Parables, Sabbath, and Scripture - A Deeper Dive
scripture: Mark 2:23-28 | Matthew 5:38-41
Message Summary
This week, we concluded our sermon series Rooted in Faith: Our Jewish Heritage. Throughout this series, we have delved into the significance of the Jewish people's history and traditions that laid the foundation for what we now know as Christianity. Understanding the Jewish roots and cultural context provides insight into Jesus' teachings and parables and a clearer understanding of his intended lessons.
In this week’s message, we explored the importance of the Sabbath, Jesus’ interactions with the “unclean” or outcasts, and the significance of the parable of the Good Samaritan. This week's overarching theme is prioritizing compassion, love, and understanding over rigid adherence to rules and traditions.
You can find a link to the full video of this week’s message below. Here are some of the key points:
Our Jewish roots are relevant - Understanding our Jewish roots and cultural context allows us to better comprehend Jesus' teachings, parables, and interactions. This background knowledge is necessary for understanding the true lessons and meanings.
The Sabbath - Jewish law and tradition strictly dictated how the Sabbath was observed. Jesus' actions and teachings on the Sabbath challenged those traditional interpretations. He emphasized that the Sabbath was made for the benefit of people, not the other way around and that acts of mercy and compassion should take precedence over strict adherence to rules.
Jesus' Interactions with the 'Unclean' - Jesus physically interacted with those considered 'unclean' or outcasts, such as lepers, the bleeding woman, and tax collectors. He ate with them, healed the ones who were sick, and welcomed all of them with open arms. These actions challenged the social stigmas and purity laws of the time, emphasizing that God's love and mercy extend beyond rigid interpretations of rules and traditions.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan - Finally, we revisit the familiar parable of the Good Samaritan. Most of us have generally heard this story as a lesson about helping others. However, the true lesson goes much deeper. It challenges prioritizing rules and traditions over compassion, as exemplified by the priest and Levite, who avoided the injured man due to purity laws.
Our Jewish roots provide important cultural context clues that give us insight into Jesus’ teachings. Throughout his ministry, Jesus emphasized prioritizing compassion, love, and understanding over rigid adherence to rules and traditions. We should always look for ways to challenge social stigmas and prejudices, just as Jesus did when he reached out to the “unclean” and the cultural outcasts.
As the early church emerged and spread the Gospel message and the Christian faith embraced and welcomed Gentiles, many Jewish practices were left behind. But their essence is still with us, and they help us better understand what we’re reading, doing, and praying. By understanding these roots, we can deepen our faith journey. By understanding the practices and traditions Jesus participated in, we better understand him. It all works together to build our faith and help us be more like Jesus Christ.
Shalom
One more principle we find in our Jewish heritage is the concept of shalom. We often hear shalom used as a greeting of peace. But it is much deeper than just “passing the peace.” Christian author Cornelius Plantinga describes the concept of shalom this way,
“The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom. We call it peace but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness and delight – a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom he delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be.”
Extending a greeting of “shalom” is like saying, “May you be filled with complete and perfect peace and be full of well-being.” The word suggests a state of fullness surpassing all inner joy and serenity.
The word shalom appears in the Bible over 200 times, which would seem to indicate its importance. Yet, when the word is translated to “rest” or “peace,” it loses some of the nuance and importance of shalom.
Shalom was the state of the creation in the beginning. It is the environment that Adam and Eve entered into. The world was at perfect peace and the creator of all things was in complete communion with creation. Yet sin destroyed that shalom and cast the world into a state of brokenness. This fallen world we live in is filled with violence, heartache, pain, and death. But there is good news in the Gospel. Through Christ, that shalom has been restored and God is again making all things new.
Parables, Sabbath, and Scripture - Full Sermon Video