What Did Jesus Teach About the Torah, Part 1?

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. -Matthew 28:19-20

This is the ninth part of my series on what Yeshua (Jesus) directed his Jewish disciples to teach the newly minted Gentile Messianic disciples to obey. Today, we'll take a hard look at what Yeshua (Jesus) taught his Jewish disciples to teach about obeying the Law, otherwise known as the Torah. Before we get to that, let's review the previous lesson: What Did Jesus Teach About Response and Acceptance:

In a nutshell, we learn that when we hear the Good News of Messiah Yeshua that's being delivered to the entire world, we must respond by building the foundation of our lives on the Rock and then sharing the seed that was planted with as many as we can. Put the Word into practice so we can bear good fruit and yield large crops of disciples for the Master. It's not so much whether we say "yes" or "no" but whether we repent and then "do" that counts.

I hadn't planned to write another blog in this series today, but I was updating the information on my congregation's website about a class I plan to start teaching later in October, and I realized that the content completely folded into this series. In fact, this series is the basis for the reboot on my class on the Torah commandments and Gentiles.

For almost two years, the class examined each of the 613 Commandments that traditional Judaism states were given to the Children of Israel by God. I felt that, if we looked at the commandments using the traditional Jewish format, we could see how we Messianic disciples could better serve our Master and Lord. The result, though quite interesting and illuminating, seemed to be missing one important element: Yeshua. Specifically, we were missing this:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. -Matthew 28:19-20

Yes, I know I quote these words of the Master at the beginning of every blog post in this series, but now, we're zeroing in on some very important material. Yeshua commanded the Jewish Messianic disciples to make disciples of all of the Gentile nations teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. The key to what we should be learning of the commandments lies in what Yeshua actually taught as reflected in the Gospels. It's from there that we will discover the entrance to the Torah for Gentile disciples. In pursuit of this new line of study, there are a number of other scriptures we must consider:

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. -Matthew 5:17-20

From this, we know that the Torah of Moses was not done away with when Yeshua perished on the execution stake, but this scripture is also sometimes used to support the concept that Gentile disciples, as "grafted in" (Romans 11:11-24), are obligated to the full 613 commandments, just as are the Jewish disciples and as Jews have been since the days of Moses. However, this would make Gentile disciples and Jewish disciples virtually indistinguishable from one another and except for circumcision (and some Gentiles in the Messianic movement believe that even the Brit Milah is for Gentile Messianics), we would be identical in appearance, form, and substance, to our Jewish brothers and sisters. Was this God's intent? If so, why are we Gentiles not simply encouraged to convert to Judaism? Paul spoke harshly against Gentile conversion to Judaism:

Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. -1 Corinthians 7:17-20

Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. -Galatians 5:2-6

Clearly Gentile disciples were not meant to be turned into Jewish disciples. Doing so would completely devalue the sacrifice of the Messiah. Also, 1 Corinthians 7:17-20 states that being Jewish or Gentile isn't the important point but that keeping God's commands is what counts, yet Galatians 5:2-6 says that Gentiles should not seek conversion to Judaism for if we convert, we will be obligated to obey the whole law. Paul also states here that what's most important is faith expressing itself through love, not being a Jew or a Gentile.

The two verses seem confusing and almost contradictory as far as Gentile Torah observance is concerned. So what does this mean for Gentile observance of the Torah commandments relative to Jewish observance? I don't plan to give a definitive answer in this blog post, but I do plan to explore the issue more fully in the class I'll be teaching in October (and if you click this link, you'll see the class announcement displays a startling similarity to this blog post).

Just one thought before proceeding. In 1 Corinthians 7, when Paul says that people should remain as who they are (circumcised or uncircumcised) and that obeying the Torah is the most important thing, if you look at his words from a certain perspective, you could imagine he's saying that Torah obedience is different for each group. I can't prove this one way or the other right now, but keep it in mind.

There are a few other passages that are specifically relevant:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." -Matthew 22:36-40

This, of course, is the Master quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 and seemingly indicating that these two commandments are like two large containers, and within these containers, are the sum of all of the other commandments given by God. Since Yeshua is teaching this and since the Matthew 28 directive mandates that the Jewish disciples teach the Gentile disciples everything Yeshua taught, what does that mean for we Gentiles today? Also consider this:

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. -Matthew 23:23-24

This is one of the "seven woes" Yeshua speaks to the corrupt Pharisees and Torah teachers as recorded in Matthew 23 and which I taught about in a previous blog post, but note an important point. He says "You should have practiced the latter (ceremonial laws), without neglecting the former (moral laws).

I'm sorry I'm dividing the Torah into "ceremonial" and "moral" laws. This is how the church typically views the Torah and how it justifies disregarding the Shabbat (ceremonial) while attending to commandments such as feeding the hungry and visiting the sick (moral), yet in Matthew 23:23, Yeshua teaches obedience to both! If this is part of what Yeshua intended to be taught to the Gentile disciples, then it has tremendous impact on how we Gentile disciples today learn and obey the Torah of Moses.

One more thing. Yeshua says that justice, mercy, and faithfulness are more important matters than giving a tenth of our spices in the Temple. Adding to this, in Mark 12:33, the man speaking to Yeshua regarding the two greatest commandment replies, "to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." In other words, substance is more important than the mechanics.

Conclusion: What did Yeshua instruct the Jewish disciples to teach the Gentile disciples to obey about the Torah?

1. The Jewish disciples are responsible to teach the Gentile disciples of Yeshua everything Yeshua had taught them.
2. Yeshua didn't eliminate the Torah but rather, he came as the living embodiment of Torah, to show us that it is possible for a human being to obey God. The Torah is here to stay.
3. Anyone who breaks a single commandment of the Torah or teaches others to break the commandments will be called "least in the Kingdom of Heaven". Be careful if you tell someone that they don't have to obey a commandment.
4. If you came to faith in Yeshua as a Jew, stay a Jew. If you came to faith in Yeshua as a Gentile, stay a Gentile. Obeying the commandments is what counts.
5. If you, as a Gentile, convert to Judaism in order to seek justification by the Torah rather than by faith, the Messiah will be of no value to you at all. Faith expressed through love is what counts.
6. The two greatest commandments, loving God with everything you've got, and loving your neighbor as yourself, exist as two big buckets which contain the sum of the Torah and the Prophets.
7. Keep all of the law. Don't subdivide it into what you do in the Temple and what you do for human beings, disregarding one and clinging to the other. However, of the two sides of the coin, doing justice, mercy, and faithfulness is more important.

This is the first blog post in this series where I've quoted other "authorities" besides Yeshua, namely Paul in this case. Yet as a Messianic disciple and as the disciple who was charged to be an emissary to the Gentiles, Paul was uniquely positioned to obey the Matthew 28 directive, so I feel that I'm on solid ground by quoting him as well as the Master.

Paul said two things that are hard to put together. He said that obeying the Law was the most important thing and he said that faith expressing itself as love is the most important thing. On the surface, if you look at the two statements in their scriptural contexts, they seem to contradict each other, but if you take the two greatest commandments into consideration, then obeying the commandments of God is expressing faith as love, as long as we keep our priorities straight. You could also interpret this contradiction as there being two different ways of obeying the Torah, one for Jews and one for Gentiles. I have no conclusion on this point right now.

In a nutshell, for today's lesson, we learn that Gentiles are supposed to learn and obey everything Yeshua taught, including the fact that the Torah will be with us for a long time. We learned that God called each of us as the person He made us to be, so Jews don't have to turn into Gentiles, and Gentiles don't have to turn into Jews in order to be disciples of the Messiah and in fact, deliberately turning ourselves into something we're not just because we think it will justify us before God, makes Yeshua valueless to us. Loving God and loving others is the totality of the Torah and the Prophets and we should do both, not neglecting one for the other. In order to find out what comes next, we can't neglect what the Torah teaches, because that's what Yeshua teaches.

I made this blog post a "Part 1" because there's still a gaping hole in the middle of how and in what parts of the Torah Yeshua expects Gentile obedience. What I'm trying to say here, is that Gentile Torah obedience may be more than what "strict Messianic Judaism" wants to believe. That said, it may also be quite different than what One Law/One Torah adherents have traditionally understood.

To be continued.

What Did Jesus Teach About Response and Acceptance?

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. -Matthew 28:19-20

This is the eighth part of my series on what Yeshua (Jesus) directed his Jewish disciples to teach the newly minted Gentile Messianic disciples to obey. Today, we'll take a look at what Yeshua (Jesus) taught about what we do when we hear the Good News. In other words, we'll examine the different aspects of our response and acceptance of him. Before we go on though, let's review the previous lesson: What Did Jesus Teach About Following Him:

In a nutshell, we learn that when we choose to be disciples of Yeshua, we are not promised trouble-free lives and despite the difficulties, we must always make the purposes of the Kingdom our first and unconditional priority. If we are faithful to God, God will be faithful to us and take care of us. If our faith is strong and our eyes are on the Master, we are able to do anything he asks of us.

What we're looking at today, the concepts of hearing the message of the Good News and what we do with it, really should have come before lessons on following the Messiah, since we still must hear the Word first, and then make a decision for or against becoming a disciple of the Master. Let's cut to the chase.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." -Matthew 7:24-27

That seems pretty simple and straightforward. If we hear the words of the Good News and puts them into practice, we will be able to endure great storms, most likely the "storms" of spiritual, emotional, and generally life challenges. These are the things we all worry about and the concerns we all have over our existence. It's not much of a stretch to see that Yeshua is saying he is the foundation upon which to build; the Rock, strong, solid, secure, enduring. Of course, we have a choice as to build on stone or sand.

"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." -Matthew 13:18-23

This is Yeshua's plain language explanation of the Parable of the Sower to his disciples. He's describing the different possible responses people can have to the Good News. Some of it is very favorable but other responses, alas, are not. Again, it's a matter of making choices. Yeshua again brings up one of the major roadblocks in responding to him, even after accepting his offer of discipleship; the "worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth". Hearing and making an initial acceptance is one thing, but the real fruit is in our being able to understand, take root, and then respond, especially over time. Yielding a large return is the real goal in becoming disciples, not just some momentary power surge when we first come to faith. Verse 23 tells the tale: "But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

The Parable of the Weeds says something similar but not exactly the same:

He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear". -Matthew 13:37-43

This is why living in the world can be hard sometimes. The sprouts from the "good seed" have to grow in the same field as the weeds (and in this parable, "weeds" represent the seed of the "evil one", not merely the worries of the world). God won't prematurely weed the field so that only the good sprouts can grow. This seems rather contrary to those of us who maintain a yard and keep a garden. We work all season to keep the weeds at bay so the "good sprouts" can grow and flourish, but in the reality of our lives, the world is like a vacant lot, with sunflowers and pigweed growing side by side. Even once we accept the Good News and respond in discipleship, we are expected to endure in a challenging and sometimes troublesome world, rather than being provided an ideal and protected environment. That's how you'll know the plants which truly bear good fruit. They are the ones that survive and thrive, in spite of the weeds.

Don't worry, though. In due time, the weeds will be pulled and burned. Just make sure you're a plant producing good fruit and not a weed. I suspect some of the plants in the vacant lot may be experiencing identity confusion. Continual self-examination will help.

This next parable is interesting:

"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'

" 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

"Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go.

"Which of the two did what his father wanted?"
"The first," they answered.

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. -Matthew 21:28-32

This is the difference between those who say they are righteous and those who behave righteously. Sometimes we don't start out on the right path, saying we will not obey, but we change our minds, repent, and end up working in the Master's vineyard. This was one of the times Yeshua delivered a "slap in the face" to the corrupt religious hierarchy of his day; those who made themselves look holy but did not act that way. The Parable of the Tenants (Matthew 21:33-46) teaches the same lesson using a different analogy, and the Parable of the Wedding Banquet (Matthew 22:1-14) teaches that, when you are invited, you can either accept or reject the invitation to the banquet, but if you accept, come "dressed" for the occasion, that is, accept the invitation as it was given and take it seriously. Don't say you're a disciple but then behave frivolously. Don't treat what is holy as if it is common.

This last example may be difficult to understand within the current content, but I think it fits:

At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure". -Matthew 11:25-26

Some people think that the invitation to discipleship is limited to only certain population groups. During the time of the Gospels, many believed that only the outwardly "righteous" had a place in the "world to come", but as we see in Matthew 21:28-32, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of those to elevate themselves based on outward signs of righteousness. In Acts 10, God had to tell Peter in a vision that it wasn't only the Jews who could accept discipleship, but the Gentiles as well, even though he had been given the original Messianic directive years before (see Matthew 28:19-20) to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (See Acts 10:44-48 for Peter's amazed response at witnessing Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit). Even today, there are many who believe that only those who attend specific denominations or sects are the "true believers", while everyone else is destined for destruction.

The quote of the Master from Matthew 11:25-26 is one of my favorites, because it says that the rich, the powerful, the academicians, and the theologians aren't the exclusive keepers of God's Word and that in fact, discipleship and access to God is available to everyone who believes and acts upon the Good News. So those of you out there who have been tempted to rely on your positions of leadership, on your titles, on your membership in the "true" churches, or on your university degrees, please remember that God is the God of everyone, not just the favored few. Remember the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14).

Conclusion: What does Yeshua teach us about hearing the Good News and our response to him?

1. When we hear the Good News, we must put it into practice by using the Rock as the foundation on which we build our lives.
2. When we put the Good News into practice, the crop it yields is not just our own lives but in the many seeds we plant which bring up large crops of disciples for the Kingdom.
3. When we hear the Good News and put it into practice, we shouldn't expect that we'll grow in a field only yielding good sprouts. We'll be surrounded by weeds. Don't be discouraged. It's how we grow among the weeds that tells much about our fruit.
4. Interestingly enough, it's not necessarily our initial "yes" or "no" to the Good News that matters, but how we actually responded in action, even if we said "no" but then repented, changed our minds, and now perform as if we had first said "yes". That's what really matters.
5. If we accept the Good News, we shouldn't be frivolous about it. We should show up dressed for the occasion and prepared for the banquet. Don't treat holiness cheaply.
6. The offer of the Good News is for everyone, not just for the elite, or for the educated, or for only one religious or ethnic group. It must be offered to everyone or the message means nothing.

In a nutshell, in today's lesson, we learn that when we hear the Good News of Messiah Yeshua that's being delivered to the entire world, we must respond by building the foundation of our lives on the Rock and then sharing the seed that was planted with as many as we can. Put the Word into practice so we can bear good fruit and yield large crops of disciples for the Master. It's not so much whether we say "yes" or "no" but whether we repent and then "do" that counts.

Remember that the message wasn't issued just for an elite few, for only the highly educated, for only the "Rabbis", for only the theologians. No. The message was sent out to the world, too; for the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the garbage collectors, the homeless, the hungry, the needy...for all the people of all the nations. For everyone. Not just for you.

Now go. Spread some seed. Yield good fruit. Harvest a great crop. Time is short.

Trinity

I'm interrupting my "What Did Jesus Teach About" series because of the following. Read at your own risk.

I probably shouldn't ask this. It's probably the biggest single can of worms I could possibly open in the Christian and Messianic worlds. However, I keep getting emails asking me questions like "Do you believe in the Trinity?" I was wondering how the rest of you answer this question.

This is my understanding of the "Trinity" issue in the Messianic world.

Most of the Messianic individuals and congregations I've encountered uphold the traditional Christian theology of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- three in One. This is a "given" in Christianity but required a bit of "tweaking" in the Messianic world because of the following:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. -Deuteronomy 6:4

This is both a passage from the Bible and the first line in the Shema, the holiest prayer in Judaism and a prayer that is revered in almost all Messianic, One Law-One Torah, and Two-House congregations worldwide.

So God is One or, in Hebrew, "Echad". Here's where the tweaking comes in. You have to believe that "Echad" or "One" means a single unity that can contain a collection of subunits or divisions, like a bunch of grapes being "echad" or a married couple (two individuals) being "echad". Here's the problem:

The Jewish idea of God is that God is One and Indivisible. We cannot divide God up into separate parts, where each part of God is UnEqual to each of the other parts, but somehow they are one and the same. The Hebrew Scriptures describes God as an absolute One, but the Christian's New Testament describes the Christian idea of God as divisible into three parts called a trinity. In the Christian's New Testament, Jesus at one point claims to have different knowledge than other parts of the Christian Trinity. For example, Matthew 24:36 or Mark 13:32.

In another verse, Jesus does not have the same power as other parts of the Christian Trinity, for example, Luke 23:34. And in Matthew 26:42, Jesus's will is not the same as the will of the Father. Indeed, Jesus often contrasted himself with the Father, for example, in John 14:28, or Luke 18:19. Furthermore, Jesus supposedly said that the punishment for blaspheming against one part of the Trinity is not the same punishment for blaspheming against another part of the Trinity.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, however, God is One, as we read in Deuteronomy 6:4, as well as in Isaiah 44:6, where God tells us, "I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." When Isaiah tells us that God said, "I am the first," it means that God has no father. When Isaiah tells us that God said, "I am the last," it means that God has no literal son. And when Isaiah tells us that God said, "Besides me there is no God," it means that God does not share being God with any other god, or demi-god, or semi-god, or persons, and there is no trinity.

from WhatJewsBelieve.org

In short, Jews traditionally don't believe in the Trinity because it requires God to be more than "One". Ask Moses and Aish also offer their reasons why Jews do not believe that Yeshua (Jesus) was the Messiah and why Jews do not expect the Messiah to be God. They expect him to have a divine and unique nature but to be completely human. Also, keep in mind that the Trinity wasn't formally a Christian doctrine until Constantine and the Council of Nicaea. We only have their perspective to help us believe that any individual or group (such as the Jerusalem Council in the mid-1st Century CE) believed in the Trinity before the 4th Century CE.

Now what?

As I said, to the best of my knowledge, the vast majority of Messianics, both Jewish and Gentile, adhere to the theology of the Trinity. I am only aware of a tiny minority of Messianic Jews who have the traditional Jewish view of the Messiah and apply it to Yeshua and those groups exist almost exclusively in Israel.

When I first entered the Messianic/One Law realm, I thought that the issue of the Trinity was a "done deal" but of late, I've been reading the scriptures with a different eye. I'm not trying to insult, offend, or scandalize anyone, but, depending on what part of the Bible you read, you could interpret it either way regarding the deity of the Messiah and the literal existence of the "Trinity". It also occurs to me that, with so many Messianic Jewish congregations professing an "Orthodox Jewish" viewpoint and practice of their faith, perhaps there are congregations that have a better grasp of a non-Trinity understanding of God and of the Messiah.

Anybody out there want to step up to the plate and discuss your understanding of the existence of the Trinity, or lack thereof, and why?

The floor is now open for comments. Let the mayhem begin.

What Did Jesus Teach About Following Him?

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. -Matthew 28:19-20

This is the seventh part of my series on what Yeshua (Jesus) directed his Jewish disciples to teach the newly minted Gentile Messianic disciples to obey. Today, we'll explore what Yeshua taught about following him and about following God. Before we continue, let's review the last lesson in the Leadership and Servanthood series which was called What Did Jesus Teach About Patience and Stewardship:

In a nutshell, Yeshua taught that being a leader isn't being a big shot. It isn't having a title, a fancy education, or being an ethnic type. That stuff only works in the secular world, not in God's world. In God's world, people are leaders when they're servants. People are greatest only when they're least. People are the strongest when they comfort the weakest.

What Yeshua taught is also mirrored in a well-known Mishnah in Avot 4:1:

Who is wise? He who learns from every person. Who is strong? He who subdues his personal inclination. Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot. Who is honored? He who honors others.

Many of those in leadership in the Christian and Messianic realms would do well to humble themselves and heed these words...as would we all.

It's time to move to another topic. It took five blog posts just to cover all of his teachings about leadership and servanthood. Let's press on to see what Yeshua taught about following him.

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him.

Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. -Matthew 4:18-22

We see that when we are called to follow Yeshua, we are to do so without hesitation. Think of how many times people have asked you to do something and you've responded "Just a minute" or "I don't have the time right now". In most of those cases, you've probably had very good reasons to delay an immediate response, but for the sake of the Kingdom, there can be no delay. On those occasions when you've been called to follow the Master, have to always responded instantly? There also seems to be another cost involved:

When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." -Matthew 8:18-22

This one isn't always easy to understand. In the case of the fellow who wanted to bury his father, the father wasn't dead yet. The guy was asking to wait until his father had died and his affairs and responsibilities were wrapped up before following Yeshua. The Master is a higher priority than even family, which can sometimes be difficult to accept. After all, we're commanded to honor our parents (Exodus 20:12), so this is a difficult teaching Yeshua gives us. Of course, he also teaches:

"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." -Luke 12:49-53

As hard as it may be, if we have to make a choice, as disciples, we must follow our Master before even our own families.

As far as Yeshua's response to the Torah teacher, we see what could be interpreted as a warning about making enthusiastic statements such as I will follow you wherever you go. We all would like to think that we have the faith to move mountains and the strength and dedication of the Prophets, Warriors, and Kings of old who served God and lived in a time of mighty miracles, but wait! When was the last time you failed the Master? What did it take to result in your failure? Chances are, it wasn't that much of a temptation, weakness, or distraction. Don't make promises you can't keep. You don't know where the Master is going and don't assume following him will be all that easy or glorious. For all you know, like the Son of Man, you may have no place to lay your head. Here's more:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." -Matthew 16:24-28

Again, Yeshua talks about a matter of priorities. Just how much do you want to be a disciple of the Master? How many of your own personal priorities are you willing to give up? Is there anything too important in your life that it prevents you from denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following him?

When sending out the twelve (in Matthew 10), we see what else Yeshua teaches about following.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. -Matthew 10:28-33

We get the impression that we're automatically going to be asked to sacrifice our lives or to live in extreme poverty because we are disciples, but we need to put things in perspective. Who do we serve? Is His arm too short to provide or to save? While God doesn't "promise you a rose garden" (at least in this life), He does promise to always be with you and if you acknowledge the Father before men, Yeshua will acknowledge you before God. Something good to remember when you feel you are suffering for the sake of the Kingdom.

We've already seen the teaching found in Matthew 10:34-39 presented in Luke 12:49-53. Yeshua may also have been considering the words of the Prophet Micah:

For a son dishonors his father,
a daughter rises up against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man's enemies are the members of his own household.

But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me.
-Micah 7:6-7

I wish evangelists and others spreading the Good News of the Messiah would teach some of these lessons. I seriously doubt that most people, Jewish or Gentile, who have accepted Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah, Lord, and Savior were told that it wasn't all going to be tea and cookies. Becoming a disciple is like getting married. In the beginning, we are all in love and not able to see the costs and sacrifices that need to be made for the sake of the relationship. I think it's why we're supposed to take a vow before God when we wed...for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health... This is the difference between a wedding and being married. This is the difference between accepting Yeshua and living the life of a disciple. However there are also these words:

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

"Come," he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" -Matthew 14:25-31

We always remember Yeshua walking on the water, but no one remembers that Peter walked on water, too. As long as he kept his eyes on Yeshua and his faith was strong, he could walk on water; he could do anything, no matter how impossible it seems to human minds and reason. The minute his gaze faltered and doubt crept in, he sank like a stone.

Perhaps this teaching can be summed up in a few simple sentences:

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. -Matthew 7:13-14

Conclusion: What does Yeshua teach about how we are to follow him?

1. When we are called to follow, we must respond immediately.
2. The highest priority in our lives is following the Master, not our life circumstances, our families, or even our own lives.
3. If we acknowledge God to men and are faithful, God will be faithful to us.
4. Don't be afraid. You are worth a lot to God. He'll take care of you.
5. If we keep our eyes on the Master and our faith strong, we can do anything.

In a nutshell, in today's lesson, we learn that when we choose to be disciples of Yeshua, we are not promised trouble-free lives and despite the difficulties, we must always make the purposes of the Kingdom our first and unconditional priority. If we are faithful to God, God will be faithful to us and take care of us. If our faith is strong and our eyes are on the Master, we are able to do anything he asks of us.

Most of the time, when evangelists share the Good News of the Messiah, they talk about all of the benefits and the highlights of the relationship. They talk about everything Jesus will do for us; eternal life, fellowship, freedom from sin. They don't often talk about our responsibilities to God, to the Kingdom, and to our fellow human beings, especially those who are not believers and especially those who don't esteem believers in Yeshua.

Yeshua, on the other hand, didn't pull any punches. He laid it all out in front of us and explained exactly what was and is required of those who choose to follow his path. There are great, fantastic rewards, but while the gift of salvation is free, it's not guaranteed to be easy. If you're looking for the easy path and the wide gate, then being a disciple of the Master is not for you. If you're looking to save your soul and work for the sake of God but not necessarily your own life, joining the Master is the right thing to do.

What Did Jesus Teach About Patience and Stewardship?

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. -Matthew 28:19-20

Leadership and Servanthood

This is the sixth part of my series on what Yeshua (Jesus) directed his Jewish disciples to teach the newly minted Gentile Messianic disciples to obey. It's also the fifth and last part of the series of Yeshua's teachings in the Book of Matthew on Leadership and Servanthood. To summarize Part V: What Did Jesus Teach About Being Good and Bad Fruit:

In a nutshell, we learn that as disciples and people responsible in the Kingdom, we must serve God and not ourselves. It doesn't matter how holy we look on the outside if we're unrepentant on the inside. We can't teach and lead if we're not willing to be taught and to follow Yeshua. We are condemned if we exalt ourselves and consider the superficial practices of religion more important than the true meaning of the Torah. If we want to obey Him, we must obey everything He teaches. God wants to gather us, but we will be alone until we wholeheartedly welcome Yeshua and bless his name.

That is what we can say about what Yeshua taught the Jewish disciples to teach the Gentiles disciples about what happens when disciples produce bad fruit. Remember though, he also told the Jewish disciples to teach the Gentile disciples "to obey everything I have commanded you". In order to understand what everything means, we need to press on. Even after we complete the lessons on leadership and servanthood, there are more teachings to study.

Chapter 25 of Matthew might not strike you as providing leadership lessons, but a leader and a servant should be prepared to fulfill their assigned tasks, even if they (or we) don't know when that task is to be fulfilled. Using three different parables, the Master teaches us the benefits of being patient, being obedient, and being prepared for his return to occur at any time, and the ghastly consequences of failing the Master. If we, as disciples of Yeshua, can't demonstrate faithfulness in waiting for the Bridegroom, how can we pass on our faith on to others and ask them to do the same?

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. -Matthew 25:1-5

This parable is so familiar, we almost don't have to read the rest. We know how the saga concludes, but it also reads almost like the beginning of a fairy tale and like many fairy tales, it holds a moral.

The disciples who could still remember Yeshua's lifetime on Earth were told that he was returning soon, and many believed they'd see him again before they died. They didn't. How many would-be Messiahs have come and gone since the destruction of Herod's temple? I've lost count. How many times have Christians been sure that Jesus was going to return at any second, but he didn't?

When I was eight years old, I had to get my tonsils out. I don't remember very much about it, except brief flashes of being in a hospital bed, my throat hurting, drinking apple juice, and playing some sort of board game. What I didn't realize at the time, during those fateful days of October in 1962, was that the world was holding its breath waiting to see how the United States was going to react to the news that the Soviet Union had installed a number of intermediate-range ballistic nuclear missiles 90 miles off our coast in Communist Cuba. History would call this moment in time the Cuban Missile Crisis.

What I also didn't know, though it would have had a more personal impact, was that my father, a Sergeant in the Air Force, was in a bunker next to a missile silo ready to launch a nuclear weapon if the order came through from President Kennedy. Thank God the order never did.

While I was eating ice cream in a hospital bed and realizing that it wasn't as fun as I thought it would be to have my tonsils out, I can only imagine that the Christian world was expecting Jesus to return at any split second. Certainly God wouldn't let the world be incinerated in a radioactive fire, wiping out all of humanity, letting His creation be utterly destroyed, without sending Jesus back as He promised, would He?

No, of course not. But it must have been one of those times in the history of the church when we were sure this was it and that Jesus would show up in the sky at any second. It was a time when we checked out lamps to see if we had oil or not. In a way, it must have been a little disappointing when Jesus didn't return right then. On the other hand, maybe we should always imagine someone's in a missile silo with his hand on a key, waiting for an order to come in to launch an atomic weapon. Maybe then, we'd keep our oil fresh and ready and not grow tired of waiting for the Bridegroom to come.

Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. -Matthew 25:14-18

This is like how we try to teach children how to save money; educating them in the simple lessons of the savings account at a bank, including the idea that money in a savings account accrues interest at a specific rate. The rate isn't usually very much, but if you leave the money there long enough and keep adding to it, after a long, long time, your wee little investment turns into something impressive (banking disasters not withstanding).

This is a little different than the lesson of just "being prepared". We have to take something we're given and, on behalf of someone else, do something with it to increase its worth. Keep in mind though, like the parable of the bridesmaids, we're never exactly sure of when the Master is supposed to come back. When he does though, we'd better have our bank accounts in order. Yeshua doesn't just hand out "talents" because he has nothing better to do with his time.

The following statement by the servant who just hid the Master's money in a hole in the ground is particularly stunning:

"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' -Matthew 25:24-25

Wow! The guy makes it sound like the Master didn't have any right to that money in the first place and that he was being unfair delegating the responsibility of investing his wealth to his servants. Guess he hadn't heard about this parable:

"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' -Matthew 20:13-15

The parable of the workers in the vineyard is a favorite of mine because it reminds me that, even though I didn't come to faith in Yeshua until my 40s, I am just as much a son of the Kingdom as a person who accepted Yeshua at age 20. Yet I used to worship at a church that judged how "good" a Christian you were by how long you'd been a believer. If your family had been attending that church for three generations or more, you were definitely in the "in" crowd. It's funny how God's people can behave in such a completely contrary manner to the teachings of the Christ they swear they love.

Getting back to the guy who thought it was a good idea to take his talent and bury it in the ground, we see that we are expected to take whatever we are given, no matter how great or how small, and to put it to work for the Kingdom, not just hoard it like Midas and his gold. Wealth of any sort isn't wealth unless you invest it and making even a single disciple for the Master is a good return.

So far, we've been distinguishing between two general types of believers: prepared and unprepared, investing and hoarding. Here's two more. Type one:

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' -Matthew 25:34-40

Type two:

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." -Matthew 25:41-46

The teaching is very plain and we've seen it in past blog posts on Yeshua's lessons on leadership and servanthood. Feed the hungry. Give the thirsty something to drink. Welcome the stranger into your midst. Clothe those without adequate clothing. Take care of a sick person. Visit the person in prison. If you do this for someone...anyone, it's as if you've done it for the Messiah himself.

Please notice that Yeshua didn't say to only feed and clothe and welcome people who showed the right background, whose family have been Christians for three generations, or who were only Jewish believers. Yeshua himself said that he didn't come for the healthy but for the sick, so hanging out just with our buds isn't what he wants us to do. He also said that even pagans and tax collectors are nice to those people who are nice to them first. Don't play favorites.

How can you take the news of salvation to the unsaved if you only associate with the saved? How can Messianic Judaism take the Good News of the Messiah to the world if they only speak of Yeshua within their own walls and to only their own Jewish inner group? How can Gentile One Law or One Torah groups bridge the gap between themselves and their neighbors if they pay attention only to their own congregation or if they focus only on how "unfair" they think they're being treated by Jews in the Messianic movement?

Conclusion: Yeshua teaches us to be prepared and proactive with what he gives us and to offer what we have to give to anyone in need. Specifically though, what did Yeshua tell his Jewish disciples to teach the Gentile disciples to obey about patience, good stewardship, and serving in his name?

1. Be prepared for Yeshua's return at any time. Keep your life and your soul in good order. Don't get lazy.
2. No matter what Yeshua gives you, invest it in other people. Salvation isn't an exclusively personal gift. It's meant to be spread around. Don't be stingy.
3. Don't just help your own group and don't just be nice to your friends. Feed the hungry. Clothe the naked. Care for the sick. Welcome the stranger. If you do that for them, you have served the Master personally.

Being a leader isn't being a big shot. It isn't having a title, a fancy education, or being an ethnic type. That stuff only works in the secular world, not in God's world. In God's world, people are leaders when they're servants. People are greatest only when they're least. People are the strongest when they comfort the weakest. There's another way of putting it:

Who is wise? He who learns from every person. Who is strong? He who subdues his personal inclination. Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot. Who is honored? He who honors others.
-A well-known Mishnah in Avot (4:1)

This is the last lesson from the book of Matthew on Yeshua's teachings on leadership and servanthood, but it's not the last lesson he taught. The journey of exploration in my blog will continue as we strive to understand Yeshua's direct command to the Jewish disciples regarding their responsibilities of leadership and servanthood in making disciples of all nations teaching them (us, we Gentiles) to obey everything Yeshua taught the Jewish disciples.

What Did Jesus Teach About Being Good and Bad Fruit?

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. -Matthew 28:19-20

Leadership and Servanthood

This is the fifth part of my series on what Yeshua (Jesus) directed his Jewish disciples to teach the newly minted Gentile Messianic disciples to obey. It's also the fourth of a series of Yeshua's teachings in the Book of Matthew on Leadership and Servanthood. To summarize Part IV: What Did Jesus Teach About Humility and Mercy:

In a nutshell, we learn that Yeshua taught his Jewish disciples and we Gentile disciples that in all our dealings with people, regardless of our relative position in our congregations, communities, and in life, we are to act humbly, to value everyone, to realize we are all important and unique to God, to be forgiving, and to grant as much mercy to others as God has granted to us.

That is what we can say about what Yeshua taught the Jewish disciples to teach the Gentiles disciples about humility and mercy. Remember though, he also told the Jewish disciples to teach the Gentile disciples "to obey everything I have commanded you". In order to understand what everything means, we need to press on. Even after several blog posts, there are more teachings to study.

Matthew 23 is often referred to as the Seven Woes chapter and seems to be one of the most critical commentaries Yeshua (Jesus) makes about teachers of the law and Pharisees. This is one of the places where traditional Christianity gets the idea that all Torah teachers, scribes, and Pharisees were evil and bad and, in fact, one of the passages that Christianity refers to when it supports the position that the teachings of God were replaced by the grace of God, as if the Word and God's grace were somehow mutually exclusive. Of course, they can be made "mutually exclusive" if we emphasize one and minimize or completely do away with the other.

It seems the more accurate lesson to be learned from the Seven Woes is what happens when leaders who should be servants instead appoint themselves as "lords" over the rest of us; that is, lords over those people who only want to sincerely follow God.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. -Matthew 23:1-4

It would have been within the rights of the Messiah and King to overthrow the corrupt religious leadership in the Jerusalem of the First Century CE, but Yeshua taught obedience rather than insurrection. However, he defined the difference between obeying the teachings of Torah and imitating the actual behavior of the corrupt "blind guides" who did not practice their own teachings but rather, created additional burdens for the people to bear, beyond the Torah of Moses.

This is usually where Christianity and much of the Messianic, One Law, and Two House movement states that the Oral Law is a fiction created by the Rabbis in the post-Bible era, but many of the commandments in the written portion of the Torah don't explain how to actually obey the commandments. Here's another way of looking at it from my previous blog post What Did Jesus Change? Ritual:

Torah can be considered both written and oral. Remember, Moses was on Sinai with God for 40 days, so they must have talked about something. Actually, the oral law makes a certain amount of sense, once you realize that many of the commandments in the written Torah don't explain how to obey them (just how does one wear fringes on the four corners of a garment?). In that, the oral law modifies the written law so that it is "operationalized", describing the mechanics of how to perform the various commandments.

In all likelihood, Yeshua wasn't speaking against the Oral Law, what was given to Moses by God but not, at that time, written down, but rather those requirements that went above and beyond the mandates of God and indeed, those directives that actually contradicted the Torah (see Mark 7:1-5).

Why would the religious leaders of Yeshua's day do such a thing?

"Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'

"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. -Matthew 23:5-12

Human beings in First Century Jerusalem were just like human beings today. We all tend to want to be admired and some people want and even feel they "need" to be leaders, to be acknowledged as leaders, to be looked up to, fawned over, called by exalted titles, and praised by other, "lesser" men and women. That kind of flies in the face of teachings about being a servant and demonstrating humility and mercy. Yeshua also made his point by saying the following:

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. -Matthew 7:15-17

It's one of the dangers in modern Messianic and One Law congregations when we put on tzitzit, tefillin, and let other people call us "Rabbi", particularly when we don't have the educational background in Torah, Talmud, and particularly when we lack humility. Even if we start out sincerely desiring to serve God and to serve people, the attention we receive in leadership roles can turn our heads and our gaze away from God and to that person we see in the mirror.

It's why we need to learn the substance and fabric of what Yeshua taught us to obey before we even consider the form and mechanics of how to practice our roles and our worship. It's why I've chosen this form of learning and teaching the lessons of the Master. But let's continue. First woe:

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. -Matthew 23:13-14

Translation: As teachers and religious "authorities", if you not only refuse to be a part of the Kingdom of Heaven by obeying God, but prevent others who want to go in from doing so as well, you are opposing God. Second woe:

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. -Matthew 23:15

Translation: Teaching someone to be a disciple of your order, denomination, or discipline does that person no good if what you teach them to obey is not from God, but from you. If you do this, "woe to you". That can't be good. Third woe:

Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it. -Matthew 23:16-22

Translation: You have a case of messed up priorities. What's more important, the "stuff" we use in worshiping God or God? Also reminds me of this:

Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. -Matthew 5:33-37

Translation: Don't shoot off your big mouth and don't make promises you can't keep, especially using God's Name. Keep it simple. Just say you'll do something, and then do it. Fourth woe:

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices — mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law — justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. -Matthew 23:23-24

Translation: Another priority mess up. You "sweat the small stuff", putting the mechanics and the ritual of Torah obedience ahead of the actual fabric and substance of Torah: justice, mercy, charity, humility, grace. Do you think that the most important thing in your life and what's most important to God is how you tie your tzitzit, lay your teffilin, and how well you pronounce prayers in Hebrew? When's the last time you visited a sick person in the hospital or donated canned goods to your local foodbank? You can obey the Torah form and the Torah substance. Do all of Torah, not elevating one part over another. Fifth woe:

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. -Matthew 23:25-26

Translation: It doesn't matter how "holy" you look on the outside if inside, your true nature is self-indulgent, greedy, full of envy and hate. Especially now, with Yom Kippur just days away, repent of your sins. Return to God. If you clean out what's inside you, the outside will take care of itself. Sixth woe:

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. -Matthew 23:27-28

Translation: Yeshua is saying the same thing as he did in the previous "woe". Remember, you can fool people with your outer appearance, but "God, who knows the heart (Acts 15:8) sees the unrepented sin that dwells within you. Seventh woe:

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! -Matthew 23:29-32

Translation: Just because you build churches, synagogues, and memorials to saints and prophets doesn't mean that your motives are pure and that, given a chance, you wouldn't have rejected those holy people in order to further your own ambitions.

I remember being part of a Bible study in a church I used to attend many years ago. We were studying the 40 years of wandering in the desert by the Children of Israel and the struggle of the Jewish people to obey God and to follow His ways. One older gentleman in the class remarked that if we (Christians) were there instead of the Jews, we would have been obedient. The words in the "seventh woe" immediately came to mind and it's sad because I know that he truly believed what he was saying. He just didn't realize what it was like to be in that place and that time. Another way of putting it is to say:

Blowing out someone else's candle doesn't make your's burn any brighter -Anonymous

Yet what Yeshua says in condemnation and anger is also said with pain, anguish, and longing. What he says of Jerusalem, I believe, he also says of us:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" -Matthew 23:37-39

Conclusion: This lesson addresses the theme of how servanthood and leadership can be corrupted and used to serve our own ends at the expense of those people who depend on us to be salt and light. What did Yeshua tell his Jewish disciples to teach the Gentile disciples to obey when we discover we are producing "bad fruit"?

1. If you're not willing to give up your arrogance and hypocrisy in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, don't prevent those who want to obey God from entering, too.
2. Don't "convert" someone to your way and don't teach unless you are teaching what God says and not just what you want to say.
3. Don't make your practices and your religious clothes and your prayers and "sacrifices" more important than obeying the Torah of doing justice, mercy, and charity. Obey all of God's teachings.
4. Just say something and then do it. Don't make a big deal out of "swearing" to do it.
5. It doesn't matter what you look like on the outside to impress others if your insides are full of sin. Clean out your sin and don't worry about appearances.
6. Don't believe you are better or more holy than others, especially when all the while, you just want to serve yourself rather than God. Stop fooling yourself.
7. Despite all your sins and faults, God loves you and wants to gather you in to Himself. However, you won't see Him until you are ready to accept Him; you won't see Messiah until you accept what Messiah teaches.

Important: When Yeshua said, "You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former" (Matthew 23:23), he is arguing against choosing the Law over Grace and arguing against choosing Grace over the Law. He is saying there's nothing wrong with the practice of what Christians call "ritual" (wearing tzitzit, keeping Kosher, ceasing work on the Shabbat, and so forth) and in fact, he's saying that the "ritual" practice should be kept and we should also do the "grace" part of Torah (visiting the sick, giving to the poor, giving honor to the aged, and so on) as well. In other words (pay attention!) the teaching of the Law and the teaching of Grace are not mutually exclusive; they are part of the whole Torah!

In a nutshell, for today's lesson, we learn that as disciples and people responsible in the Kingdom, we must serve God and not ourselves. It doesn't matter how holy we look on the outside if we're unrepentant on the inside. We can't teach and lead if we're not willing to be taught and to follow Yeshua. We are condemned if we exalt ourselves and consider the superficial practices of religion more important than the true meaning of the Torah. If we want to obey Him, we must obey everything He teaches. God wants to gather us, but we will be alone until we wholeheartedly welcome Yeshua and bless his name.

Note: My next blog post will be the final lesson on Leadership and Servanthood, but there are other lessons to learn from the Master as well. There is much that Yeshua taught the Jewish disciples to teach we Gentile disciples to obey.

What Did Jesus Teach About Humility and Mercy?

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. -Matthew 28:19-20

Leadership and Servanthood

This is the fourth part of my series on what Yeshua (Jesus) directed his Jewish disciples to teach the newly minted Gentile Messianic disciples to obey. It's also the third of a series of Yeshua's teachings in the Book of Matthew on Leadership and Servanthood. To summarize Part III What Did Jesus Teach About Being Servants:

In a nutshell, we learn that Yeshua teaches his disciples, all of us, to obey him by doing acts of kindness and righteousness for his sake and for the sake of others, but not to glorify ourselves. A student is never greater than his master and it is enough for us to be his students and to imitate him. When we are faithful and serve even the least or the weakest of Yeshua's servants for his sake, we are serving him.

That is what we can say about what Yeshua taught the Jewish disciples to teach the Gentiles disciples about being servants. Remember though, he also told the Jewish disciples to teach the Gentile disciples "to obey everything I have commanded you". In order to understand what everything means, we need to press on. Even after several blog posts, there's still much to cover.

It seems like in Matthew 18, Yeshua had a great deal to say on topics such as humility, the value of the individual, consideration for people who sin, and rendering mercy. While you may not think these areas have much in common, I believe that they are qualities possessed by anyone who is a servant in the Kingdom and who leads by example. Let's have a look:

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. -Matthew 18:1-6

Humility and greatness become two sides of the same coin in this parable of the Master. Exodus 12:3 describes the man who lead a nation of 3 million people through the wilderness for 40 years and who spoke face to face with God as, Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth. From his example alone, we can see that humility and leadership have a great deal to do with one another. That's quite a switch from our perception of the world's leaders today, who seem anything but humble and where humility is seen as weakness.

Yeshua is very protective of his humble "little ones" and for the person who causes one of them to sin "it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea". That's how important they are to him.

To be considered great in the Kingdom, we must do what is against human nature...not to exalt ourselves but rather, to be humble...even if we lead a congregation, or a city, or a nation. That's quite a challenge, especially since most of us like to be called by titles and to be treated with deferentially.

"Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. -Matthew 18:7-9

Relax, this isn't an invitation to commit self-mutilation. Remember parables are metaphorical stories. The way I read these few sentences, is that we are to take stock of what exists in our lives that results in our sinning and then to remove those qualities or situations from us. This is an excellent message as we are right in-between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. There is no better time to take a good hard look at who we are and to make some serious changes than right now. Imagine what an example we could set for those around us if we could lead in this type of behavior, humbling ourselves before God and before our fellow human beings.

"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. -Matthew 18:10-14

Certainly this says that there is no one who is insignificant in the Kingdom of Heaven, not even the smallest child and not even the weakest lamb, but it says something else as well. I mentioned on my congregation's blog in a post called Healing that according to Orthodox Rabbi Shumuley Boteach, when Moses left the flock he was tending to follow one lost sheep, immediately before encountering the burning bush (Exodus 3), he wasn't just going after the one lost lamb for the sake of the lamb, but also for the sake of the flock. Rabbi Boteach states:

Ostensibly, the story seems to indicate that Moses’ care for each individual found favor in God’s eyes. But this is a misunderstanding. Only a fool would have risked an entire flock for the sake of a single sheep. Rather, Moses did not return for just any sheep, but for the smallest and weakest. It was not because he believed that the straggler, if properly fed and cared for, could grow to be the pride of the flock, big and strong like its counterparts, that he collected it. Even this small sheep was an indispensable member of the flock. Moses recognized that without this straggler the entire flock was flawed and deficient.

Each person has an inestimable value to God because each of us has been created in His image but more than that, we also have an inestimable value in the Kingdom of Heaven, in our congregations, in our communities, and in the world because God created only one of each of us to perform a special job for Him. Without even one of us, our congregations, our families, and even the Kingdom, would be incomplete and lacking. We are not just wanted, we're needed, each and every one of us.

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." -Matthew 18:15-20

How we treat even the smallest child is important to Yeshua, and so is how we treat someone who has sinned against us. You'd think that if we ever had an excuse to "lower the boom" on someone, it would be someone who "did us wrong". Yet, the Messiah is very specific about how we are to spare the feelings of even someone who sinned against us, first by going to him privately and giving him a chance to repent before the matter becomes generally known. If the matter can be settled at this point, it's done and no one need know of this person's error.

Even if the person refuses to repent, take just a few other witnesses with you during the next confrontation. There's still a chance he'll see the mistake he's made and repent. Finally, even if you have to bring it before the entire congregation, there's still a chance the person will humble himself and return to the fold. Only after this, if the person continues to refuse, is he asked to leave and perhaps, even after this, if he would be willing to repent, there would be healing and reconciliation.

Matthew 18:21-35 is a parable that illustrates this final lesson. Peter asks Yeshua if there's a limit to how many times a person should be forgiven before we can write them off (Up to seven times?), but Yeshua says there is no limit, or at least not one that can be counted, since seventy-seven times is less likely a literal number and more a bit of Rabbinic shorthand to mean "as many times as it takes". Imagine if God only forgave us 77 times or even 77 times 7 (a mere 539 times). Would any of us survive?

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant shows us this principle in action. If the servant shown mercy by his master had shown the same mercy to those who owed him a debt, he would have learned the lesson the Master was teaching and survived. Lack of mercy results in being turned over to jailers to be tortured. Not a desirable outcome.

Conclusion: This lesson seems very much like my previous blog post but perhaps that's not an accident. Maybe the lessons of leadership and servanthood are inexorably intertwined with humility, mercy, and valuing others. What did Yeshua tell his Jewish disciples to teach the Gentile disciples to obey regarding humility and mercy as servants and leaders?

1. The greatest leader is the most humble servant.
2. Absolutely no one is insignificant or unworthy of your time or attention.
3. Even the very least person among you has an inestimably valuable role in the congregation, the family, the community, and the world.
4. Even if a person sins against you, give them every opportunity to realize their error, to repent, and to reconcile themselves to you.
5. Show the same sort of mercy to others as God has shown to you. The consequences for not doing so are too horrible to contemplate.

The last point reminds me of when Yeshua taught his Jewish disciples how to pray (and thus, this is something we Gentile disciples are to learn as well):

He said to them, "When you pray, say:
" 'Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
(emphasis added)
And lead us not into temptation.' "
-Luke 11:2-4

How we are forgiven seems dependent on how we forgive others. Perhaps this entire lesson can be encapsulated in the following few verses:

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." -Matthew 20:26-28

In a nutshell, for today's lesson, we learn that Yeshua taught his Jewish disciples and we Gentile disciples that in all our dealings with people, regardless of our relative position in our congregations, communities, and in life, we are to act humbly, to value everyone, to realize we are all important and unique to God, to be forgiving, and to grant as much mercy to others as God has granted to us.

What Did Jesus Teach About Being Servants?

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. -Matthew 28:19-20

Update: February 13, 2011: As part of my Discipleship and the Torah class, I've made an audio recording of a class discussion on this lesson. Enjoy.

Leadership and Servanthood

This is the third part of my series on what Yeshua (Jesus) directed his Jewish disciples to teach the newly minted Gentile Messianic disciples to obey. It's also the second of a series of Yeshua's teachings in the Book of Matthew on Leadership and Servanthood. To summarize Part II: What Did Jesus Teach About Being Salt and Light:

In a nutshell, we learn that Yeshua taught that once we, as Gentile disciples, accept him as our Master and begin learning his lessons through being taught by Yeshua's disciples and by Torah study, we are supposed to pass the word along through the example of our lives and through our good deeds (Matthew 5:16) so that those seeing our light will praise God in Heaven. Learn from disciples. Learn from the Bible. Do good deeds. Be salt. Shine your light. Don't hide under a bowl.

That is what we can say about what Yeshua taught the Jewish disciples to teach the Gentiles disciples about being salt and light. Remember though, he also told the Jewish disciples to teach the Gentile disciples "to obey everything I have commanded you". In order to understand what everything means, we need to press on. After all, we've just scratched the surface.

As I go over my notes and look at what I've considered lessons in "Leadership and Servanthood", I realize they actually cover a wide variety of topics and could reasonably be considered to fall under different classifications or categories. On the other hand, being an example; being "salt and light", covers most of the things we do on a day to day basis. With that in mind, let's keep on exploring this topic and see what we, as Gentile disciples, are to be taught and to obey at the command of Yeshua the Messiah, especially about being servants and good examples.

Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. -Matthew 6:1-4

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. -Matthew 6:5-9

These two passages are artificially split into the topics of charity and prayer but Yeshua is really talking about the same thing: how we are to live out the commandments. On the one hand, giving to the poor is a commandment and an act of justice or righteousness. It doesn't take a doctorate degree in theology to understand this. Also, while we can't actually point to a commandment that says, "thou shalt pray to the Lord thy God", there is a great deal of precidence in the Bible to show that prayer is an expectation of God from us and part of our relationship with Him. Neither act is difficult to understand and here, Yeshua isn't telling us to give to the poor and to pray: those are "givens".

What he is teaching is not to make a big deal to other people about giving to the poor and to praying as if to say, "look what a holy and righteous person I am by how I give to the poor and how loudly and intensely I pray in public places". It reminds me of a parable the Master tells that I'm sure we've all read before:

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." -Luke 18:9-14

This should be an obvious lesson for just about any believer, but I continually see examples of people in the community of faith who spend more time exalting themselves than exalting the Messiah, especially from those in leadership roles. When you're put in the spotlight, even a very small spotlight, there's a temptation to use it to put on a performance. At first, you might think you're doing so in order to inspire others, but once you start hearing people say what a "holy person", you are, it can and likely will go to your head. Referencing the Master's words in Matthew 6:1-8, it seems he is saying that it's better to serve quietly and anonymously than to do so loudly and publicly. Whatever you do, even if it is to fulfill an obvious commandment, ask yourself if you're doing it for his glory or for your own?

"He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." -Matthew 10:40-42

On the surface, you could say that Yeshua is talking about how, when someone receives you as a servant of the Master, they are receiving him. It would be nice to be treated as if we were the Master himself, but don't let it go to your head. Remember, to follow him is also to take up your execution stake and to suffer for the Kingdom. What he is also teaching is that even giving a cup of cold water to the least member of the Kingdom will be rewarded.

If you back up in the chapter to see the larger context, you'll see that Yeshua is asking for something special and something not entirely comfortable to most of us: he's asking to be more important to us than our father, our mother, our families, and even to endure the fact that some members of our own households might end up being our "enemies".

That doesn't mean we aren't to love our families and treat them well, but we aren't to deny the Messiah and to abandon the Master, even if some members of our family don't believe in or honor Yeshua. If you want to be a leader and a servant in the Kingdom of the Most High, this is the place to do it. Remember the Master also said:

"A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. -Matthew 10:24-25

This statement goes to the very heart of discipleship and what it means. We, as disciples of Yeshua, are not above him in any way, nor will we ever be above him. We should not exalt ourselves to even think we could approach the level of the Messiah. It is enough for we disciples to be disciples of the Master. It is enough for us as servants to be servants to Yeshua. It is enough for us as students to be students of our Teacher.

Conclusion: What did Yeshua tell his Jewish disciples to teach the Gentile disciples to obey about being servants and students, even if we're in roles of leadership?

1. When we are doing acts of charity in his name, don't make a big deal about our name.
2. When we pray, pray in secret, not in public so as to make a big deal about ourselves.
3. When we pray, don't pray loudly and babble on for hours at a time, as if we need to make a big speech to get God's attention. We aren't telling God anything new. He already knows what we need.
4. If we want to serve him, we must serve his people, from the greatest prophet, to the least of his servants, just as if we were serving the Master directly because, in fact, we really are.
5. If we want to serve him, we have to accept that some members of our family might not join with us in that service, and we are not to reject the Master, even for peace in the household.
6. Don't aspire to be as great or greater than our master. It is enough for us to be his servant, student, and disciple.

From the greatest evangelists and the most learned Torah sages, down to the people who do the dishes and take out the garbage in your church, synagogue, or congregation, we are all his servants and nothing we do should be designed to elevate ourselves in the eyes of men. The minute we start giving glory to ourselves instead of Yeshua, we've failed him. Remember, this is what Yeshua taught to his Jewish disciples and expected them to obey. Remember, this is what Yeshua taught his Jewish disciples and commanded them to teach the Gentile disciples to obey.

In a nutshell, for today's lesson, we learn that Yeshua teaches his disciples, all of us, to obey him by doing acts of kindness and righteousness for his sake and for the sake of others, but not to glorify ourselves. A student is never greater than his master and it is enough for us to be his students and to imitate him. When we are faithful and serve even the least or the weakest of Yeshua's servants for his sake, we are serving him.