The Rock, The Road, and the Rabbi: Jesus Writes in the Dirt

In Hebrew culture, pictures and references are very important, like what was depicted in the last blog post by the significance of the number 153. 

The same is true for actions and even quotations. For example, in the Bible when Jesus said something and the people became so angry they wanted to attack Him, to the modern Western reader, it might not be obvious as to why. His words might even seem innocuous. But that's because the practice of this oral culture was for a rabbi to reference a passage from the Torah and let the audience finish it. So when Jesus made a reference, he often only said the beginning part and the part left unsaid was for the audience to know and understand—and that's what made them angry.

Here is another example of this, which I thought was so cool. On pages 79-81, Rabbi Jason Sobel talks of the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery in John 8, which I've talked about here and here. What caught my eye was Sobel's unpacking of Jesus writing in the dirt, of which none of us knows what He wrote (I hope to one day!). 

Sobel points out that:

• Jesus wrote in the dirt twice
• He wrote with His finger twice
• Jesus wrote specifically in the dirt, and 
• Jesus knelt to write (page 79).

Then, he ties that to:

• God wrote the 10 Commandments twice on tablets of stone with His finger.
• The second set of tablets was a sign that God had forgiven Israel, and Moses descended Mount Sinai with those tablets on the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year.
• When the Pharisees brought this woman before Jesus, they had literally just finished observing the Day of Atonement. "Jesus' action of writing in the dirt reminded these leaders that they, too, were guilty of breaking the 10 Commandments and needed atonement, for which they had just fasted and prayed for a week earlier" (page 80).
• Jesus writing in the dirt reminded them that they were formed from dust.
• Jesus kneeling to write puts Him on the same level as the woman—He meets us where we are.

WOW! These are things I never would have known without studying Jewish history and culture. What do you think about these connections?

The Turned the World Upside Down by Charles Martin

 Finally, my review of Charles Martin's newest book, They Turned the World Upside Down!

I always need to start off talking about Charles Martin by stating that he is my favorite author, especially in the fiction world. His first nonfiction, What if It's True?, was incredible, and his second has not disappointed either. It felt very different than the first book, though still familiar, and it's clear why this book needed to be written and published as well. It's message is powerful, and one that needs pouring over instead of a quick read-through.

Since my focus on this blog is highlighting things about Israel or a culture connected with the Bible (first century or modern times), I'm going to focus on that for this review and specifically feature one insight that stood out to me. But I did want to say that these details are included to enhance the story and explain the context, not the focus—which is encouraging readers to live as Jesus charged His followers to. 

But here's what stood out to me as far as this blog's focus (and there were many moments like these with clear, cultural insights throughout the book):

In Chapter 9, "Willing to be Willing", Martin opens with the story of Peter and John going to the temple to pray in Acts 3. There, at the gate called "Beautiful", they meet a lame beggar who is asking for alms. He asks them for money, but Peter says, "Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have I give unto thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!" The Bible says that immediately, the beggars feet and ankles were made strong and he does: "leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God." 

This is where Martin says something I hadn't considered before: "Then he walks into the temple. Why? Because he's been lame since birth, and according to Leviticus, 'no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame.' Which means he was excluded from temple worship. For his entire life. No fellowship with God. He was born and has always been a complete and total outcast. But not any longer. Now he's included" (pages 138-139). 

WOW! Maybe I've heard this before in my life, but I can't remember if I had. The magnitude of that moment... not only the physical healing, but that it allowed the beggar to enter the temple for the first time... that can't be glossed over. His healing brought Him near to God. It brought him in fellowship with others, but most of all, the God of the universe. I'm going to be thinking on this for a while, and its wider implications of how our healing and freedom always brings us closer in fellowship with God. 

What do you think about this story? Did you know this before? And have you read this book? If not, I definitely recommend it! You can get it here on Amazon. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

They Turned the World Upside Down

AHHHHH!!!!

So, last Saturday was my birthday and I just found out that Charles Martin has a sequel to What If It's True? coming out! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! It's called:

 They Turned the World Upside Down: A storyteller's journey with those who dared to follow Jesus

3 guesses as to who this is about (*ahem* Early Church *ahem*)!

I'm SO EXCITED! And wondering how I'll be able to wait an entire year to get my hands on this book, because its release date is January 5, 2021. (Yes, I've already purchased it; no I do not need to calm down!).

So, go check it out and even pre-order it... you can bet we'll have a series on it next year! WHY IS IT SO FAR AWAY?!? This is almost as hard as waiting for my Israel trip... which is a little over 2 months away! AHH!!! I'm so excited!!!

Pilate's Praetorium

Here is another teaching from Charles Martin on his trip to Israel spring of 2019. This time he's teaching from Pilate's Praetorium, taking the reader through the night of Jesus' trial and torture before going to the cross.

click here or on the photo, then select the video with "Pilate's Praetorium"

By the way, the hole in the image above is where the Romans put a pole in the ground and tied Jesus to it to be flogged. Right there. Not somewhere in a fictional story. RIGHT THERE.

Right there. 

What If It's True?: Charles Martin teaches from Capernaum

So, earlier this year, author Charles Martin of What if It's True?:A storyteller's journey with Jesus, travelled to Israel with his church for a Bible tour. While there, he taught at several locations. These teachings were filmed, and he shared the links with his fans in a newsletter.

Which basically means I get to hear my favorite author teach from my favorite place in the world—no big deal.

Anyway, one of the places he taught was in Capernaum, and it was here that he read aloud the story he'd written about the tassels/hem of garments, David in En Gedi, and the woman with the issue of blood.

So, please go buy this book! But, here's where you can hear it read aloud—in the very place it happened 2000 years ago.

Click here or on the image above, and then select the video titled "Capernaum" in the 2nd row.

Enjoy!

What if it's True?: Combatting Resignation

In Chapter 5 "Talk to the Hand—Jesus Christ is Lord of All" of What if it's True?: A Storyteller's Journey with Jesus, author Charles Martin discusses the cancer of resignation and why it is so important to put all of our trust in God.

He points out, that in Caesarea Philippi, Peter's confession of "You are the Messiah" in Matthew 16 came six days before the revelation that Jesus was in fact, the Messiah.

"At its root," Martin says, "Resignation spins a lie that says our enemy is stronger than our King. Period.... [But], truth is, our hardship does not determine HIs character or HIs love for us, and it doesn't make Him any less King or any less capable or any less good or any less in love with us. The choice is ours. We get to choose whether to fix our eyes on the giants—or the King on the throne" (pages 63-64).

On page 66, he says, "Our enemy can take you and me from warrior to wuss through our agreement with resignation". The way to fight back through the word of God. "Counter every lie with 2 promises of God. Make bookends".

Pretty great advice! And actually, you can hear him teach on this yourself. Click here or on the photo above, because while in Israel earlier this year, Martin taught on this very topic and chapter from its setting: Caesarea Philippi. And while listening to his message, you can hear the calming waters of Banias Springs, the headwaters of the Jordan River... and watch a lot of tourists walk by and take selfies, haha.

Choose the video that says "Caesarea Philippi" to get the right one.

What if It's True?: The Shelter of His Wings

As I said in the last post, I love pretty much everything Charles Martin writes. But he mostly writes fiction, so when he published a nonfiction book this year, I was curious. What if it's True? didn't disappoint!

In chapter 2, "We're all bleeders", he explores the concept of the tassels on the hems of garments, which reminded me of this post I wrote last year from Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg's book, Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus. 

They basically explore the concept of tassels on the hem of the garments of Jewish men, especially in ancient Israel, and gave me a perspective how specific stories from the Bible that I'd never thought of before: David cutting the hem off Saul's robe and the woman with the issue of blood touching Jesus' hem. 

So, when I saw that Martin wrote a chapter that also talked about this concept and these stories, I wanted to share it here.

What I love is that Martin expands on the concepts I learned from Spangler and Tverberg's book. While they spoke about the hem showing authority, power, and holiness, he talks about its protection. Martin talks about the word "wings" used in the Old Testament to show God's protection of the Israelites, threading it from Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, 1 Samuel, Psalms, Malachi... and all the way to Matthew.

The meaning of "wings" in the passages he cites have to do with cover, refuge, deliverance, and trust" (page 21). He points out that when God commands in Numbers for the Israelites to put tassels on their garments, it was because "God is practical and He doesn't want His people to forget" (page 21) and later on this page shows that the corner/border of a garment is the same word used for wings in these passages. "God was making a mental connection for His people. In a sense, He was saying, 'The corner of your garment should remind you of Me and My protection—of My deliverance and your healing" (pages 21-22).

As with the story of David cutting off the tassel of Saul's robe, Martin points out, "That tassel represented God's covering and protection. God had given Saul into David's hand. And when David held it up and showed it to Saul, and Saul glanced down at his now three-winged shirt, Saul knew it. He understood" (page 22).

As for the woman with the issue of blood:

"This woman believed the Word was more true than her circumstances" (page 27).

WOW. Read that about 50 times more, please. I know I need to.

It wasn't just her though. Martin points out in Matthew 14:35-36: "And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well."

What about us? As Martin states: "The wings of His garment are here. Now. Will you reach out and grab hold?" (page 27)

So now, we've seen a connection of this physical picture of God's authority, power, holiness, and protection. How does this continuation of this theme deepen our understanding of this practice and God's Word?

What if it's True?

This year, my favorite author of all time, Charles Martin, published a book called, What if it's True?: A Storyteller's Journey with Jesus.

While Martin normally writes fiction, this book was completely true to his voice, which is nothing less than raw, powerful poetry in prose form. If you've never read his books, you need to. Don't even get me started on how amazing they are. 

Especially When Crickets Cry. 

Especially Wrapped in Rain. 

Especially A Life Intercepted. 

Especially Water from my Heart. 

Especially... but I digress.

In What if it's True? Martin takes the reader straight into the days when Jesus Himself walked on the Earth. It's not a fictional account, or a re-telling either. Each chapter focuses on a different story, with different characters interacting with Jesus. Martin steps into the story, with the reader, until they are both right in the middle of the action. 

Then he pulls away and connects the story to real life 2019 years later, tugging the reader back to the modern day.

Except that, having looked into the eyes of Jesus in each of these stories, the readers can't look away. Martin threads, hammers, and chisels his points straight into the heart, leaving the reader nowhere to go except to Scripture, prayer, and time with the Lord. And in light of that, he closes every chapter with a prayer, inviting the reader to sit once again at the feet of Jesus.

He basically is asking the question, "What if everything Jesus said and did was true, what would it mean for our lives today?"

I can't recommend this book highly enough... or this author. Please check it out!

Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: The Woman Caught in Adultery

In Chapter 7 of Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, Kenneth E. Bailey focuses on the story of the woman caught in adultery.

The basis of this story from John 7:53-8:11 is that the Pharisees bring a woman caught in the act of adultery (I'm not a feminist, but where was the man she was with?) to Jesus who was at the temple. Forget the violation of so many things here that the Pharisees did (brought her in a half-dressed, unkempt state, her ceremonial uncleanliness, etc.)...they want to catch Jesus in a quandary in order to invalidate Him. 

Jesus is sitting in the Temple, teaching (because teachers sat in Jewish culture, and listeners stood when speaking to them- see page 286 for more on this practice). This is the day after a major feast, which according to Jewish law, had to be observed as a sabbath. 

Bailey states, "The fact that they brought the woman but not her male partner clearly indicates that their concern was not preservation of the law but rather the public humiliation of Jesus" (page 232). Additionally, this is done in clear view of Roman soldiers who were observing from the military fort near the north end of the Temple.

The Pharisees think Jesus has 2 options: 1) to agree to stoning her, which would lead to His arrest in the midst of a public outcry or 2) say something that would let her go and show Him a coward/law breaker.

Here's the cultural stuff I didn't know before reading this chapter (in addition to it being in the view of the Roman soldiers): 

What Jesus does next (writes in the dust with His finger) shows direct knowledge of Jewish law and culture, because while writing was considered work, writing in the dust was permissible, since it wasn't permanent. "By doing this, He made it clear to His accusers that He was not only familiar with the written law but also well-versed in the developing oral interpretation of that law" (page 234).

When Jesus says, "Let the one among you who is without sin cast the first stone", that coupled with whatever He wrote (we don't know), is a direct challenge where "He asks each individual to acknowledge responsibility for participation in the act....[He is basically saying], 'Gentlemen, you clearly want me to go to jail for the law of Moses. I am willing to do so. I have ordered that she be killed. But I want to know which one of you is willing to volunteer to accompany me into that cell?" (page 235). Bailey also points out that in this honor/shame culture, for someone to declare Himself sinless (other than Christ) would bring shame, because since they know the law, they know it says that all have sinned. 

Wow! Later in the chapter, Bailey says Jesus walked a razor's edge between condemning her (following the law) and overlooking her sin (violating the law). I don't think I fully caught all the ramifications of this until reading this chapter. 

What about you? What do you think?

(Edit July 7, 2019: in What if it's True?, Charles Martin also has a very powerful chapter about this story).