"We observe how deeply personal is the focus of Jesus' teaching: it is on Himself, not on His message..." Rabbi Jacob Neusner on his analysis of Jesus' sermon on the mount which is the reason why he would not have followed Jesus because to do so is to betray One Israel and turn his back against the Torah and the Source of the Torah.
This perspective gives us an insight of a probable reason of the Pharisees' rage against Jesus. Our maginalised view of the Jews of Jesus' days ought to be discarded and humbly approach the bible with an open mind and heart knowing that a lot of dynamics are involved in the actions and words spoken by the people of that era, culture and context.
A deeper study of cultures of the Jew and even the geographical history of this people group is required in order to do justice to them before we make a spectacle of them in our sermons and preaching as if Jesus approved of such conduct.
If we truly believe that the Word of God is the ultimate answer and solution to all of human needs (as seen in the fervency and passion of our preaching and sermons), we should dive deeper into the Word and avoid dishing our aesthetically garnished catch-phrases or sugar-coated slogans as if they would truly satisfy the deep longing of the human soul.
If an unbelieving Rabbi would conclude that Jesus had come not merely like Moses to deliver a new Torah but to declare that He is Torah, and that it is core message is not His words but Himself, then we as believers should have a greater revelation of the Person of Jesus and that the Central Message is Him and not us.
A thought came to me as I read, i recalled the words of Jesus which He issued to all believers to "Follow Him" but the fact of the matter is that we are NOT able to follow Him. Not even the great apostles were able to, as we read how they cowardly fled when Jesus whom they honestly believed had come to deliver Israel from their oppressors. Afterall, wherever Jesus went, He drew crowds, He had the the mandate of the people to be the their deliverer. Not only that, Jesus Himself responded to the title as the Son of David and all Israel had been waiting for such a Son of David to deliver and to restore what was David's - a kingdom that has no end.
Back to Jesus issuing a call to all true believers to forsake all and to "follow Him". It is a command that is impossible for us to fulfill so that bring us to the question, " Why would He make such a demand?"
The scriptures recorded that Jesus stood before the judgement of governors and the people and was sentenced to die by the way of the Cross. He then was made to carry His cross by a certain way or route to Calvary Hill. Along the way, another Simon was forced to carry the cross of Jesus. From the scripture, we knew that Jesus was crucified and died alone pierced upon a wooden cross alone. Even upon the cross, the God whom He declared as the only Being who is good forshook Him at His greatest need. He was alone and alone for Him to bear and none followed Him.
His death was the end of the dreams of many but it was the beginning of a new Way, A new Truth, a new Life!
His call to us and to the world to Follow Him was not a challenge or merely a command but a declaration and an invitation to follow Him which He had gone ahead of us to prepare for us...
It is an invitation ...
To a New Way - A new way which has been opened for us to come before God the Father without the blood of bulls and goats.
To a New Truth - A new truth which they never knew that it is possible to see God and fellowship with Him and not die.
To a New Life - A new Life which is a life of freedom even while they lived under the regime of the Roman empire and a life that is so liberating that no one can take it away because the Son of God personally came to set them free!
It was an invitation to follow Him as a New Creation in the New Covenant which is made possible when we are IN Christ and by Christ and Through Christ.
It would be this following of Him that will give us the strength to pull away from the gravity of sin and condemnation.
It would be this following of Him that we are more than conquerers in Christ because He has conquered death the final enemy of man.
While the Jews were commanded by God to follow the Torah, Jesus invites us to follow Him because He is the New Torah.
Amen.
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