A popular view was that the kingdom of God meant throwing off the oppressive yoke of Rome and establishing an independent state of Israel. Judas Maccabeus and his brothers and followers had won independence for the Jewish people in the second century B.C. by guerrilla warfare and diplomatic skill. Many of the Jewish people believed that with God's help the same thing could happen again. Other efforts had failed but the spirit of revolt remained. If Jesus had consented to become the military leader which the people wanted, many would gladly have followed Him. In spite of His temptation, Jesus resisted taking this path.
Jesus' started the ministry by works of mercy, healing of the sick, particularly those who were demon-possessed. These works and deeds proclaimed the arrival of the kingdom of God. The demons that caused such distress to men and women were signs of the kingdom of Satan. When they were cast out, this proved the superior strength of the kingdom of God. For a time, Jesus' healing aroused great popular enthusiasm throughout Galilee. But the religious leaders and teachers found much of Jesus' activity disturbing. He do not always bound by their religious ideas. He befriended social outcasts. He insisted on understanding and applying the law of God in the light of its original intention, not according to the popular interpretation of the religious establishment. For example, He healing very sick people on the Sabbath day and some of the Pharisees said, 'Why are you doing something that is forbidden on the Sabbath day?
And he said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is master even of the sabbath". - Mark 2:27-28 -
Now on another sabbath he went into the synagogue and began to teach, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching him and see if he would cure a man on the sabbath, hoping to find something to use against him. But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man with the withered hand. 'Stand up! Come out into the middle'. And he came out and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, 'I put it to you: is it against the law on the sabbath to do good or to do evil; to save life or to destroy it?' Then he looked round at them all and said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand'. He did so, and his hand was better. But they were furious and began to discuss the best way of dealing with Jesus. - Luke 6:6-11 -
This attitude brought Jesus into conflict with the scribes, Pharisees and the the official teachers of the law. Because of their influence, He was soon barred from preaching in the synagogues. This was no great inconvenience. Jesus simply gathered larger congregations to listen to Him on the hillside or by the lake shore. He regularly illustrated the main themes of His preaching by parables. These were simple stories from daily life which would drive home some special point and make it stick in the hearer's understanding.
From among the large number of His followers......
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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