Daily Word: Future Choices

Yeshua is amazed at the lack of faith He sees in His home town of Nazareth. Mark 6:6 reads: "And Yeshua marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching." The word "marveled" is the Greek word thaumazo and it means to wonder, marvel, or be struck with admiration or astonishment. It is in the imperfect tense. The imperfect tense is only used in the indicative mood (which describes a statement of fact) and refers to continuous or linear action in past time. Yeshua is describing a statement of fact, i.e. the lack of faith or trust in Him, that occurred in the past. It is absolutely true that the community of Nazareth did not believe in the words of Yeshua. He is astonished at this fact. To be astonished is to be filled with a sudden and an overpowering surprise or wonder. The reaction of the Nazarenes was new information to Yeshua. Their sudden rejection of Him was a surprise. The point is that Yeshua did not know the future choices that a person would make. Too often, we minimize Yeshua's humanity in an effort to deify Him. When we reduce His humanity we misunderstand who He really was. Yeshua was not aware of the specific future choices being made. This is very important because that fact should cause us to appreciate Him even more.

While we have previously read that Yeshua could read minds, today's verse makes clear that Yeshua's had the ability to be surprised. You really can't be surprised if you know what is going to happen before it does. This teaching inspires us to confront ourselves with the choices we make. We can't excuse our bad choices because they are, "All under the blood." There are consequences that have to be faced if we sin against God. Those consequences affect us now, in this world, in the life we live. There were people in Nazareth that did not receive a healing or deliverance because of a lack of faith (which is sin); they made the choice not to act in faith and received the consequence of not receiving. Too often, we are always thinking about heaven and the "sweet by and by." We need to focus on the reality of now.

Today, would Yeshua be surprised at your faith, or lack of faith? Would He be filled with amazement or surprise? Do you focus more on heaven rather than the needs that exist now? Begin to focus on the needs of others; begin to be the work of God on a desperately sick world. When you do, you will surprise and amaze Yeshua with your faith!

Daily Word: Are You Following Yeshua?

After seeing the unbelief in His hometown of Nazareth, Yeshua leaves for the surrounding villages. Mark 6:6 reads in part: "And Yeshua marveled because of their unbelief (their lack of action based on His teachings). And He went about among the surrounding villages and continued teaching." What exactly did Yeshua teach in the surrounding villages? Most likely, it was His consistent message, "Repent because the Kingdom of Elohim has come." Yeshua knew that for His followers to be a part of the Kingdom of Elohim, they would have to destroy their old way of living before the new path of God's ways could take effect. Just as the lack of faith had restricted Yeshua's ministry to heal, the failure to repent would prevent the coming of the Kingdom of Elohim into the lives of individuals. Yeshua is teaching the importance of our actions as revealing our true faith.

Yeshua is also teaching the importance of obeying the Torah of God. Exodus 20:8-11 reads: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it set apart. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is a sabbath unto Elohim thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days Elohim made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Elohim blessed the sabbath day, and set it apart." Yeshua remembered the Sabbath by evidence of His being at the synagogue and reading the Scriptures. We know that He read from the prophet Isaiah. While there is some uncertainty on first century customs, we do know that Jews would read from the Torah and the haftarah (this was readings from the Prophets and Writings). Yeshua's reading from Isaiah would have been for the haftarah. It is unclear whether Yeshua would have been reading from an assigned portion or whether He would have selected the passage Himself. The essential point is that on the Sabbath, He was meeting with God's people and reading the Scriptures.

Today, consider how closely are you following the teachings of Messiah? Do you bring His message of repentance, or do you tell a gospel that focuses on what God's benefit package is for signing up ? Where are you on the Sabbath? Will you be found in the Scriptures or at the mall? Do you remember the Sabbath day and keep it set apart to God?

Daily Word: Hindering the Work of God

In Mark 6, Yeshua travels back to His home town of Nazareth. His hometown was very critical of Him. His neighbors could never accept the fact that He was the Messiah. The fact that a person from among their midst could really be Israel's Messiah was beyond their ability to comprehend. Notwithstanding some gnostic writings about Yeshua's childhood which detail the performance of miracles, it seems likely that His early life was unremarkable. There was nothing from His days in Nazareth that would have caused this small community to believe that Yeshua was the Messiah. This resulted in nonacceptance and unbelief concerning Him among the people of Nazareth. Mark 6: 2 reads: "And when the Sabbath had come, Yeshua began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were amazed, saying, "Where did this man get this type of wisdom? And what type of wisdom is this that is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!" First, notice that it was the Sabbath, not Sun-day, that Yeshua went to teach. Yeshua was a Torah observant Jew and on the Sabbath, He would be found in the synagogue.

Second, notice that the unbelief on the part of the local community affected the ministry of Yeshua. Whereas the woman with the issue of blood and Jarius walked in faith which resulted in the occurrence of the miraculous, the unbelief of those in Nazareth hampered Yeshua's work there. Verse 5 reads: "Now Yeshua could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them." Unbelief and fear is a deterrent to the work of God in a community as well as individually. The teachings over the last several days clearly reveal that we can have a role in the results when we seek Yeshua's assistance. He wants us to know that role and that role is to act in faith. Yeshua was not as concerned with what they believed mentally as He was concerned with what they did as a result of that belief. To the Hebrew, it is all about faith as an action.

Today, if Yeshua visited you, what would He say about what you are doing? How would He describe your faith? Notice that it was considered a rejection of Him to act in fear. Verse 4 reads: But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house." Now fill in the blank: "Now Yeshua came to the house of ________________ (insert your name), and He found great _____________ (insert "faith" or "fear") and as a result He was able to do ____________ (insert "many" or "few") miracles there."

Daily Word: Faith or Fear

We will summarize Yeshua's teachings from the last several days. He comes back from the Gentile side of the Sea of Galilee. He is approached by a leader of the local synagogue to come and lay His hands upon His very sick daughter. Yeshua agrees to the request and begins the journey. A woman who has been ill for twelve years with a hemorrhage of blood comes from behind Yeshua and grabs His Jewish tallit by the tassel called a tzitzit and is instantly healed. Yeshua informs her that her faith has made her whole. As Yeshua and Jarius begin again to go to the daughter, they are informed that she has died. They don't expect Yeshua to come because to do so would make Him ritually unclean to touch the dead body. Yeshua turns to Jarius and commands him to keep the faith (which we have learned is a call to action). They arrive and remove the mourners and Yeshua touches the girl and commands healing and she is brought back to life. No doubt, the ones mocking and laughing at Yeshua probably became very silent at the display of His authority over death.

What are the lessons that Yeshua teaches through these events? First, Yeshua will respond to our requests. Second, sometimes events don't happen as fast as we desire. I'm sure Jarius didn't want Yeshua to stop and talk to the woman since that caused a delay in the journey to his daughter. Third, sometimes things get worse after we call on Yeshua to help us. The daughter died after the request by Jarius for help. Fourth, our individual faith in action sometimes plays an important role in the outcome of our difficulties. Fifth, you can't operate in both faith and fear at the same time. You have to choose one or the other. While you have the free choice capability, the consequences of your choice are not yours to make. You can choose faith or fear, but the result of your choice is God's domain. If Jarius had sent Yeshua away after the news of the daughter's death, he would have had a funeral to plan. Since he continued to walk in faith, he had a celebration to attend. His faith; God's results. Finally, sometimes you can't tell it all. Mark 5: 43 reads: "But Yeshua commanded them strictly that no one should know about the healing, and said that something should be given her to eat." Sometimes we need to wait to share good news.

Today, examine whether your actions demonstrate faith or fear. It is your choice, but you can only choose one. You will live your life motivated by faith or fear. Which one do you think Yeshua wants you to have? Which one do you think the Satan wants you to operate in?

Daily Word: Walking in Faith

We are continuing to look at Yeshua's healing of Jairus' daughter. On the way to her, Jarius and Yeshua are told that it is too late, the child has died. Yeshua commands Jarius to continue to believe. This means, that Yeshua is commanding him to continue to act in faith. Jarius does so and they arrive at his home. Mark 5:38-40 reads: "Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and cried loudly. When He came in, He said to them, 'Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.' And they mocked and ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying." The reason Yeshua puts the mourners outside is that they are not needed. During the first century, some people were paid mourners. They would come to where the dead were and they would cry for the lost one. Yeshua is telling everyone that there is no need to mourn, the child is only sleeping; however, they think the daughter is dead and this is why they mock Him. They think Yeshua is out of touch with reality. They can't see His authority yet.

Verse 41 reads: "Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, 'Talitha, cumi,' which is translated, 'Little girl, I say to you, arise.'" It would make someone ritually impure to touch a dead body. Yet, Yeshua touches her before He spoke the word of healing. Yeshua does not become unclean and the girl is healed. Yeshua is teaching that He has power over death and power over ritual uncleanness. Our culture does not understand the significance of this simple act. If someone was unclean, it had an affect on his involvement in the community. If Yeshua touched the girl and she did not live, the community would have labeled Him as unclean and He would not be able to participate in certain activities until the uncleanness was removed. Yeshua, by His actions, reveals to us His absolute trust in His authority over death. This was no surprise to Him; He was sure of the outcome. That is real faith with action.

Today, how certain are you of the truth of Yeshua's teachings? Are you willing to be mocked for following Him? Too often we settle for a "Christianity Lite." We want a little "God" in our lives but not enough to make us stand out. So how much Yeshua do you want in your life today?

Daily Word: Commanding Faith

We are continuing to look at Mark 5 and Yeshua's return to the Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee. Over the last two days, we have looked at the woman with an issue of blood and how her faith in action was the basis for her healing. Today, we look at Jairus' faith in action. When he first approaches Yeshua, he begs Yeshua to come to his home, lay hands on his very ill daughter, and heal her. After the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, someone comes from Jairus' home and informs him that his daughter has died. The Scriptures read: While Yeshua was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"
Ignoring what they said, Yeshua told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe." Yeshua is teaching that our beliefs (and remember in Hebrew, belief or faith is tied to action) have a direct correlation to our outcomes. Yeshua tell Jarius to continue to believe.

Yeshua's word to believe is in the present tense and imperative mood. The present tense represents a simple statement of fact or reality viewed as occurring in actual time. In most cases this corresponds directly with the English present tense. It implies on going continuous action. The imperative mood means that Yeshua is issuing a command to believe. This is very important. How can Yeshua command someone to believe? How can someone be made to have faith? If faith or belief is head knowledge or personal conviction, the answer is that you can't make someone have faith. However, if faith is connected with action, then you can command action. The point Yeshua is making is that you are to act in faith regardless of what your heart or head may be thinking. Jairus may have felt like all was lost, but he keep going with Yeshua.

Today, ask yourself, "Do I have faith?" No, this is not a call to work up some emotional personal conviction. This is a call to action. What does what you do reveal about what you believe? Be like Jarius and regardless of what things look like, keep walking in faith.

Daily Word: The Jewishness of Yeshua

Yesterday, we looked at the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5. Today, we are going to consider her actions in detail. She was in a state of ritual impurity because of her hemorrhage. This is most likely the reason she approached Yeshua from behind. Yeshua was wearing a tallit (a four cornered garment similar to a shawl) with fringes called tzitzit. The tzitzit had a thread of blue that represented the Law of God, i.e. the Torah. The purpose of the tzitzit was to remind God's people to obey His commandments. It was the most set apart, i.e. "holy" part of the tallit. It is this part of the tallit that the woman grabs. In normal circumstances, when something impure touches something pure, they both become defiled. In this case, the opposite occurred. When the impure touched the pure, both were pure. Yeshua is teaching us about the power of His touch. Healing virtue departed from Him and He remained set apart and pure. He cannot be defiled by the impure that come to Him.

Sometimes modern translations try to conceal Yeshua's Jewishness by describing Him as wearing a coat or garment. There is a real effort to turn the olive skinned Jewish rabbi into a blond haired blue eyed "Jesus." He is thoroughly Jewish in His practices, culture, and beliefs. He is wearing a tallit. He is reminded of God's commandments. He is obeying the law concerning the tallit as set forth in Numbers 15:37-41. This passage is part of the Shema that is spoken in the morning and in the evening before retiring to sleep. This is not a mere decoration; it is a real observance by Yeshua.

Today, what do you think about Yeshua's Jewishness? Do you ignore it, or do you embrace who He really is? I can tell you, you will never really know who Yeshua is until you find the Jewish Yeshua. And, when you do embrace His Jewishness, a whole new book of Scriptures will be opened to you!