Holy Week; Part XVII:"Come and join your masters happiness"

"For it will be like a man about to leave home for awhile, who entrusted his possessions to his servants. To one he gave five talents [equivalent to a hundred years wages]; to another, two talents; and to another, one talent -each according to his ability. Then he left. The one who had received five talents immediately went out, invested it and earned another five. Similarly, the one given two earned another two. But the one given one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and his his masters money.

After a long time, the master of those servants retirned to settle accounts with them. THe one who had recieved five talents came forward bringing the other five and said, 'Sir you gave me five talents; here, I have made five more.'

His master said to him, 'Excellent! you are a good and trustworthy servant. You have ben faithful with a small ammount, so I will put you in charge of a large ammount. Come and join your masters happiness!"

Also the one who had received two came forward and said, 'Sir, you gave me two talents; here I have made two more.'

His master said to him, 'Excellent! you are a good and trustworthy servant. Yo have been faithful with a small amount, so I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and join in your master's happiness.

Now the one who had recieved one talent came forward and said, 'I knew you were a hard man. You harvest where you didn't plant and gather where you didn't sow a seed. I was afraid, so i went and hid your talent in the ground. Here! take what belongs to you!'

'You wicked, lazy servant! said his master, 'So you knew, did you, that I harvest where i havent planted? and that i gather where I didn't sow seed? Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, so that when i returned, i would at least have gotten back interest with my capital! take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. For everyone who has something will be given more, so that he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has nothing, even what he does have will be taken away. As for this worthless servant, throw him out in the dark, where people will wail and grind their teeth!'

 

Once again, Yeshua uses a parable to make a point, and now he is using parables to explain things about his next coming. The last parable focused on readiness, and a person state of readiness will be a good indication of how important the message is to them. Here we are going to see a similar but different message.

The varying values of the talents given to the servants are, as said, based on "ability". But in spite of the difference in sums, the quantities involved are still vast. a talent was a weight of about sixty pounds. When applied to money or Gold, this can equal sums more than many people might make in a lifetime. THe passage even says "the equivalent of 100 years wages. The value is meant to wow the listener. The point here is, that even the smallest amount given is still an impressive sum. Each servant is entrusted something of great value.

We see that the servants who were given the to larger sums were able to double their take, and were rewarded for it. The story is not about them. It is about the last servant. The one who does nothing. Or, to put it a batter way, the servant who allows his fear to drive him into the ground, literally. For that is the reason for his lack of production with his talent. Think about it; every one of us would do something if given hundreds of thousands of dollars, even if that is to spend it all. But this servant, out of fear does absolutely nothing. He is afraid maybe of his masters disapproval if he lost the money, or simply afraid of the responsibility. Whatever the reason for his fear, he tries to do the safe thing, and in the end the same actions he took to evade fear cause him the result he had been wanting to avoid. It is a bit ironic.

This servant simply returns the initial sum back to his master. The master points out a very interesting flaw in this plan of burial; he didn't even gain interest. This is not just a rebuke, but an observation. Israeli bankers, even in those days, were safe bets. Some historians think that the modern baking industry started with ancient jewish bankers. This servant could have put his money in with them and made even a little interest. He wasn't afraid of the investment declining, there were simple options to improve value. The reason for the servants lack of event he most simple attempt comes from something else. It's not about the money at all, its about the servant looking out for himself. There was no personal risk, no striving for excellence and thus no room for failure the way he planned it.

We have seen in previous parables this week where something was given to a group of people (invites to wedding guests, land to tenants, etc). The point of the parable comes from what those people do with what they are given. In every case we see that there is an expected response, and it is not necessarily a surprising expectation. Wedding guests are expected to attend, tenants are expected to pay, and servants are expected to invest and grow money. The question then is what is the metafor? What have we been given? Don't mistake this simply for a parable about finances, though it could be applied; remember Yeshua is talking about his return. 

There is a very simple possible answer; truth. We as believers and chosen have been shown and given the truth of the gospel. In the previous parable,s pointed at the cohanim, Yeshua makes the point that they have been given the truth, have misplaced it or forgotten it, and become hypocritical. In these parable . s we see examples of people doing the right thing with what they are given, but contrated against those who do not. 

When Yeshua returns, each of us will have to give an account of what we did with what we were given. This is physical, mental, emotional and spiritual in nature. Were we good stewards of our recourses, yes, but more so, did we make progress for the Kingdom. If we are afraid to risk our appearance for the sake of the truth, then we forget that the truth does not come from us; it shouldn't matter how we appear. Those who live for themselves this way are further hypocrites. They have been given a gift by the master, and say that they live for him, but by their life the example that they neither know the master, not really understand or care that he is coming back.

 

 

Holy Week; Part XV: "From the fig tree, Learn its lesson..."

Dani'el 7:13-14 "I kept watching the night visions, when i saw, coming with the clouds of heaven, someone like a son of man. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. To him was given rulership, glory and a kingdom, so that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him. His rulership is an eternal rulership that will not pass away; and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days

'The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.'

Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a great shofar, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.  Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards,  the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

After making us aware of what the wold will be like in his absence and in preparation for his second coming, Yeshua turns to the specifics of what his return will be like. This is an exciting passages for believers, or it should be. The chosen should be longing for the day when H'Meshiah returns, because it is the culmination of this Gospel story into which our lives have been woven. This is because this world in which we live, not only is it not our home, but it, like us, is broken. As beautiful as this place can be, it is fundamentally flawed by the curse of sin, which causes death. We should be longing for the day Yeshua returns, not because of a hatred of this world, but because of a hatred of sin. This is a repentant heart, one that has walked away from its sin to the point of hating everything  flawed in sight. When Yeshua returns, the power of sin on this world will be broke, and what we perceive now as beauty will look abhorrent in comparison with the righteousness of our Savior.

Yeshua outlines some things that will signify his coming. He is trying to tell us not when it will happen, but what it will be like. We get a sense of a scientifically cosmic event. Astronomical signs of the sun and moon disappearing or going dar, and stars also vanishing. It affects not only humans, but all of creation. Everything touched by sin would naturally be touched by such a wondrous righteousness returning. We live in a sin-torn world. This world will be shaken and totally transformed as Yeshua returns, as OUR G-D IS A CONSUMING FIRE!

Yeshuas second coming will not be a secret thing either. Not only will creation give witness, but there will be public signs. A trumpet will sound, and the "sign of the son of man" and it will be obvious. Everyone is gonna see this, and will be able to observe his glory and they will mourn. In that moment when the chosen receive the ultimate confirmation of the truth, the rest of the world will see how wrong they were. We can only hope the gospel has been spread across the nations.

For, upon hearing and seeing the signs, and even witnessing the return, the world will see the pure glory of Yeshua himself. He will send out his angels to gather the chosen. See we who have been saved from sin are only partially complete. We have been sanctified and cleansed, but we are still waiting to be glorified. When the trumpet sounds, it says that the chosen will be gathered together into Yeshuas glory and will be glorified with him, as the sin and corruption is removed. Not only is this a chance for the world to see and be redeemed, but this will be the final piece of our redemption as believers, when all sin is ripped away, and we see Him as he is. We get to watch Yeshua take all this mess of our world and our lives and fix it and put all back the way he intended it to be. 

We are getting an image of the vastness of Yeshua. The presence of this G-d man is enough to shake the entire creation. THe world, every person, and every place will be aware and enamored with Him.

So be aware! Be watchful! This spectacular event is wonderful, but your perspective of it is shaped by your relationship with the savior now. There is no other option, either you are in or you are out. Either you will be transformed and glorified with Him, or you will be destroyed. That is the fundamental difference of repentance and trust in yeshua. In that moment, when put before him, all sin and evil being burnt away, the only question that matters will be what you belong to. Either you belong to sin, or you belong to Yeshua. If you belong to sin, in that moment, you will be destroyed by the fire of his holiness. If you belong to him, then that fire will burn away anything else and you will be like Him.

So what do you belong to?

Holy Week; Part XIV: "Look! Here is the Messiah!"

Yo'el 2:2 "Blow the shofar in Tziyon! Sound an alarm on my holy mountain. let all living in the land tremble, for the Day of Adonai is coming! It's upon us!-
Dani'el 12:11 "From the time the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that causes desolation is set up there will be 1290 days."
"So when you see the abomination that causes desolation spoken about through the prophet Dani'el standing in the Holy Place" (let the reader understand the allusion) "that will be the time for those in Y'hudah to escape to the hills. If someone is on the roof, he must not go down to gather his belongings from his house; if someone is in the field, he must not turn back to get his coat. What a terrible time it will be for pregnant women and nursing mothers! pray that you will not have to escape in winter or Shabbat. For there will be trouble then worse than there has ever been from the beginning of the world until now, and there will be nothing like it again! Indeed, if the length of this time had not been limited, no one would survive; but for the sake of those who have been chosen, its length will be limited.
At that time, if someone says to you, 'Look here is the Messiah!' or 'There he is!' don't believe him. For there will appear false Messiahs and false prophets perfomring great miracles -amazing things!- so as to fool even the chosen, if possible. there! I have told you in advance! So if people say to you, 'Listen! He's out in the desert,' don't go; or 'Look! He's hidden away in a secret room!' don't believe it. For then the Son of Man does come, it will be like lightning that flashes out of the east and fills the sky to the western horizon. Wherever there's a dead body, thats where you'll find vultures.
As Yeshua continues the Olive Discourse here, there is an interesting theme that develops, which we will see both now and in parts to come. That theme is pretty simple, but pretty profound if you think about it. The theme and message is this; Yeshua is coming back. Simple for many of us who have been in the church for a long time, but how much does it really affect our lives.
Indeed this is, in essence, what the believer lives for, this moment when our Savior returns. Yet so many believers are not prepared and are wrapped up in this world. They have become lazy and set in this world. This world is not our home. We live for a kingdom not yet come, and so we must live. Not merely being good cause Yeshua might come and judge what we are doing at that moment, but being watchful and expectant that he is coming soon!
This is, in fact, what Yeshua is warning about in this passage. He warns that whatever situation people are in, that they should immediately flee from the coming disaster. Don't be so caught up in the things that tie you to this world that you have to run and get them when the trouble begins.
As to what Yeshua actually says and quotes, the message is somewhat clear. The passages in Dan'el refer to an invading power turning the temple into an abomination. This has happened many time throughout history since Yeshua said this. The only proof that this brings out is that there is no human way of knowing when this will happen beforehand.
Because of the warning Yeshua gives, though, those who are watchful should be able to see it and be ready for it. There will be a sense of urgency. This urgency will primarily be for Israel and Yerushalayim, but we are still to be mindful of it. It will also be dangerous, and perilous. Yeshua says to pray that this will not fall on times where working and running would be difficult, and has pity on the women in labor at the time. There will be suffering, but G-d will protect His people.
A big sign of prparedness will be how easily led astray the chosen are. Yeshua warns of many false Messiahs and many signs. believers must not be led astray. Don't be naive and follow others who say they have him. Wait for it, because Yeshua said he will return noticeably, and until then, we are to be mindful only for his return.
The most important part, the theme as I mentioned before, is to be prepared. Many of us know we are not ready for Yeshua to return. Whether that is un-repentance, or simply clinging onto this life, we know that if he were to return, we would not be able to run to him. Maybe we would be caught offguard by the false messiahs.
The gospel is G-d providing a way for us to come to Him, and to not be ready when he comes for us is more than shameful, it is an abomination.
If Yeshua returned today, would you be ready?

Holy Week; Part XIII: "It is then that the end will come..."

p>As Yeshua left the Temple and was going away, his talmadim came and called his attention to its buildings. But he answered them, "You see all these? Yes! I tell you, they will be totally destroyed - not a single stone will be left standing!"

When he was on the Mount of Olives, the talmidim came to him privately . "Tell us," they said, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that you are coming, and that the 'olam hazeh is ending?"

Yeshua replied: "Watch out! don't let anyone fool you! For many will come in my name saying, 'I am the Messiah!' and they will lead many astray. You will hear the noise of wars nearby and the news of war far off; see to it that you don;t become frightened. Such things must happen, but the end is yet to come. For peoples will fight each other, nations will fight each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various parts of the world; and all this is but the beginning of the 'birthing pains.' At that time you will be arrested and handed over to be punished and put to death, and all peoples will hate you because of me. At that time many will be trapped into betraying and hating each other, many false prophets will appear and fool many people; and many peoples love will grow cold because of increased distance from the Torah. But whoever holds out till the end will be delivered. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be announced throughout the  whole world as a witness to all the Goyim. It is then that the end will come."

This is the beginning of the last "sermon" Yeshua teaches. He begins it with a question about what will happen. We all know that when someone starts talking about the end of the world, people get interested. The Left Behind series is a good example of this phenomena. 

The talmidim are looking around at the great structure of the Temple mount. Architecturally it is an awesome sight. Yeshua refocuses them with a disturbing comment about how it is all going to be destroyed. This was the center of their faith and the religious practice of the entire people of Israel, and Yeshua just dropped a prophetic warhead on it.

The Talmidim later ask two questions about it that can roughly be paraphrased as "When will the temple be destroyed?" and, "What are the signs that its about to happen?" This introduces the study of the end times in the new testament. It is a commonly discussed topic, and one that Yeshua himself does not answer with absolute clarity. He makes a larger issue of how we are to be ready for it than how we are to know when it is going to happen. The important thing to know is that it IS going to happen.

Yeshua gives a few specific warnings. First is that there will be false teachers. People will be led astray, and there will be chaos that comes out of the confusion. Second is that alot of culturally disturbing things will happen. Wars, violence, hatred, intolerance. These are not subjective concepts, but historical events. They are assured to happen, and they are happening. Third, There will be spiritual hardships, and the believers must be ready. Alot of the hatred will be against the church. The biggest thing to remember about all of this is that G-d wins, and those who are watchful and vigilant will be rewarded.

Holy Week; Part XII: "You Blind Guides"

Then Yeshua addressed the crowds and his talmadim; "The Torah-teachers and the P'rushim," He said, "sit in the seat of Moshe. So whatever they tell you take care to do it. But don't do what they do, because they talk abut don't act! They tie heavy loads onto peoples shoulders but won't lift a finger to help carry them. Everything they do is done to be seen by others; for they make their t'fillin broad and their tzitziyot long. They love the place of honor at banquets and the best east in the synagogues, and they love being greeted differentially in the market places and being called 'Rabbi'

But you are not to let yourselves be called 'Rabbi'; because you have one Rabbi, and you are all each others brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'Father' because you have one Father, and he is in Heaven. Not are you to let yourselves be called 'leaders,' because you have one Leader and he is the Messiah! The greatest among you will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be promoted.

But woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P'rushim! for you are shutting the Kingdom of Heaven in peoples faces, neither entering yourselves now allowing those who wish to enter to do so.

Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P'rushim! You go about over land and sea to make one proselyte; and when you succeed you make him twice as fit for Gei-Hinnom as you are!

Woe to you, you blind guides! You say, 'If someone swears by the Temple, he is not bound by his oath; but if he swears by the gold in the Temple, he is bound.' You blind fools! Which is more important? the gold? or the Temple which makes the gold holy? And you say, 'If someone swears by the altar, he is not bound by his oath; but if he swears by the offering on the altar, he is bound.' Blind men! Which is more important? the sacrifice? or the altar which makes the sacrifice holy? So someone how swears by the altar swears by it and everything on it. And someone who swears by the Temple swears by it and who lives in it. And someone who swears by heaven swears by G-ds throne and the One who sits on it.

Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P'rushim! you pay your tithes of mint, dill and cumin; but you have neglected the weightier matters of the Torah - Justice, mercy, trust. These are the things you should have attended to- without neglecting the others! Blind guides! - straining out a gnat, meanwhile swollowing a camel!

Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P'rushim! you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. Blind Parush! First clean the inside of the cup so that the outside may be clean too.

Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P'rushim! you are like whitewashed tombs, which look fine on the outside but inside are full of dead peoples bones and all kinds of rottenness. Likewise, you appear to people from the outside to be good and honest, but inwardly you are fill of hypocrisy and far from the Torah.

Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P'rushim! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of Tzddikim, and you say 'Had we lived when our fathers did, we would never have taken part in killing the prophets.' In this you testify against yourselves that you are worthy descendants od those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead then, finish what your fathers started!

You snakes! Sons of snakes! how can you escape being condemned to Gei-Hinnom? There for I am sending you prophets and sages and Torah-teachers - some of them you will kill, indeed, you will have them executed on steaks as criminals; some you will flog in your synagoges and pursue from town to town. And so, on you will fall the guilt for all the innocent blood that has ever been shed on hearth, from the blood of the innocent of Hevel of the blood of Z'kharyah Ben-Berekhyah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Yes! I tell you that all this will fall on this generation!

Yerushalayim! Yerushalayim! You kill the prophets! You stone those who are sent to you! How often I gathered your children, just as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you refused! Look! G-d is abandoning your house to you, leaving it desolate.. For I tell you, from now on, you will not see me again until you say,  'Blessed is he who comes in the name of Adonai'"

 

A long and weighty passage. Yeshua now is really laying into the Torah-teachers and P'rushim. He has been responsive until now, and this entire chapter is Yeshua's counterattack. And what a brutal, yet applicable offense it is. This is a passage that scarily applies to the modern believer. THere is a hypocrite in every person. Especially the believer. We preach perfection and righteousness in Yeshua, yet we are not perfect or righteous ourselves. This hypocrisy is exampled in the P'rushim, and is very, very deeply layered.

The kind of hypocrisy we see here is deeper and harsher than the kind Yeshua has been addressing up till now. before it was simply a fakeness, an appearance of one things, while the heart and truth being something different. Now we see that Yeshua warns against the actual two faced action of the P'rushinm. These were the religious leaders, leading, teaching instructing in the ways of the law. They were pastors. 

Being a pastor is a great and important calling. Some would say the greatest calling. But it also more dangerous. Constantly instructing others in how to live righteousness, the chances of becoming hypocritical is much higher. This points out the source of righteousness and the authority of pastors. The message is flawless, it is the messengers who are flawed. The authority of preachers, indeed within any believer sharing the word, does not come from within them but from the scripture. 

There are traces of hypocrisy in all of our lives. Every person will say one thing and then do another. This doesn't let us off the hook, but it does mean that the message is nor dependent on the messenger. Yeshua says that the people listening are to listen to and to the things the P'rishum say, but not to be like them. That means that the teaching of the P'rushim, founded on scripture, is right, even if they themselves are wrong.

The P'rushim have woven onto into the law and the Torah a laundry list of additional rules. Yet they, as the definers of those rules take an immune stance. THey put the weight on the shoulders of other people, but do not expect themselves to keep their own standard. This is more than saying one thing and doing another, this is holding yourself to a separate standard, spiritually than others. They had a belief that they were special and unique, and exceptional. Somehow they have believed that the rules dont apply.

We have already seen how the P'rushim are appearance based. They didnt want to cross the people when answering the question about Yochanan, because their image is importance. Because of this they wore obvious boxes of scripture when praying or simply being in public to let everyone know they they had been studying or praying. This is because they had nothing but their own appearances. There was nothing else, nothing on the inside.

Part of the need to look good was tied to their desire to be honored. They sought after positions of power and prestige, so of course they have to look good. Yeshua instructs is followers to reject these positions, and strive do equal humility. We are all expendabel before G-d, there is nothing in any of us that G-d needs, and so why should any man see himself as worthy of a more honorable position in spirituality. It is hypocritical pride. 

All of this false belief and pride of the P'rushim is not only personally hazardous, but it can being down others as well. Truth is essential to salvation. If we do not have the gospel and the truth there of strait, then all of the other teaching os scripture becomes skewed. This is major, not only for us but for others, in that, for us it means we are blaspheming the name of Yeshua, but for others who follow our blaspheming, Hell is the ultimate destination. 

Hypocrisy in religious leaders is dangerous, on any level. When spirituality becomes about status or appearance, the number of followers become important, and then the message of the gospel is watered down. If the leaders say one thing and act another way, then their testimony to others is damaged. Praise G-d that the church is not about the people in the church, but about the message of Yeshua H'Meshiah

The final part of this tirade against hypocrisy is the most harsh. The pride of the hypocritical heart is not only misguided and legalistic, but it is a weapon used to destroy the church. Yeshua tells the P'rushim what they are going to kill and destroy those who were sent to save them. Because they are focused on their own outward appearance, they also focus on the outward appearance of others. When someone comes alone who is concerned about the hearts of those they meet, really trying to save them, the hypocrite will miss that work of the heart. By their legalism they destroy the things that have come to touch their hearts

Do not think this is a message for someone else. This is a message for you. Somewhere in the words of Mattityahu twenty-three, every believer is found. There is hypocrisy deep inside each of us that must be fought daily. Search your heart and find yourself here. Remember the gospel inside you is not of you, it is of Yeshua. 

Holy Week; Part XI: "Tell me your views concerning Messiah"

Tahillim (Psalms) 110:1 Adonai says to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool"

 

When the crowds heard how he taught, they were astounded; but when the P'rushim learned that he has silenced the Tz'dukim, they got together, and one of them who was a Torah expert asked a sh'eilah to trap him: "Rabbi, which of the mitzvot in the Torah is the most important?"

He told him, "'You are to love Adonai your G-d with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength.' This is the greatest mitzvah. And the second is similar to it, 'You are to love your neighbor as yourself.' All of the Torah and the prophets are dependent on these two mitzvot."

Then, turning to the assembled P'rushim, Yeshua put a sh'eilah to them: "Tell me your view concerning the Messiah: Whose son is he?" 

They said to him, "Davids."

"Then how is it," He asked them, "That David, inspired by the spirit, calls him 'Lord,' when he says,

'Adonai said to my Lord, 'Sit here at my right hand until i put your enemies under your feet.'"

If David thus calls him 'Lord,' how is he his son?" No one could think of anything to say in reply; and from that day on, no one dared put him to another sh'eilah.

 

The religious leaders, for the past several segments of the Holy Week story, have been under a deserve barrage from Yeshua over the content of their hearts. It started as them challenging what he did, and, by the time we reach this famous segment, they are throwing any trick question they can at him in a desperate attempt to defend their honor and rank. I would love to have been one of the onlookers in what the scripture says is a growing crowd. We have Herodians still nearby, priests, P'rushim, Tz'dukim, all against Yeshua, and Yeshua is winning. At least he is winning the tests, but is he winning their hearts? The rest of the story makes it doubtfull.

Now pulling another trap, the P'rushim try to get Yeshua to raise one commandment over another in Importance. Likely they were thinking that he would pick one of the ten commandments out as a foundation. The P'rushim where masters of this. Their whole life is wrapped up in the study of the mitzvot. But in doing this, they take a great gamble. They have been frustrated by all other questions posed so far, and if Yeshua were able to best them here, in their home court, so to speak, then there would be no defence left.

The P'rushim were takes not only with knowing the law, but with defining it. They helped people keep the main laws by making countless rules about those laws. Trying to help people understand what true obedience looks like, the defined more than six hundred and thirteen laws. You can see the problem with these people spesifically wanting one command to be over another. Its like asking the President to pick one state of the union to run the whole country; sure some may fit the task better, but in the end they are all equal.

The segments of the old testament Yehsua sites are not actually part of what was considered Torah Law. D'varim (Deuteronomy) 6:5 "And you are to love Adonai your G-d with all your heart, all your being and all your resources." This is part of a famous prayer of Israel. שמע ישראל הי אלוקינו הי אחד. Sh'ma Yisra'el! Adonai Elohenu, Adonai echad [Hear, oh Israel! Adonai our G-d, Adonai is one]: and you are to love Adonai...

This is something they would have read and known and prayed daily. Not just the priests and Torah teachers, but everyone. This passage of scripture is, for lack of better term, the motto of the nation and people of Israel. They said it every day, and where completely unaware of the depth of the meaning of the words they spoke. Moments before, Yeshua nails the Tz'dukim about their lack of understanding in the area in which they were supposed to be experts, and now he challenges the very patriotism of the same group.

Yeshua takes another step, following the pattern of the P'rushim. He established one law, but then further defines it by establishing a second law. This was the practice of the P'rushim, and Yeshua, using something very near and familiar, uses their own system, the one they were using to trap him. The second law he cites comes from levitical law: Vayikira (Leviticus) 19:18 Don't take vengance on or beat a grudge against any of your people; rather, love your neighbor as yourself; I am Adonai. This citation comes from the part of the law specifically geared towards the cohanim, P'rushim, and Tz'dukim. This citation was not nessesarily an attack, but it was definitely personal.

An interesting point is that the Bible, the Torah, assumes that we love ourselves. It's not a problem for mankind to think to little of ourselves. Yeshua correctly identifies the heart of true obedience. See, he is being asked about a law, which means, in order to pull out one of most importance, he has to define what the most important form of obedience looks like. It is not the law that is in question, but the actions that that law dictates. The brilliance is in the use of a non commandment to define what real obedience looks like. Love G-d, love others. The entire law watered down and obedience defined.

The last point he makes has an interesting application to the modern church. Following the gospel and the road of salvation, a believer is to repent and place their trust in Yeshua for salvation, but then, as we have seen before, they are to be new creations. The obedience Yeshua asks of the church and all believers is to Love G-d and love others before yourself. What makes this interesting is Yeshuas assertion that the ENTIRE OLD TESTAMENT LAW is included in those two. That is to say, once a person has repented, their desire should be to forsake their sin and keep the commandments of Yeshua, and Yeshua commands here that we follow the Torah! Freedom in HMeshiah does not mean freedom from these two greatest commandments, but the freedom to keep them without condemnation for when we fall.

Finally, in the last exchange that Yehsua has with the Cohanim until the trial. Yehsua poses to them the question of the Messiah. Long story short, the P'rishim don't understand the Messiah. Of course we know that Yeshua was both human and divine. The P'rushim don't understand the concept of the G-d-man. They could not comprehend what the messiah was, and thus they missed the message altogether.

Holy Week; Part IX: "Whose name and picture are these?"

 Then the P'rushim went away and put together a plan to trap Yeshua with his own words. They sent him some of their talmatim and some members of Herod's party. They said, "Rabbi, we know that you tell the truth and really teach what G-d's way is. You aren't concerned with what other people think about you, since you pay no attention to a person;s status. So tell is your opinion: does the Torah permit paying taxes to the Roman Emperor or not?"

Yeshua, however, knowing their malicious intent, said, "You hypocrites! Why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used to pay the tax!" They brought him a denarius; and he asked them, "Whose name and picture are these?

"The Emperor's," they replied.

Yeshua said to them, "Nu, give the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, And give to G-d what belngs to G-d". On hearing this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

 

We have seen the cohanim made an example of into he past few episodes of the Holy week. They had been coming to religion and faith with the idea that they had it together, and they were right. The looked down on other people who were not as holy as they percieved themselves. But in their understanding that they are right with G-d, they reveal that they are not. Its a bitter and scary irony that must be looked at; what truth this concept reveals must be applied by believers to their own lives constantly. If, at any point, a man things himself worthy of religion, his faith is no longer in G-d but in himself. Belief that one is good enough is a damning belief, because from the eyes of a holy G-d nothing in ones self is even remotely good, let alone worthy of salvation.

With their pride shattered, the best of the cohanim, the P'rushim, send their students to Yeshua, to try and make him say something to get him in trouble. This, from a logical standpoint, is the first of several ad hominem attacks, simply to justify a personal hatred against HMeshiah.

Questions can tell you a lot about a person, what their motives are, as well as views of the situation. Questions can reveal an askers agenda. Here in the New Testament, religious people, who, by the standards of the day, where upright and devout to what they believed. The questions they ask Yeshua reveal their views and understanding of His purpose, mission, and goals.

The people who question Yeshua are P’rushim, as well as members of Herod’s party. The approach him at first with flattery, “Rabbai, we know you tell the truth and really teach what G-d’s way is. You aren’t concerned with what other people think about you, since you pay no attention to a person’s status.” This flattery, by definition, is simply something these men say to his face that they would not say behind his back in order to elicit a response. It's the reverse of gossip.

Yeshua's answer is amazing and astonishing, as the scripture says all of people in witness experienced. "Give to Caesar what belongs to him, and G-d what belongs to G-d" is one of the most famous answers in scripture. He evaded the danger of the question by implying that the rule of G-d and the rule of Caesar, while separate, where not necessarily contradictory. H’Meshiah indicates that, while at odds with one another on some issues, Caesar may have had some authority under G-d’s authority. Now if a person actively hated Rome, as many did, this answer was not ideal. While things are not always clear black and white, there are lines if authority that should be followed.

Most importantly this is true because, by this answer of Yeshua builds the understanding that there are two realms, at least, that people operate in; physical and spiritual. Both have their own order, structure and regulation, but adherence to one does no excuse disobedience to another. The believer has loyalties to both. Giving to G-d that which belongs to him should, in the end, aid in keeping the lines between G-d & Caesar clear