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."
No comments:
Post a Comment