The Secret Codes in Matthew: Examining Israel’s Messiah, Part 4, by Kevin M. Williams
We asked the question earlier, how did news of Yeshua travel so fast? The Roman Empire had its system of communication—one of the finest the world had known up to that time. But so did the Hebrews. There were synagogues throughout the Empire, in almost every commercial area. A Jewish traveler or merchant would likely, if he were even moderately religious, stop for the Sabbath and enjoy the local synagogue. Likewise, there were daily prayer services held in synagogues, and at least two other worship services during the week that attracted the locals and the non-locals.
This is where news of the Empire and the Holy Land was shared. If you had a bit of “juicy gossip” about a man the people were calling the Messiah, you would likely pass it along. If you had witnessed a miracle, if you thought the release from Rome was in sight, you would pass it along to your fellow Hebrews.
For news of Yeshua to spread so quickly should surprise no one.
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And when He saw the multitudes, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And opening His mouth He [began] to teach them … (Matthew 5:1-2)
Here we see a typical example of The rabbi and his talmidim (disciples). It was very common for a rabbi to travel to a locale, sit his disciples down at his feet, and begin teaching them.
Regarding talmidim, Dr. David Stern writes: “The English word ‘disciple’ fails to convey the richness of the relationship between a rabbi and his talmidim in the first century. Teachers, both itinerant like Yeshua and settled ones, attracted followers who wholeheartedly gave themselves over to their teachers (though not in a mindless way, as happens today in some cults). The essence of the relationship was one of trust in every area of living, and its goal was to make the talmid like his rabbi in knowledge, wisdom and ethical behavior.”
The relationship the disciples of Christ experience then, should be the same experience we are to have today, to have ourselves molded into the image of our rabbi, the Messiah.
It likely that biblical archeologists have determined which “mountain” Yeshua sat on to preach the beatitudes. The parallel we should find interesting is found Deuteronomy 11:29:
And it shall come about, when the Lord your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, that you shall place the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.
The beatitudes are “blessings” pronounced by Jesus. Yet almost two millennia earlier, another set of biblical blessings (and curses) were spoken over the Israelites. In each case, if you will, there was a crossing over. The first a spiritual metaphor, a literal crossing over into the Promised Land with its community’s blessings and curses for following (or not following) the Lord of Hosts.
Category: Biblical Studies, Pneuma Review, Winter 2002
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