Was Jesus "Whacked" by the Mob?

The background of The Parable of the Tenants in Luke 20 has a sinister history which is very often unknown by the majority of those of us who read the Bible.

Often this parable is taught with the understanding that the "tenants/farmers" are the Jews, the "servants" are the prophets, and “others” refers to the Gentiles, non-Jews, or Christians. However, a closer look at the history of the Temple reveals that this parable is more likely a direct reference to the corruption among the Temple authorities and God's ability to remove and re-staff His Temple with new Levites and priests, such as the case after the destruction of the first Temple.

According to very important and reliable writings of antiquity, the background of the parable has to do with some Levite families. One particular family is that of the high priest, Ananias, who was a wealthy landowner. By the time of the Second Temple period, in Jesus day, it is well documented that many Levites were wealthy landowners, though they were not supposed to own land. This caused many Jews who were taught to give tithes (10% of crops and animals, not money) in order to feed the Levites and priests, to stop tithing, realizing that many wealthy Levites and priests no longer required being fed by the rest of Jerusalem’s farms.

Levites who were wealthy landowners were given great honor by the Jews because of their wealth and prestige. Unfortunately, this wealth led to oppression by some of these Levite families. When the priests (servants) came to receive from the tithes (fruit) provided at the Temple (vineyard), the Levites (tenant/farmers) would not give them their food and the priests would even be physically beaten and or killed by the slaves who were owned by the Levite and his family. Many of these priests simply starved to death.

The high priest, Ananias (tenant), would not give to the priests (servants) who came for food, which he was required to provide to the servants of the temple when they came to the owner's vineyard (God's Temple) for their fruit (food to feed their families).

Ananias is spoken of by the first century historian, Josephus, as “a supplier of money.” "Supplier" is another name for "robber," which is the title that robbers would call themselves. Josephus also says of the Levite family of Ananias: “Such was the shamelessness and effrontery which possessed the high priests that they were so brazen as to send servants to the threshing floors to receive the tithes that were due to the priests, with the result that the poorer priests starved to death” (Ant. 20.181).–Jesus’ Last Week, 69

Ananias and his family are characterized as a “mafia” who bullied the priests of the temple in Jesus day and began making a lucrative living off of the tithes of the people.

Worth noting, is the fact that purchasing sacrificial animals from the temple would not have been a reason for Jesus’ aggressive behavior since Deuteronomy 14:25-26 makes provision for purchasing offerings.

The issue of Jesus behavior is much, much bigger than stopping people from selling or buying offerings. Anyone in earshot of Jesus telling The Parable of the Talents knows exactly to whom he's referring. After all, all of Jerusalem is frustrated and disgusted by corruption of the Temple authorities.

Imagine everyone's surprise when Jesus takes on the Mob. This could lend an explanation to the illegal trial and the fact that no one tried to stop him in the Temple.

Forever learning,
Johnny

Make Life Happen!

This is such a strange world that God has created. I can almost taste the irony as I stretch my way through life, too often never really lifting my feet from the past. And, though I pass through the years, I never really touch down on the future.

Every day I feel less and less up to the task of seizing the day. My crystal-blue eyes are tired from the strain of concern. My mind wonders around the pool of regret. And my heart beats faster to keep me ahead of the negative pulses that struggle to weigh me down. This, I believe, is a spiritual crisis. And I want to capture it. I want to grab it by its throat and stand on its chest. So, I have. I am not allowing it to talk to me. Instead, I am talking to it. And, what do I say?

I yell into its eyes, “I have been given goals, dreams, and visions for life that only I can prevent--Not You! And I'm not about to stop them!”

I know more than I ever knew before. I dream vividly at night, and I look forward to the day. And my heart is not as soft as it once was. There is no fear of man or the tools of intimidation that are used to restrain the tenacious. Instead, I seek out the bully, stand on his turf, and look into his eyes. There’s nothing that he can say or do that is able to turn back my relentless pursuit to drive my dreams on the roads that have been paved for the plans laid out for me.

There have been those who have labored to convince me that life is something to let happen. But I am convinced that life is better suited for those who make it happen. The less inspired is heavily disturbed by the unrelenting quest of the determined. That is why paradox attempts to define my way by convincing me that I can reach for the stars that have fallen onto the ground. “After all,” says Mr. and Mrs. Underachiever, “Stars are stars, even when they have fallen.”

Don’t believe it. Those aren’t dreams; they’re compromises.

Spend time dreaming real dreams, and then go after the dreams—the high, far, far-away dreams; the dreams that don’t allow your feet to stay where they are, while you stretch out your hands.

As Jim Rohn so wisely says, “Life is short, even at its longest.”

So, live life like you are the one chosen to prove to God that life will not be wasted when He gives it to human beings.

Grace and peace,
Johnny

Which Matters Most--The Goose or the Egg?

Pity parties are strange occasions. But there’s just something about life that brings them on when we least expect them. Maybe it’s the weather change, a time of year, a holiday. Who knows what causes them? But sometimes there’s something that brings out our negative feelings without warning.

I believe that one reason some people get down is because of a lack of encouragement, recognition, and affirmation for who they are and what they have been created to do. People begin to feel like commodities, rather than valuable assets.

There is a great story called Aesop’s fable that is the story of a man who owned a goose. One morning he went out to the pen to get the eggs from the goose and found a golden egg. At first he thought that it was ridiculous to think a goose could lay a golden egg, so he simply threw it to the side. Then he thought about it and said to himself, “What if the egg really is a golden egg?” He took it to an appraiser and found out that it was pure gold.
The next morning the man went out to the goose’s nest and there was another golden egg. Morning after morning, the man would rise early and run out to the nest to find another golden egg.
Eventually, the man became incredibly wealthy. He also became very greedy and impatient. When he could no longer stand to wait until morning for his golden egg, he took the goose, killed it, and tore open its belly to get all the eggs at once. Of course, there were no eggs, and he had ruined the producer of his riches.


Sometimes we treat people like the man in Aesop’s fable treated his goose—we don’t really care about the geese, only the eggs that they produce.

The moral of the story is obvious: Don’t destroy the people, in order to get what you want out of them. It’s the people that are the true treasure.

How often are we pressed to pursue encouragement, due to a lack of appreciation for who we are as people? I would venture to say that in the church, we are too often asked (not overtly) to hide our strengths and keep our accomplishments a secret, lest we be heard as boasting.

What a shame. We should be shouting from the rooftops when we discover our purpose and our gifts.

I'm picturing that goose running out of the pen, screaming, "I laid a golden egg! I laid a golden egg!" and the man saying, "Stop bragging! Get back in that pen, hang your head, and make out like you lay the same kind of eggs as every other goose, or they'll think you believe you're better than them."

We have to stand out. God has given each of us a specific purpose. To borrow from Zig Ziggler, we are all created to be "meaningful specifics," not "wondering generalities." I don't think we should have to hide our gifts or have our bellies torn open for the goods. We are just to be who God created us to be, doing our specific part and being appreciated for who we are as individuals, without being ripped apart by greedy, hasty people. Instead, we are to encourage one another daily with care, concern, words of affirmation, love, and celebration for the person whom God created.

Grace and peace,
Johnny

Stuff Them Like An Ox!

To be a student is something that is very valuable. It has been said that learning is the key to maturity. Sadly, there are far too many people who have no love of learning.

In my experience, those with the most disdain for new information are those with the least appreciation for constant intellectual and practical growth. This may sound redundant, but as Louis Armstrong said, "There are some who, if they don't know it, you can't tell them."

Over and over I have heard people with very little education say, “Be careful how educated you become. Those who are more educated tend to think more and do less,” which is nowhere near true. The educated are by far the majority of leaders, philanthropists, educators, and greatest contributors to society.

There is also an attitude among many that the educated should live a life of false humility, almost apologizing for all that they have learned. But this is not an accurate reflection of God's attitude toward education.

God has always valued education for His people. It has only been since the days of the Great Awakenings and the birth of the evangelical church that education has been treated as a virus. Praise God for the recent spike of interest among the evangelicals.

The ancient Jews valued learning so much for their children that the rabbis would say, “Under the age of six we do not receive a child as a pupil; from six upwards accept him and stuff him (with Torah) like an ox” (B.B. 21a). –Abraham Cohen, Everyman’s Talmud, pg 175

The ancient rabbis also emphasized the importance of learning during childhood by saying, “If one learns as a child, what is it like? Like ink written on clean paper. If one learns as an old man, what is it like? Like ink written on blotted paper” (Aboth IV. 25).
–Cohen, pg 175

The education of children was a top priority in ancient Jerusalem. The following is a collection of ancient quotes which help us to see this passion of God’s people:

“’Touch not Mine anointed and do My prophets no harm’ (1 Chronicles 16:22)—‘Mine anointed’ are the schoolchildren, ‘My prophets’ are the scholars.’

‘The world only exists through the breath of schoolchildren.’

‘We may not suspend the instruction of children even for the rebuilding of the Temple.’

‘A city in which there are no schoolchildren will suffer destruction’ (Shab. 119b).” –Cohen, pg 173

Clearly, God’s people in the days of Jesus believed that no child should be prevented from sitting at the feet of a rabbi. This is probably the reason Jesus was so firm with his young disciples (between the ages of 16-25), when he told them not to prevent children from coming to him (Matthew 19:14). This is also what made it possible for Jesus at the age of 12 to sit and question the rabbis at the Temple when he was left in Jerusalem. Jesus’ questioning of the scholars was common for children to do. What was not as common was the extent of Jesus’ knowledge as a gifted child (Luke 2:46-47).

Knowing the impact of God’s Word on a culture, why do most Christians continue to teach biblical education inside the establishment of church buildings alone? It would seem that those of us who claim to be the disciples of Christ would be emphatic about “stuffing our children like an ox” in every building, especially the home.

"Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long" (Psalm 25:4-5 NIV).


Forever learning,
Johnny

Difficult People

The following is a list of the seven patterns of difficult people as given by Dr. Robert M. Bramson in his book, Coping with Difficult People.

Hostile-Aggressives: these are the people who try to bully and overwhelm by bombarding others, making cutting remarks, or throwing tantrums when things don’t go the way they are certain things should.
Complainers: complainers are individuals who gripe incessantly but who never try to do anything about what they complain about, either because they feel powerless to do so or because they refuse to bear the responsibility.
Silent and Unresponsives: These are the people who respond to every question you might have, every plea for help you make, with yep, a no, or a grunt.
Super-Agreeables: Often very personable, funny, and outgoing individuals. Super-Agreeables are always very reasonable, sincere, and supportive in your presence but don’t produce what they say they will, or act contrary to the way they have led you to expect.
Negativists: When a project is proposed, the negativists are bound to object with “It won’t work” or “It’s impossible” All too often they effectively deflate any optimism you might have.
Know-It-All Experts: These are those “superior” people who believe, and want you to recognize, that they know everything there is to know about anything worth knowing. They’re condescending, imposing (if they really do know what they’re talking about), or pompous (if they don’t), and they will likely make you feel like an idiot.
Indecisives: Those who stall major decisions until the decision is made for them, those who can’ let go of anything until it is perfect—which means never.

This should be looked at in two areas:

1. Who is the difficult person in my life?
2. Whose difficult person am I?

Grace and peace,
Johnny

There Is No Such Thing As Secular

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV).

When I was a kid, I would always smash all my food together and eat it. Mom would make fried chicken, peas, corn, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and rice and gravy, and I’d swirl it all together, except for the chicken, and eat it like a hot, mushy salad.

Many of us are careful to keep our food separated, just like we compartmentalize our lives. We have our work life, family life, church life, and on and on. There are also occasions when we verbally and literally speak to God, connect with God, and invite God to join us, and there are occasions when we never even consider God as being a part.

For the Jews of all time, including today, prayer has always been the method used to remind them that everything in the world belongs to God and is for His purposes.

The Jews, including Jesus and Paul, have a prayer or a benediction for everything. These prayers or benedictions are called berakhot, translated in English as “blessings.” A blessing is a prayer of thanksgiving to God. It is not a prayer of power or effectiveness upon an item, situation, or place, but a prayer of thanks for the item, situation, or place. In other words, we don’t bless food; we bless God for the food.

The Jews pray a blessing for every part of life. There is nothing that is secular. All things are sacred, set apart for God, but not all people honor God in them. Think about music. All music belongs to God, but not all music is honoring to God. Still it belongs to Him. Whether it honors God or not is up to God’s people. That’s why it’s so important to pray a blessing to God for everything, reminding ourselves that God is always present and expecting to be honored.

The Jewish rabbis taught, “It is forbidden to a man to enjoy anything of this world without a benediction, and if anyone enjoys anything of this world without a benediction, he commits sacrilege” (Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 35a). –Marvin Wilson, Our Father Abraham, page 157.

"Secular" did not exist in the Jewish mind, but in the Greek mind it infiltrated the theology of the church. Eusebius of Caesarea in the 4th century said, “There are two ways of life for those of us in the church. The one devotes itself to the service of god alone, while the other, more humble, more human, permits farming, trade, and other more secular interests. The first is the perfect form of the Christian life while the other represents a kind of secular grade of piety.”

Praying a blessing to God for everything is a good way to remember to give Him honor no matter what we are a part of. It’s much more difficult to do something that is sinful, when we remember that after we are finished enjoying it, we will be thanking God for providing whatever “it” is.

There is an ancient rabbinic story called “The Rabbi and the Exceedingly Ugly Man” that reminds us that everything is God’s.

“On one occasion Rabbi Eleazer son of Rabbi Simeon was coming from Midgal Gedor, from the house of his teacher. He was riding leisurely on his donkey by the riverside and was feeling happy and elated because he had studied much Torah. There he chanced to meet an exceedingly ugly man who greeted him, ‘Peace be upon you, rabbi.’ He, however, did not return his greeting but instead said to him, ‘Raca [‘Empty one’ or ‘Good for nothing’] how ugly you are! Is everyone in your town as ugly as you are?’ The man replied; “I do not know, but go and tell the craftsman who made me, ‘How ugly is the vessel which you have made.’ When R. Eleazer realized that he had sinned he dismounted from the donkey and prostrated himself before the man and said to him, ‘I submit myself to you, forgive me!’” –Brad H. Young, The Parables, page 9.

Giving thanks in all circumstances, good, bad, beautiful, and ugly, helps us to keep all things in perspective…God’s perspective.

Forever learning,
Johnny