The "M'drash on the Mount" Continues

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:17-20 (NKJV)


As I mentioned last time, the word 'sermon' does not adequately describe Jesus' intentions as he sits down with his disciples on this Galilean hillside. To fully understand what is going on here we need to examine a little about rabbinical teaching techniques. The Hebrew word that best applies to this situation, I think, is m'drash. This kind of teaching assumes that the listener already has a certain knowledge base, and the purpose of the m'drash is to build on that base. The idea is to drive deeper into the meaning of previous teachings, to dig into the matter. The pattern we find in the verses that follow, "you have heard it said" followed by "but I say unto you", is typical of this midrashic technique. The teacher is saying, "You thought you knew what such and such was about, but I am going to tell you what it really means."

That this sermon falls into this category is confirmed by Jesus' statement, in the above passage, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." He makes it very clear that he is not presenting a "new" teaching, this is not something that will replace the Law of Moses. Rather, it is His intention to bring about a fuller understanding of the truths that have already been presented to his listeners. Moses and the prophets have given them the basic truths, now Jesus will take them to the next level. Nothing is to be discarded, but everything will be enriched by a deeper understanding.

In this light Jesus examines six basic laws, and in each case explains how what they have known is only the beginning. At the heart of each of these laws is a more meaningful truth that has a much broader application than the literal understanding to which the people are accustomed.


Matthew 5:21-26 - Murder

“Thou shalt not murder.” A fairly simple and easy to understand law. But Jesus digs deeper and strikes at the heart of the law. He deals with not just the act itself, as the law does, but with the reason for the act. Jesus knows he has to deal not with what we do, but why we do it. In the Kingdom of Heaven not only is there no room for the act of murder, but there is no room for the emotions that motivate it.

So, is Jesus saying that every time we get angry and call that annoying person on the finance committee an idiot we consign ourselves to eternal damnation? I think not; but he is saying that we cannot worship together effectively if we harbor hatred toward one another in our hearts.

In an essay entitled “Thoughts on Various Subjects”, Johnathan swift observed, “We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.” True worship depends on a congregation that is fully reconciled with one another so that there are no ill feelings to interfere with our communion with God.


Matthew 5:27-30 - Adultery

If it is hate that makes us think, “I wish you were dead.”, then it is lust that motivates the thought, “I wish you were mine.” Once again Jesus strikes at the emotion behind the act. Adultery is not really about the sexual act, it is about interfering with the covenant between husband and wife; a covenant Jesus himself compares to the covenant that exists between man and God. Lust, at its heart, is covetousness, the desire to want what we haven’t got and especially what we cannot have.

So soul destroying is this desire in us that Jesus resorts to hyperbole to drive the point home. Cutting off our hands, and gouging out our eyes will not keep us from sinning, but learning to be content in our relationships will. Allowing our sexual urges to interfere with our communion with our spouses, and our God, has no place in the Kingdom of Heaven.


Matthew 5:31-32 - Divorce

Once again, failing to understand the cultural dynamic of a passage has resulted in the passage being severely mis-understood. Many preachers will tell you that this is about the sanctity of marriage, and while that is certainly a factor coming on the heels of the previous four verses, it goes significantly beyond this.

At the heart of the divorce law given by Moses is the legal relationship between men and women. Deuteronomy 24:1-4 required a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce so that other men would know that infidelity was not the reason the marriage was over, giving the woman a chance of being married again. The reality behind this provision was a male-dominated world in which women were little better than property.

Jesus, knowing this, probes deep and finds the attitude that made it so easy for a man to divorce his wife – disrespect for women in general. Jesus was telling his male listeners, “You cannot discard a woman that easily unless she has betrayed the marriage covenant first.” In raising the bar on the subject of divorce Jesus declared that the subjugation of women, regarding them as anything less than equals, responsible for their own spirituality, has no place in the Kingdom of Heaven. (There’s a lot more I could say here, but I think I’ll save it for when we get to chapter 19.)

Matthew 5:33-37 - Oaths

I realize this is starting to get repetitious, but once again we need to consider the culture of the day to understand Jesus’ take on this subject. The Law of Moses forbid the taking of false oaths, but Jesus says don’t swear any oath at all – Why? Well, the taking of an oath in the name of one’s god was not just about keeping your word, it was about the relative power of one god versus another. The greater the god you called upon, the more weight your oath carried.

And therein lies the problem. The swearing of an oath in the name of one’s god shifts the responsibility from the individual to the deity. We are, in effect saying, “You can trust me on this because my god will make me keep it, and if I don’t it’s not that I let you down but rather that my god let me down.”

For the worshipers of the true God this is clearly unacceptable. God is not responsible for our integrity, rather our integrity is a key component in our communion with God. When we swear an oath in the name of God, from the Biblical perspective, we are attempting to hold Him responsible for what we do. In the Kingdom of Heaven the purpose of calling upon the name of the Lord is to draw us upward towards his level, not to drag Him down to ours.


Matthew 5:38-42 - Justice

How can it possibly make sense to deal with injustice by inviting it to continue? Surely if someone commits an act of violence against us, it is only fair to exact a penalty of equal value against them? The question Jesus is asking in suggesting this turn-the-world-on-its-head response is, “Do you really want justice? Or are you looking for revenge?

In a world were people responded to an verbal insult by killing the one who insulted you, an ‘eye for an eye’, and a ‘tooth for a tooth’ was considered an act of moderation. However, Jesus understood that retaliation only leads to escalation. He asked his listeners to consider their motives in such situations and look for ways to turn the whole thing on its head and get positive return out of it.

In the Kingdom of Heaven, it is God and God alone who will mete out justice. There is no need for its citizens to seek revenge.


Matthew 5:43-48 - Love

Jesus raises the bar one more time, and in so doing you might say he covers everything you may have thought he left out. In this case he challenges His listeners to lift themselves above the world around them, because the Kingdom of Heaven does not operate on the same level. Anybody can love only those who love them! The challenge for the citizens of heaven is to love everyone, even as God Himself does. You can’t raise the bar any higher than that.

But in this last example we also get a little insight into the relationship between Jesus and Matthew. Remember that Matthew was a tax-collector when Jesus called him to join the band of brothers. How Matthew must have cringed when he first heard the words,"Do not even tax-collectors do the same!" Was Jesus taking a shot at his disciple? Or challenging him to take a good hard look at himself?

And what of Matthew’s response? Did he rise to the challenge or take offense at being reminded of his past? I think it shows Matthew’s own self-effacing nature that he included these words in his gospel. It shows that he not only knows what it is to be a citizen of the Kingdom, but he has also come to grips with the reality of his past. A key step in moving on to new things.


This is crucial to me as a storyteller, to understand the personality of the disciple who wrote the story. Just as it is crucial to understand the cultural dynamics behind Jesus’ midrashic teachings. The question remains however, how do I convey these dynamics when I say these same words in telling these scriptures?

To be honest, I’m still working on that – when I figure it out I will let you know. But this I can tell you: If I have not done the research so that I understand the meaning behind the words that Jesus and Matthew speak, I will never figure out how to convey it in my storytelling. If I do not understand what is being said, neither can I help my audience to understand it.

Until next time... Shalom


Exploring the Kingdom Gospel - episode 10

The Kingdom Manifesto

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.

Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

(a) freedom of conscience and religion;
(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
(d) freedom of association.

---------------

With these words the Canadian Constitution Act of 1982 follows in the model of many such documents around the world and establishes the fundamentals of what it means to be a citizen of the Dominion of Canada. It lays out in short form the four basic reasons why anyone would want to be a citizen of this country.

In Matthew 5, Jesus does the same thing for the citizens of the Kingdom Of God....

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” -- Matt 5: 1-12 NKJV

Thus begins chapters 5,6 & 7 of the Kingdom Gospel, the passage commonly referred to as “The Sermon on the Mount.” The word sermon is inadequate. In Hebrew the word would likely be m’drash, a word that has no direct English translation, but for which ‘sermon’ is often used. It goes beyond that however, to include the concept of expounding upon previous teaching. It will be typified by two phrases “you have heard it said...” and “but I say to you...” It is ‘teaching’ yes, but a teaching that updates teachings previously held to be true. In the preamble to this m’drash is found this short quick list of blessings. Blessings bestowed on those who would be citizens of the heavenly kingdom.

And who are the citizens of this new kingdom? The short answer is found in the first Blessing, the first article of the Kingdom Manifesto. The Kingdom of Heaven is made up of those who are ‘poor in spirit.’

Shortly after I met my wife Roberta, she asked me,”What does poor in spirit mean?’ It’s an important question, because in defining who belongs to the Kingdom of heaven it defines what it fundamentally means to be a Christian.

I would put it to you that the poor in spirit are the spiritually destitute, those who have come to realize that they can not make it on their own resources. There is no longer anything they can do to sustain hope, love or happiness. They have willingly stopped trying to control their own destiny and have thrown themselves fully upon God Almighty. It is descriptive of the state of humility that should exist in all of us when we come before the cross. Those who still rely on themselves, who can ‘pull themselves together’ have not yet come to that place where they can fully participate in the kingdom. They can ‘live’ there, like ‘landed immigrants’ if you will, but to be a full citizen of God’s kingdom requires submission, and full reliance upon the King.

The second article states, “Blessed are those who mourn...” I do not think this refers to those who have lost friends and family, though I am sure they too will be comforted. When I hear these words I think of an old commercial that used to run a decade or so back. It featured a series of views of the American landscape littered with refuse, polluted with oil and smog, forests torn down and rivers dammed up and diverted. As the camera pulls back we are met by a close-up of a Native American, his face cragged and weary, a single tear falling down his cheek as he weeps for what the land once was and is no more. It is this spiritual mourning, the deep lamentations of the soul for what the world should be but is not that defines the citizen of the kingdom.

The third article “Blessed are the meek...” and the fourth article “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...” are taken from Psalm 37. The psalmist also provides his definition of meekness, “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his (own) way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.” And his definition of righteous, “Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore. For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever.” Enough said.

The fifth article proclaims “Blessed are the merciful...” Mercy is the foundation of our relationship with God. If not for His mercy towards us there would be no participation in the Kingdom at all. Is it so strange then that blessing comes to those who treat others as they have been treated by the King?

The sixth article, “Blessed are the pure in heart...” is grown out of Psalm 24. “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.” The heart describes the inner person, what we truly are as opposed to what we appear to be. The pure of heart then, are those whose faith is genuine, whose integrity cannot be shaken by or purchased with the trappings of this world.

The seventh article blesses “the peacemakers.” Like the word m’drash, the word shalom is never perfectly translated into English. The peace spoken of here is not simply the absence of war or conflict; it refers to an all-encompassing sense of well-being that inhabits the whole person. It speaks to a person who seeks to be at peace not only with the people around them, but with their environment and their current situation as well. It is that peace that passes understanding which enables them to face any conflict, any disaster, and overcome it through total reliance on God.

The eighth article connects us back to the first and warns us that being a citizen of the kingdom of heaven is not all sweetness and light. For there are those in this world who will never find their place in the kingdom. For this reason the citizens will be “persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” The new kingdom will turn the world on its head and the world will reject that which it does not understand.

The ninth article brings it down from the corporate level and aims squarely at the individual. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

This last statement is aimed not only at us but more precisely at Matthew’s church. They worshipped in the midst of that fear and misunderstanding. Jew and Gentile alike were rejected by their own for embracing this new manifesto of the kingdom. They found their strength in knowing that they were not the first to suffer, others held in far greater esteem than they had suffered in the same way.

And so they soldiered on, firm in the belief that they were blessed in the here and now because of the promise held by the future. The kingdom of heaven was and is at one and the same time in their midst and on the horizon. “Blessed are you ... for you will be...”

But the preamble does not stop there. One more thing must be said about those who are the citizens of this new Kingdom.

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. - Matt. 5:13-16 NKJV

Every country has its borders, the geographical boundaries that define where one kingdom stops and the next one begins. Here Jesus defines the borders of the Kingdom of Heaven — there are none!

The Kingdom of heaven is not an earthly kingdom. It exists, like God, everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It cannot be tied down to a single time and place because where ever we, its citizens, are – it is. That is why Jesus sends out this cry for diligence. The people of this world will only see the Kingdom of God if they see it in us.

As a friend of mine, Al Ince, once put it, “I am an ambassador for the Kingdom of God, and my embassy is walking around in a pair of size 12s.”

Until next time... Shalom!


Exploring the Kingdom Gospel - episode 9

Band of Brothers

Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.
This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:
"THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES – THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED."

From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them. (Matthew 4:12-24)


There’s a great scene in the 1938 version of “The Adventures of Robin Hood” where Robin Hood meets a giant of a man named John Little on a log bridge over a stream. They challenge each other for the right to pass first and end up settling the matter with quarterstaffs. I won’t tell you how it turns out, you can rent it and see for yourself, but suffice it to say that “Little” John (played by Alan Hale - see picture*) becomes the first, and most trusted, of Robin’s “Merry Men.”

The recruiting of a band of brothers is a common aspect of many tales of a great quest. We see the same thing in “The Fellowship of the Ring” the first novel in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The pattern is very much the same in each case; the Hero meets a person in his travels, and has a brief encounter during which the Hero finds some worthy trait in the new acquaintance, the hero then invites the individual to join him on the quest. The fact is though, all these adventures take their example from the calling of the disciples by Jesus as he sets out on his earthly ministry.

The one great difference is, unlike Robin Hood, Jesus knows the worth of the twelve before he calls them. There is no need to test their mettle; the quest (ministry) itself will do that soon enough. He knows their hearts already, all that remains is to ask them to follow and see their response. The remarkable thing is - in every account the disciple’s response is immediate – they follow.

In the Kingdom Gospel only the calling of the fishermen is included. As with Robin Hood, here we find a man named John, along with his brother James. They work together with their father Zebedee, mending nets, tending to the boats, hanging the fish to dry, all the tasks required of the family business. Then a stranger walks up to them and ustters a strange phrase, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." We are told they leave their nets and their father and follow the stranger to Capernaum. The same response as Peter and his brother Andrew; they leave their father Jonas and follow the Nazarene.

Considering the culture of the day, this is a remarkable thing. In first century Israel family is everything. To simply walk away leaving one’s family in the lurch was tantamount to treason. Imagine poor Zebedee’s reaction, that is his sons walking off down the beach. And not only is it his flesh and blood, the seed of his loins, but that’s his retirement plan walking away as well. What would your reaction be? Considering that from the perspective of his neighbours Jesus has abandoned his family to become an itinerant rabbi, one has to ask what kind of Kingdom is Jesus setting out to create? Is he questioning the value of the family and the reality of having to make a living?

In a word – Yes!

Or at the very least He is redefining them. One of the hardest things for many people to understand is that the Kingdom of God is not here to meet our needs. The truth is, we are here to meet the needs of the Kingdom of God! The Kingdom does not serve the family; the family is at its best when it serves the Kingdom. God’s goal is not to make us more effective at our careers; but rather, our work is most truly successful when it serves to express the will of God.

In the Gospel Kingdom, Peter and Andrew are still brothers, only now they are part of a much larger brotherhood. James and John are not only the sons of Zebedee, they are now the ‘sons of Thunder’ (Mark 3:13-19), children of the Heavenly Father. They are all still fishermen, only now they fish for people to join the Kingdom. In this passage Jesus disrupts the structure of our families and the pattern of our lives, not to destroy them, but to transform them into something greater that will ultimately bring about the promised Kingdom.

And where is the first place that the Heir leads his band of ‘merry men’? To Syria - a Gentile nation next door to Israel. Jesus’ quest begins in an area where there are not just Jews, but a heavy Gentile population as well. His new home town of Capernaum is in the heart of an area of Israel where many Gentiles have made their home - "the Galilee of the Gentiles"(vs 15), living side by side with their Jewish neighbours. In this part of the world even the Sea of Galilee itself is known by another name, the sea of Tiberius (see John 21). This too is indicative of the nature of the kingdom that is to come. It will be a place where not just one nation, not just one people, but all of mankind is welcome.

Now, imagine with me once again the response of Matthew’s church upon hearing these things. Imagine the turmoil that is their own lives. Given the fact the ‘cult of the Nazarene’ is considered a threat by both the Jews and the Romans, it is likely that many of Matthew’s listeners have been estranged from their own families as well. They are popular with the servant and working classes, even with some of the nobility, but they are decried and even hunted by those in authority.

The prospect of martyrdom is not only a reality, but had to be considered before they even decided to follow this Jesus, this Jewish Messiah rejected by his own people. Would it have given them some comfort to know that it had been the same since the beginning? Would they have drawn encouragement from knowing that James and John, and Peter and Andrew had all left their lives behind as well to follow a the same path as they? I think so; and as storytellers we can draw this out in our telling and give encouragement to our listeners as well.

In the story of the calling of these four disciples, we see not only a representation of the calling of all the twelve, but the first glimpse of what the Gospel Kingdom will look like. We get our first hint at the revolution that is to come. A revolution that will be launched officially in our next episode as Jesus lays out for the people his “Kingdom Manifesto.”


Shalom

Exploring the Kingdom Gospel - episode 8

[* TUT (Totally Unrelated Trivia) - if the man in the picture looks a little familiar, but you have never seen the Errol Flynn classic, it’s likely because the actor’s son, Alan Hale Jr., played ‘The Skipper’ Jonas Grumby on the TV show Gilligan’s Island. Strong family resemblance, eh?]

The Heir’s Claim is Challenged

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘ He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘ In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’”

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. Matt. 4:1-11


In every good legendary tale there is always someone who challenges the heir’s claim to the throne. Most often this is the usurper himself, who, believing his or her claim to be legitimate, is unwilling to allow anyone to take it from them. My personal favorite is Alan Rickman as the sherrif in Costner’s ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves’(see picture). If I was casting a film and needed a great heavy.. Rickman’s my first choice.

However, in the story of the Gospel Kingdom the challenge to the Heir’s claim comes from Satan himself.

It is important to note here that Satan’s claim is not without merit. Indeed, God gave the throne of this world to Adam and Eve in the Garden, but they surrendered the title to Satan when they disobeyed God and bought into the Deceiver’s lies. So while Satan has a legitimate claim to the throne, it was won by trickery and deceit and is therefore defiled by his evil intentions.

It is also important to note that the challenge is a necessary part of the process. Satan does not surprise Jesus in the wilderness. He does not interrupt one of his teaching sessions in the courtyard of the temple and challenge his claim in front of the people (well, not directly anyway). No... Jesus is led in to be tempted in the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. Before he can begin his ministry the matter of the legitimacy of his claim to the throne of the kingdom must be settled, he and the Usurper must have it out before His campaign for the hearts of the people can even begin.

And that is because once again, Jesus is walking the same road as the nation of Israel. It’s not just that they spent time in the wilderness and so must He. The temptations He faces while in the wilderness are the same temptations faced by Israel when they journeyed out of Egypt. Jesus is tempted with: a) hunger, b) putting God to the test, and c) false worship. These are the same temptations, and in the same order, as Israel faced in Exodus 16, 17, and 19-32. They are also the same temptations the church faces today as she struggles to find her role in the Gospel Kingdom. Let’s quickly look at each one making a few observations. I leave it to you to flesh these ideas out in full and see if they too stand up to the test.

First of all we have hunger. After 40 days of fasting no one is surprised that Jesus is hungry. The Usurper offers a quick fix; “You’ve got the power - use it.” Why doesn’t Jesus simply turn the stones into bread? This temptation is about vision! It’s about dealing on too small a scale. Jesus’ mission is about feeding the spiritual hunger of the entire human race, not just His own current physical need. If Satan can get His mind off the big picture and onto some small personal need (however important) then he’s won! He tries to do this to the church as well. We get side tracked into fighting over details instead of keeping our eyes on the bigger need. And while it’s true that we need to lead people into the Kingdom one person at a time, we must never lose sight of the fact that an entire world is dying out there.

Next we have putting God to the test. The usurper’s tactic is a classic. He says, “Fine! You want to quote scripture - we’ll quote scripture. Try this one on for size.” It’s really about faith! The world wants us to do this all the time. They want some tangible proof that everything we believe is true. Herod does the same thing later at the end of Jesus’ ministry - “Prove to me that you’re no fool, walk across my swimming pool!" (Great line from ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’) But if we give into this, if we say, “God show me that you’re real by doing such-and-such” expecting that He will react in such a fashion, we reverse the relationship between us and God, attempting to put ourselves in charge and put God in a position of obligation to us. Satan knows this when he poses the question. Jesus knows it too, and doesn’t fall for the trap.

Finally there’s false worship. The Usurper takes an interesting approach here. He sort of acknowledges the Heir’s right to the throne but tries to include himself in the deal. In a sense he’s saying, “Okay, you are the rightful heir to the throne. But! Since I have it now, and my claim has some legitimacy, why don’t you be My Heir? I mean, it would be easier right? We can avoid all the conflict, work together, and in the end you’ll still be in charge... so why not do it the easier way?” The church faces this temptation on a daily basis. It’s about how we define true worship! Worshiping God means making a sacrifice. We don’t use bulls and doves anymore, but sacrifice remains at the heart of worship. However, as human beings we always look for a less painful way to do things, trying to soften the cost of discipleship. The problem is whenever the “power of positive thinking” replaces the power of self-sacrifice through grace, the Usurper wins. Jesus didn’t take the easy path, and neither should we.

Remember when I wrote about character types in the first episode? Most people would classify Satan as a flat character, fairly two-dimensional, only get to see him once, not that big a player in the story. As a storyteller however, it would be a mistake to classify him this way, because in the narrative of the Gospel Kingdom we see Satan far more than we realize. He is the embodiment of every antagonist that opposes the Gospel Kingdom. He stands behind every demon, he is responsible for all the suffering, the blind, the cripple, even the dead. It is he who blinds the scribes and pharisees to the truth of Jesus’ rightful claim to the throne. His greatest skill lies in his ability to hide himself in the words and actions of others.

The storyteller must remember this when telling the Kingdom Gospel. For in order to take back his throne, the Heir must defeat the Usurper completely, and the wilderness is only the opening round.

Shalom

Exploring the Kingdom Gospel - episode EKG007

The Cry of the Herald

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
"A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' "

John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River...

... Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Matthew 3:1-6, 13-17

In days of old, monarchs would oft-times be preceded by a well-dressed young man crying, “Here comes the King! Make way for His Majesty - the King!”, or some other such cry depending on the title and gender of the individual monarch. The reason this was done was to make sure the people realized the rich-looking person coming down the road was not just another member of the nobility, but the actual, for real, King in the flesh.

You see, most common people rarely got to see the King for themselves. Even the number of people who could recognize the local nobility was likely fairly small. This was largely due to the fact that class distinctions were very well drawn and unless you had business that brought you in direct contact with the ruling class, you were not likely to have reason to recognize them. In some jurisdictions this was of great concern because the penalty for failing to show proper respect for the monarch was death, and no one wanted to pay the ultimate price just for being inattentive!

Thus we have a man with the large voice coming down the road before the King making sure everyone was paying proper attention. This person would have been known as - the King’s Herald.

Enter - John the Baptist. Like the subjects of earthly kingdoms, those seeking the kingdom of heaven also needed help in recognizing their monarch when he arrived. It had long been foretold that the prophet Elijah would arrive before the Messiah to announce his coming. Anticipation of Elijah’s arrival led to the setting of a place for him at the Passover table. When John appeared on the scene dressed in camel hair with a leather belt (like the Old Testament prophet), preaching the message of repentance, people would have naturally made the connection. Every king must have a herald and with one foot firmly planted in Israel’s past and the other stepping out towards it’s future, John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, certainly fit the bill.

But his role doesn’t stop there. John has another task to perform, a task which has largely gone misunderstood. Since the days of Saul and David, the prophets of God have also held the responsibility of anointing Israel’s kings. It is a role John is reluctant to perform recognizing that Jesus is no ordinary prince. How can a person who has committed no sin receive baptism for the remission of those sins. But he accepts the role when Jesus reminds him that it is required in order “ to fulfill all righteousness.”

This may well be one of the most misunderstood statements in the Gospels. To understand its significance we first need to understand that John was not the first baptist (immerser); they had been around in Israel for many years. The mikveh is a ritual immersion required by the Law of Moses for a number of reasons. The job of the “immerser” is to ensure that the individual is fully submerged beneath the surface of the water. The most significance place where this ritual could be performed is in the Jordan River. Among the many reasons for the mikveh ritual is the preparation of the High Priest before he entered into service in the temple.

For a Jew in the first century, fulfilling righteousness meant fulfilling the Law of Moses. Jesus is not only our King, he is our High Priest and must fulfill all the requirements of that role, including the Mikveh. In the Jordan River Jesus is immersed by John not for the remission of his sins, but in preparation for service in the heavenly temple. When the Spirit descends upon him, Jesus is anointed as our High Priest. When the heavens open up and God the Father pronounces this man Jesus as his own “beloved Son”, Jesus’ coronation as Heir Apparent is complete. The rightful heir to the throne has returned and made himself known, his Herald has proclaimed him to the populace and all now have the opportunity to recognize the King as He walks through the land.

As a story teller, I find myself identifying with John the Baptist. Each time I tell the stories of God I am proclaiming His majesty to the people. I stand as a witness to Jesus’ rightful claim to the throne of the Kingdom of God. But not everyone is ready to accept this claim. As is often the case with earthly kingdoms there is one who would challenge Jesus claim. We’ll look at that event in our next episode.

Shalom

Out of Egypt...

Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him."

Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.

So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: "He shall be called a Nazarene." Matthew 2:13, 16, 21-23 NASB

If you pay any attention to the media these days you have likely noticed that for some time now the definition of the word “hero” has been changing. When I was a kid attending Saturday afternoon matinees with my mother (yes, I am that old) the definition of hero was pretty simple. The hero was the guy in the fedora/white hat/space suit who showed up just in the nick of time to rescue the beautiful stranger/rancher’s daughter/ female scientist from the crime boss/cattle rustler/alien monster.

Today the definition is a little broader. The term hero is used to describe anyone who has faced overwhelming odds in any aspect of life and managed to either succeed in over coming them, or by their example inspired others to face their own challenges in life. I’m not bringing this up in order to debate the definition of a hero. I bring it up to point out that different people at different times have differing expectations of their heroes. So it was in Israel at the time of Jesus.

We can better appreciate the people’s response to the Kingdom Gospel if we have an understanding of what it was the people were looking for in the person of the Messiah - the promised hero of Israel. For centuries the Messiah had been portrayed as the very embodiment of the nation of Israel. Like no one since Moses, the Messiah would ‘be’ Israel, representing the fulfilment of all their struggles, all their wanderings, and most importantly, the embodiment of the dream of Israel finally becoming the kingdom God had always intended.

In the story of the flight to Egypt that follows the visit of the Magi, avoiding the slaughter in Bethlehem, and ending with the arrival in Nazareth, Matthew forges three key links in the chain that connects Jesus to Israel’s history; a necessary task if Jesus is to meet the people’s expectations of the Messiah. Now, while God is not in the business of meeting expectations, certain conditions, established by God himself, must be met if anyone is to recognize Jesus as the Promised One.

Jesus is called “out of Egypt” just as the descendants of Jacob in the time of Moses. Like the Israelites under Pharaoh, Jesus too escapes the king’s attempt to eliminate the threat to his power by slaughtering male children. Like the children of God wandering in the wilderness, Jesus finally finds a home in a land that was not originally his own, but will be associated with Him the rest of his life. With these crucial connections in place Jesus is confirmed as the perfect hero for Israel. A hero who has suffered in every way just as Israel has; exiled, hunted, relocated and yet always triumphant!

The story of the child Jesus has now been connected to the story of the children of Israel in three key places; Bethlehem - the city of David, Egypt - the place of the exile, and Ramah - the place of mourning for what Israel has lost gaining the promised land. In the Hebrew mind Jesus would have fit the image of the Messiah as readily as John Wayne fit the image of the Texas Marshall.

The story also connects us once again to Abraham. Without question or hesitation Joseph obeys the word of the angel in his dream and leaves all that he has known to take up residence in Egypt. He has no idea how long he will be there, no certainty of making a living, no relatives or contacts in the land that once enslaved his people. He, like Abraham when he was called to leave his home in Haran, has only his faith in the Lord God to sustain him and his family. And like Abraham, faith is enough. Once more, Joseph proves his worthiness to serve as guardian of the Messiah.

For the storyteller who seeks to accurately present the Kingdom Gospel this is all crucial information. Try to picture the knowing look that Matthew would have given his listeners as he drew the lines between Jesus and Moses, between Joseph and Abraham. See in your mind’s eye the bonds that form as the Jews who knew these stories relate their significance to the Gentiles who worshipped with them. Imagine Matthew’s pleasure as he saw the look of understanding come upon the faces in his audience as the story of the Kingdom unfolds.

A story that will continue to unfold in our next episode... The Cry of the Herald!

Shalom

We Three Kings...

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." ” Matthew 2:1-2 NASB

Of all the characters involved in The Kingdom Gospel, and especially the nativity story, the magi are the most mysterious. For two thousand years scholars have speculated on the number, origin and nature of this group trying to fully explain their significance. For the storyteller, what matters most is not who they were and where they came from, but that they came at all, and how the locals responded to their presence.

Matthew does not specify a number, but generally we have come to accept the idea of there being three, one for each of the gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We have also named them; Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar, names representing three different races. They are described variably as wise men, astrologers, kings and magicians, all of which in varying degrees can be associated with Matthew’s word ‘magi.’

For the Biblical storyteller however, as much as their possible background is of interest, what remains of greatest importance is what the gospel does tell us. And that is this: the magi had come to worship the promised King of the Jews and not only that – they were Gentiles. In this proclamation of their purpose the magi reinforce the purpose of the Kingdom Gospel, to help Matthew’s church understand that the barriers to God were coming down. No longer would the promise of the Messiah be for the Jews only, as foretold by the prophets, all nations will come to worship at his feet.

Of interest too, is the reaction of Herod and “all of Jerusalem.” We know from other historical accounts that during this time there had been a number of people claiming to be the Messiah. Most of them were ignored or quickly proven to be false, so one would expect that Herod would regard this as just one more false alarm and shrug it off. And yet, he doesn’t. In fact, he takes it very seriously and begins plotting to take the life of the child. Why? Why does he react the way he does? And why is all of Jerusalem afraid of the magi’s message as well?

Let’s go back to the story. What sets this announcement apart from all the others who claimed to be Messiah? The answer is the presence of the magi.

Imagine for a moment you are King Herod. A number of astrologers from Persia or beyond arrive and tell you that they have looked at the stars and have determined that the time has come for the fulfilment of the prophecy of the coming Messiah. And unlike others with such claims, they come to Herod freely admitting they don’t know who it is. They only know that now is the time for the King of the Jews to be born and would Herod please be so kind as to point him out.

For Herod, and all his cronies throughout Jerusalem looking to hold onto their power, the surest sign that this is the real deal is not great orations by a would be prophet, not the performance of miracles, not even the raising of an army to drive out the Romans. Since Jesus is just a child none of these things have happened – yet. No! – for them the proof that this is a threat that must be taken seriously is Gentiles are coming forth to worship Him. In a world where Jews are despised and looked down upon by most of the nations around them, the only reason magi from any nation would come to worship the King of the Jews would be because He truly is the Son of the Most High. In Herod’s mind, only the birth of the true Messiah would bring Gentiles into their midst.

And so he agrees to help the magi, for his own reasons of course. He doesn’t know who the child is any better than the magi; so, after consulting the scriptures, he sends them to Bethlehem. His hope is that when they find him so will he. But God, as always, is one step ahead of those who would thwart his plans for mankind. He sends the magi home by another route.

If there is anything we can learn from the magi, it is the need for us to keep the stories of God close to our hearts. The magi, by their own devices, were able to determine at least part of the truth. They were able to look at the stars and know that the time had come for the Messiah to be born. They knew that the Jewish messiah was a true object of worship, worthy of their reverence even though they were not of the Jewish faith. But they didn’t know all they needed to know. Had they been able to consult the writings of the prophets for themselves they would have known where to look for the Promised One.

Many of us today, even among Christians, have it in our heads that we can figure it out all by ourselves. We are looking for a custom religion that we cobble together from insights that we pick up from a variety of sources along the way. But the fact remains that without the written Word we have only a portion of the information we need. Without the truths to be found in the Bible, we do not know where or who to worship.

And knowing the Bible is no guarantee either. The chief priests and the scribes had the text before them but failed to see the deeper truth of the words because their focus was not on God’s plan but on their own interests. They were not so interested in keeping the faith as they were in keeping control. The spirit of their worship was distorted by their own self interests.

By placing the story of God in our hearts rather than just keeping the facts about God in our heads, we ensure that both the desire and the details work together. In this way we will know where and who to worship and be better equipped to do so in spirit and in truth.

Shalom

(Exploring the Kingdom Gospel - episode 4)