Two Ways
Read Matthew 23:1-12.
Born in a stable, in the lower part of a house where the animals usually lived, his first cradle was a feeding trough. (Later, he would say he was the "bread of life.") He and his family had to flee with basically the clothes on their back to a foreign land to escape a death sentence from a mad king. Some speculate that the magi's gift of gold may have been what sustained them in Egypt. When they returned, he lived a subsistence life in a town that wasn't important enough to be included on the maps of the day. He never traveled more than two hundred miles from his home, and he had no place to call his own (cf. Luke 9:58).
The religious leaders of his day, on the other hand, had privilege and at least a perceived level of power. Jesus himself mentions they sat on "Moses' seat," which was the place in each synagogue where the rabbi or leader taught. Sometimes it was an actual seat, and sometimes it represented the authority of Moses to teach. They enjoyed the prominent seats at banquets and the reserved spots in the parking lot. They basked in the honorific greetings they received when they were out in public and they made a show of wearing elaborate garments that designated their exalted status.
So the people really had a choice of whom to follow: the rabbis, who held the authority of Moses, or Jesus, the one who came from nowhere.
The way of the rabbis might lead to position and posture, while the way of Jesus leads to a humble life of service. The way of the rabbis also led to a life of legalism, heavy burdens that no one could hope to lift, while the way of Jesus led to a shared yoke and burden (cf. Matthew 11:30). The way of the rabbis led to exaltation in this world, while the way of Jesus led to humility in this world, for in the way of Jesus, the one who is the greatest in the kingdom is the one who is most humble in the world.
Those two ways still exist, by the way. Maybe the first way isn't so much represented by teachers of the law anymore, but it is still a path so many tread today. Which way will you choose during this Advent season? The way of exaltation or the way of Jesus?
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| Rachel on "Moses' Seat," 2012, Chorazim, Israel |
Born in a stable, in the lower part of a house where the animals usually lived, his first cradle was a feeding trough. (Later, he would say he was the "bread of life.") He and his family had to flee with basically the clothes on their back to a foreign land to escape a death sentence from a mad king. Some speculate that the magi's gift of gold may have been what sustained them in Egypt. When they returned, he lived a subsistence life in a town that wasn't important enough to be included on the maps of the day. He never traveled more than two hundred miles from his home, and he had no place to call his own (cf. Luke 9:58).
The religious leaders of his day, on the other hand, had privilege and at least a perceived level of power. Jesus himself mentions they sat on "Moses' seat," which was the place in each synagogue where the rabbi or leader taught. Sometimes it was an actual seat, and sometimes it represented the authority of Moses to teach. They enjoyed the prominent seats at banquets and the reserved spots in the parking lot. They basked in the honorific greetings they received when they were out in public and they made a show of wearing elaborate garments that designated their exalted status.
So the people really had a choice of whom to follow: the rabbis, who held the authority of Moses, or Jesus, the one who came from nowhere.
The way of the rabbis might lead to position and posture, while the way of Jesus leads to a humble life of service. The way of the rabbis also led to a life of legalism, heavy burdens that no one could hope to lift, while the way of Jesus led to a shared yoke and burden (cf. Matthew 11:30). The way of the rabbis led to exaltation in this world, while the way of Jesus led to humility in this world, for in the way of Jesus, the one who is the greatest in the kingdom is the one who is most humble in the world.
Those two ways still exist, by the way. Maybe the first way isn't so much represented by teachers of the law anymore, but it is still a path so many tread today. Which way will you choose during this Advent season? The way of exaltation or the way of Jesus?
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