and the repetitive nature of the word new and we assume that Jesus is putting away the Old Law and its traditions for something entirely new.  According to my messianic commentary, there is something else going on here entirely.

“Many Christian expositors will try to make the point that Yeshua is proposing a whole new religion which cannot be contained in the existing forms of Judaism or even the Old Testament.  This cannot be the case in light of Yeshua’s (Jesus) own words about the consistency between his teachings and the older covenants. (Matthew 5:17).  Yet, in the context of his disputes with some of the Pharisees, it seems more logical that Yeshua’s (Jesus) reference to old wine and old garments are an allusion to the Mishnah (oral law) and certain rabbinic interpretations of the Torah.”  ( Rabbi Barney Kasdan, Matthew Presents Yeshua, King Messiah, p95.)

Jesus was not calling Israel to abandon the previous covenants nor their Biblical foundations but to return to a more correct interpretation of those foundations.   A beautiful example is found in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.  In this passage, the cup that Jesus is lifting is actually the third cup of the Passover seder meal in which He is using to illustrate his redemptive work.  This cup is not mentioned in the Torah (law) details pertaining to the Passover, but is actually a rabbinic idea added during the Talmudic (oral law) times.  It is equally surprising that not only are the Jewish believers exhorted to remember the lessons of this cup (Matthew 26:26-29), but also the non-Jewish believers of Corinth.

How should we than, as Christians, view the Law and the Mishnah (oral law)?  Do we pitch it or embrace it?  To quote our author “Jesus came to elucidate the fullness of the teaching in Torah, even to the point of correcting some of the errors in people’s understanding of it”. (ibid p96). 

In plain language, it isn’t so much “out with the old in with the new” but rather “keep the best and relinquish the rest”.  Jesus our rabbi, our teacher, knows what is best, follow Him! 

“When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”                   Matthew 7:28-29

Messianic Musings ~ A Question of Authority

There are a few things in my life that remain constant. One of those things is reading. There is not a time when I am not deep into a book. As I have gotten older and my walk with Jesus has deepened I have become a more discerning reader.  There are so many books, so many authors, so many interests I want to read about. How is one to choose? Ten years ago it would have meant perusing the aisles of Barnes & Noble. These days it is more like following links on Amazon.

Often times I come upon a book that the author is unfamiliar to me.  I can read the title and look at the description but how do I really judge if the book lines up with biblical principles? One of the things I do is to look at who is endorsing the book and who wrote the forward. If these are written by authors I know and respect I can trust then, that the book I am considering would be a solid read.  This is not so different than what happened when the rabbis taught in Israel.

For the last few weeks we have been studying the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5 - 7. These chapters contain the teachings of Jesus, from His own mouth. Jesus was a rabbi, which means teacher. In those days rabbis would go from place to place, teaching publicly.  It was common for the rabbi who was teaching to reference other rabbis to give authority to the message he was teaching.  The rabbi would be teaching "in the name" of these other rabbis, even if they were no longer living.

This sheds some light on to the very last verse in Matthew 7: "When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law"  (Matt. 7:28-29).

Much of what Jesus had taught was not new to those listening. (This is not to say that Jesus did not give deeper spiritual insight and application to what they already knew.) They would have been familiar with the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and the oral law. Those listening were amazed not so much about what He taught, but how He taught. Unlike other rabbis, Jesus did not have to quote rabbinic authorities to validate His words. Jesus was the authority. He was God. 

This distinction was not lost on his disciples. How about with us? There is so much teaching available to us. Some biblically solid, some not so much. Sometimes it may be hard to discern the difference. But what we can count on and trust implicitly is the Word of God. Jesus is the Word. He is the final authority. He is truth. It is the standard to which everything else must be measured.

"This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!" (Matt. 17:5b).

Messianic Musings ~ The Evil Eye

When you read the Bible do you ever come across a passage that throws you for a loop?  This happened to me as I read Matthew 6.  For those of us who have spent any time at WBS, we know that context is king. So what do you do when a passage seems out of context? What any Bible scholar would do - dig deeper!

The verses that threw me were from Matthew 6:19-24.  The Bible I have been using subtitled this passage  "Treasures in Heaven".   (A little extra trivia for you - these subtitles have been put in by editors to make the text easier to read. They were not present in the original Scriptures.)  The first and last paragraphs in this passage fit very neatly under this subtitle as they teach about wealth. I couldn't understand how the following verses fit into the context of the passage:

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light but if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! "

(Matt. 6:22-23).

If context is king, how do healthy and unhealthy eyes fit into the context of wealth?  I learned something really cool from the Messianic commentaries we have been using. As Jesus was speaking, He used a Hebrew figure of speech that was often mistranslated. A healthy eye (or a good eye) is not about sight, it is about our attitude towards wealth. In God's Word a person with a healthy eye would be one who was generous with his material processions. Conversely, a person who had an unhealthy eye (or an evil eye) would be one who was miserly with his wealth.

With this new understanding, does this passage fit the context of wealth? It certainly does!! It tells us that how we view material wealth is very important. If we are generous with what we have we will be filled with light but if we are selfish or stingy we will be full of darkness.

So, how's your sight?

Messianic Musings in Matthew - "You've heard that it was said."

“You have heard that it was said”  :

Cleanliness is next to godliness.

God helps those who help themselves. 

When God closes a door He opens a window. 

Do you recognize any of these sayings?  They sound just so scriptural and practical.  Would you agree?  Perhaps you would like to jot down the references so that you might highlight them in your Bible or write them on an index card for a future memorization project (hint)?  Sorry to say, while each of these familiar sayings carry some Biblical truth, none of them are found in the Bible. 

How did these sayings come about anyway?  Most likely they were given as a practical lesson to aid in understanding the scriptures.  The earliest record of the first quote “cleanliness is next to godliness” is, in fact, from a sermon preached by John Wesley. 

Our second saying, “God helps those who help themselves” originated with Benjamin Franklin.  Conceptually, there is some truth in the idea of “helping ourselves”.  While we are a helpless people dependent on an all powerful God, the Bible also speaks against laziness.  Context is key for this one.

Lastly, while “when God closes a door He opens a window” isn’t actually found in the Bible, there are many examples of how God protects and guides His people when it seems there is no way out.  He often surprises His children with an option for escape that they never thought of.  I love that about Him.

At least six times in Matthew chapter 5 Jesus says “you have heard that it was said”.   Is that what Jesus is doing here?  Is He fine tuning some faulty theological sound bites that were part of the belief system at that time?  Go Jesus!  I confess I am one of those people who find it hard not to correct erroneous pithy sayings that misconstrue God’s Word.  Like all the “spiritual” sayings plastered over all kinds of purchasable homegoods.  I need special restraint not to whip out my black magic marker and white out. 

Could that be what Jesus is doing?  Not exactly, but similar.  Jesus starts with his teaching in Matthew 5 with the commandment “Do not murder”.   With a closer look at Jesus’ words you will notice that he is not just commenting on the written law (Exodus 20:13) but on something much broader.  In the phrase “You have heard that it was said” , Jesus is actually alluding to what is often called the Oral Torah (law). 

Since the days of Mount Sinai, traditional Jews have largely been in agreement that the Torah (law) Moses wrote down is the inspired Word of God.  However, over the course of the centuries, another body of tradition developed that was the rabbinic commentary on this written law or the Mishnah.  While the value of the Mishnah is essential since its main purpose was to protect the Torah by illuminating its precepts, there is a subtle danger that these commentaries may take almost equal weight with the original scripture. 

For generations, these commentaries (Mishnah) were passed down by word of mouth teaching.  This is what Jesus is referring to when he says “you have heard that it was said”   While Jesus follows with quoting the written law “Do not murder” the subsequent phrase “anyone who murders will be subject to the judgment” could actually be from the Mishnah. Yet Jesus clarifies the substance of the commandment by declaring “But I tell you”.  Jesus cuts right to the heart of the manner.  “Anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to the judgment”.  Murder takes place in the heart where all the emotions reside.  The Torah is meant to appeal to the heart.  The handing down of rules through an oral tradition from generation to generation can negate the beauty and grace that the Torah is meant to bring to an individual's life.  Legalism is basically keeping the law without engaging the heart and God is all about our hearts.  Jesus is making it clear; the obedience to the law isn’t what prevents judgment but purity of the heart is. 

God never intended our spiritual lives to be a collection of pithy sayings handed down from generation to generation that bring warm and fuzzy feelings but produce no real change of character.  While we hang them on our walls and pass them on to our children, they will have no real value unless they preserve the original intent of the Torah which is love for God and man.  Rules can’t produce that only a heart surrendered to a Savior can.

Messianic Musings in Matthew - 12 Words or Less

The day was fast approaching. I knew it was just a matter of time and I would have to face the inevitable. Every year, right around March, the confrontation waits. This time I was hoping that I would get through the ordeal a bit better but deep down in the very core of my being, I knew it wasn’t meant to be. It was the day on my Bible reading schedule where I would come face to face with Proverbs 17. It isn’t the whole chapter I dread, per se; it is just verse 28. It is the very last sentence in the chapter and it leaves me feeling taunted by its simplistic wisdom as I close out that passage of scripture. Wisdom that I have prayed that I would walk in but seldom do.

“Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.”

Can anyone relate? While God has graced me with a speaking gift, I just don’t seem to know when to quit it. But that isn’t the only verse that mocks me, there are more. How about?

“When words are many, sin in not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” Proverbs 10:19

“The more words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?” Ecc. 6:11

“A man of knowledge uses words with restraint.” Proverbs 17:27

Can’t you just feel my anxiety? My call is to speak but clearly these scriptures tell us that there will be a time when the ‘less is more’ principle applies. When will I learn that it isn’t the number but how notable the words are that bring revelation?. They don’t need to be plenteous just potent, not copious just convicting and not bountiful just brilliant and not superfluous but filled with the Spirit.

But try as I may, it seems that I have a wagon load of words that I never can seem to use up. People who study these things say that generally women use about 3,000 more words per day then men. When this statistic is alluded to, my husband always quips “and they must be used”. Men don’t seem to have the problem of left over words at the end of the day. I know I live with three of them. Maybe that is why I have so many extra; I feel that I need to use up theirs. I just hate to see anything go to waste.

It seems God never has this problem. In 12 succinct words found in Mark 1, God delivers a message that would transform the lives of not only those who heard it with their own ears but also for those of generations to follow. This message would be the kind that revolutionizes the course of spiritual and world history forever. It would alter men’s hearts eternally and ignite a furious love for God matched only by a supernatural response evidenced by a radical obedience. What were these 12 words?

“And a voice from heaven said, ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased’.” Mark 1:11

If you are familiar with Mark 1:11, you will immediately recall that this is the account of Jesus’ baptism where the heavens were torn open and the Spirit descended on him like a dove and God spoke. To appreciate Gods succinct and sufficient wording we first want to recognize that this one verse is taken from three sources in the Old Testament. In the Hebraic mind, when a portion of scripture was quoted, their thoughts would go to the entire passage surrounding that portion. Let’s take a moment to think the way a Jew, who witnessed this event, might think and explore these three slices from scripture together.

“You are my son” comes from Psalm 2:7 where “the LORD” addresses the anointed King as His Son. At Jesus’ baptism he began His official role as God’s anointed King and Son.

"whom I love” may represent an Isaac/Jesus typology from Genesis 22:2, where Isaac is Abraham’s only son “whom you love”. Abraham’s willingness to offer his beloved son would be corresponding to God’s offering of his Son.

“with you I am well pleased” echoes Isaiah 42:1, where the faithful and suffering servant of the LORD is identified as God’s chosen one.

Within these few words God was telling all those who were present that this man was God’s son as well as an anointed King. He was deeply loved by God and as Abraham gave up his son “whom he loved”, God was about to give up His son “whom He loved”. He also draws from one of the suffering servant passages found in the book of Isaiah that describes this servant as not only as one God is well pleased with but one in whom God’s Spirit would rest on. This servant would be humble, gentle and faithful, filled with justice and one who would not be discouraged until he has finished what He was sent to do. This man standing before their very eyes is, in a nutshell, God’s Son, King, Servant and Messiah.

I can only imagine what the Jewish scholars and theologians of that day must have thought. No doubt they were rendered speechless. I am sure they knew their scriptures and could present an argument well. They probably had spent countless hours debating and theorizing what the Messiah would be like. In spite of all their study and understanding, God managed to wrap the entire vision of this Savior in one concise sentence.

It wasn’t the number of words He used but how notable they were, they weren’t plenteous just potent, not copious just convicting, not bountiful just brilliant and not superfluous but of the spirit. Succinct and sufficient!

One day maybe I will be able to deliver such a potent message in just 12 words. Until then I am reminded by this scripture that it isn’t the amount of words I use for God that matters but the amount of God that is in my words.

“God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let my words be few.”
          Ecclesiastes 5:2b

Messianic Musings in Matthew ~ Week 2

As Chapter 3 of Matthew opens we are introduced to John the Baptist.  Here is how Matthew describes him:  "John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey" (Matt. 3:4).  This probably brings a specific picture to your mind. This description of John is very similar to another great Old Testament prophet.  In 2 Kings 1:8 the prophet Elijah was described as a man dressed in a coat of hair with a leather belt.  There is a subtle connection here that the Jewish people would have recognized.

You might wonder, did Matthew really mean that John was eating locusts?  This seems extremely strange to our twenty-first century palette.  John the Baptist was a man who would have taken the Jewish dietary laws very seriously.   These laws can be found in Leviticus 11 and also in the Talmud. (The Talmud is a compilation of the Jewish oral law.)  In both of these books you could find discussions on eating locusts. The Messianic commentary I read by Rabbi Barney Kasdan pointed out something really interesting about Matthew 3:4. You might not be aware of this, but the Bible we read has been translated from the Greek language. The Greek word for 'locust' is very similar to the Greek word for 'carob'.  A carob tree produces pods which are dried and eaten.  People actually use the roasted pods as a substitute for chocolate. Even now, in Israel the carob tree is commonly referred to as the "St. John's Tree".  Could it be  what John the Baptist was eating was not locusts at all but carob!  We can’t say with all certainty but it is something worth pondering.  Would you agree?

The thought I want to leave you with? Sometimes we are left with a certain impression when we read the Bible. As we dig deeper in our study we will learn things that give us deeper insight than we would have had otherwise.  So keep digging!!

Messianic Musings in Matthew

Messianic Musings in Matthew.  You might be wondering “What in the world is that?” Firstly, it is going to be the title of our new post series for this year as we journey through the Gospel of Matthew together.  Secondly, well secondly is going to take a little bit of explaining.  Let’s take it one word at a time.

Messianic – a term that refers to Jews who appreciate the Jewishness (I might have made up a word) of Jesus while also embracing his full message as the Messiah for both Jews and non-Jews.  They are a group of individuals who are Jewish in background and appreciate their full heritage.  Although they cleave to that heritage, they also hold to the conviction that Jesus is the true Messiah or “Yeshua” which means “salvation”.

Musings – According to Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary a musing is basically a meditation.

Matthew – Matthew wrote a gospel.  He wrote his gospel to convince Jews that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah as prophesied in scripture.  He was a Jew himself from the tribe of Levi.  Unfortunately, he was a tax collector who was relegated to the lowliest of the low since he robbed his own people.  Who knew that God would use this man to pen not only the opening words to the New Testament but direct him to evangelize, through this gospel, the very people who rejected and despised him.

So to rephrase, this series might be called “Meditations on the Gospel of Matthew from a Jewish perspective”.  Sound better?  Here’s how it will work.

Each week you will find a post that correlates with what you will be studying in your own personal time at home.  Its focus will be on a Jewish perspective that might not be obvious to us as we read through the material.  A Jewish mind would hear and see things that are not readily visible to us as we non-Jews study the passage.  I can guarantee that your eyes will opened in new and exciting ways each week as you include this element into your study time. Why don’t I start us off today briefly just to whet your appetite. 

“This is the genealogy of Yeshua the Messiah, son of David, son of Avraham:                                         Matthew 1:1 (Complete Jewish Bible)

This past week in Women’s Bible study we focused a good deal of time on this one verse.  We learned that Yeshua means Jesus or “salvation”.  We learned Messiah means “anointed one” whose origins are found in Daniel 9:25-26.  Than we learned how important it was that Jesus not only be a descendant of David but of Abraham as well in order to fulfill prophecy (2 Samuel 7:12-13,16 & Genesis 17).  We proved unequivocally that Jesus met everyone of these requirements. 

We also learned why this scrupulous detail to genealogies was so important.  If a Jewish person was to follow Jesus and accept him truly as his Messiah, it could very well mean the loss of everything for them.  They would have been rejected by their own and thrown out of their synagogues. They would most likely have opened a door to a life filled with persecution which could possibly culminate in their death.  It wasn’t just a mere acquiescence to them; it could very well mean their lives.  They wanted to be certain.  They had to be certain.  The list of names that open up the book of Matthew would be by far one of the most compelling arguments to a Jew. 

Now for the “musing” part.  Take a look at this scripture paying particular attention to the emboldened words.

“Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.”                                  Matthew 1:17

Fourteen?  Hold up a minute Matthew.  Do you mean to tell me that God was that precise in his calculations between generations?  Was it really exactly fourteen between each?  Did you really mean to emphasize fourteen or was there a miscalculation along the way?  Yes and no.  A closer study of the list reveals gaps between names, sometimes several generations.  This is generally allowed in the record of Jewish genealogies.  In Matthew’s case, he is clearly focusing on the three sets of 14 names.  Puzzling don’t you think?  There is good Jewish reasoning for this.  “Anyone familiar with Hebrew knows that from ancient times the language had a numeric value associated with each of its letters.  It is not coincidental that one of the numeric values of the number 14 may be expressed in the three Hebrew letters (D/dale=4, V/vac=6, D/dale=4), the Hebrew letters for David.  By intentionally skipping over particular names that could have been included in the list, the writer is emphasizing the Davidic connection to Yeshua as King Messiah, the Son of David.” (Matthew Presents Yeshua, King Messiah, Rabbi Barney Kasdan, p.10)

There is the messianic cool factor.  As a Jewish person was reading through and examining the Hebrew names generation by generation, resonating off the page would be D-V-D, D-V-D, D-A-V-I-D !!   The emphasis drawn in Matthew 1:17 to the fourteen generations were meant to alert the reader to something larger through numerical symbolism.  Jesus is not only savior, anointed one, son of Abraham, but the offspring of D-a-v-i-d and KING!

Hallelujah!!

Are you convinced?