ALIVE: Chapter 154, Golden Insults

Mary saw what she came to see in the synagogue. She was surprised that the men she had respected from childhood in the Temple would treat her Son with such rancor. Why? What did He do to upset them so much? He taught and He healed the sick and lame. She thought of the day He turned the vats of water into wine at the wedding. He didn’t want to do something so showy, but most of the people didn’t even know that it was a miracle, and it was a very kind thing to do, considering the spot the host was in.

Mary stood quietly and attentively beside her new friend from Magdalene as her Son was being grilled, “Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?” shouted one Pharisee a little too loud, betraying his malice. “They don’t even wash their hands when they eat bread, I saw it with my own eyes. You can’t lie to me and say that they do young man!”

Jesus shot back, “Let me ask you, why do you also transgress the commandment of God? For God said, Honor your father and your mother: and, He that speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death. But you say that whosoever says to his father or his mother, ‘whatever I may have given to you, I will give to God instead’ (to embellish the temple).

Do you call that honoring your father or mother?”

Hearing that, many of the elders in the congregation felt a passing breeze of guilt, which they forced away like a broom sweeps out of the door unwanted leaves and dirt.

“You have voided the word of God and you justify yourselves by calling it your tradition. You hypocrites!” Jesus shouted angrily. He could not tolerate hypocrisy, for the same reason He could not tolerate lies. Lies and hypocrisy distort. They take reality, they take wisdom, and like a wet clay mask, with untalented hands make it ugly. And then sell it as if it were still beautiful. The liars and the hypocrites think they are fooling others, when in reality, they are committing suicide.

Jesus went on, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me! In vain do they worship me, teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.”

Saul, another Pharisee, stung by Jesus’ statement, dared to work his way through the crowd up to Him, tugged at His toga and said, “Jesus, calm down. He didn’t mean to upset you so.”

Jesus looked at Saul wondering what he hoped to gain by attempting to erase His ire. Would it make the truth vanish?

Saul bravely continued, “Please, it’s lunchtime, come to my house, my wife prepared a delicious stew this morning. I can smell it from here. Come and dine with me and a few of my friends.”

Jesus decided to accept if only to spare those who did not deserve such admonitions. “Okay, let’s go.” Then He looked for His mother in the crowd. She caught His eye and nodded as if to say that she had a friend and would be fine.

The crowded synagogue gradually filled with increasingly loud chatter after Jesus stopped speaking. The rabbi  had withdrawn before Jesus spoke seizing the opportunity to be replaced. His headache had magnified, and his stomach was unsettled. He wanted to rest until the discomfort passed.

In ones and twos the people left the synagogue to go to work to tend their chickens or lambs or to their homes for lunch and a nap.

Saul said to Jesus, “Follow me.” Jesus tapped James and Peter who were within reach, “Come with me, Andrew, tell my people that we will meet back here at sunset, okay?”

“Yes Master,” replied Andrew.

Saul and the other Pharisees who were going to Saul’s house too were anxious to get away from the crowds. “Come! Are You ready?”

“I’m coming, thank you.” replied Jesus.

When they arrived at Saul’s house, his wife greeted her guests. The aroma of the stew filled the room with warm welcome.

The washing station was surrounded by the guests some waiting in line while others washing before sitting down at table. Meanwhile, Jesus went directly to the seat He chose for Himself perpendicular to Saul at the head who was seated and waiting for his guests to fill the seats. James and Peter managed to find available seats farther from Jesus than they wanted.

While waiting for the seats to be filled, Saul marveled and said in an arrogant tone to Jesus, “Are you so anxious to sit with me that you don’t find it necessary to obey the need to wash yourself first?”

The Lord Jesus, turning the insult back to Saul at the speed of a  bat hitting a home run said, “Dare you talk about clean! You pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup; but your inside, your mind and your hearts are full of extortion and wickedness. Fools. Didn’t God who made your hands and bodies make your minds and hearts too? Deeds of love towards people, giving alms, helping others, these acts clean the inside. Such a clean inside renders all things clean to you. I am not unclean.”

Jesus let out a loud deep sigh of frustration over Saul’s arrogance and his ignorance.  It’s not good, but understandable, to be arrogant if you are right and frustrated, but arrogance from the wrong and stupid is maddening.

Rather than drop the conflict, Jesus seized the opportunity to teach. Speaking down the table filled, Jesus said aloud, “Woe to you Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and pass over justice and the love of God: but these you should have done, and not to leave the other undone! Woe to you Pharisees! for you love the chief seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the marketplaces. Woe to you! for you are as the unmarked graves that men walk over who don’t even know they are walking on corpses!”

Listening to His tirade, a lawyer down table decided to speak up to make sure that he was okay. He said load and clear for all to hear, “Teacher, in saying this I don’t believe you mean to reproach lawyers also, correct?” holding his breath for the answer.

Jesus responded, “Woe to you lawyers also! for you load men with heavy burdens, that you won’t even try to lift with one of your fingers!”

The lawyer’s face turned red with anger and embarrassment.

“You lawyers build the tombs of the prophets, who your fathers killed! This makes you witnesses and consenting  to the works of your fathers: for they killed them, and you build their tombs!

Therefore, it is written, “I will send them prophets and apostles; and some of them they will kill and persecute. The blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, will be required of this generation; from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary: I tell you that it shall be required of this generation. Woe to you lawyers! You took away the key of knowledge. You refused to learn, and instead you hindered others from learning.”

At that, Jesus stood up and looked at His host, with an expression that seemed to say, “Why did you invite me here?” Then, searching for James and Peter, He looked down the table and said, “We must be going, excuse us.”

Several other guests joined Jesus, following the three out of the house with a nod to Saul, leaving the table half full.

Paul’s wife heard that as she was telling her servants to serve the meal. She was alarmed and embarrassed. She had heard the Master speak often when He was calmer; she saw Him heal people and felt that her husband was terribly disrespectful to their important guest. She didn’t know what to do to amend the situation, so she just froze as Jesus, Peter, and James left her home. Saul didn’t even stand up when they left.

Instead, Saul looked down the long table while the servants were distributing the plates. He said, “Shall we pray? ‘Baruch atah adonai elokeinu melech haolam, boreh pri haadamah, shehakol nihyeh bidvaro, hamotzi lechem min haaretz. Let’s eat, my friends.” Clanging plates and small chatter, slurping, and chewing out loud replaced the admonishment of the Master in the air.

Catching up with Jesus, a few other pharisees and scribes who had been present at the scene would not let Jesus have the last word, but rather insisted that their logic was stronger, and that they could catch Him in a bigger error than than not washing before the meal.

“Wait up!” said Asher. "I have something to say!”

Jesus stopped and turned around spotting the rest of His disciples approaching.

The crowd that had followed Jesus to Saul’s house from the synagogue and who were waiting outside for Him to emerge, were rewarded for their patience. They began pressing on Him. Some of them were also scribes, lying in wait for Him, who wanted to provoke Him and catch Him in error. Of course, Jesus intuited this and was prepared. He knew that He was speaking to a mixed crowd of the humble and the haughty.

The crowd grew and grew as passersby, the curious and the casual ones, stopped for the drama that usually accompanied this teacher by either miracle or argument.

Jesus did not disappoint them. He preempted the Pharisees by saying loudly for all to hear, “Beware of the leaven of the pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. And whosoever shall speak a word against Me, the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever criticizes the Holy Spirit, will never be forgiven, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come.”

Then He added, “When they lead you to judgment, and deliver you up, don’t be anxious beforehand what you will say because the Spirit of God will tell you what to say; He will speak on His own behalf for you.”

No one understood what Jesus meant by that, because until then no one had been arrested because of their faith in Jesus. Nevertheless, it was written down for future generations to hear and to read. It was a prophesy, a powerful one for hundreds of people that would be tortured and slain for their faith. Jesus knew that He was speaking to future martyrs.

All the while the two Mary’s, Mama and Mary from Magdalene were still strolling around Jerusalem. Mary who knew the city very well also took her new friend  to her mother’s garden where they sat on the bench and got to know each other. The ladies were bonding nicely. Mary Magdalene said, “Oh Mary, I want you to meet Susanna who also travels with us. You’ll love her, she is so kind and generous.”

Mary replied, “I’d love to.” feeling increasingly comfortable with the idea of traveling with her Son and His followers. “You know, I have a home here, so while you are in Jerusalem, you and the other ladies must stay at my house!”

“Lovely!” replied Mary Magdalene, admittedly getting tired of camping so much. Mary was impressed by His mother’s kindness  and her beauty.

As the ladies strolled around the city, they came to the crowd surrounding Jesus. Mary exclaimed, “Look, there He is, my Son, with such a crowd around Him!”

Mary Magdalene smiled, because this was a scene she saw every day. “Yes, let’s get close so we can hear what He is telling the people today.” They walked faster, not to miss another word. When they got close enough the two Mary’s heard someone from the crowd shouting a request, “Teacher, will you tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” With the young man’s father being recently deceased, he needed some authority to convince his brother to share.

To his disappointment, Jesus replied, “Man, who made me a judge over you? Listen to Me; keep yourself from all covetousness: for a man’s life does not consist of the abundance of the things that he possesses. Don’t be anxious for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; or for your body, what you will wear. Your life needs more than food, and your body needs more than clothing. Look at the birds of the heavens, that they don’t sow or reap, or gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add even one more day to his life?”

The young man bowed his head. It wasn’t what he wanted to hear, and yet he sensed a burden lifting from his chest. Jesus had gotten to the root of his desire for an inheritance, and told him that the security he craved was already his, if only he would be aware of God’s providence. Faith, which He inferred was in his control suddenly solved the argument with his brother. The Maker of humankind would provide for His children as even birds provide for theirs. He was given a challenge, something to think about in bed that night.

Jesus wasn’t done trying to convince him, and the rest of the crowd, of His Father’s providence. Mary and Mary wounded their way through the throng of people to be able to hear clearly without being seen by Jesus. Neither woman wanted to distract Him.

Jesus, caught the eyes of the young man as he raised his head from contemplation and looked at Jesus’ face which he saw  radiating with light! He wondered if others saw it too, but couldn’t stop staring at the vision. He suddenly had the sensation that he and Jesus were alone together. He felt that this omen was worth twice the inheritance his brother received from their father. Jesus said aloud, but strangely the young man heard it quietly as meant only for him, “And why are you anxious about what you will wear? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they don’t work at it, yet I tell you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” Hearing that, two tears of relief trickled down the young man’s cheek.

Jesus kept speaking to him, “Even atheists, godless people want security, but you who come to the synagogue to worship the Creator, He who is My father and yours, you must see that He knows what you need. Seek first His kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things will flow from there. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Live one day at a time.”

Suddenly the young man felt even more pressure lifting off his chest. It was as if his worries were escaping from his body, being forced out by the power of the words of this Teacher, more than a teacher, this was a healing for a condition he thought to be normal, when in truth it was a disease. He was free! Free to praise God for loving him and taking good care of him. He had never been more grateful in his whole life.

“Rather than accumulate, sell what you have, buy food for the infirm and handicapped who can’t provide for themselves. Make yourself an invisible purse that won’t get old and ragged. Store the treasure, which is your trust in God to provide for you, in a place where no thief can get to it, or where no moth can eat it away. What you value, your treasure, your true gold, safely stored in your heart, can never be stolen from you.”

Jesus wanted more than anything for the people to rest in their trust in God.

“Watch therefore: for you don’t know the day that Yahweh will come for you. Know this, that if the master of the house had known the time the thief was coming, he would have put up barriers, called the guards, prepared weapons against him so his house would not be broken into! Likewise, be ready; for as surprising as the time of the thief’s arrival, is the moment that you don’t expect Yahweh to come for your soul.”

Jesus paused to allow the message to percolate into each person’s mind and gently sink into his or her soul. He was not speaking to the crowd, but to every unique and complex person individually. He valued the individual who came to listen, who went to be baptized, whom He awakened to the awareness of the extreme value of his days on earth. Too many ignorant people were consumed by fears and woes.

No one dared speak. Each man, woman and child knew instinctively to masticate the words to get to the rich meaning from them.

When it was time to speak again, He turned from the perspective of men to the perspective of His Father and what He will gain.

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing. I tell you the truth, that he will set him over all that he has. But if that evil servant says in his heart, My master won’t come for a long time; and he begins to beat his fellow-servants, and he eats and drinks with the drunkards; the master of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect him, and in an hour and shall caste him out, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.”

Then Jesus said something that shocked many. He said, “Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law: and a man’s foes shall be those of his own household.”

There is a continual war on this peaceful looking earth. The paradox between the peaceful beauty of nature and the storminess of the spirit world is stunning. It is the inside of the cup, it is the war that has been raging since the beginning between angels of the Lord God and angels of Satan who crave to usurp the Creator; His power and His majesty. What is there to gain? Slaves? Vainglory? Temporary power? Every evil person knows he will die, it is only the evil spirit of Satan, driving these ignorant people for its own immortal war with God.

The opposite of what The Creator strives for, who humbled Himself to become human, and heal, teach, and suffer; who gives humanity the complete freedom to serve either Him or His enemies. Who will ultimately win, the creator or the usurper?

It was time to close the teaching. Jesus surveyed the group, with His eyes studying them and having compassion for those who left their duties to venture out and listen. For some, the regulars, who couldn’t get enough and followed him for days at a time, and for the first and only timers, He said,  “When it is evening, you say, It will be fair weather: for the heaven is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to-day: for the heaven is red and lowering. You know how to discern the face of the heaven; but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him in the way; lest haply the adversary delivers you to the judge, and the judge delivers you to the officer, and you are misjudged and cast into prison. I tell you the truth, you will by no means come out of that prison until you have paid the last cent demanded of your life.”

Jesus being all too aware of worldly injustice, needed to warn His students to force peace and thus sidestep injustice, while depending only on Divine Justice. It was a lesson that echoes through the ages. Practical, shrewd, yet strong.

“Go to your homes or follow me for evening prayers.”

Mary Magdalene felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see her friend Susanna. “Hello! Where have you been?” Susanna explained that she went to visit a sick friend in the city and added, “What did I miss?”