Mttityhu Levi Mtthew s Account Prt Two Copyright 2007 Sh m! Chzk! All Rights Reserved Scripture portions from New King Jmes Version Nshville: Thoms Nelson Publisher
Mttityhu Levi Mtthew s Account Prt Two Tble of Contents Study Overview... 5 Wht We Previously Lerned... 8 Lesson One Chpter Eleven... 11 Lesson Two Chpter Twelve... 19 Lesson Three Chpter Thirteen... 29 Lesson Four Chpter Fourteen... 40 Lesson Five Chpter Fifteen... 48 Lesson Six Chpter Sixteen... 54 Lesson Seven Chpter Seventeen... 63 Lesson Eight Chpter Eighteen... 69 Lesson Nine Chpter Nineteen... 77 Appendix Prophecies Fulfilled in Yeshu... 87 Appendix Mircles of Yeshu... 89 Glossry nd Pronouncition Guide... 91 Bibliogrphy nd Reding List... 93
Let thy house be meeting-plce for the wise; powder thyself in the dust of their feet, nd drink their words with egerness. Yose ben Yoezer A disciple is not bove his techer, but everyone who is perfectly trined will be like his techer. Yeshu (Luke 6:40)
Study Overview Beloved, we re continuing our study of the book of Mtthew together. Remember tht our gol is to see it through the writer s eyes. We re continuing to try to recpture the historicl context; the lnguge; nd the theology of the time when Mttityhu Levi wrote the book of Mtthew. Contextul nd Anlyticl Formt We will continue studying chpter of the book of Mtthew in ech lesson. If you did not do Mttityhu Prt One, you need to know tht ech lesson will hve historicl context section to set the stge for our study. The historicl context will use rcheologicl dt, historicl documents, nd extr-biblicl texts to help us estblish the frme for ech lesson. After setting the context, we will then dig into the text nd exmine it, exmine it, nd then reexmine it. We will look t originl lnguges nd mny cross-references. We will try to nlyze the book of Mtthew nd estblish its purpose, nd discover why it truly does belong t the hed of the Apostolic Scriptures. Don t be frid or intimidted by ny of this we re ll lerning together. None of His first tlmidim [disciples] were scholrs but He tught them unserchble truths nd so it hs been with ll of His disciples. The requisite is simply to follow Him. Remember, tht wht mkes this kind of study importnt is to hopefully see our Mster in wy tht compels us not to only know His words, but to live by His life. This should not be simply n intellectul exercise, but prcticl one. We will not use rcheologicl dt, or other extr-biblicl sources to estblish uthority tht cn only come through Scripture. Rther, we will simply use them help us to gin context for wht we re reding. As well, the use of n extr-biblicl text will not be n endorsement of these texts, becuse mny historicl sources do not hve the sme view of Scripture tht we do.
Likewise, we will never diminish the simplicity of the text. We know tht God is not the uthor of confusion; but rther, He speks nd His people her His voice in whtever lnguge they need. Word nd Lnguge Conventions We will strive towrd mking Biblicl things more cler, but lso to be more correctly understood. Becuse of tht, we will use certin word nd lnguge conventions. Sometimes word will be used in this study tht is unfmilir to the verge reder, in which cse it will be explined or footnoted. A glossry is lso included t the bck of the workbook. Sometimes word tht hs lost its mening or originl ide in English will be systemticlly replced in this study with different word. This is not ment to confuse, but rther to bring renewed emphsis on originl mening. Following re some common words nd nmes, how they will be represented in this study, nd the resoning behind this usge. Nme of God: The use of circumlocution (using substitute for God s holy Nme) is encourged. We will use the generlized word God in plce of His most holy Nme, this is similr to using LORD, ADONAI, or HShem in plce of the Tetrgrmmton (four letter Nme of God). Plese tret this book with cre, s it contins references to Him nd His Nme. Nme of Yeshu: We will use the Hebrew Nme Yeshu." The Etymology of this Nme in English is convoluted mking excursions from Greek to Ltin nd even to Germn in ddition, for some the English nme reminds of the horrific persecution tht ws wickedly done "in the nme of 'Jesus" to those of Jewish descent And of course, we know His first disciples clled Him by His Hebrew Nme Yeshu. Lw, Pentteuch: We will use the Hebrew word Torh. As well, the word Torh cn pply to ny Scripture, but it will normlly focus upon the first five books of the Bible. Although mny believers cn red the word Lw nd reflect upon the beuty spoke of God s Lw in the Pslms; significnt portion of believers of the pst fifty yers hve been tught profound bis ginst God s Lw. Hence, the use of the word Torh lthough not removed of some bis itself, helps to minimize those preconceptions. The word Torh is the word used over 200 times in the Hebrew Scriptures nd is incorrectly trnslted Lw in modern English usge. It is more correctly seen s Instruction coming from the root verb yrh which is closer to shoot, direct, point out, or im. Disciples: We will use word tlmidim. For most believers, this hs firly positive implictions but we re not very good t personlizing this in our thinking nd ctions. The Twelve Disciples often replces this in our minds. For this reson, the words tlmidim [disciples, plurl] nd tlmid [disciple, singulr] will be used. Messih, Messih: We will use the English trnslitertion Messih. The Greek lnguge tkes the Hebrew word mshich [messih] nd trnsltes it into the Greek word Christos. English, then borrows nd trnslitertes both the Hebrew nd the Greek. Hence, there re two options tht trnsltors hve in rendering Anointed One the Greek word Christos nd the Hebrew word Mshich. Although Christ is the more common English word, it is often treted by believers s type of surnme of Yeshu, rther thn the significnt title tht it is. It is title tht should lwys drw us
bck to the Promise of Redeemer, Priest, nd King given to the Ancients. Using Messih ids in tht reminder. Old Testment, Hebrew Scriptures: We will use the cronym TNKh (Torh, Nevi im, K tuvim = Torh, Prophets, Writings), The impliction in old is tht it is something tht hs been done wy with which the New Testment sys hs not been done. This ws the Scripture of First Century believers. New Testment, Greek Scriptures: We will use the term Apostolic Scriptures. Clerly, it is not new nor is it testment. God spoke through His Holy Spirit nd men were moved to write. By using terms like New nd Old Testment, we my begin to plce more vlidity on the new which is contrry to the very teching found in the New Testment. My pryer for you nd I s we begin this study is tht we will her our Mster spek, nd upon hering Him, we will obey. He is clling us beloved, let s go up the mountin nd sit t His feet s His tlmidim nd let us her s He opens His mouth nd teches us gin. Mny ntions shll come nd sy, Come, nd let us go up to the mountin of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jcob; He will tech us His wys, nd we shll wlk in His pths. For out of Zion the Torh shll go forth, And the word of the LORD from Jeruslem. Mich 4:2
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Review Wht We Previously Lerned Whether you re just beginning this study now, or hve completed Prt One, it is importnt for us to go over wht we lerned in Prt One. The Gospel ccounts re so detiled nd so full of informtion we cn sometimes be overwhelmed with the detils nd miss the big picture. The big picture in Mtthew cn be summed up with the Gospel messge (Kingdom messge). It is repeted throughout the book, nd it is the frme into which everything else must be plced. The Gospel messge is this: Repent, for the Kingdom of Heven is t hnd. We hve seen tht one phrse, beginning with John the Bptizer then with Yeshu then with the disciples sent out, crried with it powerful messge (prphrsed): Return to God s wys, becuse the King is here. We sw tht this consistent messge ws not lwys heeded nd tht the mission of John, Yeshu, nd His disciples ws not lwys evident to those round them. We sw tht the Kingdom messge ws first only given to Isrel. Chpter One We sw the genelogy of Yeshu, nd His birth. The focus ws His mirculous birth s the Promised One the Messih. We sw tht s the Son of Dvid, He ws to be known s King Messih. We sw tht s Immnuel [ God with us ], Yeshu's reign s King Messih ws to be seen s return of the Throne of Isrel (nd the world) to God. Chpter Two We sw the continued presenttion of Yeshu s Prophet, Priest, nd King. Allusions to Moses, King Dvid, nd the Tberncle priests were clerly seen. Chpter Three We sw the bptism of Yeshu. We sw tht t vilh [immersion] ws not something new, but something very much prt of their lives in the First Century. We sw tht t vilh [immersion] represents chnge in sttus. Our introduction to it showed direct connection to repentnce, nd the Kingdom messge. Chpter Four The tempttion of Yeshu ws seen s n ttck upon the Person of God nd repeted offers of shortcuts to the mission of Messih. Yeshu nswered ech tempttion with quotes from Torh. Ech time, using the phrse, it is written. Chpter Five We sw tht Yeshu begn His ministry by choosing tlmidim [disciples] nd then s every good mster does, He tught them bout Torh. This sermon on the mount ws focused not on how one gets into the Kingdom of God but upon how Kingdom people look, nd how they
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Review live. Yeshu mde it cler to His tlmidim [disciples] tht He ws not bolishing the Torh nd the Prophets but rther mking them stnd by His teching. We sw tht Yeshu took common syings of others nd compred nd contrsted them to wht Torh truly sid nd ment. We sw tht the correct view of Torh ws s not list of rules nd regultions but instructions regrding reltionships: reltionships with God, nd with ech other. Chpter Six We sw tht in Yeshu's continution of the sermon on the mount, He focused upon the externls of religion. His focus ws to show tht Kingdom people were not only to be visibly righteous in their lives, but tht such living cme from herts tht hd been turned bck to God nd were seeking His Kingdom. Chpter Seven We sw tht fruit is n importnt element for Kingdom people. We sw first tht we were not to judge without using God s judgment nd mercy nd tht to turn blind eye to our neighbor s sin ws not love t ll. We lso sw tht it is by ctions (fruit) tht the true chrcter of person is reveled. We were told tht the Kingdom ws mde up of the wise the ones who her Yeshu's words nd do them. We sw tht Yeshu did not mke new lw but tht He reminded His tlmidim to obey God s Torh. Chpter Eight In the mircles of chpter eight nd nine, we sw tht they were not simply signs nd wonders, but specificlly chosen for wht they ment. We sw the repeted picture of Yeshu reching into the world of people who were tmei [unclen] by God s stndrds nd becuse of tht seprted from the public fellowship with God t the Temple. We sw this s powerful imge of His overll mission to tke tht which ws seprted from God nd others, bringing it not only into reltionship, but into nerness to God Himself. Chpter Nine We sw Yeshu heling nd forgiving sin. This ction ws seen s clim to Deity, nd so it becme division between Yeshu nd some of the religious leders of the dy. We sw tht Yeshu hd not chosen the wise nd lerned men to be His tlmidim [disciples], not the scholrs nd He did not mke them scholrs. Becuse they hd been with Him, they would be shown to be the wisest of men. Chpter Ten Yeshu intended His tlmidim [disciples] to be imittors of Him. To spek wht He spoke. To ct like He cted. To pry like He pryed. He expected them to prech His Kingdom messge the sme s He did. We sw tht He sent them out to do just tht but only to the people of Isrel. He sent them in groups of two to ct s witnesses to either the cceptnce, or rejection of Yeshu's Kingdom messge. To turn either to God s wys nd see the Kingdom or to reject God s rule in their lives. The choice ws offered the tlmidim were sent to be witnesses of their decisions.
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Review
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson One Chpter Eleven Lesson One Chpter Eleven As You Begin Ask your Hevenly Fther to continue to dd to the things He hs shown you in the erlier chpters nd tht He will multiply the blessings for those who heed His word. We hve been chllenged nd confronted not only with volume of informtion we hve hd Yeshu [Yeshu] spek to us nd hve herd Him with ers tht re lerning to her His voice. Ask God to open your ers nd your hert to His Voice. As you begin this new section of the study of the book of Mtthew, commit once gin to strive to follow Yeshu, s fithful tlmid [disciple], remembering His dmonition in Luke 6:40, A tlmid [disciple] is not bove his techer, but everyone who is perfectly trined will be like his techer. Red chpter eleven. Red chpter eleven gin nd look for the one occurrence of phrse tht indictes something ws fulfillment to prophecy. Mrk it in your Bible with green colored pencil nd then dd it to the chrt in the Appendix titled, Prophecies Fulfilled in Yeshu. Find ny references in chpter eleven to the word Kingdom. Mrk them in your Bible with blue pencil. Historicl Context The Populrity of John the Bptizer As remrkble s it my seem, Josephus records tht in the time of Yeshu's ministry, John the Bptizer [Yochnn HMtvil] ws fr more populr thn Yeshu. Scripture records how Herod fered the populrity of John. After considerble provoction, he finlly imprisoned him. John ws seen s truly pious mn, nd lived strict scetic lifestyle. He did not mix with the people they cme to him t the edge of the wilderness. John preched repentnce return to God s stndrds, nd God s commndments. Mny followed John s messge, nd did repent. Scripture records this s does Josephus; but mjority did not repent, nd certinly ll Isrel did not. Tht ws the issue in Mtthew chpter eleven. Yeshu cme nd preched the sme Kingdom messge tht John hd preched but their ppernce, nd lifestyles were different. Although both observnt of Torh, John hd the lifestyle of scetic. Yeshu on the other hnd, mixed with the people s He tught. John, the forerunner, preched repentnce nd the ntion did not respond. Yeshu, the Messih preched repentnce would the ntion respond to Him? 11
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson One Chpter Eleven The Ok nd the Reed Yeshu sid of John, Wht did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shken by the wind? 1 From this He used known idiom to the First Century herer the fble of The Ok nd the Reed. 2 In this story, it ppers tht the mighty ok would be most likely to withstnd strong wind. Appernces do not hold true however it ws the reed tht bent with the wind tht proved more likely to stnd. John ws not like the reed tht bent. John s messge could not be compromised he ws like the ok. Like the ok, John ws unbending nd ws thus broken off by the wicked King Herod. Now, the Messih is here will He bend or will He too be cut off? We Plyed the Flute for You, nd You Did Not Dnce Continuing His discourse bout the reltionship between John s ministry nd His own, Yeshu sid: But to wht shll I liken this genertion? It is like children sitting in the mrketplces nd clling to their compnions, nd sying: We plyed the flute for you, And you did not dnce; We mourned to you, And you did not lment. 3 Brd Young, (citing Dvid Flusser), explins this pssge in this wy: Yeshu seems to hve been cquinted with version of the fble of the Fishermn with the Flute. The fishermn invites the fish to her the tune of his flute nd dnce. But s the fishermn plys the flute, the fish refuse to dnce. When he ctches them in the net, however, then they dnce. Yeshu speks bout the genertion tht did not dnce to the music. They did not relize the time hd come. He wrns them concerning their filure to heed the prophetic messge of John the Bptist. He stirizes their behvior: They re like children setting in the mrket plce nd clling to one nother, We piped to you, nd you did not dnce; we wiled, nd you did not weep. In the fble of The Fishermn with the Flute, the fish ignore the music of the flute. They re free nd rrognt. After they re cught in the net, by wy of contrst, the fish dnce s they squirm this wy nd tht without hering the fishermn s tune. Dnce now without the music the fishermn tells the fish; it would hve been better for you to hve dnced some time go when I ws supplying music for the dnce. As Flusser hs demonstrted, the sying of Yeshu is n echo of some version of this fble, which ws widely circulted. The people should hve listened to John the Bptist nd responded to his prophetic ppel. Though John nd Yeshu hd different pproches to ministry one cme eting nd drinking with outcsts, nd the other withdrew from society both were prophets. As the prophet, John the Bptist is like the fishermn who plyed his flute. Mny did not respond. At the finl judgment, they will dnce. 4 1 The New King Jmes Version. 1996, c1982 (Mt 11:7). Nshville: Thoms Nelson. 2 Young, Brd H. The Prbles (citing Flusser). Pebody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1998. p.20 3 The New King Jmes Version. 1996, c1982 (Mt 11:16-17). Nshville: Thoms Nelson. 4 Young, Brd H. The Prbles. Pebody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1998. p.20-21. 12
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson One Chpter Eleven Wisdom Justified by Her Children Sometimes the Hebrew idioms in Scripture lmost mke sense in English or t lest they sound wise. In Mtthew 11:19, when Yeshu sid, wisdom is justified by her children it seems to mke sense. This idiom is very ironic in Hebrew nd could be prphrsed s Biven nd Blizzrd hve done: You cn tell whether wisdom is rel wisdom or stupidity by the consistency or inconsistency of its rguments. Since your rguments re so inconsistent, it is cler indiction of your stupidity. 5 The Brech Mker Mtthew 11:12-15 hve proven to be very difficult to understnd in both English nd Greek. And from the dys of John the Bptist until now the kingdom of heven suffers violence, nd the violent tke it by force. For ll the prophets nd the Torh prophesied until John. And if you re willing to receive it, he is Elijh who is to come. He who hs ers to her, let him her! 6 Dvid Flusser nd the Jeruslem School of Synoptic Reserch hve mde gret progress in restoring our understnding of the Hebrew idioms nd lnguge of the Gospels. Flusser hs helped us better understnd this pssge by connecting the Greek word bizo [suffers violence] to the Hebrew word hporetz [brech-mker]. He cites its use in Mich 2:12-13: I will surely ssemble ll of you, O Jcob, I will surely gther the remnnt of Isrel; I will put them together like sheep of the fold, like flock in the midst of their psture; they shll mke loud noise becuse of so mny people. The one who breks open [hporetz] will come up before them; they will brek out, pss through the gte, nd go out by it; their king will pss before them, with the LORD t their hed. 7 This is common Messinic pssge. A midrsh [interprettion method] of this pssge nmes Elijh s the one who will brek open the sheep pen. This brech mker will provide n opening for the sheep, which re pressed up ginst the Shepherd (Messih) nd redy to pour out of the pen behind the Shepherd through the hole in the stone wll. This not only explins the difficult Greek of this pssge, it shows tht John ws principle prophetic object in the Prophets nd Torh to prepre the wy for King Messih. Some of the sges of Isrel nticipted n event regrding Elijh nd the coming Messih round the time of the Hebrew yer 4,000 (the time of John the Bptizer s Elijh seems very similr). The so-clled School of Elijh is credited with this teching which is recorded in the Bvli: The world is to exist six thousnd yers. In the first two thousnd there ws desoltion; two thousnd yers the Torh flourished; nd the next two thousnd yers is the Messinic er, but through our mny iniquities ll these yers hve been lost. 8 5 Biven, Dvid, nd Roy Blizzrd. Understnding the Difficult Words of Yeshu. Arcdi: Mkor Foundtion, 1983. p.60. 6 The New King Jmes Version. 1996, c1982 (Mt 11:12-16). Nshville: Thoms Nelson. 7 Ibid (Mic 2:12-13). 8 Tlmud Bvli, Snhedrin 97-b, Soncino Edition 13
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson One Chpter Eleven Hebrew scholrs hve seen reltionship between repentnce, Elijh, nd Messih from ncient times. Deuteronomy 30:1-6 connects repentnce nd Messih nd s we hve seen, the mission of John the Bptizer ws one of prepring the wy by clling for repentnce. Anlyzing Chpter Eleven Go nd Tell John The book of Mtthew presents the Kingdom messge s choice. Repetedly, we re presented with the messge Repent for the Kingdom of God is t hnd, nd see tht when the messge is rejected, the Messengers (whether Yeshu or His disciples) move on to the next region or villge. This chpter hs severl of these opportunities for choosing in it. We hve seen mny times in the preceding chpters where Yeshu told people not to disclose Who He ws. We hve seen tht ll the teching, nd ll of the mircles were done explicitly for estblishing Who He ws but not with plin words. Becuse of this, we see tht John the Bptizer needed, nd ws given, proof of Yeshu's Messihship. John the Bptizer knew Yeshu's teching. He knew tht Yeshu's Kingdom messge ws the sme tht He hd preched ( Repent, for the Kingdom of God is t hnd ) wht he ws sking in Mtthew 11:2-3 ws not so much whether Yeshu ws the Messih but if He ws Messih, when would He revel Himself such? Wht Yeshu offered for n nswer in verses 4-6 provides n importnt spect to our understnding of the mission nd messge of Yeshu during this time: Yeshu nswered nd sid to them, Go nd tell John the things which you her nd see: The blind see nd the lme wlk; the lepers re clensed nd the def her; the ded re rised up nd the poor hve the gospel preched to them. And blessed is he who is not offended becuse of Me. 9 Yeshu ws drwing from well-known Messinic pssges in Isih 35 nd Isih 61. Red Isih 35:3-8 nd nswer the questions tht follow. To those who re wek, nd ferful wht messge should they her from God? Incidentlly, the phrse be strong or the word strengthen in verses 3 nd 4 is the Hebrew word Chzk which is in the nme of this Bible study series. Chzk is the response tht God expects from His people, hving herd His word, nd determined to obey t ll costs be strong! Hve you seen nything so fr in Mtthew tht would indicte tht Yeshu's messge is one tht includes God coming with vengence? If so, where (be specific)? 9 The New King Jmes Version. 1996, c1982 (Mt 11:4-6). Nshville: Thoms Nelson. 14
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson One Chpter Eleven Wht is the Gospel tht Yeshu sid is preched to the poor (Mtthew 11:5)? List the Messinic signs from Isih 35:3-8 tht Yeshu lluded to in His nswer to John: Wht is the rod in verse 8 clled, nd why? Isih 61:1 mkes specific reference to Messih. It uses the verb mshch [noint] to give purpose nd mission to the Person of Messih. He is Messih in order to Red Isih 61:1-2 nd nswer the following questions. The good news tht ws preched in verse 1 uses the sme word tht Yeshu would hve used in Mtthew 11:5 for Gospel. List the six things from verses 1 nd 2 tht seem ssocited with the nointing (i.e. the things He is nointed to do): In Luke 4:18-21, Yeshu quoted from this pssge in Isih s well. Trditionlly, this hs been seen s Yeshu's declrtion tht He hd come to free the poor (nd others) from the bondge of the Lw. From wht you hve lerned bout wht the Gospel (the Kingdom messge), do you think tht this is the correct explntion of this pssge (red 1John 5:2-3 before nswering)? Wht bondge, nd wht spiritul blindness did He offer freedom from, nd how does this relte to His messge to John bout His Messihship? 15
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson One Chpter Eleven How do you think John understood the report from his disciples bout wht Yeshu hd sid? If John s question ws When is the Kingdom to be relized, explin wht you think John s understnding of Yeshu's reply would hve been. Try to remember in your nswer, John ws in prison, pprently t the end of his life nd ministry. The importnce of the forerunner of Messih is often missed in the trditionl understnding of the book of Mtthew. Historiclly, we know tht John the Bptizer s ministry hd profound effect upon the people in the Lnd of Isrel in the First Century. John led mny to repentnce nd bck to Torh during his ministry. John s ministry ws vitl in mking the wy stright. Let s explore wht Scripture sys bout this, nd how the herers of the First Century would hve herd Yeshu's words from Mtthew 11:7-18. Red nd comment on how Isih 40:3-4 reltes to John the Bptizer (wht ws the nme of tht rod gin from Isih 35:8?): Red nd comment on how Mlchi 3:1-7 reltes to John nd the messge of repentnce (i.e. the Gospel or the Kingdom messge ): Red Mlchi 4:4-6 nd summrize wht John s mission ws in prepring the people to meet their King Messih: 16
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson One Chpter Eleven The Yoke of Messih, Ancient Pths, the Wy Come to Me, ll you who lbor nd re hevy lden, nd I will give you rest. Tke My yoke upon you nd lern from Me, for I m gentle nd lowly in hert, nd you will find rest for your souls. 10 The phrse tke yoke ws fmilir phrse to the First Century herers. They understood the yoke to refer to the duty of Torh nd God s commnds. Their grrin society did not denigrte the yoke they did not see the yoke s slvery, but sign of purpose. To tke up yoke ws to fulfill your purpose. In Mtthew 11:28-30, Yeshu offered the ultimte invittion, nd in doing so He once gin invoked prophetic pssge (Jeremih 6:16). Red nd comment on the following pssges nd how they relte to the yoke tht Yeshu offered, nd continues to offer, to His own: Jeremih 6:16 (n invittion to ncient pths or new wy?) Hebrews 4:1-7: 1John 5:2-3: In the Jeremih nd Hebrew pssges bove it is sd tht there were those who refused to her the messge of repentnce to wlk in God s ncient pths nd becuse of their disobedience did not enter into rest. The wlk of obedience, in fith, leds to n esy burden nd His ultimte rest. Red Genesis 18:18-19 nd comment on how the wy of the LORD reltes to the good wy from Jeremih 6:16 (the word in both cses is the Hebrew word derek = pth): 10 The New King Jmes Version. 1996, c1982 (Mt 11:28-29). Nshville: Thoms Nelson. 17
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson One Chpter Eleven In Acts 9:2, the believers of Yeshu were clled of the Wy. This word, hodos [wy] is the sme word tht Yeshu uses in John 14:6 where Yeshu sys, I m the wy. Comment on the reltionship in Genesis 18:18-19; Mtthew 11:28-30; Jeremih 6:16; nd Acts 9:2. My His rest be ours now nd my we enter into His rest in the World to Come. Amen. As You Finish Sit quietly nd exmine your life for few minutes. Hve you heeded Yeshu's cll for repentnce? Hve you rejected His Kingdom demnds upon you? Tell your Mster tht you wnt to tke up His yoke, nd to lern from Him. Go to your King in pryer nd thnk Him tht He lwys wrns His people. Thnk Him for the wrnings in His Word He continues to give you personlly. Thnk Him for His esy yoke nd for the rest He gives. Thnk Him tht He is such gentle King nd Mster. Now, let us go up the mountin nd lern from Him! Now it shll come to pss in the ltter dys tht the mountin of the Lord s house shll be estblished on the top of the mountins, nd shll be exlted bove the hills; nd peoples shll flow to it. Mny ntions shll come nd sy, 'Come, nd let us go up to the mountin of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jcob; He will tech us His wys, nd we shll wlk in His pths.' For out of Zion the Torh shll go forth, nd the word of the Lord from Jeruslem. Mich 4:1-2 18
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson Two Chpter Twelve Lesson Two Chpter Twelve As You Begin Are you often dry? Are you often tired of the monotony of life or mybe the trgedies of life? Beloved, there is rest in Him. Go to your Hevenly Fther in pryer nd sk to be refreshed nd then trust Him for it. Red chpter twelve. Red chpter twelve gin nd look for the one occurrence of the phrse tht indictes something ws fulfillment to prophecy. Mrk it in your Bible with green colored pencil nd then dd it to the chrt in the Appendix titled, Prophecies Fulfilled in Yeshu. Find ny references in chpter twelve to the word Kingdom. Mrk them in your Bible with blue pencil. Add ny mircles in chpter twelve to the chrt in the Appendix titled, Mircles of Yeshu. Historicl Context Sbbth Burden, Sbbth Delight In the Torh, God gve specific instructions regrding the Sbbth [Shbbt]. Primrily, there were the two positive commnds to remember nd to keep from Exodus 20:8, which sys, Remember the Sbbth dy, to keep it holy. The remember [zkr] is more thn mentl exercise. In Hebric understnding. It ws to reherse truth. Likewise, the phrse, keep it holy [kdsh] does not simply spek of thinking of the Sbbth s seprte, distinct, nd snctified it is to ct ccordingly. As we sw in Mttityhu Prt One, the positive commnds of God hve precedence over the negtive commnds. The primry focus upon the Sbbth commnds were of positive nture: Remember nd Keep. In the vein of to keep there were very few instructions of wht not to do. These negtive commnds fell into the brod ctegory of common work. Scripture does very little to define common work except by exmple. For instnce, crrying burdens into city for commerce ws shown to be common work. Gthering enough food for dy s eting ws shown to be common work. Selling nd buying were shown to be common work. As is typicl of mn, over the yers mny trditions cme together to crete detiled list of wht constituted common work. By the First Century, upwrds of thirty-nine ctegories, ech with n ccompnying list, defined wht one could, nd could not do on the Sbbth. This dy of rest nd joy hd become burden. 19
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson Two Chpter Twelve The Sbbth exmples in Mtthew 12 hve specil significnce, nd lso tell us much bout Yeshu's tretment of the Sbbth, nd the wy He delt with the trditions. For exmple, the fct tht His tlmidim [disciples] were plucking heds of grin while wlking through field ws explicitly permitted in the list of permitted Sbbth ctivities....nd he my brek [it] with his hnd nd et [thereof], provided tht he does not brek it with utensil. And he my crush it nd et, provided tht he does not crush lrge quntity with utensil... He my crush [it] with the tips of his fingers nd et, provided, however, tht he does not crush lrge quntity with his hnds in the [sme] wy s he does on weekdys. 1 In this exmple, it is speking of cring for nd feeding of nimls, but it does refer to the cregiver eting the grin. Some hve suggested tht possibly the Phrisees were more upset bout Yeshu's tlmidim not wshing their hnds before eting. This ws nother trdition. By the text, tht seems less likely. Regrdless, Yeshu uses the opportunity to mke completely different point tht He represented the Tberncle (Temple) itself nd tht He ws Adoni nd the embodiment of the Sbbth. The Bvli lso dels with cring for nimls who re mired in dyke or pit. Yeshu mkes the point tht heling mn on the Sbbth ws fr more fitting thn cring for niml, which they mde provision for in their trditions. [The voidnce of] suffering of dumb nimls is Biblicl [lw], so the Biblicl lw comes nd supersedes the [interdict] of the Rbbis. 2 The Phrisees themselves sw Dvid s ctions in llowing his men to et the Bred of the Presence s permissible. Preserving life ws seen by them s set of positive commnds, which took precedence over most negtive commnds or prohibitions. The showbred is literlly clled the Bred of the Fce or the Bred of the Presence. It ws bked ech week before the Sbbth begn, nd then the previous week s bred ws replced on the Tble of Showbred. The bred ws lid out in two piles of six ech. Frnkincense ws poured between them. The bred styed fresh for the entire week, nd when the old loves were retired ech Sbbth, they were given to the priests to et. The High Priest ws llowed to tke up to six of the lrge loves for himself. Scripture does not contin ny direct prohibition ginst others eting the bred only the positive commnd tht it ws to be food for Aron nd his sons. Certinly, by context, most understood tht it ws to be food only for Aron nd his sons nd yet giving food to the hungry (Dvid s men) ws something tht motivted the priest Ahimelech. Csting Out Demons The Phrisees were well-estblished s exorcists. They followed somewht scripted method tht included sking the nme of the demon(s). They believed tht their uthority over demon cme by sking the demon s nme, nd then using this nme to commnd the demon to deprt. 1 Tlmud Bvli, Shbbt 128 2 Tlmud Bvli, Shbbt 128b 20
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson Two Chpter Twelve We hve seen tht on occsion Yeshu did this s well. Mtthew 12:22 presents us with new picture: Then one ws brought to Him who ws demon-possessed, blind nd mute; nd He heled him, so tht the blind nd mute mn both spoke nd sw. 3 Csting out the demon of mute mn? In the Phrisees minds, this ws impossible! Their knowledge of exorcism did not fthom being ble to cst out demons without knowing the demon s nme! There ws only one conclusion in their thinking: Yeshu must hve inside informtion in other words, He must be ble to do this by demonic nd mgicl bilities. Their immedite response reflects this: Now when the Phrisees herd it they sid, This fellow does not cst out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. 4 Yeshu of course, hs uthority fr beyond wht the Phrisees exercised over demonic ctivities. He does not need demon s nme. The crowd tht hd witnessed this ws likewise stunned Could this be the Son of Dvid? They knew full well tht this ws beyond wht they hd observed ny other mn do. Yeshu chllenged the Phrisees understnding in n interesting wy. First, He showed them tht their logic ws fulty (i.e. house divided cnnot stnd ). Then He chllenged them on their knowledge of exorcism, which ws limited to their understnding nd experiences only. In the Luke ccount of this occurrence, He mentioned the finger of God. This hd specific mening to the Phrisees. Here is wht Yeshu sid in Luke 11:20: But if I cst out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God hs come upon you. This ws the phrse tht the mgicins of Phroh s court used when they could not duplicte the mircle of the plgue of lice tht cme from the dust. In other words, if it ws beyond their understnding nd bility then it must be the finger of God. Yeshu ws telling the Phrisees tht if they did not understnd how He hd cst demon out of mute mn, then they should understnd tht insted of Him being ssocited with the prince of demons, the opposite ws true they should know tht it ws by the finger of God it ws proof of the presence of the Spirit of God in their midst nd tht His Kingdom hd rrived! Anlyzing Chpter Twelve Sbbth, the Relm of Messih Beloved, it is sd thing tht so mny people llow the mn-mde prgrph hedings in their Bibles to define for them the context of wht they re reding. It is especilly sd tht Mtthew 12 often hs descriptions long the lines of, Yeshu Breks the Sbbth becuse not only does this seem illogicl, just simple investigtion revels quickly tht wht Yeshu does in the 3 The New King Jmes Version. 1996, c1982 (Mt 12:22). Nshville: Thoms Nelson. 4 The New King Jmes Version. 1996, c1982 (Mt 12:24). Nshville: Thoms Nelson. 21
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson Two Chpter Twelve two Sbbth events is most certinly not forbidden on the Sbbth. One might be ble to rgue tht description of the first thirteen verses of Mtthew chpter twelve could be, Yeshu Violtes the Phrisees Sbbth Trdition, but even tht might be stretching it. As we hve seen, the Phrisees were well cquinted with Yeshu's logicl response to them. One cn imgine tht Yeshu ws toying with them in wy in order to mke more importnt point bout wht one my (or my not do) on the Sbbth ccording to their rules. To best observe wht is truly hppening in these verses, we should lwys keep in mind how Yeshu described His reltionship to the Sbbth in Mtthew 12:8: For the Son of Mn is Lord even of the Sbbth. Some hve tried to mke this sy, Lord over the Sbbth, which crries with it those sme error-prone ssumptions bout Yeshu being ginst the Torh. Beloved, the mening is quite cler it is tht the Sbbth is Yeshu's Relm. The Greek crries the force of this, where it literlly sys, The Son of Mn is God nd Sbbth. The word kurios is used for Lord here, which in the Septugint is the word used to stnd in for God s holy four-letter Nme (the Tetrgrmmton = Yod-Hy-Vv-Hy). Let s tke deeper look t the Sbbth in the TNKh. Red the following pssges nd note wht ws forbidden on the Sbbth nd the reson why if stted. Also, comment on the purpose of the Sbbth. Exodus 16:13-31 (verse 23 is the first use of the noun Shbbt = Sbbth ): Note tht the first four references to the noun Shbbt precede the giving of the Torh on Mount Sini (nd remember tht the verb, nd the principle itself, go ll the wy bck to the Cretion ccount, nd God s exmple). Exodus 20:8-11: Exodus 31:12-18: Leviticus 23:1-3: 22
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson Two Chpter Twelve Numbers 15:32-36: Nehemih 10:31; 13:16-17: Isih 58:13-14: Jeremih 17:21-22: Ezekiel 20:1: Beloved, the Shbbt [Sbbth] ws supposed to be delight to God s people. They were to cese their lbors nd to rest. There were not mny rules defining wht work ws. The Sbbth-rest ws supposed to be not only for the fmily, but for servnts, slves, nd even the bests-of-burden. This ment they were not to buy or sell, since doing so ws to cuse someone to serve them with the work which employed them. Becuse there were not mny rules defining work, there developed long list of things which were work by trdition. The focus upon the minuti mde God s simple commnd to rest, nd His desire tht His people delight in such rest, seem fr cry from the Sbbth lws of the First Century. These mnmde lws hd robbed the people of God of the joy of the Sbbth s God hd designed it. These mn-mde rules denied the fct tht the Sbbth ws to be sign between God nd His people if the rules ssocited with it were mn-mde nd not God-given. Yeshu rightly showed tht plucking the heds of grin nd eting ws not hrvesting, not work nd ws not forbidden by God nd He lso showed something even more importnt in His nswer. Wht is often missed by wht Yeshu did, is how He mde comprison between Himself nd Dvid between His disciples nd Dvid s men nd more importntly between Himself nd the Tberncle/Temple. In Mtthew 12:3-6, Yeshu ws using the interprettive method clled kl v chomer, which is compring light vs. hevy. If Dvid could llow his men to et the Bred of the Presence becuse of their hunger, how much more could the Author of the Sbbth (Yeshu) minimize their rules of the Sbbth in providing for His disciples? Of course, the Phrisees were cught in their own logic, knowing full well tht both the plucking of the heds of 23
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson Two Chpter Twelve grin, nd the ctions of Dvid s men were considered permissible by their own leders. Let s look t wht Yeshu ws referring to with regrd to Dvid nd the Bred of the Presence. Red 1Smuel 21:1-6 nd nswer the following questions: Wht did Dvid sk the priest Ahimelech for? (Note: Ahimelech mens, brother of the king ) Wht did Ahimelech suggest? Why? Wht requirements did Ahimelech stipulte for the bred to be eten by Dvid s men? On wht dy of the week did this occur (i.e. exchnging of loves)? Yeshu did not sy tht wht Dvid did ws trnsgression of the Lw per se. The word used is the word exesti [literlly not to be ] which simply denotes tht the bred ws not for Dvid or his men, but for the priests. It ppers from the ccount, tht the priest Ahimelech ws himself literl reder of Scripture, considering tht it ws his ide to give the bred to Dvid nd his men nd tht providing for the nointed one s men nd their hunger ws greter commnd. List the prllels between the ccount of Dvid nd his men nd Yeshu nd His disciples: The Phrisees, we hve seen, lso forbde some sorts of heling on the Sbbth, even though Scripture never does. Yeshu sums up wht is permitted on the Sbbth by sying, Then He sid to them, Wht mn is there mong you who hs one sheep, nd if it flls into pit on the Sbbth, will not ly hold of it nd lift it out? Of how much more vlue then is mn thn sheep? Therefore it is lwful to do good on the Sbbth. 5 5 The New King Jmes Version. 1996, c1982 (Mt 12:11-13). Nshville: Thoms Nelson. 24
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson Two Chpter Twelve Tell No One And gret multitudes followed Him, nd He heled them ll. Yet He wrned them not to mke Him known. Mtthew 12:15b-16 We hve seen number of times tht Yeshu went to specific efforts to concel His identity from some. This flies in the fce of our modern sensibilities nd wht we think Yeshu cme to do. Immeditely, fter this verse we re given tht it might be fulfilled phrse nd quote from Isih 42. Red Isih 42:1-6 nd nswer the following questions. Verse 1 refers to bringing justice to the Gentiles. At this point in His ministry hd Yeshu included the Gentiles in His preching? Think bck how He instructed His tlmidim when He sent them out in chpter 10. Were Gentiles hering Yeshu's messge t this point in Mtthew? Wht do you think verse 2 mens when it sys, Nor cuse His voice to be herd in the street. Verse 4 sys, He will not fil nor be discourged, till He hs estblished justice in the erth; nd the costlnds shll wit for His Torh. Do you think tht this describes process tht is longer thn the 3 yer period of Yeshu's ministry? This quote from Isih 42 seems to be disconnected from the issue of telling people not to revel Who He ws. It seems tht something very importnt is being told to us wht is it? Red Romns 11:1-36 nd then write your thoughts on how Isih 42 fits with Yeshu's instructions not to revel His identity. 25
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson Two Chpter Twelve The following tble shows where Yeshu told some not to tell wht hd hppened to them. The similr ccounts from the other Gospel ccounts re grouped together. Conceling His Identity Mtthew 8:4: "And Yeshu sid to him [the leper], 'See tht you tell no one; but go your wy, show yourself to the priest, nd offer the gift tht Moses commnded, s testimony to them.'" Mrk 1:43-44: "And He strictly wrned him [the leper] nd sent him wy t once, nd sid to him, 'See tht you sy nothing to nyone; but go your wy, show yourself to the priest, nd offer for your clensing those things which Moses commnded, s testimony to them.'" Luke 5:14: "And He chrged him to tell no one, 'But go nd show yourself to the priest, nd mke n offering for your clensing, s testimony to them, just s Moses commnded.'" Mtthew 9:29-30: "Then He touched their [two blind men] eyes, sying, 'According to your fith let it be to you.' And their eyes were opened. And Yeshu sternly wrned them, sying, 'See tht no one knows it.'" Mtthew 12:15-16: "But when Yeshu knew it, He withdrew from there. And gret multitudes followed Him, nd He heled them ll. Yet He wrned them not to mke Him known." Mtthew 16:20: "Then He commnded His disciples tht they should tell no one tht He ws Yeshu the Messih." Mrk 8:29-30: "He sid to them, 'But who do you sy tht I m?' Peter nswered nd sid to Him, 'You re the Messih.' Then He strictly wrned them tht they should tell no one bout Him." Luke 9:2-21: "He sid to them, 'But who do you sy tht I m?' Peter nswered nd sid, 'The Messih of God.' And He strictly wrned nd commnded them to tell this to no one." Mtthew 17:9: "Now s they cme down from the mountin [of Trnsfigurtion], Yeshu commnded them, sying, 'Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Mn is risen from the ded.'" Mrk 9:9: "Now s they cme down from the mountin [of Trnsfigurtion], He commnded them tht they should tell no one the things they hd seen, till the Son of Mn hd risen from the ded." Mrk 3:11-12: "And the unclen spirits, whenever they sw Him, fell down before Him nd cried out, sying, 'You re the Son of God.' But He sternly wrned them tht they should not mke Him known." Mrk 5:42-43: "Immeditely the girl [tht hd been ded] rose nd wlked, for she ws twelve yers of ge. And they were overcome with gret mzement. But He commnded them strictly tht no one should know it, nd sid tht something should be given her to et." Luke 8:55-56: "Then her [the ded girl] spirit returned, nd she rose immeditely. And He commnded tht she be given something to et. And her prents were stonished, but He chrged them to tell no one wht hd hppened." Mrk 7:35-36: "Immeditely his [the def mute] ers were opened, nd the impediment of his tongue ws loosed, nd he spoke plinly. Then He commnded them tht they should tell no one; but the more He commnded them, the more widely they proclimed it." Luke 4:32-35: "Now in the syngogue there ws mn who hd spirit of n unclen demon. And he cried out with loud voice, sying, 'Let us lone! Wht hve we to do with You, Yeshu of Nzreth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You re the Holy One of God!' But Yeshu rebuked him, sying, 'Be quiet, nd come out of him!'" Do you see ny common reltionship in these (compre them to wht Yeshu sid to John in Mtthew 11:4-5)? If so, summrize wht you see in the spce tht follows: 26
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson Two Chpter Twelve Show Us Sign In Mtthew 12:38, some Scribes nd Phrisees sid to Yeshu, Techer, we wnt to see sign from You. How ironic tht the chpter begins with the issues of the Sbbth which God gve s sign tht He ws the One Who snctifies His people (Exodus 31:13), nd now ends with these sking for nother sign. Let s look t few signs given in Scripture to understnd why Yeshu nswered the wy He did. Red the following pssges nd note the sign nd the purpose for it if it is stted: Genesis 9:11-14: Genesis 17:11: Exodus 31:13: Deuteronomy 13:1-3 ( sign must be ccompnied by teching God s instructions): Isih 7:10-14: 1Corinthins 1:22: Beloved, wht ws the messge Jonh took to Nineveh? Ws it not wrning of judgment, nd cll to repentnce? Why do you think Yeshu relted the sign of Jonh (three dys in the belly of fish) to the sign He would show them (three dys in the ground)? Why Jonh? 27
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson Two Chpter Twelve As You Finish Beloved, hs the Word given you fresh perspective? Hs God renewed your mind? Go to Him in pryer nd thnk Him for it. Let s ll tke the steps in our lives to mke our deeds nd our lifestyle reflect tht perspective. In the spce tht follows, write pryer of commitment to do wht God hs shown you: 28
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson Three Chpter Thirteen Lesson Three Chpter Thirteen As You Begin Beloved, if you re like me, then you re often overwhelmed with the complexities nd depth of Scripture. One reson mny seek the esy outs in spiritul mtters is becuse we know we need to be fed, but cnnot esily find where to strt. Yeshu hd the nswer for us bck in Mtthew 11:28-30 when He sid, Come to Me, ll you who lbor nd re hevy lden, nd I will give you rest. Tke My yoke upon you nd lern from Me, for I m gentle nd lowly in hert, nd you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is esy nd My burden is light. Beloved, Yeshu's prbles re not to be seen s hed-scrtchers but His gentle techings bout His yoke. Go to God tody in pryer nd sk Him to open your eyes, tht you will see His Word with cler eyes, nd tht you will her His voice plinly. Red chpter thirteen. Red chpter thirteen gin nd look for the two occurrences of phrse tht indictes something ws fulfillment to prophecy. Mrk them in your Bible with green colored pencil nd then dd them to the chrt in the Appendix titled, Prophecies Fulfilled in Yeshu. Find ny references in chpter thirteen to the word Kingdom. Mrk them in your Bible with blue pencil. Historicl Context Prbles, Rbbinic Teching Tool Much is mde of Yeshu's use of prbles, but little comprison is mde between this teching style nd the history of prbles mong the ncient sges of Isrel. There re mny historicl connections between the Gospels nd other erly Jewish writings nd yet some of the very things tht show Yeshu's Hebric style, nd even His Torh messge re twisted in the modern mind to men tht Yeshu ws the consummte rebel to Jewish wys of the First Century. He ws not; nd we hve seen tht lthough His Kingdom messge of repentnce nd fith ws n offense to those who believed tht they were in no need of repentnce Yeshu looked nd cted like Jewish Rbbi. We know tht in His cse however, it ws not becuse He ws emulting nyone else, but becuse He knew the source of wisdom itself becuse He 29
Mttityhu Levi: Mtthew s Account Prt Two Lesson Three Chpter Thirteen ws the Author of Scripture, nd the Frmer of the Jewish people. The Christin historin, Brd Young, from Orl Roberts University, sums it up this wy, The historicl setting of the prbles, however ttest to the Jewish roots of Yeshu's messge. The Yeshu of the prbles would blend in much more hrmoniously with bnd of Phrisees rguing mtters of Torh lerning thn with symposium of modern Christin theologins. In fith nd pryer, Yeshu shres much in common with the old Jewish Chsidim like Choni the Circle Drwer or Chnin ben Dos Through the pens of church fthers nd lter interpreters, the Gospel prbles hve been recst into theologicl tretises deling with Christology nd ecclesisticl doctrine. Allegory hs served church theologins well, while muffling the voice of the Jewish theologin Yeshu Often Yeshu spoke of Torh nd its proper interprettion for living life plesing to God, but his words becme too distorted to be comprehended in tht wy. In the light of Jewish trditions, the Gospel prbles form n inextricble link between Yeshu nd the Jewish people, bridge of solidrity tht cnnot be collpsed by time nd history, nor by prejudice nd tendentious theology. 1 Enormous volumes of Jewish prbolic teching exist. They come from rich orl trdition tht pssed the syings of the sges down to ech genertion, word-for-word. These syings then were written down. The purpose for the Hebric prble s teching tool ws not exctly the sme s the sermon illustrtion tht mny re fmilir with tody lthough similr. The prble [mshl] ws used by rbbis nd techers to explin point in short nd succinct wy. This gve techer s tlmidim [disciples] esier wy to memorize nd pss complex teching on to subsequent genertions of students. A mshl [prble] ws often pired with nother mshl to mke the point more cler. Here is n importnt distinction in the Hebric mshl it ws not used s n llegory for something, where every detil of the story could be construed to hve hidden mening; constructing n lternte relity. There ws usully one or two points to mke in the story nd tht is ll. By piring mshl with nother, it mde it esier to get the common point. This one thing to remember regrding Yeshu's use of prbles is very importnt. Although it is true tht every word of Scripture hs mening, to use Yeshu's prbles to tech hidden llegories is destructive misunderstnding of Hebric prbles. Although we often see in the Gospel ccounts, the disciples scrtching their heds bout the mening of prble, tht is not to men tht the menings of Yeshu's prbles re complex. They re not. Remember, prbles were used to tech complex things in simple lnguge. Insted, the problem ws tht Yeshu's prbles hd messges tht were too simple nd more importntly, too chllenging. Hence, the verge herer then (or reder now) wnted to her something more deep. Beloved, Yeshu's Kingdom messge ws messge tht required decision. His prbles, likewise, required decision becuse of tht, the unrepentnt herer ws def to their messge. The sme is true tody for those who look beyond the shrp nd concise teching in His prbles. The rbbinic introduction to prble usully begn with the phrse, to wht cn this be compred? It cn be compred to We see similitude nture (e.g. this is like this ) in 1 Young, Brd H. The Prbles, Jewish Trdition nd Christin Interprettion (Pebody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1998). p298. 30