ALIVE: Chapter 139, Interpretations Right and Wrong

Even though it was only about the 9th hour, it felt to all the disciples that It had been a long day, and everyone was exhausted. After all, they had that frightful experience on the sea the night before, and the strange morning in the synagogue. Jesus sensed that His men, being only men needed to rest and decompress. After the meal that Peter’s wife and her mother set before them, hummus, falafel, fresh figs and oranges,  they didn’t dare leave the house to be approached by either friend or foe. 

Instead they made plans. Where to go from here?

“Let’s stay in Capernaum for a few more days,” said Peter, “so I can attend to our boats (and my poor wife).”  Andrew agreed, echoed by a few more okays. Mom and the wife overheard and wondered if they should be glad or not.

Jesus quietly listened to His men. 

Bartholomew asked, “Can we go to the sea? I’ve never seen the big sea in the west (the Mediterranean)?” 

Jesus smiled because that was His plan all along, and He was happy that Bartholomew was so close to Him, that he intuited His plan. He said, “Sure, why not. Let’s go to the region between Tyre and Sidon. We will leave after the Sabbath.”

The plan was set. They would spend a few more days in Capernaum, resting and gather supplies. There were a few synagogues they could return to, heal people, then take off after the Sabbath and head northwest. The rest of the day, the men helped the women with whatever they needed, cleaned their clothes and bodies, and rested peacefully. Jesus truly enjoyed the companionship of His men, and the hospitality of Peter’s wife and her mother who were both gentle women, generous, easy going, and good cooks, like His mother.

The next day Jesus and James walked over to another synagogue, the one with the lovely garden a block from the cemetery, not too far from Peter’s house. Capernaum was a fairly large town, but Jesus and His men were there so often that the people were used to them. The crowds that had gathered around Peter’s house in the early days were now a slew of familiar faces, and of friends. Those not in need of miraculous healing went about their business as if Jesus was just another itinerant rabbi. Jesus liked that about Capernaum, there was more freedom there than when they went to new places and were mobbed. Capernaum was home, familiarity and rest. Everywhere else they went, they felt like Jesus was a drop of honey on a leaf attracting hundreds of ants. 

Rabbis in every town looked out for Jesus and His disciples, wondering when their own village or town might be visited. Some wanted Jesus to come and inspire the people, and of course heal those in need, and others hoped He would never come and disturb the sleepy equilibrium of the place. 

If one wanted to find Jesus, it was hard to do, because He moved around so much. Nevertheless, three Pharisees and three scribes were determined to speak to Him. They left Jerusalem and headed to faraway Capernaum specifically hoping to find Him since they heard that He frequently went there. In fact, they were so determined that they left with enough supplies to wait until He returned if they had to. These were sincere men of God who had heard about Jesus, but were confused by Him. He could heal and teach, but He transgressed the Law and criticized the Pharisees. He also made wild claims. They wanted to interrogate Him for themselves rather than sheepishly hate Him as their colleagues did.

When they finally arrived by coach in Capernaum, they headed for the largest Synagogue. Ira, the eldest Pharisee became their spokesman. He led the troop into the synagogue, heads held high, because after all, they came from the City of David, which gave them stature. 

As they walked up the stairs to the entrance they spotted a boy sweeping the steps several meters to their right. Convenient as it might have been, Ira passed the boy to find someone else. Inside the dark candlelit building there were only a few old men in prayer as it was not yet time for services. The rabbi came out of the altar and spotted the distinguished looking foreigners so he walked over and asked them if he could help.

Ira spoke up, “We have come from Jerusalem looking for the Man Jesus. Is He in town? Does He live here?” All five men slightly held their breathes waiting for the answer. 

The rabbi said, “You are in luck gentlemen. Jesus is at the house of Peter the fisherman.” Then the rabbi called a boy, “Hey boy, come here. Take these men to Peter’s house.

“Yes sir. Come, follow me.” said the boy, happy to have an errand to do. He felt proud to know something that the Pharisees with their elegant clothes did not know. 

When they arrived at the house, the boy pointed to it, “That’s Peter’s house!” he said proudly.

“Thank you.” replied Ira and then the boy nodded, turned and ran back for another task. 

The Pharisees and scribes climbed the stairs, and Ira in the lead knocked hard three times on the wooden door.

Judas opened the door. 

“Is Jesus here?”

“Yes, He is.” replied Judas.

Ira said, “We have come all the way from Jerusalem and just arrived today to ask Him some questions. May we see Him?”

“Wait here.” Judas shut the door on them gently and went in to tell everyone about the visitors.

Jesus said to Peter, “If it is alright with you I will see them, do you want Me to go out?” 

“No, that’s fine, let them come in; I suppose we can squeeze five more people in this house.” replied Peter; Jesus nodded. 

Judas went back and opened the door for the visitors and welcomed them into the crowded house. Several of the disciples politely stood to give their seats to the guests.

Ira remained standing while the others gratefully accepted the seats.

Jesus held out His hand to Ira and welcomed him to Capernaum. “You have come a long way, what you have to ask must be important.”

“Yes, we are glad to have found You here. We were preparing for a long wait. I ask you these questions in all sincerity because You puzzle me.”

Jesus said, “Ask.”

Ira cleared his throat and mustered up the gumption to ask, because suddenly, being in the presence of Jesus felt intimidating. He never expected that; just being near Jesus in such close quarters sent chills up his spine. He sensed something that was unfamiliar and powerful, even frightening about that Man.

Jesus patiently waited for Ira to get to the point.

Ira started, trying hard to sound curious and not arrogant. Ira  cleared his throat, (a gesture not unlike holding his nose closed before jumping off a boat into the sea), “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? I have been told that they don’t wash their hands before they eat bread?” Hearing himself, Ira instantly felt smaller.

Without hesitation Jesus replied, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God on account of third-hand traditions told to you instead of going to the source? Didn’t you learn that God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ Do you all do that?”

Ira’s eyes looked downward. Jesus stated the commandment right away, “Whoever speaks disrespectfully to either his father or mother, let that person be put to death.” 

Silent gasps vibrated the air, so that even the angels shivered. 

“But you all pervert that, and say ‘he that speaks evil [increasing the violation from simple disrespect to cruelty] of father or mother, let him die the death.” Jesus scanned faces and bowed heads of the disciples and visitors around Him to see who felt guilty and who was hardened to a sense of guilt by his ego. Only a few simple hearts among the group treated their mother and father as king and queen of their home and innocently assumed everyone else did as well. 

Jesus continued to clarify what He meant, lest anyone of the hard hearts quickly continue to toss this law aside. “But you say the commandment infers that, ‘Whosoever says to his father or his mother (with a distinct emphasis on mother, knowing that so many young men will honor their big gruff fathers while treating their mothers as beneath them, even from childhood)  ‘Whatever I owe you, I will give to God instead, taking away from your mother and father the honor you owe them. So you take for yourself the honor because of hubris, that God told you to give to them, and you void the commandment of God. Your excuse is that it’s tradition!

“You HYPOCRITES! Isaiah was right when he prophesied concerning you by saying, 

These people honor Me with their lips;
But their hearts are far from Me.

They worship Me in vain,

Their teachings are just rules made by men.

And YOU criticize us for not washing our hands, when your hearts are filthy?”

Jesus felt that He had said enough. He was tired and said to the guests, “I will be speaking in the synagogue tomorrow. If you don’t  mind, can we talk again then?” He didn’t given them so much as an inch opening to say no, but rather wanted them to leave and contemplate what He just told them. More hyper-critical Pharisees. 

Andrew and Peter took the cue, stood up and thanked the men for the visit and said they looked forward to seeing them in town again while ushering them to the door. 

Everyone dispersed. The sun set. Disciples gravitated to their bedrolls, Jesus to the bed He was given and fell into a deep sleep where His Father could continue to guide and instruct Him. 

The Pharisees and scribes went back out into the streets of Capernaum to look for a place to stay, rather glad that it wasn’t too dark yet. Without saying another word, Ira marched his companions over to the synagogue to tell the rabbi that they were coming to stay at his house.  

The next day Jesus and His men walked over to the big  synagogue where He knew the Pharisees and Scribes would be. But instead of going inside He went to the nearby garden and called attention to Himself so a multitude of people would gather around. Ira and the other two pharisees and their scribes saw the crowd with Jesus in the center and joined them. Jesus spotted them approaching and said in a clear loud tone for them to hear, “Listen to Me and understand what I am about to tell you, It is NOT what you eat that will pollute your soul.” Then He paused to given His audience a few moments to remember all the dietary laws about not eating animal meat with its blood, about dairy products, about pork. 

Then He said, “What poisons your soul and will send you far away from the protection and guidance of God are the words that  proceed out of your mouth!” 

The people in the crowd, including the distinguished visitors from Jerusalem began muttering among themselves. “Did this rabbi just tell us that it’s acceptable to eat the meat of swine? Is He insane?”

Judas who was offended as well went over to Jesus and said, “You realize that You just offended the Pharisees when they heard you say that, don’t you?” Judas was embarrassed, for himself to be associated with what he considered to be a rebellious statement. Who could violate the dietary laws with a good conscience?”

The people closest to Jesus overheard Judas and waited to hear how Jesus would reply. 

Jesus answered Judas, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be yanked out of the earth by its roots. Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit.”

Peter said to try to tone down the highly charged situation,  “Jesus, why don’t you explain this in one of your parables?” 

Jesus replied to Peter,  “Don’t you even understand? It’s so simple, no need for a parable. Whatever you eat, whatever goes into your mouth passes into your belly, and is expelled. Right?”

Peter nodded in embarrassment. Jesus continued looking straight at Peter this time, “But what you say comes from the heart, and those words define who you are. Out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings: These are the things which not only define you, but by your words you curse yourself.” Then Jesus chuckled under His breath at the absurdity and added, “But to eat with unwashed hands doesn’t define you, it may simply make you sick. The ceremony, the law, is for hygiene, not judgement.”

As Jesus spoke, more layers of people gathered around Him.  Even though the Caperniums were used to Jesus, they were always interested in His odd teachings. 

Speaking directly to the Pharisees and Scribes, albeit via the crowd, Jesus bellowed, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, (He said with his eye on Ira) you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Ira wondered how Jesus could so strongly defend the law and still heal on the Sabbath and not ceremonially wash his hands. Even with his fancy clothes and his commanding tone of voice, Ira sensed the disconnect between himself, with his stature and rules, and this young vagabond Jesus with His seemingly intuitive understanding, or rather His perfect interpretation of the law. Scholars spent their entire lives, three score years and ten discussing the meaning of laws, and this young man, poorly educated, minutes past childhood, somehow has the confidence to propound the wisdom of the ages. It just didn’t make sense. Then a frightening thought entered Ira’s mind, ‘Will I be able to enter the kingdom of heaven?’ 

These were the thoughts that whirled around Ira’s mind, along with the one where he wondered if they accomplished their mission because he was still confused by Jesus, but in a different way. Now Ira wondered whether he and his colleagues could be very wrong about what the law actually says and about Jesus. Nevertheless, Ira decided that they would return to Jerusalem.