Jesus as Rabbi

From chapter 2: "Why a Jewish Rabbi?" from Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith, by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg.

Jesus' calling and vocation was to be the one who was to come, the Messiah, through whom all of God's promises would be fulfilled. And we know that at the heart of this fulfillment is Jesus as Redeemer of God's people, and of the world.

But a crucial part of Jesus' calling and vocation was to be a Rabbi. As the authors point out, although the rabbinic era did not begin until after the fall of Jerusalem at 70 AD, still rabbis were important prior to this. Rabbi means "my master." Rabbis gathered disciples who lived and traveled with them as they taught. And rabbis first had to live out what they taught. What they taught was a way of life.

This is radically true in Jesus. He came as the one who would be what God had called Israel to be, as well as to fulfill all of God's promises to Israel, and through Israel to the world. Of course we in Jesus are called to continue in that mission because of what Jesus has uniquely done as Savior.

While Jesus was more than a Rabbi, his work as Rabbi is significant in the gospels in scope both in quantity and quality (content). Going through all four gospels one soon discovers that teaching is one central part of what Jesus did. And as already noted these Teachers, or Rabbis were not just imparting knowledge, but an entire way of life. Jesus' teaching was about living in the kingdom of God as God's new covenant people in him.

When you think of Jesus as Rabbi, what place do you believe this has for us today? It was important to Jesus' disciples and the people of that time, but how important was it for the early church? How important do you think it is for us today? And regardless of what you think on the last question, how is Jesus as Rabbi to impact us today? What are some of the ways we can begin to try to live this out today?

Next week we continue in the chapter, picking out another truth within this theme and question, "Why a Jewish Rabbi?" Plenty of time to get this book, and well worth both the reading and rereading of it, as well as studying and pondering its content.

doing and learning

I think the message from James has something vital to say to most of us right where we are. That we need to at last take seriously what we do know from God's word. Rather than think our problem is that we need to know more. Important for where we are today.

At the same time, however, I do believe we need to keep learning more. We need to learn from others, more Scriptural ways, or ways inherent to Scripture and to God's working in humans through Christ, to view life. God is our authority, and Scripture as his word is our light, in Jesus. And God gives insight to us all through each other by his Spirit.

So I must keep applying what I know, and repenting where need be- both. And along with that I need to continue to learn better how to be a true follower of Jesus in this life. Intellect is included, but it actually is about the whole person- our hearts, lives, mind, and strength. With a dependence on God and interdependence on each other.

Thank God for his multi-faceted grace through it all!

What might you like to add to this?

live and think widely

Of course we are to be on the narrow way to which Jesus refers. This is the way of Jesus, the way of following him, the way of the Lord for God's people, the way of life as opposed to the way of death.

What I'm referring to here is our need as those in Jesus, in our own differing ways, to get out into God's wide world. Not only as a witness, but also as those who get to know others and better understand their culture and thinking. Only in that way can we be those who like Paul endeavor to be all things to all people so that we can see some of them come to salvation in Christ.

I'm also referring to our need to appreciate what we can learn from others, including nonChristians and really everyone. Of course there are those whose words can be destructive in misleading others away from faith; we need to be on guard for ourselves and others. We certainly need discernment in all things.

But there is much we can learn from others, while remaining in the word and in prayer and in fellowship with God's people at all times. I am sorry for the great fear Christians have over science. I was told not long ago by a good, intelligent believer as I marveled over the stars that scientists can know nothing about them.

Granted, we do find scientists who say very unscientific things, and write unscientific books. And to be fair any good Christian scientist, this especially evident in particular fields, will be influenced in their work by their faith. However Christians need to look at data for themselves and make up their own minds. God has not given us the world of creation, or nature to contradict his word, Scripture. Both need to be studied for themselves. I find such study fascinating, and I'm thankful for those Christians who do not run with fear from such study, but learn much in these fields from which the rest of us can draw knowledge.

We need to be those who keep asking questions, intent on learning more about God's wonderful world, as well as about what is going on in the world. We as individuals will take this in and process it differently. But only as we keep on reading or learning in some way will we keep on growing. Of course some of you will read a lot of fiction and poetry. Others of us will read other things. I especially appreciate learning from other Christians who have been able to study with depth into different areas. Reading from them, I can gain some good insights into God's world and life in it. Learning to see things in a better light myself. Of course while remaining in Scripture ourselves, and in prayer, as well as in fellowship with God's people (a good repetition).

What other thoughts might you add to this? Any objections?

keep learning

If there's one thing I may need to hear right at this moment (among other things for sure), or that refreshes my day today, it can come in two words: Keep learning.

Scripture alone is enough to keep us learning for a lifetime. It is a Book that is interactive with its Author, in other words the Author is alive and the Book is written for our good, to bring us along in the journey of faith individually and together. It has a dynamic to it unlike any other book so that one like George Muller could say after reading through it for around the one hundredth time- it seemed like a new book to him every time he read it! Being in the Book and on books that help me understand the Book is for me more important than all the other books. Though I think I can learn from God through other humans in their books, even from those who do not know or acknowledge God.

We also need to keep learning from God's people who have preceeded us. We need to look at the full scope of Christian history because there is much there for us. Of course most of us don't have the time to look long into that. Even scholars have only so much time and their own niche is quite enough. For me at this time I want to learn more from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and especially from his book, Letters and Papers from Prison (and from his book on ethics, as well). I do this not to learn some abstract theories but the heaven-down to earth truth where the rubber meets the road.

We need to set ourselves, our hearts to seek ever to be apprentices of our Lord Jesus, to learn to follow him more closely in our lives whatever the cost. To be like Mary who sat at the Lord's feet to learn from him. This comes to me today as something important for me to remember and put into practice. Slowly and steadily in faith. Eagerly seeking to learn more and grow deeper in our Lord Jesus, and further in doing his will.

What thoughts might you like to add to this?