Day 14
Genesis 29:1-30:43; Matthew 11:16-30; Psalm 9:7-12
Genesis – Let’s just say that our culture of one wife and sleeping with one person was not quite the culture of the early Old Testament. And quite naturally, when a number of people are fighting for the affections of just one it will create jealousy and bad feeling. And so we get long passage of the dubious bedroom antics of Jacob and his wives. The end result however starts us off on one of the better know Bible stories that has even made it to the West End and Broadway – Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat. And then Laban outdoes Jacob and having come to a deal he takes all the sheep he has promised Jacob and hides them away. But Jacob finds justice and creates more speckled sheep than Laban has taken away.
In the Gospel passage we have a bit about John the Baptist, if it seems a bit odd on its own then have a quick look back at yesterday when Matthew wrote a bit more about John, the two really go together. Yesterday Jesus was talking about John coming to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom and today it is all about Israel not accepting the coming of the Kingdom.
Couldn’t find all of “Dust” online but here is the scene. Rob Bell outlines how young Jewish kids will go to school and learn the Torah, the first five books of the Bible off by heart. Most will then jack it in but the devoted will stay on and learn the rest of the Hebrew scriptures, that is entire Old Testament. When this lot is weeded out the ones who are the best, who will become teachers themselves, stay on and apply to a Rabbi to be their disciple. Now a disciple doesn’t just want to learn from the Rabbi, the disciple wants to be like the Rabbi. And so the Rabbi will give his teaching on the Torah, his interpretation of the scriptures. And each individual interpretation of the scriptures is called the Rabbi’s “yoke”
So when Jesus says take my yoke upon you. He is reiterating that call. Follow me. Take my teachings, Be covered in my dust.
Genesis – Let’s just say that our culture of one wife and sleeping with one person was not quite the culture of the early Old Testament. And quite naturally, when a number of people are fighting for the affections of just one it will create jealousy and bad feeling. And so we get long passage of the dubious bedroom antics of Jacob and his wives. The end result however starts us off on one of the better know Bible stories that has even made it to the West End and Broadway – Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat. And then Laban outdoes Jacob and having come to a deal he takes all the sheep he has promised Jacob and hides them away. But Jacob finds justice and creates more speckled sheep than Laban has taken away.
In the Gospel passage we have a bit about John the Baptist, if it seems a bit odd on its own then have a quick look back at yesterday when Matthew wrote a bit more about John, the two really go together. Yesterday Jesus was talking about John coming to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom and today it is all about Israel not accepting the coming of the Kingdom.
Couldn’t find all of “Dust” online but here is the scene. Rob Bell outlines how young Jewish kids will go to school and learn the Torah, the first five books of the Bible off by heart. Most will then jack it in but the devoted will stay on and learn the rest of the Hebrew scriptures, that is entire Old Testament. When this lot is weeded out the ones who are the best, who will become teachers themselves, stay on and apply to a Rabbi to be their disciple. Now a disciple doesn’t just want to learn from the Rabbi, the disciple wants to be like the Rabbi. And so the Rabbi will give his teaching on the Torah, his interpretation of the scriptures. And each individual interpretation of the scriptures is called the Rabbi’s “yoke”
So when Jesus says take my yoke upon you. He is reiterating that call. Follow me. Take my teachings, Be covered in my dust.
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