Another
story of rebellion over food ends badly.
You would think that surely by now they would have ceased this
particular refrain but there may be something in your life that is also a
constant source of complaint before the Lord just as they did. This is an episode that Jesus uses as a
comparison with His own ministry in speaking with Nicodemus in John 3. As the serpent was the problem, so was gazing
at the bronze serpent in faith the solution, so will the man, Jesus, hanging on
the cross be the solution to the problem which is mankind and He must be
apprehended in faith to receive healing.
Finally, the people begin to step into their call to take the land in defeating
two Amorite kings and settling in their lands.
Even on the other side of the Jordan they are beginning to take
possession of their birthright.
Jesus heals
on the Sabbath and it becomes an offense against the law to the ruler of the
synagogue. The ruler says that if they
want healing they should come on one of the other six days of the week. The woman had this “disabling spirit” for
eighteen years and had not been healed, is he really suggesting that if she had
come on a Wednesday he would have healed her at any point during those years of
her disability? The woman had given
glory to God for her healing, it was clearly a sign that pointed in the right
direction. Jesus applies the law as any
rabbi would have done, it was perfectly allowable to help your beast of burden
out of a problem situation on the Sabbath, therefore logic dictates that this
healing of a person is also allowable.
There is an interesting argument here, the relative value of human life
is indisputable in the logical argument, we are a higher form of creation,
Jesus makes that clear, although no one in the Jewish culture would have had
any doubt about the matter.
Paul does
cultural exegesis at Athens in order to connect the Gospel to their belief
system. The Athenians prized knowledge
and were always open to new things, so much so that within their pantheon of
gods they were willing to leave room for something else. Paul says that the unknown god actually is
creator of all that is and He wants to be sought and found, He does not hide
Himself, He has always desired to be known and in a man He appointed and raised
from the dead, He now calls all men to Himself.
Paul never identifies Jesus in this little discourse. It is the resurrection from the dead that is
scandal here. When Paul wrote the
Corinthians he was, perhaps, reflecting on this moment when he said that the
cross was folly to the Gentiles. It is
not worldly wisdom that allows us to believe the Gospel, it is faith, itself a
gift from the Lord, without it we have no hope and we can only mock those who
do believe such things.
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