Wednesday 27 June 2007

Risky business

Demonstrating mature faith can seem like risky business. Perhaps God has called you to an assignment that made you say, “What? There’s no way I could do that!” The truth is, however, that the Lord calls His followers to radical obedience every day. And when we hear Him speak, He expects us to act!

Just think about what the disciples in the boat must have thought in Matthew 14:22-33, when Peter stepped out onto the water: He’s crazy! Somebody grab him! Nevertheless, Peter trusted the call of Christ.

Isn’t it interesting that Peter had no trouble walking on the water until he took his eyes off Jesus? As long as his total focus was on Christ, he was fine. Yet,when he allowed himself to be distracted by human fears, he fell neck-deep in trouble—literally!

This demonstrates an important principle: When doubts prevent us from obeying God, we are doomed to failure. But when we step out in faith, God always assumes full responsibility for the consequences of our obedience.

The story of Peter’s walk on the lake teaches us three things. First, we can trust that God will call us into challenging situations which force us to face our fears. Second, we are assured of the enduring presence of Christ, who stands ready to rescue us when we cry out to Him. Third, we know that the Spirit of God will never let us fall beyond His reach.


Tuesday 26 June 2007

Training

Often we think that if our children just watch our walk with Christ it will naturally rub off on them. We do need to be aware of what our children see lived out in us, but God demands more of us in preparing our children for life. He calls us to train them.

To “train up” requires that parents impart wisdom, love, nurture, and discipline to their children so that they become fully equipped and committed to the Lord. “In the way he should go” implies that the training should be according to the unique personality, gifts, and aspirations of each child. It also means that children should be taught to avoid any of their natural tendencies that might prevent them from making a total commitment to Christ.

In order for training to be effective, children must put into practice what they are taught. Opportunities to demonstrate their spiritual skills must be given them so that when the real challenges come they will pass the test—both now and for a lifetime.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

Monday 25 June 2007

Too busy?

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons, and in his opening address he said, “We can't keep Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their Saviour. Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken."

His legions of fallen were aghast and wrung their hands in despair.

Ever the villain, Satan went on to explain his new strategy. “Let them go to their churches,” he said. “Let them have their covered dish dinners, but steal their time, so they don't have enough of it to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do," hissed the Devil. "Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"

“How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.

“Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. “Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work! Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice."

Like a coach, he roared, “Keep them busy, busy, busy! When they meet for spiritual fellowship, they’ll leave with troubled consciences. Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. It will work," he pronounced. “It will work," they agreed.

It was quite a plan! You might wonder if it worked, or you may be too busy to give it a second thought.

Friday 22 June 2007

What would it be like?

What would it be like for an average person to meet a prophet? Would his elevated spiritual stature be immediately recognizable; would we perceive the "the Divine Presence" that rests upon him? Would we be moved or shaken by the palpable sanctity that emanates from a person of God?

I think that the answer to this question can only be offered by those who have met spiritually advanced people, no longer to be taken for granted in our day, place and age. Had you been fortunate to have spoken, confided in or be affected by such an individual, I am certain that your answer would have been unquestioningly affirmative. The charisma and the sense of purity and transcendence that envelope a sincere servant of God cannot be communicated in words but only through experience. It something that is sensed by everyone around him or her.

The Bible describes many meetings between prophets and other individuals that typify this fact. Among them, in 2 Kings 9:1-13 is a portrayal of the effect that an anonymous prophet had upon a group of military leaders and generals, leading to coronation of Yehu.

“One day Elisha the prophet ordered a member of the guild of prophets, "Get yourself ready, take a flask of oil, and go to Ramoth Gilead. Look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi. When you find him, get him away from his companions and take him to a back room. Take your flask of oil and pour it over his head and say, 'God's word: I anoint you king over Israel.' Then open the door and get out of there as fast as you can. Don't wait around."

The young prophet went to Ramoth Gilead. On arrival he found the army officers all sitting around. He said, "I have a matter of business with you, officer." Jehu said, "Which one of us?" "With you, officer."

He got up and went inside the building. The young prophet poured the oil on his head and said, "God's word, the God of Israel: I've anointed you to be king over the people of God, over Israel. Your assignment is to attack the regime of Ahab your master. I am avenging the massacre of my servants the prophets—yes, the Jezebel-massacre of all the prophets of God. The entire line of Ahab is doomed. I'm wiping out the entire bunch of that sad lot. I'll see to it that the family of Ahab experiences the same fate as the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat and the family of Baasha son of Ahijah. As for Jezebel, the dogs will eat her carcass in the open fields of Jezreel. No burial for her!" Then he opened the door and made a run for it.

Jehu went back out to his master's officers. They asked, "Is everything all right? What did that crazy fool want with you?" He said, "You know that kind of man—all talk." "That's a lie!" they said. "Tell us what's going on."

He said, "He told me this and this and this—in effect, 'God's word: I anoint you king of Israel!'"

They sprang into action. Each man grabbed his robe; they piled them at the top of the steps for a makeshift throne. Then they blew the trumpet and declared, "Jehu is king!"

Yehu was sitting in a company of his equals, all accomplished military leaders, all captains of large companies, men who had seen their share of heroism, treachery, suffering and defeat - men not easily impressed. Yet, as soon as they saw this young prophet, they were stricken with a premonition for they saw that he was not a common person. They immediately recognize greatness and they knew that this man did not come to them for trivial purposes. Note how they attempt to drawn this realization in mockery and scorn, calling the messenger a crazy fool, denying the importance of his message. Yet, as soon as Yehu shares it with them, they know, they know that this was a prophet of God. Immediately and unanimously they embark on a dangerous and uncertain rebellion and void their previously secure allegiance to the king to crown one who was previously their equal. Such was the impression that the "crazy fool" made upon this group.

Sunday 17 June 2007

In the net

It’s strange how we read the Bible: we filter everything through our own world view, our own culture, our own life-setting.

Matthew 4:18-22 (The Mesasage)

“Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work. Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass." They didn't ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed.

A short distance down the beach they came upon another pair of brothers, James and John, Zebedee's sons. These two were sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their fishnets. Jesus made the same offer to them, and they were just as quick to follow, abandoning boat and father.”

The kind of fishing envisioned in this text is net-fishing. Notice “throwing their nets into the lake” (v. 18), “dropped their nets” (v. 20), “mending their fishnets” (v. 21). Now, to be sure, the ancient world knew of line-fishing as well (cf. Matt 17:24-27). But that is not what was envisioned in the imagery of “fishing for men.”

The standard Greek lexicon speaks of the net as circular, having heavy weights around its perimeter. Fishermen would either stand on the shore and repeatedly cast their nets into the water, or drop their nets from a boat. In Matthew 4, the nets used were those tossed from the shoreline. The occupation of fisherman was rather labour-intensive.

The imagery of a fisherman involved much strain, long hours, and often little results. Jesus’ point may have been one or more of the following:

  • the strenuousness of evangelism (unlike line-fishing, which is often caricatured as a means to get a good nap, net-fishing is very labour-intensive)
  • the work ethic that it required more than a focus on the skill involved
  • persistence and dedication to the task (often in spite of minimal results)
  • the infinite value of the new “catch” (viz., people)
  • perhaps an eschatological theme of snatching people from judgement. (If this last motif is in view, then catching people is the opposite of catching fish: the fish would be caught, killed, cooked, and eaten; people would be caught so as to remove them from the eternal flames of hell and to give them new life. The correspondence, in this instance, involves an implied antonym.

Now all of this is not to say that the Bible denies some of the imagery that line-fishing conjures up. After all, we are told that our words need to be seasoned with salt, so as to attract unbelievers to the truth and power and grace of the gospel (cf. Colossians 4:6; similarly, Matthew 5:13-16). Thus, the concept of using bait—something to attract people to the gospel—is a biblical concept. The question is whether it is taught in Matthew 4:18-22 and with the imagery fishing for men.

Saturday 16 June 2007

Hiding our talent

We’ve all known people who’ve been gifted with natural talent in an area, such as music or art, but who’ve never developed that talent, and didn’t improve to a point of having great skill or expertise. We tend to look on that person with pity, thinking about the waste of talent, and what could have been. Spiritually speaking, we’ve all been gifted with “talents” which we choose to use or hide.

Now most would know that our English word “talent,” in its original meaning, did not mean “natural ability.” The word talent took on the meaning of “a natural ability to be developed” in the 1400’s, based on the Parable of the Talents in the Gospels. The Greek word “talenton,” in the New Testament referred to a unit of weight, from which a monetary value was derived. There are debates as to how much a talent of silver weighed, but most sources seem to put it in the range of 60 to 80 pounds, placing the value at a minimum of $100,000. Let’s just say it was a big sum of money.

Now let’s look at the Parable of the Talents, paying particular attention to the third servant, the one given one talent:

"The servant given one talent said, 'Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.'

Sadly, the one-talent man seems to fit a negative stereotype people have of Christians - you know, those who try very hard not to do anything wrong, and who judge others who do. The third servant could pride himself on his avoidance behaviours (“I don’t commit adultery, I don’t curse, I don’t drink, I don’t smoke,” etc. etc. etc.). But what did he do on the positive side?

As Believers, our lives need to follow the original blessing on mankind in the Book of Genesis: “Be fruitful and multiply…” In other words, merely avoiding wrong behaviour, and living in our own little worlds isn’t what our Master expects from us. We need to invest our lives in the Kingdom and in the lives of others, so that we become profitable, so to speak. Let’s not waste our lives, or our talents. Don’t be afraid. Go ahead and dig up that buried talent, and use it for the Kingdom. It’s one investment you’ll make that pays eternal dividends.

Friday 15 June 2007

Some juicy gossip

It's amazing how interested people are when the conversation turns to gossip. It seems that some folks have an insatiable appetite for learning about other's secrets. Three thousand years ago, the Bible recognized this fact:

"What dainty morsels rumours are" Proverbs 18:8

In the same way that the Bible described rumours as delectable, we describe them as juicy. But wait, the Bible doesn't stop there let's read the entire verse:

"What dainty morsels rumours are but they sink deep into one's heart" (New Living Translation)

In other words, even though some gossip might seem to be delectable, the results of spreading gossip can hurt us deeply. One example of the destructive impact of gossip is found in Proverbs 16:28, where the Bible tells us "gossip separates the best of friends." (New Living Translation)

So, the next time you're offered what seems to be a tasty morsel of gossip, do what the Bible says in Proverbs 20:19, "and don't even associate with a whisperer". You'll save a friendship, even if it means passing up a seemingly juicy treat.

Thursday 14 June 2007

Baruch HaShem - Yeshua



I have called you to be set apart.

To be holy—to rid yourselves of the things of this world,

And be holy as I am holy.

To seek me with your whole heart that I might be revealed in you.

Come back to me, love me, serve me, seek my face,

Come back to my word, be my people and I will be your God.

Come apart from this world, be holy and be my witnesses.

I am able to do what I have said,

You have my promises—use them!

See how I work, do not be afraid.

I am the Lord, I never change,

And I will do what I say.

I love you!

Obey me, obey my commands.

Tuesday 12 June 2007

Eat healthy - live right!

From a poster on Unsite:

Presence of mind is maintained by a healthy diet of good solid teaching of God's Word Get this at your local church to stay fit and get it at least once a week.

Verbal skills can be strengthened by using them for the encouragement of others. We build others up with words of kindness, comfort, truth and affirmation.

A strong heart comes only with exercise. Be sure to get your daily prayer workout - alone or with friends. Prayer means listening. Prayer means speaking. For best results do both.

Able hands develop in a community of fellowship. Your local church is a place to meet other people of faith. Your needs are someone else's opportunities for service. Your gifts are an answer to someone else's prayers.

Swift feet are skilled in the art of walking the life of a believer. God's Word is meant to be trusted, taught, believed and lived.

Start today!

Tagged

OK, the rules: grab the book closest to you.

Turn to page 161.

Print the 5th complete sentence on your blog.
Tag 5 others.

So here's mine:


"But even so, I'm all right." - Bodie & Brock Theone "Fifth Seal"

Here's the next 5 to be tagged:

ChapLYNN's Perspective

MERCYPEACEGRACE

Grazer's Blog

Capt Christopher G

School of Prophets - Australia



Monday 11 June 2007

Understanding Samekh Zayin

In the Hebrew calendar, this year is 5767. The Hebrew language does not have numbers as we have in English. Instead, every letter has a numerical value attached to it, much like Roman numerals.

Often those letters which stand for numbers spell words. Those words have prophetic meaning and indicate the character and direction that the year will take.

Last year was the year 5766 and the letters in Hebrew spelled the words "tent peg." Last year was a year for strengthening the stakes. It was a time for the people of God to become "strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." It was a time for "strengthening the weak hands and confirming the feeble knees." (Isaiah 35:3)

This year the letters 5767 (Samekh Zayin) spell the words, "the clashing of the swords."

The letter Zayin is similar to the Vav with two distinct changes. The tent peg of the Vav turns into a sword in the Zayin. It is the year of the sword! Also, to form the Zayin, a crown is placed on the Vav. This is the year of crowning and glory!

This is the Prophet’s Year!


The tongue is a sword, so the Lord will touch and use our mouth this year.
We all prophesy according to our faith. Let faith arise and be unlocked!


Saturday 9 June 2007

Samekh Zayin

According to the Hebraic Calendar, the year 2007 is the year 5767! In Hebrew these numbers have meaning. This is “The Year of Samekh Zayin!”

This means that this will be “The Year That Swords Will Clash!” The Sword of the Lord will be unleashed on behalf of His people!

In the battle Gideon fought against the Amalekites and Midianites, God unleashed His Sword on behalf of Gideon and Judah. God spoke to him, "Get up and go down to the camp. I've given it to you." (Judges 7:9)
God is saying to His people today, “Arise! Get up from where you are right now. Forget about the struggles, problems, and battles you've faced or that you are facing today. Don’t keep your eyes on the strength of your enemy. Get your eyes fixed upon Me!”

Gideon and his army of 300 men were greatly outnumbered. There were so many Midianites, Amalekites and the children of the east in the valley the Word says they were “like grasshoppers for multitude” and their camels were “without number!”

God told Gideon and his army to go down and face this formidable enemy. But, He gave him the promise, “I have given it to you.”

Regardless of the circumstances you currently face: a life-threatening disease, chronic physical problems, financial problems, marital problems or challenges in your ministry; God is telling you to face the enemy this year knowing God has delivered him into your hand!

Jesus is a Jew!

The movement which began with Jesus the Jew has grown to include every tribe and nation on earth. The Christian faith has crossed over every cultural line and social barrier. Within the Christian faith, there are to be no ethnic divisions or racial walls. Nevertheless, the center of Christianity is Jesus, and Jesus is a Jew.

He was born of a Jewish mother, into a Jewish family. Like all Jewish sons, he was circumcised on the eighth day. In keeping with Jewish tradition, he was given his Hebrew name on the same day he was circumcised. He was named Jesus. Jesus means "Salvation." He was named Salvation, because he will "save his people." His people are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: the Jewish people.

He was raised as a Jew within an Orthodox Jewish community. Nazareth, his hometown, was a thoroughly Jewish village pioneered by descendants of King David. In keeping with ancient Jewish tradition, he had his hair cut when he was three years old. He kept the festivals and the Sabbath. He ate only kosher. He ate Matzah on Passover; he fasted on the Day of Atonement.

He dressed as a Jew. He did not wear a mixture of wool and linen. He wore fringes on the corners of his garments. He wore phylacteries.

He had a Jewish education. He learned Hebrew. He learned the Hebrew blessings. At the age of five, he began to learn the Torah. He went to Synagogue every Sabbath.

He became known as a Jewish Teacher. He taught the Torah of the Jews. He taught from the Holy Books of the Jews. He taught about the God of the Jews. His disciples were all Jews. They called him "Rabbi."

Later Christian theology often pares Jesus against Judaism. But the anti-Jewish Jesus is not the Biblical Jesus. He is a creation of the anti-Semitic and anti-Torah climate of the developing gentile church.

The gospels clearly portray Jesus as a faithful and deeply committed Jew operating within the context of First Century Judaism. Although his interpretation of the Torah was often at odds with that of his contemporaries, he never abrogated the Law of God. He repeatedly demonstrated his affection for his people. He compared himself to a shepherd and Israel to his sheepfold.

Jesus is a Jew. The Jesus of the gospels is not a one-size-fits-all mystic. To remove him from his Jewish context is to misunderstand him. He lived as Jew, he taught as a Jew, he prayed as a Jew and he died as a Jew. His blood was Jewish blood. The sign above his cross said, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."

Monday 4 June 2007

How can I make Jesus my Rabbi?

It is one thing to know Jesus was a Rabbi and even to call him Rabbi Jesus. It is quite another thing to make him "My Rabbi." In order to truly learn from Rabbi Jesus we must first follow him as students. The Hebrew word for students is Talmidim. In our New Testaments, we translated Talmidim as Disciples. The call of Rabbi Jesus is to follow him as disciples. If we are to know him for who he truly is, if we are to experience him not just as Saviour, but also as Master and Lord, we must commit our lives to discipleship under him.

Just as he must be understood in the context of First Century Rabbi-ship, so too our call to follow him must also be understood in the context of First Century discipleship. His call to discipleship is still alive today. The call to follow after Rabbi Jesus as disciples is an ongoing process even today. Find yourself a Bible-teaching church and join - become a disciple of Jesus!


What made Jesus different from other Rabbis?

So far we have seen how Jesus fits the normal description of a First Century Jewish Rabbi in Israel. But there are also three distinctions that make the Rabbi-ship of Jesus markedly different than that of his contemporaries.

1. His Message: His message was focused on the Kingdom of Heaven. Whereas this was a subject of great discussion among the other Sages, Jesus came proclaiming the advent of the Kingdom of Heaven. The rest of his teachings dealt with the ramifications of that advent.

2. His Authority: Where as all other Sages and Rabbis taught in the name of their teachers and predecessors to establish authority for their message, Jesus taught only in his own name. He invoked only his Father in Heaven to validate his teaching. All other Rabbis quoted the sages and teachers of previous generations. Jesus merely said, "You've heard it said . . . but I tell you." His failure to invoke other teacher's names betrayed either incredible arrogance or ultimate authority. Thus we read, "The crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the Torah." (Matthew 7:28, 29)

3. His Miracles: The teaching ministry of Rabbi Jesus was complimented and validated by the miraculous manifestations of the Kingdom of Heaven that accompanied him. The sick were healed, the demon oppressed were freed, the hungry were fed, the blind were made to see, the lame were made to walk, the deaf were made to hear, the dead were raised to life. Miracles of this magnitude were rare among other Rabbis. But in the teaching ministry of Rabbi Jesus, miracles were the norm, not the exception.

What are the tools of the trade?

When we begin to study the teachings and teaching methods of the early Rabbis, an exciting thing happens. We are quick to discover that the words and teachings of Jesus reflect (and even sometimes repeat verbatim) the words and teachings of other early Jewish Rabbis. The methodology, hermeneutics, argumentation, theological presuppositions and subject matter of the Jesus' teachings are all patently Rabbinical. Even his use of parables was a common method of teaching in the First Century. Many of his parables are drawn from existing Rabbinic parables which Jesus reworked in order to serve his message. In short, he used the tools of the Rabbis to convey his message. He used Rabbinic teaching methods and relied on Rabbinic material.

Jewish literature offers us the ability to compare his words with the words of his contemporaries. We are better able to understand obscure idioms or elements of Jewish style which Jesus employed when we compare and contrast his words with the words of the other Rabbis. Through Jewish literature, we are better able to perceive the points of conflict between Jesus and Judaisms of his day. Best of all, we are better able to understand him and his message in the original context.

Jesus is a Rabbi. His teachings were Rabbinical in nature. To fully understand who he is and what he teaches we must explore the institutions of Rabbinical teaching and methodology.

What exactly do you do?

The job of a Rabbi in early Judaism was to transmit Torah (teaching) to the next generation. Pirkei Avot, begins with these words, "Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua (his disciple) Joshua to the elders; the elders to the prophets, the prophets to the men of the great assembly (Ezra's generation)."(Avot 1:1)

The Teacher-Disciple pattern of transmitting the Torah and the Knowledge of God was established as early as Moses and Joshua. The teacher's of each generation were entrusted with the task of raising up disciples and future teachers for the next generation. Generation after generation, from teacher to student, the teaching of Torah was passed on. A Rabbi of First Century Judaism was a teacher dedicated to teaching the Torah of God. His purpose in life was to explain the Torah in practical terms and to communicate the knowledge of God to the next generation.

Pirkei Avot continues, "The Men of the Great Assembly said three things, 'Be deliberate in judgement, raise up many disciples, and make a fence for the Torah." This was the job description of the First Century Rabbi.

1. Be deliberate in judgement: A Rabbi's job was to be careful when rendering a legal decision or when interpreting a passage of Scripture. He was to carefully weigh all the evidence. When asked a question regarding Scripture, when making a legal ruling, when hearing a court case as an elder or as a judge in a court of law or even when simply making a small halachic (observance) ruling, such as "Is it permissible to heal on the Sabbath?", the Rabbi was to be careful and deliberate. The Rabbi was to take the scriptures seriously, study them diligently and be deliberate in judgement.

2. Raise Up Many Disciples: A Rabbi's job was to raise up many students. He was to pass the teaching on to many students. If he did not, there would be no continuity from generation to generation. Without disciples, the study of Torah and the knowledge of righteousness would vanish within a generation, and the next generation would fall into apostasy. The Rabbi's job was to raise up disciples who would in turn become the teachers raising up disciples, so that the Torah would not be lost.

3. Make a Fence for the Torah: A Rabbi's job was to protect the Torah. He was to make a fence around the Torah in order to protect the commandments. For example, to protect the commandment forbidding adultery the Sages made a fence around that commandment by teaching their disciples a tradition that they should not even be alone with a woman that is not their wife, so that there was never even a possibility of transgressing that commandment. Such a prohibition is a called a "fence around the Torah." These are practical rules for life to assist the People of God in living out God's Word. The Rabbi's job was to protect even the least of the commandments and protect even the smallest jot and tittle of the Torah from being abolished.

In his Ministry, we see Rabbi Jesus fulfilling all three of the above criteria. He was deliberate in judgement, rendering well thought-out decisions and interpretations on a variety of points of law. He raised up many disciples. In addition to the Twelve he had hundreds of devoted students and thousands of people listening to his teachings. He made fences for the Torah. When he said things like "Anyone who even looks at a woman lustfully has committed adultery with her in his heart already," or things like, "Do not swear at all, let your yes be yes and your no, no," he was making fences around the commandments. In these two examples he fenced the commandment against adultery and the commandment against taking God's name in vain. Thus we see Rabbi Jesus fully engaged in the work of a First Century Rabbi.

Where do you live? Where do you work?

From the Talmud, it seems evident that in most cases a First Century Rabbi taught out of the local Synagogues, which were often referred to as the Beit Midrash, that is the House of Study. Students who sought to learn under such a teacher travelled great distances, and if accepted as a disciple, they dedicated themselves to live with and study under the teacher. On the other hand, many sages of First Century Judaism seemed to be itinerant, travelling from town to town, synagogue to synagogue, teaching Torah and raising up disciples. Jesus' ministry was certainly itinerant, but he also established Capernaum as his home base. The Gospel's refer to Capernaum as "His own town." (Matthew 9:1) In Capernaum he did have a place to lay his head. He lived in a room in Peter's house. However, he definitely rejected the offer to become the resident Rabbi of Capernaum. (Luke 4:43).

Most of the ministry of Jesus was spent travelling between Jerusalem and the Galilee. As with all Jews, he was bound by Torah law to ascend to Jerusalem and the Temple for each of the three pilgrimage festivals: Passover, Pentecost and The Feast of Tabernacles. The Talmud records that the Sages took advantage of these Pilgrimage crowds by teaching the common folk in the Temple courts throughout the duration of the Feasts. Even those Rabbis who normally stayed in one location took advantage of the pilgrimage festivals as opportunities for teaching the masses. So too, in the Gospels, we see Jesus routinely teaching the Temple courts during the Festivals.

How much do you make?

A Rabbi of the First Century was not like a clergyman or an ordained minister of today. The Rabbi's of the First Century were not on a payroll of a synagogue or a denomination. Instead they typically practiced a trade to support their own teaching ministries. For example, Rabban Gamliel advised his students to combine their study and teaching of Torah with a worldly occupation. (Avot 2:2) His most famous student, Rav Shaul HaBinyamin, (better known as Paul) chose to be a tent maker rather than to accept donations from his students.

Other teachers, like Jesus, gave themselves full time to the work of studying and raising up disciples. Such a teacher relied on the donations of the community and his students. (Luke 8:3 recalls some women who supported the ministry of Jesus. John 12:6 remembers a common money bag held by Jesus and the disciples. ) The result was a meager lifestyle. Thus we read, "Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man does not have a place to lay his head."

What do you do for a living?

What if you had the opportunity to step back in time and meet the Jesus of the gospels and to ask him, "What do you do for a living?" What would he tell you? What kind of higher education does a Saviour need? What kind of social status does the job of Son of God carry? How much does a Messiah make annually? What is the day-to-day routine for a Christ? Although these titles are the theological categories we normally use to define Jesus, none of them were his actual vocation.

The actual vocation of Yeshua was Rabbi. He was a simple Galilean Rabbi with a large and devoted following. Knowing this alone tells us a great deal about who Rabbi Jesus is.

In those days, the term Rabbi had not yet come to exclusively mean a teacher ordained through formal Rabbincal institution. Rather Rabbi was simply a term of respect for a great teacher. It is in this context that we must try to understand Rabbi Yeshua.