What was the “Good Portion” that Mary Chose?
Women have always cheered at the story of Mary of Bethany in Luke 10:38-42. Mary wanted to sit and learn from Jesus, in spite of Martha’s bossy reminders that a long list of chores had her name on...
View ArticleCan We Use Jewish Sources to Study Jesus?
How much can we really learn about the Jewishness of Jesus from Jewish sources? That’s a pretty fundamental question, since the goal of this website is to understand the Jewish background of...
View ArticleNo Soup for You!
Later rabbis actually agreed with Jesus' about declaring things "korban." Why? You need to know about this passionate culture where people often made rash vows.
View ArticleWhy Leave Out the Leavening?
Yesterday night, Jews around the world sat down to celebrate the Passover Seder meal. At the same time, they also began the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasts seven days. Still today Jewish people...
View ArticleWhat’s So Wrong with Mixing Wool & Linen?
Most Christians would agree — the levitical law that wins the prize for weird is Deuteronomy 22:11: “Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.” Why on earth did God make such an odd...
View ArticleJesus’ Jewish Logic: Measure for Measure
With the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matt 7:2 . In Jesus’ words above about the “measure you use,” he was using a classic rabbinic idea called midah keneged midah (mee-dah kah-NEG-ed...
View ArticleLetting Our Tassels Show
To modern Christians, many Old Testament laws seem arbitrary. One in particular may strike you as odd — the commandment to wear tassels. In Numbers it says, Throughout the generations to come you are...
View ArticleThe Reality of Disciples and Rabbis
I recently was asked about how disciples studied with rabbis. What age were disciples, and did they pay the rabbi a fee to study? How did they support themselves at the same time? Did the rabbis work...
View ArticleLearning from Jesus’ Jewish Prayer Life
The Jewish prayers of Jesus and Paul were very different than how we do today. Discovering how they "blessed" the Lord can enrich our faith.
View ArticleTest Your “Jesus Theories” in the Book of Acts
There’s no end, it seems, to how people can interpret the words of Jesus. It’s not hard to pluck out a line here and there and read it in some strange new way. How can we know how they actually sounded...
View ArticleAdvent & Hanukkah – The Most Hebraic Time of Year
Many Christians right now are preparing for Christmas. Jews, on the other hand, are in the middle of the 8-day celebration of Hanukkah. For most, the two holidays seem to have little in common. But...
View ArticleNot Yours to Complete
How Jewish ethics deals with smoking can teach us about following Christ.
View ArticlePluck out your eye? Putting it in Context
If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell. Matthew 18:9 Some of the...
View ArticleWorshiping Alone Together?
In Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus I talked about Christian individualism. Our tradition greatly emphasizes the idea of isolating ourselves in order to experience God’s presence, whereas Judaism...
View ArticleUshpizin – A Great Movie for Sukkot
In a few days, Jewish people around the world will be celebrating the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) in small “booths” or “tabernacles” they have built in their yards. They’ll live in these little huts...
View ArticleA Blessing for Every Occasion
If you’ve read my article, “Learning from Jesus’ Jewish Prayer Life,” you know the richness of the Jewish pattern of prayer that encourages a person to “bless the Lord” at all times. Below I’ve put a...
View ArticleWhy Does Your Creed have Cows in It?
When I first read the Shema, the Jewish profession of faith, I assumed it was their Apostle’s Creed. I was shocked because I was looking for doctrines like the “communion of saints” and “forgiveness of...
View ArticleWould Jesus have Recognized “Live Long and Prosper”?
Even if you didn’t watch Star Trek, you probably know what Mr. Spock’s Vulcan greeting, “Live Long and Prosper” looks like. If you were a die-hard fan (like me) you might have heard that Leonard Nimoy...
View ArticleNew Light on Jesus’ Last Week, Part II
The people who called for Jesus’ crucifixion were not the same crowd as those who hailed him as Messiah. Those who taunted him were corrupt priests and Roman soldiers. Jesus was as popular with the...
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