Yesterday I had lunch with a Rabbi here in town. He is my new friend. We had a great time. Before I knew it - two hours had passed.
When we sat down to break bread at the Waterfront restaurant, one of his first comments to me was, "this is the most unique encounter I have had in over 40 years as a Rabbi." He explained to me that he had never met with a fundamental, Pentecostal, Charismatic pastor before. Lutherans were the closest he had come.
I learned so much from him just from our first encounter. We are going to meet again. In fact, on Sunday evening, February 19, 2006, I am inviting the Rabbi to come to our church and we are going to open with a dialogue between he and I and then open it up for discussion questions.
I am in a season in my life with the Lord where I am actively pursuing a better understanding of the times, culture, habits, and way of life that Jesus lived in during the first century.
I believe that if I can learn more about the early first century, I can learn more and have a better understanding of who Jesus was while he lived on this planet.
Did Jesus come and give us a radical new system or "religion" with no tie in or forethought from his background as a rabbi? Or did he simply extend his teachings from his Jewish upbringing?
This is a question that I hope to see answered.
Shalom!
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Jesus didn't come to break the law, or change the law, He came to make it understandable to all and to serve as the sacrifice for all of us. His application of the teachings of God (it sounds funny saying it that way since He is God) to the common people of His time made them more tangible, more real, more understandable though many did not want to listen. Those truths, those parables, still apply to us today and make it easier for us to understand what we have to do to enter into a relationship with God. And we can only do that through the sacrifice that was made, Jesus Christ. So, while His teaching of the law was radically different than what was being currently practiced in the 1st century, it was but another (better) rendition of the law in a simpler form. He took a whole bunch of rules (some by man, some by God) and broke them down to two things...Love God, Love People. That's what we need to remember and that's how we need to live our lives...if we do that, then we will be able to have a right relationship with God our Father, Jesus our Lord, and the Holy Spirit our Guide.
BTW, glad you had a great lunch and plan to have many more with the Rabbi. I'm looking forward to his presentation on the 19th.
God bless and keep you,
Jon
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