Down an Unfamiliar Road

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIVE

Part II (con’t)

So what is the difference between a “peacemaker” and a “peacekeeper?” In an ironic twist, in 1873 gun manufacturer Samuel Colt introduced a pistol that was named “The Peacekeeper.” It was easy to load with shell cartridges instead of the older style loaders. And anyone could learn to use it in a very short time. This was an attempt to make everyone equal, so that a tall strong man could no longer intimidate a smaller, weaker man with impunity. Victory that once depended on strength, now depended on speed and accuracy. In other words, a peacekeeper confronts violence and aggression with force. But a peacemaker, is proactive, and thereby takes the sting out of anger and frustration before it becomes violent. They do this by living peacefully and harmoniously among their fellow man. I once heard a pastor’s wife say, “I get so upset with my husband at times, because he won’t argue with me.” What she was really saying was that she had trouble controlling her temper and wanted her husband to have the same problem so she would be as admirable as he was.

Jewish Rabbis also speak highly in their commendation of peacemaking. They say: “The following are the things for which a man enjoys the fruits in this world, while the principal [reward is not diminished and] remains for him in the World to Come: honoring one’s father and mother, practicing charity and making peace between man and his neighbor, but the study of the Torah is equal to all of them.”¹ We also find the same message promoted in other Jewish writings.² In the same document we find further commentary: “Of peacemaking it is said: ‘Seek peace and pursue it,’³ to which a Rabbi said: ‘We learn ‘pursuing’ by ‘pursuing’, Here it is written: ‘Seek peace and pursue it’; and elsewhere it is written: He that pursues righteousness and lovingkindness.”⁴ Jewish scholars say that this implies: these will be rewarded both in this world and the world to come.”⁵ In addition, we have these words by a highly thought of Rabbi: “The disciples of the wise increase peace in the world, as it is says, And all your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be the peace of your children⁶.”⁷ One Jewish writer states that God is saying: “Though I gave you the Torah to study in this world, all too few labor in it. In the world-to-come, however, I Myself shall be teaching it to all Israel, and they will study it and not forget it.”⁸

Some Jewish scholars define “world-to-come” as a reference to the afterlife following the resurrection. Others, however, define it as the world after the Messiah comes. Yet, because Jesus of Nazareth did not fit their mold of the expected Messiah, they gave Him no heed as the One sent by God to teach them personally about His Word. Rabbis say, this emphasis on peace and peace making is founded on the motto of Moses: “Let the law cut through the mountain, Aaron, however, loved peace and pursued peace and made peace between man and man as it is written, ‘The law of truth was in his mouth, unrighteousness was not found in his lips, he walked with Me in peace and uprightness and did turn many away from iniquity.”⁹ In another Jewish work we find this beatitude: “Blessed is he who imparts peace and love. Cursed is he who disturbs those that love their neighbors.”¹⁰ So this teaching by Jesus was not new to the ears of the listening crowds, especially the Pharisees and Scribes who may have stood among them. But it does not conflict with what He said later on in Chapter 10, verse 34.

Verse 10: “Great blessings belong to those who suffer persecution for doing what is right. God’s kingdom belongs to them.”

As we have seen in all of the beatitudes, there is the constant danger that by doing right one may encounter trouble and opposition. But He wants them to know, that such persecution is an honor, not a humiliation. Later on in Chapter 10, before Jesus sent out His disciples on their first evangelism effort, He warned them about opposition. It is like saying to someone, there is a pot of gold on the other side of this high wall, but you have to have the courage to try and climb over it if you want any part of it. The same that an Olympic athlete is told that they must train and then put all they have into the race if they ever hope to win to gold medal. Being part of the kingdom of God was never meant to be an easy ride, especially if you are open and honest about your faith and continually stand for what is right. Jesus wanted His followers to know that this was not incidental, they should always expect it to happen. God promised Abraham that the land of Canaan would belong to his descendants, but look at how many battles they had to fight to obtain it and keep it.

To this very day Israel is still fighting to maintain control over the land God gave them. We should have the same attitude concerning the Kingdom of God. He promised it to us, but we must be ready to defend it at all cost. This last beatitude is the only one where recompense is mentioned. One can readily see the close relationship between the humble and persecuted. But there are greater differences upon closer observation. The humble are such because of inward influence; the persecuted are such because of outward influence. The humble will receive the kingdom of heaven without stipulation, the persecuted will receive the kingdom of heaven because of their righteousness and faithfulness under persecution. While the Book of Galatians contains the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, here we may opine that these are the Fruit of Christ’s Spirit which every born again believer should possess. Therefore, we might propose that these would then necessarily come first. Let me put them in paraphrase form: “Those who realize their need for God in their lives. Those who confess their weaknesses. Those who are willing to let others go first. Those who want to be fair and just at all times. Those who take time for others before taking time for themselves. Those who are not biased or critical. Those who prefer to live in peace. Those who will do right no matter what it costs them. Those who are willing to suffer any reproach to hold firm to their beliefs. Those are the one who make up the kingdom of heaven.”

Verses 11-12: “Great blessings belong to those who are insulted and made fun of, and who endure lies and all kinds of evil things said about them just because they follow me. But when you do that, know that great blessings belong to you. Be happy about it. Be very glad because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did these same bad things to the prophets who lived before you.”

Some might offer that today when a person is falsely accused, ill treated, or slandered, they should go to court to clear their name instead of feeling blessed. But in disagreeing, I would add this: the same stipulation is required today as it was when Christ spoke these words, it must be for Christ’s sake. Many so called Christians today have been slandered and maligned because of what they did to themselves, not what they did for Christ. King David faced such opposition. He tells us: “There are witnesses trying to harm me, and I’m being asked questions concerning things I know nothing about.”¹¹ But Isaiah had an answer: “You who obey the Lord’s commands, listen to what He says: ‘Your brothers hated you. They turned against you because you followed me. Your brothers said, “When the Lord shows his glory, then we will rejoice with you.” But they will be punished.’”¹² Since Jesus loved the scroll of Isaiah, could He have had this verse in mind when He spoke these words? While the persecutors would be punished, Jesus promised a reward in heaven for those who remain faithful.

God gave Abram a similar promise: “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your protector; your reward will be very great”.¹³ One Jewish commentator states that when God said to Abraham, that his reward would be great, was referring both to this world and the world-to-come.¹⁴ In other words, you won’t have to wait until you get to heaven for God to bless you for your obedience. Another Rabbi commented that after God last spoke to Noah, He spoke to no other creature until He spoke to Abraham. According to this Rabbi, God said to Abraham: “With you I began a new way of speaking.”¹⁵ Also, Boaz complimented Ruth for taking care of her mother-in-law Ruth during trying times.¹⁶ And the Psalmist echos the same sentiment.¹⁷ This same thought is expressed by Solomon¹⁸ and Isaiah.¹⁹ Then it’s almost as though Jesus puts His hands on the shoulders of those listening to Him, and tells them that this has happened to others before, it even happened to some of the prophets. This can be factually authenticated in Old Testament writings.²⁰ We find among the sayings of the rabbis similar ones to what Jesus is teaching here. For instance they say: “Let people curse you instead of you cursing them.”²¹ Jewish commentators also explain: “The curses always recoil on oneself or on one’s descendants.”²²

Another great Rabbi offered this: “A person should always strive to be among the persecuted rather than one of the persecutors; just as there is no birds more persecuted than doves and pigeons, and yet Scripture made them alone eligible for the altar²³.”²⁴ And another venerable Rabbi stated: “The rule is…be among those pursued and not among the pursuers, among those who accept humiliation but not among those who humiliate others. Whoever does all the above and others like them it is stated: “You are My servant, Israel, through whom I will be glorified²⁵.”²⁶ And the Jews say: “Our Rabbis taught: Those who are insulted but do not insult; who hear themselves shouted at without shouting back, act through love and rejoice in suffering, of them the Scriptures say: ‘But they who love Him are as the sun when they go onward in His might²⁷.”²⁸ So again, Jesus is not teaching some radical theology, He is reinforcing what was already part of oral tradition. He would never had done so as the Son of God, had not His Father in Heaven approved of His endorsement of these virtues.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIVE

Part II

Verse 7: “Great blessings belong to those who show compassion to others, because compassion will be shown to them.”

We find this expressed by David in his Song of Praise: “With the merciful You show Yourself to be merciful.”¹ And again in another Psalm: “Adonai is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and great in grace.”² Today, we might use the word “compassionate” to best describe the virtue being expressed here. Job prays to God that he might be found having been compassionate in every situation.³ The Psalmist lays it out quite well, “Those who help the poor succeed will get many blessings. When trouble comes, the Lord will save them. The Lord will protect them and save their lives. He will bless them in this land. He will not let their enemies harm them. When they are sick in bed, the Lord will give them strength and make them well!”⁴ We find the same blessing in other Psalms.⁵ King Solomon shares this same maxim in Proverbs.⁶ The prophet Isaiah passes on this same thought,⁷ and then shares a word from the Lord.⁸ This is what Daniel advised King Nebuchadnezzar to do,⁹ and Micah preaches on this same theme.¹⁰

The great Jewish teacher Maimonides comments on the concept of showing compassion for others: “A person will never become impoverished from giving charity. No harm nor damage will ever be caused because of charity [Commentary: on the contrary, it leads to blessing as scripture states: ‘He who gives to the poor will not lack’],¹¹ and: ‘And the deed of charity is peace.’¹² Everyone who is merciful evokes mercy from others, as scripture states: ‘And He shall grant you mercy and shower mercy upon you and multiply you.’¹³ Whenever a person is cruel and does not show mercy, his lineage is suspect as a comment on the Mishnah states: ‘Whenever one does not show mercy to the created beings, it can be recognized that he is not from the seed of Abraham our patriarch.’],¹⁴ for cruelty is found only among the gentiles, as scripture states: ‘They are cruel and will not show mercy.’¹⁵ The entire Jewish people and all those who attach themselves to them are as brothers, as it states: ‘You are children unto God your Lord.’¹⁶ And if a brother will not show mercy to a brother, who will show mercy to them? To whom do the poor of Israel lift up their eyes? To the gentiles who hate them and pursue them? Behold their eyes are pointed to their brethren alone.”¹⁷

And Rabbi Simeon ben Eleazar taught: “Perform [righteousness and mercy] while you can find [an object for your mercy], and have the opportunity.¹⁸ Commentators explain: “Literally, ‘it is found in you and within your power to use.”¹⁹ We find that in the Genesis Rabbah they explain that ‘mercy’ and ‘righteousness are taken from the same Hebrew word, “zedakah.”²⁰ But there is a notice posted here. You may have mercy on someone in need, but only when you put it into action does it become righteousness, which is another way of saying: “doing what’s right in the right situation.” So we can see that Jesus is using already known concepts among the Jews listening to Him, in order to build on such understanding and lead them to higher ground.

So we can see that having compassion on others, even those whom many may feel do not deserve it because they lack self-motivation, is pleasing in God’s sight. But such compassion must be designed to help and not hurt. For instance, helping a homeless person by giving them money so they can buy more alcohol or drugs is not helpful. However, buying them a meal and sharing the love of God is helpful, and assisting them in finding a job is even more encouraging. But just as God had compassion by sending His Son to the cross, whether His love is accepted or not does not make that compassion void. In such cases, their destiny is in their own hands, not in the hands of the giver.

Verse 8: “Great blessings belong to those whose hearts are without malice. They will see God.”

The concept here is to avoid hypocrisy in dealing with others. It would not be out of the question if those listening to our Lord’s teaching immediately thought of David’s question on who qualified to enter God’s house, “Who may go up to the mountain of Adonai? Who can stand in his holy place? Those with clean hands and pure hearts, who don’t make vanities the purpose of their lives or swear oaths just to deceive.”²¹ Jesus goes into a long discourse on this subject in Chapter 23. It means to stay away from ulterior motives, especially when trying to impress others with sincerity. We find this attitude in David’s prayer for Solomon: “My God, I know that You test people, and that You are happy when people do what is right. I gladly give You all these things with a pure, honest heart. I see Your people gathered here, and I see that they are happy about giving these things to You.”²² David expresses this same thing in other Psalms.²³ Solomon learned a lot from his father and sought such people as friends.²⁴ It may be that Jesus was also thinking of what His Father had promised: “I will also put a new spirit in you to change your way of thinking. I will take out the heart of stone from your body and give you a tender, human heart. I will put my Spirit inside you and change you so that you will obey my laws. You will carefully obey my commands.”²⁵

But scholars have differed over what Jesus said at the end. After Jacob prepared to reconcile with his brother Esau, during the night he wrestled with an angel, after it was over we read: “Ya‘akov called the place P’ni-El [face of God], ‘Because I have seen God face to face, yet my life is spared’”.²⁶ Another Jewish translator renders it: “I have seen God face to face and I came out alive.”²⁷ As another Jewish scholar expounds on Jacob’s brush with God face to face: “to reflect the great miracle that had happened to him there, that he had survived an encounter with Divinity, especially with the attribute of Justice. He took this as a hint that God would save him bodily during the encounter with Esau.”²⁸

Some Rabbi’s also took this wrestling with the angel and then receiving the blessing asked for, was Jacob’s way of making up for the blessing he stole from Esau, and as God’s way of saying the blessing was his after all.²⁹ And to others, this was another way of Jacob saying: “I wasn’t sure that reconciling with Esau was the right thing to do. But now that I’ve wrestled over this in my mind with God, I’m convinced that it is right. I believe that because I’m still here. God did not harm me because He saw that I was sincere.” Job, on the other hand, had a different perspective. By remaining true to his principles of faith, and in the midst of his trials because of staying true, Job proclaimed: “I know that there is someone to defend me and that He lives! And in the end, He will stand here on earth and defend me. After I leave my body and my skin has been destroyed, I know I will still see God. I will see Him with my own eyes. I myself, not someone else, will see God. And I cannot tell you how excited that makes me feel!”³⁰

This teaching was Jesus’ way of saying, it may be hard and troublesome living a sincere life, but don’t give up, the end will be worth the effort. After all, look at all the opposition and criticism that Jesus endured while He healed the sick and preached God’s new plan of salvation to those who were struggling under the burden of hundreds of laws that were supposed to save them, but was in fact suppressing them. But our Lord did not despair. He knew that His words and His example would be accepted by those who earnestly sought a new relationship with God. So He pressed on, never wavering. That’s why today there are billions of believers around the world doing the same.

Verse 9: “Great blessings belong to those who work to bring peace. God will call them His sons and daughters.”

The KJV uses the phrase “peacemakers.” This is the only place in the N.T., where that is used. We find an example of this when David was thrown out by Saul and had to find some warriors who were with him in prior battles willing to join him. He didn’t mind when some came from the tribe of Benjamin, and others from the tribe of Gad. But when a group showed up from Judea, David left his camp in Ziklag and went out to meet them. After they introduced themselves David said to them, “If you have come in peace to help me, I welcome you. Join me. But if you have come to spy on me when I have done nothing wrong, may the God of our ancestors see what you did and punish you.”³¹

This gives us insight into how this idea of being a peacemaker works. War should only be a matter of last resort. When we enter a fray, everyone will quickly know if we are there to bring peace, or try to prove we are right and they are wrong. After all, when Isaiah was speaking about the coming Messiah he says: “His name will be ‘Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.’”³² When the Psalmist expresses such joy about going with those who invited him to accompany them to the house of the LORD, he finishes with a prayer: “For the good of my family and neighbors, I pray that there will be peace here. For the good of the Temple of the Lord our God, I pray that good things will happen to this city.”³³

But Jesus wanted His disciples and the crowd to know, that being a peacemaker had its benefits. That these were the kind of people God was looking for so He could make them His children. It is safe to say that Jesus was not saying this in the context of relationships between nations, ideologies, political factions, or in war. He was concentrating on how those who would follow Him would treat each other.

Also, being a peacemaker does not automatically imply being an umpire or referee, but a mediator. For instance, an umpire is someone who watches what’s going on closely to make sure that no rules are broken and enforces whatever punishment is required. A referee is a person who examines an act to see if it abides by the law, then when finding any violation works to bring about a settlement. But a mediator is one who helps people find an answer and come to an agreement out of their own will, not that of the ruling official. This is the role that Jesus served here on earth and continues to perform at the right hand of the Father.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIVE

Part I (con’t)

NOTE: Luke includes a Beatitude not found here in Matthew.¹ It reads, “Great blessings belong to you who are crying now. You will be happy and laughing.”² This expresses the concerns of person who grieves and weeps because of issues such as hunger, financial loss, or being poor and how they will be given a reason to be happy and laugh when their needs are met. It may be compared to what David often felt.³ It is almost a repeat of what we find in Jeremiah: “I will change their sadness into happiness. I will comfort my people, making them happy instead of sad.”⁴ It is not the laugh that Sarah had,⁵ but like the rejoicing in the Song of Ascents,⁶ and the Prophets.⁷ One Jewish translator comments on Sarah’s statement: “God has given me good reason to laugh; now everyone who hears about it will laugh with me.”⁸ He says that the Hebrew used here allows for this to also be rendered: “God has made me laugh, but whoever hears me laughing will laugh at me.”⁹ In other words, everyone who hears about Sarah having a child in old age may result in some laughing for joy with her, and some laughing with disdain at her.

Verse 5: “Great blessings belong to those who are humble. They will be given the land as God has promised.”

This same thought is expressed in the Psalms this way: “But the meek will inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.”¹⁰ The key word here is “meek” (KJV). The New American Standard Bible renders it “gentle.” Some translate it as “humble” such as the Living Bible. But “meek” can be very misleading as English as spoken today. The Greek word translated by the KJV means: “mildness of disposition and gentleness of spirit.” I like the way James Strong defines it in his lexicon: “Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting. In the OT, the meek are those wholly relying on God rather than their own strength to defend against injustice. Thus, meekness toward evil people means knowing God is permitting the injuries they inflict, that He is using them to purify His elect, and that He will deliver His elect in His time.¹¹ Gentleness or meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest. It stems from trust in God’s goodness and control over the situation. The gentle person is not occupied with self at all. This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of the human will¹².”¹³

Jesus gives a personal illustration of this: “Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit.”¹⁴ Moses was considered such a person.¹⁵ In the Psalms we see this spirit lauded,¹⁶ as well as in the prophets.¹⁷ In Zechariah 9:9, we find a line that was quoted by Matthew in 21:5 with reference to Jesus when He rode toward Jerusalem on the back of the donkey.

All though the Jews were admittedly a proud and sometimes arrogant people, they also had great respect for this virtue of being mild mannered. According John Gill, in one Jewish writing it is said: “Wisdom, fear, and meekness are of high esteem; but, meekness is greater than them all.”¹⁸ And we also read: “Our Rabbis taught: A man should always be gentle like Hillel, and not impatient like Shammai.”¹⁹ Taking this into consideration, we might say that the moral ethic of patient tolerance is raised here by Jesus to the level of it being a Christian virtue of grace and a fruit of the Spirit. As a result, when true believers practice and implement this virtue, they will end up inheriting and managing their portion of the land as God originally planned it to be.

One facet of this teaching that has caused some difference in interpretation, involves the word “earth” (KJV), being given to believers as part of God’s promise. In the Old Testament, this referred to the Promised Land which was designated as a gift from God to Abraham, and toward which the Israelites marched after they escaped Egyptian bondage.²⁰ Some of Jesus’ listeners may have thought that He was promising that the Romans would be driven out and the land returned to them where they would govern as a people. Most scholars believe that Jesus is quoting from the Psalms: “Humble people will get the land God promised, and they will enjoy peace.”²¹ But the apostle Paul gives his understanding: “Abraham and his descendants received the promise that they would get the whole world. But Abraham did not receive that promise because he followed the law. He received that promise because he was right with God through his faith.”²² Therefore, as far as Paul was concerned, this promise through Abraham is passed on to all who have faith in God fulfilling that promise for both Jewish believers and the church. However, Jesus was talking to a Jewish audience, and not doubt they held to the concept that one day Israel would be a free nation where they would be the ruling party. Paul was speaking to Gentiles and so for them it was a matter of believing that one day they would rule and reign with Jesus the Messiah over all the earth. Yet we must admit, that over the centuries that followed our Lord’s teaching, Christianity grew into world-wide dominance as a great religion and teacher of morals.

Verse 6: “Great blessings belong to those who want to do things without ulterior motives, for they will see God work things out.”

The KJV uses the word “righteousness.” This has often been thought of as some personally developed level of acquired holiness. As Dr. Roy Blizzard put it: “Unfortunately, we have been guilty of equating righteousness with holiness, or spirituality, being in a right relationship with God. We have never quite understood that in order to be in a right relationship with God, one must first be in a right relationship with his fellow man.”²³ In the original Greek the word simply means: integrity, virtue, purity of life, correctness of thinking, feeling, and acting in relationship to the law and society. So in the religious and spiritual sense it means the same thing, only with respect to God’s laws and brotherly love. Another way of putting it, is seeking a way to do God’s will in this world.

It is not something that comes naturally, it must be sought after. The Psalmist puts it so reflectively: “As the deer pants for water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. Where can I find Him to come and stand before Him?”²⁴ We see this spoken of again in other Psalms.²⁵ The prophet Amos shares a message from God on this subject, “Look, the days are coming when I will cause a famine in the land. The people will not be hungry for bread. They will not be thirsty for water. No, they will be hungry for a word from the Lord”²⁶ But God is not just satisfied with our hunger to learn more and more about His will and plan for our lives, He wants to fill that hunger in such a way that we want more and more. Again the Psalmist puts this in a most poetic way: “Many people say, ‘I wish I could enjoy the good life. Lord, give us some of those blessings.’ But you have made me happier than they will ever be with all their wine and grain. When I go to bed, I sleep in peace, because, Lord, you keep me safe.”²⁷ We also find this theme continued in other Psalms.²⁸ The prophet Isaiah sees the spiritual side of this “I will pour water for thirsty people, and streams will flow through the desert. I will pour my Spirit on your children, and I will bless your family.”²⁹ He reemphasizes it again in other chapters.³⁰

So in the long run, righteousness can best be described as doing God’s will by the way we treat God and each other. Now we can see the connection when Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.‘”³¹ Our Lord was giving these guidelines because He knew that His followers were going to be sent out into the world as witnesses of the new covenant, to preach salvation by grace which flows from the love of God. How could they be effective if they insisted on making things work for their benefit, instead of doing things for God’s benefit.

That’s why a current phrase we often hear: “In it to win it!” does not apply here. Instead, we are in it because Jesus won it on the cross. The love and joy that we received from our heavenly Father is not ours to hoard and lather ourselves with. It is to be given away so that others my come to the same knowledge of the truth. Some of the happiest people you’ll ever meet are those through whom the Holy Spirit is working to win souls for Christ. And it works because they believe in what Jesus taught here in this beatitude.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIVE

Part I

Verses 1-2: “When Jesus saw the crowds of people there, He went up on a hillside and sat down. His followers came and sat next to Him. Then Jesus began teaching the people.”

To keep this in context, after listing the various places that Jesus taught, Matthew ends chapter four by saying that He went to “the other side of the Jordan River.” When we look at what happened at the end of this long discourse in Chapter 7:29 and Jesus’ next move in Chapter 8:5, it fits the topography of the area around Capernaum best. When Luke records this same incident, he adds that Jesus found a level place on the mountainside, and that’s where He began His teaching. Luke also notes that in the crowd were people from Judea, Jerusalem, and as far away as the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon. Not only that, but in addition to teaching, Jesus also healed the sick and drove out demons. The crowd was so awed by this that they tried just to touch Him, because others who did so were instantly healed.¹

From what Matthew has told us so far, when Jesus’ new disciples sat down next to Him on the mountain slope, it was the first time they had all been together and heard Him teach. Today, we use the English word “disciple” to describe those called by Jesus, and from it we conclude that they were more than casual or part-time followers. Matthew uses the Hebrew term “Talmidim.” This word conveys the deep attachment that existed between a Rabbi and his talmidim in those days. These were people who became attracted to the leadership and teaching of a man of God, both those who traveled, like Jesus, and those who opened schools. These talmidim gave themselves unconditionally and wholeheartedly to their teachers. They wanted to learn and grow in the Word of God. The essence of this relationship was built on trust and their goal was to become as wise and astute as their Master. So they not only learned from Him, but they also witnessed how to share what they would learn from Him in an effective way. But unlike the oriental understanding of a disciple, where the student has the potential to grow and become equal, if not superior to his master, a talmid would always continue to be a follower because there is no one greater than his master.

Just as in any culture, body language often speaks louder than words. That’s why we get such phrases as “sitting in judgment”, “standing in the breach”, and “bending beneath the weight”. The same with teaching. One Jewish master teacher outlines this in his writings, He says: “How is Torah taught? The teacher sits at the head and the students sit around him, so that all can see the teacher and hear his words. The teacher should not sit on a chair, while his students sit on the ground. Rather, either everyone should sit on the ground or everyone should sit on chairs. Originally, the teacher would sit and the students would stand. However, before the destruction of the Second Temple, everyone followed the practice of teaching while both they and the students were seated.”²

So when Jesus sat down on the ground and His disciples sat next to Him, as was the custom, the people knew immediately that He was about to teach. In fact, one Rabbi says: “How do we know that the master should not sit on a couch and teach his disciples while they sit on the ground? Because it says, ‘But as for you, stand here beside me³.’”⁴ Jewish scholars say that this Rabbi is referring to a conversation between God and Moses. In other words, even God doesn’t want His students to sit while He is speaking to them.

And in another place where a writer is lamenting the deaths of great rabbinical teachers and the effect it had on the people he says: “When Rabban Gamliel the elder died, the glory of the Torah ceased [people no longer had the strength to learn while standing], and the purity and self-discipline perished.”⁵ Jesus was a teacher, and I’m afraid that teaching from the pulpit is now a dying ministry in the church, and it has resulted in a similar demise of purity and self-discipline. What follows in the next three chapters can be looked at as a summary of His teaching. I’m sure if Matthew had included every word, it would take more than three chapters to contain it.

Verse 3: “Great blessings belong to those who are spiritually humble. The World to come belongs to them.”

The next ten verses have become known as the “Beatitudes.” This is because in the earliest Latin versions the word “blessed” is “beatus.” The King James Version chose the English word “blessed” to translate the Greek word “makarios.” When we look at it in the context of verses 10 and 19, we get a fuller understanding. We see this in the Amplified Version, “happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous – with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions.” So as we have rendered this verse in the text above, whenever this virtue or characteristic is present in a believer’s life, they are truly blessed and favored of God.

In Chapter 11:25, Jesus gives an example of someone who is ready to learn.⁶ For instance, as God is teaching the children of Israel through Moses, He touches on the need for people to realize their need for instruction and discipline. He says: “But maybe they will become humble and accept the punishment for their sin. If they do, I will remember my agreement with Jacob. I will remember my agreement with Isaac. I will remember my agreement with Abraham, and I will remember the land.”⁷ We also see a promise to those who fit this description of those who are spiritually humble: “Seek ADONAI, all you humble in the land, you who desire to apply His justice; seek righteousness, seek humility – that you might be protected on the day of ADONAI’S anger.”⁸ This is further illustrated in these other Scriptures.⁹

The Psalmist expresses this same sentiment on God’s part toward those who suffer disappointments.¹⁰ We also find this in other parts of the wisdom books in the Old Testament.¹¹ While teaching this, Jesus may have remembered what He said in the synagogue in Nazareth taken from Isaiah 61:1-3. But there is no question that this was a well-known teaching as we find in what the prophets had to say.¹² A respected Rabbi once said: “Be exceeding lowly of spirit, for the hope of man is but to decay.”¹³ Many believe that this Rabbi was simply paraphrasing a saying from the Wisdom of Sirach where it says: “Don’t be too good or too bad, and don’t be too wise or too foolish. Why should you die before your time?”¹⁴ But some of his fellow rabbis did not agree. One of them said: “He who profanes The Name of Heaven [God] in secret will be repaid openly: by profaning The Name it is all determined whether it was done unknowingly or knowingly.”¹⁵ To understand this better, HaShem is Hebrew for “The Name” which was another way of saying “God” without the risk of using it in vain. To profane The Name was to go against His will and disobey the Law. So we can see why the open and positive teaching of Jesus may have caused some controversy among the Jewish elite. But our Lord came to make His heavenly Father better known on a personal basis. And what better way than for God to send His only Son to share the good tidings about the new relationship He wanted with those who would believe.

Verse 4: “Great blessings belong to those who are heartsick, because God is there to comfort them.”

The key word translated in the KJV is “mourn.” This should not be automatically thought of as that which is done at death or funerals. It can also mean to “lament,” to “regret with sadness.” It not only points to the grief that comes with loss, misfortune, or what we would call “bad breaks,” but to do so with the attitude that while we may be wrong, we need not go wrong. This is reflected in one of the oldest Hebrew versions of Matthew, where it reads: “Blessed are those who wait.”¹⁶ To put it another way, “those who are disappointed for now, but willing to wait.” A football player who drops the ball on the one yard line will get a pat on the shoulder pads from the coach who says: “You’ll do better next time.” In our English language a word that might give us a better clue as to what is said here is the word “remorse.”

King David expressed this need for encouragement: “O Lord, don’t punish me now. Don’t correct me when You are so angry. Lord, be kind to me. I am sick and weak. Heal me, Lord!”¹⁷ And we find this same sentiment in other Psalms.¹⁸ In fact, after the Messiah has been revealed, the prophet sings a song of praise that begins: “At that time you will say, ‘I praise you, Lord! You have been angry with me, but don’t be angry with me now. Show your love to me. God is the one who saves me. I trust Him, and I am not afraid. The Lord is my strength. He saves me, and I sing songs of praise about Him.”¹⁹ We see this same attitude echoed throughout Isaiah.²⁰ The ensuing prophets also express this mindset: ²¹ Some scholars see the text in the apocryphal Book of Tobit as applying to the Jewish theme of those who mourn, “Happy are those who love you, and happy are those who rejoice in your prosperity. Happy also are all people who grieve with you because of your afflictions; for they will rejoice with you and witness all your glory forever.”²²

To put all this into a more modern frame of reference, what our Lord is saying applies to the fact that when a person is ready to admit they made a mistake; that they committed an error and are sorry for their failure to live up to God’s expectations; they will not be abandoned or thrown out like trash, but He will put His arms around them and tell them to keep trying, that He has faith in their ability and willingness to succeed in the mission He has given them. But most of all, that He is right there by their side for encouragement and assurance. The important truth in this is the fact that unless a person is willing to move the roadblock that is blocking the path leading to their destiny, they will be unable to move on, they will only keep going around in circles. Admitting one’s mistakes is not a weakness, in fact, it is a sign of mental, emotional and spiritual strength.

I once read this brain teaser: “Johnny’s mother had three children. The first child was named April. The second child was named May. What was the third child’s name?” It should only take about 10 seconds to figure this out. But it exemplifies how oft times in life the answer is right before us but because we see only with our imagination instead of our minds, the answers do not come quickly. I read this posting by a young lady who said: “I’ve been an atheist for going on four years now and I feel so free now. May god strike me dead on then spot if I am not serious. I have told many folks that I do not believe in a god and then usually invite the strike down from god. Haven’t had anyone turn away yet or jump back from what they think is coming.” What this poor creature does not realize is that if there really is no God, then why is she asking Him to strike her dead? And if He did strike her dead, what would that prove? It would only prove that God is not patient with foolish people. But He is patient, because His Word has already said: “Only fools think there is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

Most people know that Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, but contrary to popular opinion it was not because they ate the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Read it for yourself: “The Lord God said, ‘Look, the man has become like us—he knows about good and evil. And now the man might take the fruit from the tree of life. If the man eats that fruit, he will live forever.’ So the Lord God forced the man out of the Garden of Eden.”¹ Yes, that’s right! They were expelled because God did not want any competition! He knew there would one day be many dead gods made out of stone, wood, gold and silver, but He didn’t want a living one made by His own hands. Therefore, God’s plan of salvation is not to restore man back to where he no longer knows right from wrong, but give back to him access to the tree of life once he rejects evil and chooses good. Don’t believe me? Read this: “The angel showed me the river of the water of life, clear as crystal. The river flows from the throne of God and the Lamb. It flows down the middle of the street of the city. The tree of life is on each side of the river, and it produces fruit every month, twelve times a year. The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations.”² So John never saw the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the new Jerusalem, only the tree of life. That’s why it is so incomprehensible that many of Adam and Eve’s descendants are today still enthralled by the fruit on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but have no desire to eat from the tree of life. If they keep eating from the wrong tree, they might live down here to be 120 some day, but if they eat of the right tree, they will be able to live up there forever!

UPDATE FOR ALL MY PRECIOUS STUDENTS AND THOSE WHO LOVE GOD’S WORD!

We just finished Chapter 4 of Matthew’s Gospel.  There we learned more about what the devil was really up to in his temptation of Jesus in the wilderness.  We also saw the start of Jesus’ official ministry and those fishermen that He called to follow Him so He could teach them the truth from His Father in heaven.  We also saw that from the beginning of our Lord’s ministry, healing of the sick was part of His mission to show that the power of God was not only in heaven, but also on earth.

Now that we’ve read about what was said concerning Jesus of Nazareth, in Chapter 5 we will learn what Jesus had to say.  It’s important to not only read what He said, but what He meant when He said it.  We will also see how what He said was already part of the teachings among the Jews and why His interpretation of it was so special.  His audiences knew what the Rabbis taught concerning the Word of God, but now they were being given the pleasure of hearing from the WORD Himself.

We will start this section on Monday.  See you then!

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FOUR

Part IV (con’t)

Verse 25: “Large crowds were following Him – people from Galilee, from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and the area across the Jordan River.”

Since the crowd couldn’t get Jesus to stay there in Capernaum, they went with Him. The same reaction will occur today when people see the same demonstration of Jesus’ power in action! But like then, some came out of good will and others out of ill will; some came to see His miracles and praise Him while others came to see His miracles and criticize Him; some wanted to hear Him in order to gain a better understanding of the Kingdom of God, and others to find fault with His doctrine; and a great number came for the healing of their bodies, and yet others for the cleansing of their souls. In Jesus’ case, they not only came to hear Him in one place, but they followed Him to the next place, and I’m sure the crowds grew larger and larger.

We find what some Jews thought of a large crowd that gathered for any reason: “If one sees a crowd of Israelites, he should say: ‘Blessed is he who discerns secrets.’ If he sees a crowd of heathens, he should say: ‘Your mother would be ashamed, etc.’ A few paragraphs later, we read that “a multitude is not less than sixty myriads.”¹ One myriad was generally calculated as being 10,000. However, in this case most scholars think the word was used in its generic form to mean a very, very large crowd. Jews describe the land where this was taking place as follows: “There are three distinct districts in Israel in respect to the law of removal…These are: Judea, Jordan River, and Galilee, and each one of these in turn divided into three districts. “Upper Galilee, Lower Galilee, and the Valley. From where the sycamores do not grow toward the north is Upper Galilee. From there to the south is Lower Galilee; and area of Tiberias including Capernaum, is considered part of the Valley.”²

We get a picture of Upper Galilee from Rabbi Ishmael who was speaking of a property owner there for whom his father worked. He says: “They used to pasture their flocks in forests…very near to their estates, but there was also a little field near by belonging to others, and the cattle were led this route.”³ And in another place it describes the city of Sepphoris in Upper Galilee. According to comments in the footnotes it states that Sepphoris (5 km northwest of Nazareth) was perched on the top of a mountain like a bird. It was the capital of Galilee and has been identified with the city of Kitron⁴.⁵ Scholars point out that this city is not mentioned in the journeys and events of Jesus, but he probably visited the city, since it was a commercial center for the whole area, and where he may have helped his father Joseph who received work there as a carpenter. There are many other mentions of this area in Jewish writings.

And it was also the place where Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai who was born and raised in Galilee, researched as many writings as he could covering 3,000 years of Hebrew theology and philosophy, and put it into a document which became known as Zohar (The Book of Light). He began his quest not too long after the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD. Today this book influences the thoughts and conduct of millions of Jews who see it as their New Testament. So it is not out of coincidence that this also became the area of Jesus’ ministry at the beginning of His time as a prophet. It is also not coincidental that the Zohar is very prophetic and Messianic in its content.

We also know that Jesus visited Decapolis where He ran into those possessed by demons. Pliny the Elder, the Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, gives quite a detailed description of this area and the many cities that made up this region, about six miles SE of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus cast out the legions of demons.⁶ He mentions “Gadara, with the River Hieromiax running through it.”⁷ And they also came from the other side of the Jordan River from an area called Peraea. In addition to Judea and Galilee, this region was always included in Talmudic writings. For instance, the Jews tell us: “Our Rabbis taught: The grain and fruit of the following three regions are taken as the standard for deciding upon the declaration of a leap-year: Judea, Trans-Jordan, and Galilee.”⁸ We find these same three mention in addition Jewish writings.⁹ We then find out: “The following regions are regarded as three individual countries in respect to matrimony, Judea, Trans-Jordan and Galilee.”¹⁰ And one of the more interesting comments on this area is made by a Jewish Philosopher and Theologian who speaks of this area, describing its mountainous portion, its plain, its valley, and its sea.¹¹

Also, much is said in the Torah about the settling of this area by the children of Israel after crossing the Jordan River.¹² But as one scholar put it, “The country on the east side of the Jordan river was not as esteemed by the Jews as was the land of Israel on the west side. This may have been caused by what we read about the Israelites who settled on the east side of the Jordan were suspected of not having any interest in helping the rest of the Israelite tribes to conquer the rest of Canaan because this region had such a good grazing area for their cattle.”¹³ The Jewish philosopher we quoted earlier clearly states: “The entire Land of Israel is more sanctified than all other lands. How is its holiness expressed? The offering of the two loaves offered on the Day of Pentecost, and the first fruits must be produced in Israeli territory and cannot be brought from other lands.”¹⁴ Not only that, but we see another comment about this area: “…even if they are from beyond the Jordan since, this too, is land God gave to Israel. Therefore, firstfruits are not brought from beyond the Jordan, for that is not referred to as the land flowing with milk and honey.”¹⁵

This should help you to better understand and envision the area where Jesus started His ministry. It was not the heart of Judea, nor was considered sacred ground as was Mt. Zion and the holy city of Jerusalem. No wonder Jesus’ brothers finally felt led to tell Him that He needed to go to Jerusalem if He wanted to be noticed and have His ministry appreciated. But Jesus had no interest in starting out at the top of society in the big city and then drop to the bottom in the rural areas, but to begin at the bottom rung of Jewish society and then climb to the top of Mount Zion, then to the top of Mount Calvary where He would then become known around the world.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FOUR

Part IV

Verses 23-24: “Jesus went everywhere throughout Galilee.”

Apparently Peter told his nephew Mark, that after calling the disciples, Jesus went up early the next morning into the nearby hills to pray. When He came down He woke up His disciples, He said to them, “Let’s go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because I have come out in the open for this reason.”¹ Luke found out from his resources that the crowds didn’t want Jesus to leave. But He told them, “I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other cities also. I was sent for this very reason.”² So now Matthew tells us that after calling four of disciples, Jesus took a tour throughout Galilee. John Gill describes it as: “…a country mean and despicable, inhabited by persons poor, illiterate, vile, and wicked: such had the first fruits of Christ’s ministry, and messages of His grace; which shows the freeness, sovereignty, and riches, of His abounding goodness. He went about “all” this country, both upper and lower Galilee, which was very populous.”³

In his personal autobiography, Jewish historian Flavius Josephus tells about a trip he made to Galilee. “I came into Galilee, and found the people of Sepphoris in no small agony about their country, by reason that the [leading] Galileans had resolved to plunder it, on account of the friendship they had with the Romans, and because they had given their right hand [of fellowship], and made a league with Cestius Gallus, the president of Syria.”⁴ But that’s not all, after Josephus arrived he found another man named Jesus was very involved. Says, Josephus, “So Jesus the son of Sapphias, one of those whom we have already mentioned as the leader of a seditious tumult of mariners and poor people, prevented us, and took with him certain Galileans, and set the entire palace on fire, and thought he should get a great deal of money thereby, because he saw some of the roofs gilt with gold. They also plundered a great deal of the furniture, which was done without our approval; for after we had spoken with Capellus and the principal men of the city, we departed from Bethmaus, and went into the Upper Galilee. But Jesus and his party slew all the Greeks that were inhabitants of Tiberias, and as many others as were their enemies before the war began.”⁵

But this was not Jesus of Nazareth, because Josephus says that when he went, “to the house of Jesus, which indeed was a large castle, and very much like a citadel.”⁶ Josephus describes Galilee during this period some 25 years after Christ’s ascension in a letter to Justus: “To be sure, the greatest cities of Galilee, O Justus! were Sepphoris, and your country Tiberias. But Sepphoris, is situated in the very middle of Galilee, and is surrounded by many villages,”⁷ and “…there are two hundred and forty cities and villages in Galilee.”⁸ So Matthew records our Lord’s ministry in this area: “He taught in the synagogues and told the Good News about God’s kingdom. And he healed all the people’s diseases and sicknesses. The news about Jesus spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all those who were sick. They were suffering from different kinds of diseases and pain. Some had demons inside them, some were thought to be crazy, and some were paralyzed. Jesus healed them all.”

When most Christians hear the word “synagogue,” they think of a building that resembles a church. But in Jesus’ day it was quite different. First of all, it was most often referred to as a house of prayer.⁹ That’s what Jesus applied to the Temple when He went there to clear out the money changers.¹⁰ Jewish scholars tell us that in any town or village, it is the place where Jews come together for community prayer services. Jews can satisfy the obligations of daily prayer by praying anywhere; however, there are certain prayers that can only be said in the presence of a quorum of 10 adult men, and tradition teaches that there is more merit to praying with a group than there is in praying alone. The sanctity of the synagogue for this purpose is second only to The Temple. In fact, in rabbinical literature, the synagogue is sometimes referred to as the “little Temple.” Any house or building could be used for a synagogue, which also usually served as the residence of the synagogue keeper.

By the time Jesus came these synagogues had progressed to also include schools and places for Rabbi’s to teach their students. Here was where Jesus taught and performed many of His miracles. A lot of people limit the miracles of Christ to those described individually in the Gospels. Here we have evidence enough to believe that just in this one time period in Galilee, He performed more wonders than all those described in detail by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. In reference to people coming from Syria, the northern part of Israel at that time was very near the border with Syria, so this was not too far out as a possibility. As a matter of fact, Josephus tells us that Damascus had a large Jewish contingency, and that many of the Syrian men were married to women who had embraced the Jewish religion.¹¹ It is also worthwhile to take note that up until now Jesus had not yet visited Jerusalem nor His home town of Bethlehem, yet His reputation had already spread there.

Matthew does not give us any details about exactly what Jesus preached, only that it was the Good News about the Kingdom of God. I like what one commentator says: “The gospel of the kingdom is not a message about getting to go to heaven. It is not a message for the hereafter, or the world to come. It is a message for today. It is a message that men and women can come in contact with the power of the living God who breaks through the space time continuum to meet them at the point of their human need. It is a message that men and women can be delivered, healed, made whole, by the power of the living God. That was the ‘good news.’ That was the gospel of the kingdom.”¹²

Matthew ends this section by making sure the reader knows that along with those who were physically ill, many came who were emotionally ill. Here in the KJV they are called “lunatiks.” The actual Greek word here is selēniazomai which means “moon struck,” which some scholars have interpreted as being epileptic. This is the way it is described in a famous medieval lexicon.¹³ Most people in that day attributed this to demonic powers, but there is no reason not to believe that today we might refer to them as being mentally ill, even those suffering from Muscular Dystrophy, Multiple Sclerosis and even Down’s Syndrome.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FOUR

Part III (con’t)

Verses 19-20: Now we are given even more information that may help us understand why Jesus moved from Nazareth to Capernaum. “Jesus said to them, ‘Come, follow me, and I will make you a different kind of fishermen. You will bring in people, not fish.’ Simon and Andrew immediately left their nets and followed Him.”

According to Luke, before Jesus called these diciples He ask them if He could use their boat as a platform to continue speaking to the crowd that had gathered there. They agreed. And after Jesus finished, then He told them they could now go out and fish. But another thing to take into consideration is that it appears that Jesus did not have to introduce Himself to these fishermen. Both Andrew and Peter had met Jesus while they were followers of John the Baptizer, and they spent some time alone with Him,¹ contrary to the way this call to discipleship is often presented. No doubt Jesus was going by what they had previously talked about, and the fact that John the Baptizer was now dead. Jesus saw their skills in being able to catch fish, and applied that to the concept of them becoming fishers of men. The Aramaic Version has “fishers of the sons of men.” One esteemed Rabbi gives us a very insightful comment on how to combine one’s work with one’s studies. He says:

“Until when is a person obligated to study Torah?² Until the day he dies, as it states: ‘Lest you remove it from your heart, all the days of your life.’³ Whenever a person is not involved with study, he forgets.

A person is obligated to divide his study time in three parts: one third should be devoted to the Written Word; one third to the Spoken Word; and one third to understanding and conceptualizing the ultimate derivation of a concept from its roots, inferring one concept from another and comparing concepts, understanding the Torah based on the principles of Biblical exegesis, until one appreciates the essence of those principles and how the prohibitions and the other decisions which one received according to the Spoken Word can be derived using them. The latter topic is called Gemara.⁴

How is the above expressed? A person who is a craftsman may spend three hours each day involved in his work, and devote nine hours to Torah study…The ‘words of the prophetic tradition’ are considered part of the Written Word; and their explanation, part of the Spoken Word. The matters referred to here as Pardes⁵ are considered part of the Gemara.⁶ The above applies in the early stages of a person’s study. However, when a person increases his knowledge and does not have the need to read the Written Word, or occupy himself with the Spoken Word constantly, he should study the Written Word and the Spoken Word at designated times. Thus, he will not forget any aspect of the laws of the Torah. However, he should focus his attention on the Gemara alone for his entire life, according to his ambition and his ability to concentrate.⁷

Over my half century in the ministry, both in seminary, missions, pastoring, chaplaincy and administrative work, I have met so many ministers who were more dependent on their memory of what they heard from others, rather than searching God’s Word to gain insight into what the disciples heard from the Word Himself. When Jesus called these disciples, He gave them a new net to spread and cast, which was the Gospel.⁸ It may have been at this point that Matthew started telling the story, and then continues from there.

Verses 21-22: “Jesus continued walking by Lake Galilee. He saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee. They were preparing their nets to catch fish. Jesus told the brothers to come with him. So they immediately left the boat and their father, and they followed Jesus.”

There can be no question as to Christ’s ability to see the true character of an individual as in the case of Nathanael. And their immediate and uncompromising acceptance of His bidding indicates enough prior knowledge about Him to leave very few questions in their minds that He was not only equal to John the Baptizer, but the One prophesied to replace him. But there were more that Jesus wanted to call to follow Him. As our Lord continued walking along the shoreline, he came to another boat where a man named Zebedee was getting ready with his two sons, James and John, to go out fishing. I can only imagine the look on their father’s face when Jesus walked up and told the two young men, “Follow me,” and they dropped their nets, jumped off the boat and took off after Him. Again, this shows that Jesus was no stranger. They had heard enough to know what an honor and privilege it was to be called by someone many believed to be the promised Messiah.

The Jews make mention of these disciples in their writings: “Akiba you have reminded me, I was once walking in the upper-market of Sepphoris⁹ when I came across one of the disciples of Jesus the Nazarene, Jacob of Kefar-Sekaniah by name.”¹⁰ Then again of an incident involving the disciples of Jesus: “It once happened to Ben Dama the son of Rabbi Ishmael’s sister that he was bitten by a serpent and Jacob [James], a native of Kefar Sekaniah.¹¹ Commentators say: “…this Jacob may have been either James the son of Alphaeus¹² or James the Little¹³.”¹⁴ In an earlier writing we read this as well: “There was a case in which a snake bit Eleazar ben Dama. Jacob of Kefar Sama came forward to heal him in the name of Jesus Pantera [Jesus of Nazareth]. But Rabbi Ishmael would not allow him to do so.”¹⁵ And in a later version it says: “Ben Dama, the nephew of Rabbi Ishmael was pious and wise and died of snakebite. He did not want to use the Christian charms against such a wound so as not to contravene the words of his colleagues, for their words are like unto snakebite. For this transgression is more heinous than snakebite. He died immediately and did not feel a thing. Rabbi Ishmael said of him, Blessed are you that you departed from this world in peace, and did not break the fences of the sages, as it says, ‘He who breaks a fence’ etc. The snake bit him but the snakebite of heresy won’t deprive him of the World-to-Come.”¹⁶ So it appears that James was very active within the Jewish community after the resurrection of Jesus, and we will find out later how prominent he became. So the close nit group of people that Jesus called to follow Him, along with His being a relative of John the Baptizer should dispel any notion that these men were all strangers and unknown to our Lord.

I think we could safely say, that when God sends the Holy Spirit to call us to Jesus to receive repentance and follow Him, He does so because He already knows us. He sees our potential. Not as recovering sinners, but as budding saints. That’s why being chosen and experience the new birth is such a privilege to everyone who is called. This gift to become a child of God should be cherished with love and dedication. But just as in the case of these disciples, we are called to follow our Lord Jesus and become fishers of men, not sit on the sideline and watch the game.