Musings from Israel, Part Six

A Good Eye

As we explored the ruins of Korazim, we saw this stone seat inside what was once the synagogue. Yoni explained to us that this is a "Seat of Moses." The rabbis would sit in these seats of honor inside the synagogue to teach the people the laws and to settle disputes. Jesus referenced this seat in Matthew 23:1-3, "Then Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples: 'The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.'" For the rest of Matthew 23, Jesus harshly criticized the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy. What I find interesting is that the religious leaders were teaching the truth of God to the people, even though they were not living it out in their own lives. They had the knowlege of the truth in their heads, but it had not penetrated their hearts.

Previously in Matthew's gospel, Jesus had followed up another condemnation of hypocrisy with these sayings:

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where theives break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destoys and where theives do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! Matthew 6:19-23 NKJV

The first part of this passage is very familiar to us, but the second part is not quoted as often. The concept of the "good eye/bad eye" does not make much sense to us, because it is a Hebrew idiom. A person with "good eye" is not a person with keen eyesight, but a generous person. Proverbs 22:9 gives a little more context, "He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor."

So how do we show that we have internalized the truth of God in our hearts? That we are not just hypocrites like the Pharisees? How do we lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven?

By having a good eye - a generous heart.

Give to others.

Musings from Israel, Part Five

Oy!

One of the many ruins we visited in Israel was Korazim (or Chorazin...place names in Israel seem to have many different spellings). This was one of the cities Jesus rebuked for unbelief in Matthew 11:21-22. Jesus exclaimed, "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you."

Yoni explained to us that Jesus used the word, "Oy" at the beginning of this exclamation. When we translate that into English as the dour, "Woe to you," it seems as if Jesus was angrily laying a curse on these cities. But the word "oy" is more of a lament. The prophet Isaiah uses the same word in Isaiah 6:5, "Woe to me, for I am undone!" Jesus was lamenting the unbelief of these cities, Korazim, Bethsaida, and, later in the same chapter, Capernaum. These three cities were all in the Galilee region where He preached and performed numerous miracles. Jesus went on to predict the coming judgement on these cities for continuing in their unbelief, but it was by no means an angry, vengeful Christ calling down fire and brimstone upon the people of the Galilee. It was with a lament (Oy!) and a call to repentance that Jesus predicted the future judgement upon those who continued to reject Him.

At the end of His speech, Jesus reminded the people of His love and mercy. He offered hope and a second chance to all, as He still does today.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me,

for I am gentle and lowly in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30