Seeing the world through the lens of his own experience

"Everyone sees the world through the lens of his own experience. We perceive our world from a particular time and cultural background. It is easy to assume that Jesus and his disciples were much like ourselves. In our movies about Jesus he is often portrayed as a "hippie" with blond hair and blue eyes. It is not as easy to see Jesus as a homely, middle eastern Jewish rabbi who spoke Hebrew and went by the name "Yashua Ben Yoseph".

If we want to understand Jesus and his message in its original context we have to try to understand the world from his point of view. The most natural assumption in the world is that we put ourselves in the mindset of a first century Jew. If we read the Gospel from this perspective, does the message change? An intellectualized Gospel of the 20th century North American or a Social Justice Gospel which resonates so well in Third World today may miss the message found in a 1st century story of a Jewish Messiah.

Long ago, God chose a special people for himself. He promised Abraham and his descendants that through them would come a redeemer who would bless all nations. So it was that Israel looked forward to the coming Messiah (anointed one). Jesus was very clear in regard to the spiritual authority God had bestowed upon the Jews. We see this in his remark to the Samaritan woman in John 3:22. The Samaritans worshipped the God of Abraham too, but they worshipped him according to their own standards.

Jesus said:

"You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews." John 3:22

The Gospel has become many things in the name of "spirit and truth" (John 3:23) yet God chose to bring forth salvation from within a Jewish context. Jesus cannot be properly understood apart from Old Testament Judaism.

Despite this reality, the Christian world has generally abandoned the Jewish context in which the Gospel was born. Gentile believers, in a reaction against Jewish "traditionalism", commonly discard all things Jewish as obsolete. As a result, Christian traditions have replaced the old Jewish ones.

Over the centuries, the Church developed a version of faith which accommodated its own cultural expressions. This is most readily illustrated by noting the many pagan practices that have been "christianized" and assimilated into our faith experience. It is just as revealing to note how little Jewish tradition was adopted. These "new" traditions are now so embedded we can hardly imagine Christianity without them. Imagine trying to live without Christmas or Easter, both pagan in origin, now fundamental centerpieces of the Christian experience.

There has been a paradigm shift from a Middle Eastern Jewish Messiah to a Western Greco-Roman Christ. So much so, in fact, that Christianity today bears little resemblance to the religion Jesus participated in on the earth. In the minds of most Christians, Judaism may as well be a different religion altogether.

I will suggest that Judaism is not a "different" religion. Rather, Christianity and Judaism are two perspectives of One God. Christianity is no more complete without its Jewish heritage than Judaism is without the Messiah. We may not be comfortable with accepting that Jesus and his disciples were all proud Jews, but I firmly believe it is in our interest to do so.

It is good to remember that the foundation for "Jewish" culture was established directly by God himself. Judaism is the original backdrop of the Gospel story. The Jewish Torah is our own beloved Christian Old Testament. Our God is One, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Christians should take pride in the fact that this Jewish heritage as it is ours as well. Even we Gentiles have a just spiritual claim to all things promised to the Jew through Jesus our Messiah (Christ)."
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GB - The Agora

"This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem (tzit zit) of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.'"
Zechariah 8:23

+ About looking throught the lens > If we view the whole world through a lens that is bright

Risen With Him

RISEN WITH HIM

“If you then are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God.” - Col. 3:1

      Soon the whole Western world will celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. Such a celebration will call for inspiring music, altars decked with lilies, and sermons from pulpits proclaiming the victory of life over death. The pageantry of Easter attracts millions to their respective churches. Unfortunately, a day or two later, all will be more or less forgotten by most in their renewed pursuit of the various needs, wants, and ambitions of this present life.

      Nevertheless, to every true believer, the death and resurrection of our Lord is a very fundamental truth, for it holds a promise of eternal life. “As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). Christ’s resurrection is therefore the guarantee of our resurrection. The Apostle Paul, in this connection, prayed that the eyes of our understanding be enlightened in order that we might understand and appreciate the superlative height and glory to which we are called, a call to glory, honor and immortality (Romans 2:7).

      The resurrection of our Lord, then, is significant to us, for it is a reminder of the glorious hope, based on precious promises, of one day living and reigning with the Lord in His Kingdom and being with Him for all eternity. This should stimulate us to set our affections on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. It should cause us to focus our eyes of faith steadily on this lovely vision, being the  goal of our lives, despite the afflictions, setbacks, disappointments, and losses, which befall all the children of God.

      What does it mean to be “risen with Christ?”  This means that we are now dead to self, and are alive as new creatures in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17). We are walking in a newness of life (Rom. 6:4). Col. 1:12, 13 tell us, “Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves.”

      This,  then,  is the Easter message to us who are  following  in the footsteps of our beloved Master.  Remembering  His  resurrection increases our faith and brightens our hope, and thus the things of this earth become dim in our sight and unattractive to us. Thus inspired, we seek first and foremost the Kingdom of God and its righteousness. We redeem the time that God has allocated us and remind ourselves of the Apostle Peter’s words, “What manner of  persons ought you to be in all conduct and godliness?” (2 Pet. 3:11), seeing that we are risen with Christ and are seeking to lay up all our treasures in heaven and are no longer concerned for the things of this earth.  

      Let us also remember that one of the first instructions that the angel gave the women who had come to the tomb was to go and tell others the Good News that He was no longer dead, but risen (Matthew 28:7). What a great and wonderful message it was for them to share this “good news” with the others.

      The Risen Lord tells His disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). This command is still in effect today and thus it is still appropriate for us to carry this wondrous message near and far. The joy, which the knowledge of the Risen Lord brings to our hearts, will be greatly increased if we share these glad tidings with others. Yes, our Master is still saying to His disciples, you and me, “Go…and tell.”  Are we doing this for Him? If we have been slack in sharing the Good News, why not make a fresh start, beginning with this Easter Sunday? There could be no better time.

                                                                                           G. Boccaccio

So Send I You

“…As the Father hath sent Me, so send I you.” - John 20:21

                        So send I you to bind the bruised and broken,

                        O’er wand’ring souls to work, to weep, to wake,

                        To beat the burdens of a world so weary,

                        So send I you to know My love alone.

                          So send I you to hearts made hard by hatred,

                        To eyes made blind because they will not see,

                        To spend, though it be blood, to spend and spare not

                        So send I you ~ to taste of Calvary.

                                                                            E. Margaret Clarkson

From Christian Millennial Fellowship's
New Creation Magazine
A Herald of Christ's Kingdom