IN YAHUSHA'S ERA VARIOUS KINDS OF JEWISH HOLY MEN AND REVERED TEACHERS HAD FOLLOWINGS. THE FOLLOWERS OF THESE VARIOUS LEADERS WERE CALLED (IN HEBREW) TALMIDIM. THE MORE FOLLOWERS ONE OF THESE RELIGIOUS LEADERS COULD COBBLE TOGETHER, THE MORE CLOUT AND INFLUENCE WITHIN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY HE HAD. SO THERE WAS, QUITE LITERALLY, COMPETITION AMONG THESE LEADERS TO ACQUIRE FOLLOWERS….. DISCIPLES. MANY OF THE STANDARD ENGLISH WORDS USED IN OUR SCRIPTURES TO TRANSLATE BROAD HEBREW CONCEPTS DON'T FULLY CAPTURE THE MEANING.
IN OUR DAY A DISCIPLE OF A CERTAIN MASTER….. WHETHER IT IS FROM A RELIGIOUS ASPECT, OR A SECULAR ASPECT, EVEN AS IT PERTAINS TO SPORTS…. MOST OFTEN MEANS THAT THESE FOLLOWERS HAVE ADOPTED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES A PARTICULAR MASTER IN A FIELD OF ENDEAVOUR TEACHES. ALTHOUGH USUALLY THEY FEEL FREE TO ALSO ADOPT OTHER IDEAS FROM OTHER MASTERS, OR EVEN AT SOME POINT SWITCH TO A DIFFERENT MASTER ALTOGETHER.
THESE IDEAS ARE USUALLY COMPARTMENTALISED SUCH THAT THE DISCIPLE ONLY APPLIES WHAT THEIR MASTER TAUGHT THEM TO A CERTAIN AREA OF THEIR LIFE. BUT FOR A TALMID/DISCIPLE IN YAHUSHA'S ERA THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DISCIPLE AND MASTER WAS FAR DEEPER AND FULLY ENCOMPASSING THEIR ENTIRE LIFE. THERE WAS A LEVEL OF UNDYING TRUST INVOLVED IN WHICH THE GOAL OF THE DISCIPLE WAS TO BECOME AS CLOSE TO A CLONE OF HIS MASTER AS IS HUMANLY POSSIBLE; IN MANNER, IN ETHICS, LIFESTYLE AND BEHAVIOUR.
THUS THESE POTENTIAL DISCIPLES WOULD MAKE A CONSCIOUS, CONSIDERED DECISION ABOUT BECOMING A DISCIPLE OF A CERTAIN MASTER BECAUSE IT WOULD BE A LIFE-CHANGING MOMENT FOR THEM, WHICH WOULD GUIDE THE REMAINDER OF THEIR DAYS ON EARTH. HOWEVER WE FIND THAT ...
YAHUSHA DIDN'T COMPETE WITH OTHER MASTERS FOR HIS DISCIPLES; HE SIMPLY COMMANDED THEM TO FOLLOW HIM. THIS WAS RARE, IF NOT UNHEARD OF.
BUT NEITHER WERE THE 12 MEN THAT YAHUSHA COMMANDED TO JOIN HIM CHARACTERISED AS MINDLESS ROBOTS WHO HAD NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER. THEY WERE NOT PUT IN A TRANCE OR CONTROLLED. THEY HEARD YAHUSHA'S COMMAND TO THEM, BUT ANY AND ALL COULD HAVE SAID NO!!
FURTHER, THOSE WHO BECAME THE DISCIPLES OF VARIOUS MASTERS IN THE 1ST CENTURY WERE SEARCHING FOR SUCH AN OPPORTUNITY AND TENDED TO ORGANISE THEIR LIVES ACCORDINGLY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE. PAUL IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS. HE WAS A DIASPORA (OUTSIDE THE LAND OF ISRAEL) JEW WHO CAME FROM A WELL TO DO FAMILY. HE WAS EDUCATED, ESPECIALLY SHARP, AND HAD ADOPTED THE RELIGIOUS DOCTRINES OF THE PHARISEES; BUT HE WANTED MORE. SO HE CHOSE TO GO TO THE ACADEMY OF GAMALIEL IN JERUSALEM, PROBABLY SO THAT ONE DAY HE MIGHT HAVE THE CREDENTIALS TO ATTRACT HIS OWN FLOCK OF FOLLOWERS. SOMETIME LATER, ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS, HE WAS INTRODUCED TO ANOTHER AND GREATER MASTER, YAHUSHA, WHO SPOKE TO PAUL FROM HEAVEN AND TOLD HIM TO BE HIS DISCIPLE. PAUL WAS CERTAINLY NOT SEEKING TO BE A DISCIPLE OF ANOTHER, AND ESPECIALLY NOT OF YAHUSHA. NONETHELESS, HE SWITCHED LOYALTIES. THUS WHEN WE ADD IN THE HISTORICAL JEWISH BACKDROP, WE SEE THE UNIQUENESS OF YAHUSHA CHOOSING HIS DISCIPLES FROM AMONG THOSE NOT SEEKING A MASTER (OR AT LEAST NOT A NEW ONE), AS OPPOSED TO DISCIPLES CHOOSING FROM A VARIETY OF POTENTIAL MASTERS WHO WERE SEEKING TO ADD TO THEIR FLOCKS.
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT WILL BE OUR TOPIC FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AS IT TAKES UP MATTHEW CHAPTERS 5, 6, AND 7, AND REPRESENTS THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL AND PANORAMIC EXPRESSION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A BELIEVER AND A FOLLOWER OF YAHUSHA MESSIAH, SINCE THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE RECORDED AS HAVING COME DIRECTLY FROM OUR ALAHIM YAHUSHA’S MOUTH. CLEARLY MATTHEW MUST HAVE SEEN IT IN THAT LIGHT BECAUSE HE DEVOTED SO MUCH TIME TO IT IN HIS GOSPEL. AND CONSIDERING THE MOMENTOUS NATURE OF YAHUSHA'S SPEECH, IT IS CURIOUS THAT MATTHEW IS THE ONLY GOSPEL OF THE 4 THAT CONTAINS THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT!!
THERE IS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE SETTING AND THE GEOGRAPHY WHERE YAHUSHA GAVE THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT; SOMETHING THAT WOULD INDEED HAVE MATTERED MORE TO MATTHEW, THE LEARNED BELIEVING JEW, THAN TO LUKE, THE LEARNED BELIEVING GENTILE.
IT INVOLVES THE REPORTING OF MATTHEW (WHICH APPEARS IN THE FABRIC OF THE BACKDROP FOR HIS ENTIRE GOSPEL ACCOUNT) THAT YAHUSHA OF NAZARETH WAS A KIND OF SECOND MOSES. SO FOR MATTHEW’S ACCOUNT, JUST AS MOSES WENT UP TO THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN (SINAI) TO OBTAIN ALAHIM'S TORAH AND THEN CAME DOWN TO THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN TO INSTRUCT ISRAEL IN IT, SO IN THE SERMON ON THE MT
YAHUSHA WENT UP A MOUNTAIN (A HILL) TO ADDRESS ISRAEL AND INSTRUCT THEM IN THE DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE LAW AND THE TORAH IN GENERAL. MANY DO NOT ACCEPT THIS CONNECTION BETWEEN MOSES AND MESSIAH, BECAUSE THEY ALSO DON’T ACCEPT THAT YAHUSHA (IN HIS SERMON ON THE MOUNT) WAS ACTUALLY INSTRUCTING THE PEOPLE IN THE TORAH (OF COURSE IN A NEW REFRESHING BEHAVIOURAL SUMMARY)… BUT RATHER MANY SEE HIM AS ERASING AND ABOLISHING THE TORAH OF MOSES COMPLETELY, AND REPLACING IT WITH HIS OWN DIFFERENT COMMANDS FOR A GENTILE CHRISTIANITY FORMED BY CONSTANTINE IN THE 4TH CENTURY A.D AND STILL REMAINS IN PRACTICE TODAY. IN REALITY (AND HIS OWN WORDS) YAHUSHA NEVER ABOLISHED ANYTHING, BUT REVEALED THE SPIRITUAL MEANING BEHIND ALL THE SHADOW-TEACHINGS, WHICH OF COURSE IS NEW, TRANSFORMED BEHAVIOUR FROM HIS FOLLOWERS. YAHUSHA BREATHED LIFE INTO THE WHOLE HISTORIC DOCUMENT, MAKING IT ALL BEHAVIOURAL FROM NEW LIVING BODILY TEMPLES, JUST LIKE HE WAS.
SO YAHUSHA DID NOT ABOLISH THE TORAH AND THE PROPHETS, AND ALSO WARNED AGAINST THE CONSEQUENCES OF DISOBEDIENCE TO THE LAWS AND COMMANDS CONTAINED WITHIN THEM, IN THE SLIGHTEST. YAHUSHA ACTUALLY LIVED AND UPHOLDED THE LAW, SO THAT BETWEEN HIM AND MOSES THERE COULD BE NO REAL CONFLICT.
HOWEVER WHAT YAHUSHA REQUIRES OF HIS FOLLOWERS SURPASSES WHAT HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN REGARDED (BY THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES) AS THE BEHAVIOURAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE TORAH-LAW. SO ALTHOUGH THERE IS CONTINUITY WITH THE PAST, YAHUSHA ALSO BRINGS SOMETHING NEW TO THE INSTRUCTIONS, MAKING THEM EVEN MORE CHALLENGING, REQUIRING EVEN MORE DISCIPLINE AND MORE DEVOTION FOR US (AS HIS WISE BRIDE) TO OBEY … NOT LESS. INFACT HE MAKES THEM SO IMPOSSIBLE THAT WITHOUT HIS SPIRIT, OBEDIENCE CANNOT BE ACHIEVED.
THE COMMON STATEMENT OF THE CHURCH IS THAT THE LAW GIVEN TO MOSES WAS AN OUTDATED BURDEN, A YOKE TOO HEAVY, AND MUCH TOO HARD AND UNREASONABLE TO FOLLOW. THEREFORE MESSIAH CAME TO ABOLISH IT ALL AND WITH HIS NEW COMMANDMENTS, MAKE LIFE AND A PEACEFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CREATOR MUCH EASIER FOR HIS FOLLOWERS. A PLAIN AND HONEST READING OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT TAKES THAT FALSE NOTION AND ABSOLUTELY DESTROYS IT.
THE OPENING FEW SENTENCES OF YAHUSHA’S SERMON ON THE MOUNT ARE SORT OF BUNDLED TOGETHER AND GIVEN A SPECIAL TITLE CALLED THE BEATITUDES. DEPENDING ON WHO YOU BELIEVE, AND WHAT THE CHOSEN CRITERIA IS TO QUALIFY AS A BEATITUDE, THERE ARE FROM 8 TO 10 OF THESE SAYINGS OF YAHUSHA.
THE BEATITUDES (WHAT’S THAT WORD ABOUT?)
WE’VE GOT THIS STRANGE ENGLISH WORD FROM THE LATIN VERSION OF THE SCRIPTURE, WHERE THE WORD ‘BEATUS’ IS USED TO TRANSLATE THE GREEK WORD ‘MAKARIOS’. NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HEBREW UNDERSTANDING, YET EVERYONE KNOWS THIS WORD, SO WE’LL KEEP IT THE VOCAB FOR NOW.
MATT 5:1 When YAHUSHA saw the crowds of people there, He went up on a hill and sat down and His followers came and sat next to Him. 2 Then YAHUSHA began teaching the people, saying, 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the Kingdom of Heaven is for people just like them ('theirs is the Kingdom').
MATTHEW SAYS THAT MESSIAH WENT UP A HILL IN ORDER TO MAKE A SPEECH TO THRONGS OF ISRAELITES, WHICH CONSISTED MOSTLY OF JEWS. NO DOUBT SOME REMNANTS OF OTHER TRIBES OF ISRAEL (AND SOME WHO HAD ENGAGED IN INTERMARRIAGE WITH GENTILES) WERE ALSO PRESENT. WE LEARN THAT THE PRIMARY REASON THIS ENORMOUS GROUP OF PEOPLE CAME FROM MANY SCORES OF MILES AWAY (AND MORE) WAS FOR HEALING OF ALL KINDS OF MALADIES. THEY CAME BECAUSE OF YAHUSHA'S GROWING REPUTATION AS A TZADIK, A HOLY/SET-APART MAN, A MIRACLE WORKER WHO, UNDER THE POWER OF ALAHIM, COULD HEAL.
SOME HOLY/SET-APART MEN WERE ALSO KNOWN FOR THEIR WISDOM, AND THEY TAUGHT IN ADDITION TO HEALING. SO IT WASN'T OUT OF CHARACTER FOR YAHUSHA THE TZADIK TO DRAW HUGE CROWDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF MIRACLE HEALING, BUT ALSO TO SPEAK PROFOUND TRUTHS TO THEM. AS OF THIS POINT IN TIME THE JEWS DIDN'T YET SUSPECT THAT YAHUSHA WAS THEIR MESSIAH AND ISRAEL’S DELIVERER, AND YAHUSHA HAD NOT YET PUBLICLY PROCLAIMED THAT HE WAS EITHER.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the Kingdom of Heaven is for people just like them ('theirs is the Kingdom').
WHAT, EXACTLY, CHARACTERISES A PERSON WHO IS "POOR IN SPIRIT"? SINCE IT SAYS THAT SUCH AS PERSON IS "BLESSED", THEN OBVIOUSLY IT MEANS THAT A PERSON WHO IS "POOR IN SPIRIT" IS BENEFITING FROM IT (AT LEAST IN THE SPIRITUAL SENSE) AND YAHUSHA APPROVES OF IT. TO TRY AND DECIPHER THIS LET'S FIRST UNDERSTAND WHAT "BLESSED" MEANS. MATTHEW ORIGINALLY WROTE HIS GOSPEL IN HEBREW, AND THE WORD IS "BARUCH", MEANING TO BE FAVOURED, FORTUNATE, OR HAPPY.
SECOND IS THE ISSUE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE "POOR IN SPIRIT". IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A POSITIVE AND DESIRABLE TRAIT, SO WHAT ABOUT BEING "POOR IN SPIRIT" MAKES A PERSON HAPPY OR FORTUNATE? BECAUSE OF THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS, WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE PHRASE 'THE POOR IN SPIRIT' NOW. IT WAS A TITLE OF HONOUR AMOUNG THE ESSENES, AN ANCIENT JEWISH SECT/ BROTHERHOOD THAT FLOURISHED IN PALESTINE FROM AROUND THE 2ND CENTURY BC TO THE END OF THE 1ST CENTURY AD. FOLLOWING THE DISCOVERY OF THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS (LATE 1940’s AND 1950’s) IN THE VICINITY OF KHIRBAT QUMRĀN, MOST SCHOLARS HAVE AGREED THAT THE QUMRĀN COMMUNITY WAS ESSENIAN, AS WAS JOHN THE BAPTIST.
SO THESE ARE THE POOR TO WHOM ALAHIM’S SPIRIT IS GIVEN? AMONG THE ESSENES, THIS TERM REFERRED TO A PERSON WHO WAS LIVING IN A SPIRIT OF POVERTY, HUMILITY, PURITY AND SIMPLICITY.
JUST AS TODAY A GOOD SPEAKER WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE WHO MAKE UP HIS AUDIENCE, SO IT WAS IN YAHUSHA'S DAY. SO IT WAS THE ESSENES (AND PERHAPS THOSE WHO LIVED ON THE FRINGES OF THE ESSENE PURITY MOVEMENT) THAT YAHUSHA WAS ACKNOWLEDGING. SINCE WE'RE TOLD THAT MANY OF HIS AUDIENCE CAME FROM JUDAH, IN THE SOUTH (WHERE THE ESSENES HAD THEIR DESERT ENCLAVE NEXT TO THE DEAD SEA, AND FROM SYRIA IN THE NORTH, WHERE IT IS KNOWN THAT A SUBSTANTIAL ESSENE COMMUNITY LIVED IN THE CITY OF DAMASCUS) THEN IT MAKES SENSE THAT MANY MEMBERS OF THIS PIOUS AND SCRIPTURALLY KNOWLEDGEABLE ESSENE COMMUNITY MIGHT ATTEND YAHUSHA'S SERMON.
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BUT WHAT IS THE INTENT OF INCLUDING THE STATEMENT
THAT FOR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE ESSENES
"THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS THEIRS"?
REMEMBER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NOT JUST A PLACE, BUT A SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF DELIVERANCE MANIFESTED THROUGH HUMAN BEHAVIOUR. WHEN ONE REPENTS OF SINNING AND TRUSTS IN YAHUSHA ALAHIM, THEN THEY ENTER THE NARROW GATE AND RECEIVE THE BAPTISM OF HIS SPIRIT. AND AS A RESULT THE INCORRUPTIBLE SEED OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN NOW LIVES WITHIN THEM.
NOTICE THE GRAMMAR - IT IS NOT SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE THAT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN WILL BE THEIRS, BUT RATHER IT IS THAT WHEN THEY RECEIVE YAHUSHA’S SPIRIT, THE KINGDOM BECAME THEIRS (IN SEED FORM & ACCESS OF COURSE) .
THUS IN THE 1ST BEATITUDE, WHEN YAHUSHA SPEAKS OF "THE POOR, IN SPIRIT", THE INITIAL CULTURAL REFERENCE IS TO THE PEOPLE IN THE CROWD WHO HOLD THIS HONORARY TITLE AMONG THE SECT OF
THE ESSENES - PEOPLE WHO WERE STANDING AND SITTING DIRECTLY BEFORE HIM DURING HIS SERMON. YET, WHEN WE LOOK AT YAHUSHA’S WORDS A BIT DEEPER AND SPIRITUALLY WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE WAY ONE BECAME "POOR, IN SPIRIT" AMONG THE ESSENES WAS (BY THEIR DEFINITION) RECEIVING THE SPIRIT.
