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This Week's Reading: Matthew 5; Luke 6
Come Follow Me Insight #1
Luke 6:15 – Simon the Zealot would have hated Matthew In Luke 6 we read about Jesus calling a new disciple, Simon the Zealot.
What was a Zealot? They were a group of Jews who resisted Roman (or any other foreign) rule. The most extreme of the Zealots became terrorists and assassins known as Sicarri (or dagger men). They targeted Romans and Jews who were sympathetic to the Romans. . . including tax collectors like Matthew. (Source) Matthew and Simon would have had to overcome a mutual dislike (perhaps even hatred) for each other.
Come Follow Me Insight #2
Divorce in the Bible – 5:31-32
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus addressed the topic of divorce. However divorce in ancient Israel was different from modern-day divorce in that a woman could NEVER divorce her husband. All divorces were a man separating from his wife. Professor Israel Abrahams said, “The common term used in the Bible for divorce is shilluach ‘ishshah, “the sending away of a wife” (Deuteronomy 22:19,29). We never read of “the sending away of a husband.” The feminine participle, gerushah, “the woman thrust out,” is the term applied to a divorced woman. The masculine form is not found. (Source)
Come Follow Me Insight #3
Luke 6 – scribes and Pharisees freaking out over healing (v.11)
Luke 6:6-11 describes the Pharisees anger when Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath. In fact, verse 11 says they were “filled with madness.” Which brings up the question– why were they angry instead of converted? Were they scared that if Jesus proved to be the Messiah they would lose their jobs and livelihoods as Pharisees? No. Being a Pharisee was not a career and most Pharisees had regular day jobs. So it is likely that they were so focused on the written and oral law that they simply couldn’t (or wouldn’t) see Jesus for who He really was. (Source)
My Favorite Scriptures for the Week
- Matthew 5:3-10
- Matthew 5:13-16
- Matthew 5:21-22
- Matthew 5:23-26
- Luke 6:27-28, 31-34
- Luke 6:41-42
- Luke 6:47-49
One Minute History
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