The Seven Mysteries

Arrogance - The Student's path to Defeat

The Mysteries of the Kingdom (Matthew 13) - the original curriculum of Jesus Christ - have for far too long been considered just another part of the history of Jesus. 

But the truth is that they are not just a part of His history.  They are the crux of His incredible life-changing teaching; a teaching that has been utterly neglected by those who call themselves His Church.

If you will approach these teachings with humility - realizing that they are indeed mysteries - then you'll have a chance to actually understand them.  If you come to them thinking or believing that they are easy to understand, which not coincidentally is contrary to the word mystery, then you will most surely fail.  This, even though you think you really understand them.

Arrogance fails to recognize that there are too many directions available in interpreting the parables of the kingdom.  The arrogance of many commentators won't allow them to say this one simple statement, 'I don't understand this.'  If they had been able to say this, then they might have eventually been ushered into the inner sanctum of His understanding.

If you can admit that you don't understand the parables of the kingdom, then we can proceed. 

Now maybe you think I want you to direct your questions to me or humble yourself in my direction.  Maybe you think I can answer your queries.  Or possibly that I've actually figured out the Mysteries of Jesus on my own.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

The humility necessary must be directed in the direction of Jesus through Matthew.  They were His teachings and Matthew, His immediate student.  If you'll do this, I'll help you see what Matthew wants you to see.  I'll help you develop ears to hear and eyes to see.

And one final thing; the humility is not a spiritual humbling.  The answers are not available simply through prayer or a special understanding that only comes by the Spirit.  The answers to the Mysteries are actually in the Gospel of Matthew and are available to those who are seekers; to those who are not willing to settle for the easy answer or the quick one. 

They are indeed available from Matthew.  Not Matthew Henry or Chuck Swindoll or any other commentator. 

The next few postings will be of a somewhat cryptic nature. 

Too many directions

Did you have a hard time interpreting the parable? 

The mashal part of the parable (verses 31-32) is ambiguous for a very specific reason.

Part of the problem is that Westerners believe this is a complete parable, attempting to solve it as it sits:

31         He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;  32   and this is smaller than all {other} seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."

     Every ancient Hebrew reader/hearer would've known this to be only half of the equation.  It's the reason the disciples asked Jesus why He was speaking to them in language that couldn't be understood.  Each Hebrew acquainted with parables knew full well that they came in two parts.  There was a mashal, e.g., Matthew 13:31-32.  There was also a nimshal, or an explanation, that went with the mashal.

     Even for some Westerners, the understanding that it is virtually impossible to interpret this without a nimshal (explanation originating from the author) is evident.  Yet, because Matthew chose to omit the explanation for this one - or so it appears - we think we must interpret it to the best of our ability.  This is a mistake.  It's a mistake of terrible proportions.

     There are seven kingdom parables or mysteries as Jesus Himself called them.  When He gave the nimshalim to the disciples for the first two - and as Matthew chose to record them - they were very detailed and covered each aspect of the mashal (see Parables of Sower and Wheat and Tares and their given explanations in Ch. 13.  Examine the detail of each explanation).

     Notice too, that the disciples needed an explanation, further demonstrating that His speech was enigmatic.  And are the five remaining meshalim (Mustard Seed, Leaven, Hidden Treasure, Pearl, and Good and Bad Fish) any less cryptic and difficult than the first two?

If we are to realize that the other five kingdom parables are like the first two then we must also realize that we need explanations for them as well.  It certainly appears to the 21st C. reader that the Apostle has not seen fit to include them.

     The Parable of the Mustard Seed is only the mashal-half of the equation.  Would Matthew leave his first century reader without this ultra-important piece of the puzzle?

The mashal alone has too many different specifics to be simply guessed at.  That method won't work.  And the reason for this is simple.  One needed to become a disciple of the Rabbi to get to the explanation, to get to the meaning of the mashal.  The mashal part of the parable was exclusionary, it was generally impenetrable.  It was privileged information.

     It was the essence of the nominal Master and disciple relationship.  Each and every Rabbi had teachings that were reserved for their own inner circle, their devoted disciples.  Jesus in this regard differed not from his contemporaries.

     And by supposedly leaving out the other five nimshalim (explanations), let me assure you, Matthew knew exactly what he was doing. 

Demonstrating a Mystery

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to demonstrate a mystery for you.

The vast majority of my readers are Westerners and as such you usually read the Scriptures or any other piece of literature and seek the plain and surface meaning.  Reason for this?  Because we as a group don't write or speak using riddles and hidden meanings.  We read as we write or speak, just as each culture does.  Readers of all cultures read expecting that the author is communicating as is normally done within their culture.  But the problem with our reading of the ancient Hebrew Scriptures is that they did not read/speak, then consequently write, as we do.

Now some of you will undoubtedly know where I'm going with this.  If you do, then please play along, even imagining for a while that you don't know what it is I'm about to reveal.  For those of you who don't, I'm glad you're here.  Prepare to (eventually) see something you've never seen before.

Below is Matthew 13:31-32, the Third Mystery of Jesus' Seven. 

Now modern day scholars think they know what this parable means.  But do they?  Most cannot even agree on the identity of the birds.  Are they good?  Are they bad?  And they human?  Does it really matter who/what they are?  Demons?  Children of God?  Their lack of agreement alludes to something quite obvious.  Anyway, what do you think? 

Use your Western mindset and figure this one out.  Read it straightforwardly and interpret it; each and every part, just as Jesus interpreted the two kingdom parables (13:19-23 & 37-43) that preceded this one.

31         He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;

32         and this is smaller than all {other} seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."

Here are the questions you'll need to answer:

What is the mustard seed?

Who is the man?

How did he take the mustard seed?

What does it mean to sow it?

Where is the field?

What's the significance of it being the smallest seed?

What's the significance of it becoming larger than all the other garden plants?

What are the garden plants?

Mustard seeds grow into trees?

Who are the birds?

Why do they nest in the branches?

Sandals or Reeboks

There was a large group on the seashore that day (Matthew 13).  They'd obviously come to see and hear the great Yeshua - Jesus to you and me - speak.  Maybe they'd get to see a miracle or perhaps they'd come for one themselves. 

But it wasn't long until each and every Hebrew there knew what was taking place.  It wasn't a sermon.  Nor was it a healing session.  No teaching was to take place.  But something was happening.  Something commonplace among them.

The Rabbi was separating the sheep from the goats.

Our Western mindset simply cannot allow us to think that Jesus would do anything but teach.  He has a wealth of information and He must pass it out freely.  That's really what the modern Greek mind thinks and consequently believes.  But the Hebrew culture knew and accepted that Wisdom was never free.  If you don't believe me, then I challenge you to read these three books: Proverbs, Wisdom of Solomon and Ben Sirach.  I could give you others as well.  But once you digest these you'll have a better understanding of the PRICE/VALUE of Wisdom.

Think for a minute if you will.  What exactly did Jesus say to the multitudes that day?  He gave them seven very cryptic sayings, each designed to hold the hearer at bay.  Note that the disciples had to ask for their meanings.  Note also that Jesus said that the multitudes were not granted to know the mysteries, meaning they were forbidden from understanding.  And too, note that these seven sayings were called mysteries.  It irritates me greatly when expositors think they can look upon the mysteries of the kingdom and say on their own what they mean.  The first and foremost reason that they can't is that they have no more information on the five that have no overt meaning listed.  Are these expositors greater than the disciples?  Are they more informed than the multitudes?

Take off your Reebok's for a little while and put on your first century sandals.  Think about being there that day.  Imagine...

You've been waiting a while, outside the house where the Rabbi was staying.  Finally He appears and begins to speak in riddles; riddles about the kingdom of heaven.  You thought He might teach, but no.  Obviously, he's not doing that as you see puzzlement on others faces as well.  Yet, He knows so much about this kingdom of heaven that He knows its secrets too, its mysteries.  He continues while looking you in the eyes, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of meal until it was all leavened."  You realize from the start that He is speaking in parables, but only half of the parable does He give.  One part is missing.  It's then you realize there is only one way to receive the other half; the explanation.  Without it you know that there is no way to penetrate accurately the cryptic saying toward its meaning.  The desire to have the other half, to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven grow in your mind and heart.  But how badly do you want to know?

The hearer on the seashore that day - once they had heard the words of Jesus - had only two options.  Their time there with Jesus wasn't a time of learning, but instead a time to make a choice; a time of discernment.  You see, Jesus' use of the cryptic mysteries was not designed to teach anyone anything.  He, Himself, said as much. Instead the enigmas were used to separate the crowd into two; those who wanted to know about the kingdom and those who were more interested in their own.  Once Jesus had finished, each person had a decision to make.  Follow and become a disciple (and receive the mysteries as the disciples did, as Matthew shows us) or return to their own kingdom.   

Now some of you will say that this is too harsh.  But what most don't understand is that Jesus' speech wasn't about Salvation, but instead about Discipleship.  These are two very different entities.  And no, I won't take up that argument here.

This understanding has huge implications for parable study today.  I've yet to meet a bona fide scholar who will say, I don't understand the last five kingdom parables.  But if you read and understand the words of Jesus here, that is the conclusion that one must accept. 

The only way to interpret the parables properly is to have an explanation from Jesus Himself, or from one of His personal students (Matthew demonstrates this in the first half of ch. 13).  And here's a clue: the proper interpretations for each kingdom parable are indeed available today.  But just like then, they are not available for free. 

A Strange Play

Going to the Opera can present a lesson in communication.  In one way the audience can ascertain what's going on through the visual end of the production.  But what if you can't understand the language?

Matthew 13 is like a strange play.  Many look in on the action and for the most part misinterpret it's meaning.  And this is truly tragic, for Matthew 13 is the most important chapter in the whole of the New Testament. 

I'll include 13:1-52 (NAS) here:

1          On that day Jesus went out of the house, and was sitting by the sea.

2          And great multitudes gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole multitude was standing on the beach.

3          And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower went out to sow;

4          and as he sowed, some {seeds} fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.

5          "And others fell upon the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.

6          "But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7          "And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.

8          "And others fell on the good soil, and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.

9          "He who has ears, let him hear."

10         And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"

11         And He answered and said to them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.

12         "For whoever has, to him shall {more} be given, and he shall have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

13            "Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

14         "And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, 'You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; and you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;

15         For the heart of this people has become dull, and with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I should heal them.'

16         "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.

17         "For truly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see {it}  and to hear what you hear, and did not hear {it}

18         "Hear then the parable of the sower.

19         "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil {one} comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.

20         "And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word, and immediately receives it with joy;

21         yet he has no {firm} root in himself, but is {only} temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.

22         "And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

23         "And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty."

24         He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

25         "But while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away.

26         "But when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.

27         "And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'

28         "And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' And the slaves said to him, 'Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?'

29         "But he said, 'No; lest while you are gathering up the tares, you may root up the wheat with them.

30         'Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

31         He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;

32         and this is smaller than all {other} seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."

33         He spoke another parable to them, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three pecks of meal, until it was all leavened."

34         All these things Jesus spoke to the multitudes in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable,

35         so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world."

36         Then He left the multitudes, and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."

37         And He answered and said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,

38         and the field is the world; and {as for} the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil {one;}

39         and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.

40            "Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.

41         "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,

42         and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

43         "Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

44         "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.

45         "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls,

46         and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

47         "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering {fish} of every kind;

48         and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good {fish} into containers, but the bad they threw away.

49         "So it will be at the end of the age; the angels shall come forth, and take out the wicked from among the righteous,

50         and will cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51         "Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes."

52         And He said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings forth out of his treasure things new and old."                                                                                                                                                                                          

Here is a list of what I believe to be the biggest misconceptions regarding this passage:                                                                         

1.  Jesus had come to teach the multitudes (no where does the text say this)

2.  That the multitudes could understand the parables as He spoke them (contradicted in 13:11)

3.  That the disciples were able to understand the parables of Jesus without explanations (they asked for explanations, revealing their inability to understand)

4.  That we can, even in the face of 13:11, understand the parables today                                                    

There are other misconceptions, but I believe these to be the most egregious and in fact the most dangerous.  The simple truth is that the parables could not be understood as they were first spoken by Jesus.  And there is a very good reason why.  But because the West is so rooted in the information age and of the informational mindset, most cannot even consider why Jesus might do such a thing.  Surely He came to teach them; surely He wasn't purposefully concealing the meanings of the parables; surely He had to be disseminating helpful information.                                                                                                         

Why do you think they were called mysteries?

To be continued.

The Rabbi Way

So many commentators try to interpret the Hebrew parables as they sit.  But David did that and condemned himself in the process. 

Each and every Hebrew parable has a nimshal or an explanation.  The nimshal can be a full-fledged explanation or it can be the introduction of a real-life situation that mirrors the mashal, but it always originates necessarily with the author of the parable.  The parable is written to intentionally mimic some real-life situation or principle that the author wants to illuminate. 

When a real-life example is given, the student is left to compare the two - the cryptic story and the real-life one - in order to obtain the meaning of the parable.  David's situation with Bathsheba and Uriah was the real-life counterpart to Nathan's mashal (parable) of the Ewe Lamb.  When David's account (his sin with B & U) is compared with the mashal (Parable of The Ewe Lamb), the lesson becomes obvious as both mashal and nimshal tell the same story in a different way.  David could see plainly how he had wronged Bathsheba and Uriah when his actions were seen through the mashal (the parable of The Ewe Lamb).  The two-part parable teaches through similarity and sometimes dissimilarity, but always through comparison. 

On very rare occasions the nimshal (explanation) is obvious to the hearers.  One such case was recorded in Matthew 23:45:

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them.

It was unnecessary to give the nimshal as the religious men realized that they were indeed the real-life counterpart to Jesus' meshalim.  But this is more the exception than the rule.  More often we see the hearer react like David, or more wisely, admit to not understanding and seek an explanation.  Even still, each mashal has a real-life counterpart, which becomes its explanation or nimshal.  Matthew 13 contains another important example.

The Kingdom Parables	Their Explanations
"Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some {seeds} fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.  And others fell upon the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.  But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.  And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.  And others fell on the good soil, and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.  He who has ears, let him hear." (Matthew 13:3b-8, NAS)
"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.  But while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away.  But when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.  And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'  And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' And the slaves said to him, 'Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No; lest while you are gathering up the tares, you may root up the wheat with them.  Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn."'" (Matthew 13:24b-30, NAS)
"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all {other} seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." (Matthew 13:31a-32, NAS)
"The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three pecks of meal, until it was all leavened." (Matthew 13:33b, NAS)
"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44, NAS)
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46, NAS)
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering {fish} of every kind; and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good {fish} into containers, but the bad they threw away.  So it will be at the end of the age; the angels shall come forth, and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:47-50, NAS)

Above are the seven meshalim - Jesus' primary teaching - known as the Mysteries of the Kingdom.  Now a clear understanding of the context and all that went on on the seashore that day reveals that no one understood the parables when spoken, not even the disciples.  Jesus even said that the multitudes were not granted to know the mysteries (13:11), revealing further that His speech was intentionally cryptic; so cryptic as to disallow any sort of penetration.  But notice what happened when the disciples asked for an explanation.

      

The Kingdom Parables	Their Explanations
"Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some {seeds} fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.  And others fell upon the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.  But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.  And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.  And others fell on the good soil, and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.  He who has ears, let him hear." (Matthew 13:3b-8, NAS)	"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil {one} comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.  And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word, and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no {firm} root in himself, but is {only} temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.  And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty." (Matthew 13:19-23, NAS)
"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.  But while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away.  But when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.  And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'  And he said to them, 'An enemy has done this!' And the slaves said to him, 'Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No; lest while you are gathering up the tares, you may root up the wheat with them.  Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn."'" (Matthew 13:24b-30, NAS)	"The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and {as for} the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil {one;} and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.  Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.  The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. (Matthew 13:37b-42, NAS)
"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all {other} seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." (Matthew 13:31a-32, NAS)	No Explanation
"The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three pecks of meal, until it was all leavened." (Matthew 13:33b, NAS)	No Explanation
"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44, NAS)	No Explanation
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46, NAS)	No Explanation
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering {fish} of every kind; and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good {fish} into containers, but the bad they threw away.  So it will be at the end of the age; the angels shall come forth, and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:47-50, NAS)	No Explanation

    

Matthew tells us that the disciples were given the meanings of the first two.  Jesus spelled out the allegorical nimshal for each, telling only his students what each part of the mashal stood for.  It was only when the mashal and nimshal were presented together that they aptly communicated their meaning.

Jesus used the rabbinic method (the two-part parable) to teach His disciples.  But note this: the other five explanations are missing.

 

More on the method and the missing nimshalim to follow.   

The Rabbinic Teaching Method

There are many examples from antiquity of the most common Rabbinic teaching method.

Parables were used extensively from the time of Nathan to the Kabbalistic times.  Jesus just happened to sit in the middle of this tradition.

To understand the normative use of a parable in Ancient Israel, one thing must be noted.  Parables were comparisons.  A fictional story was created to mimic a real-life one.  And in this comparison, the intended lesson was hidden. 

Let's examine one of the earliest examples.  Nathan crafted a story to parallel a certain situation (2 Samuel 12).

There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. "The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.

Nathan presented this story - a mashal - to David the King.  David - hearing this blatant injustice - was outraged and ordered retribution for this man.  The only problem was David didn't understand what the mashal was really about.  This was by design.

Nathan then proceeded to supply those who heard the mashal with what is called a nimshal.  Nimshal is an explanation, or the real-life counterpart to the mashal.  Nathan said,

You are that man.

David then - and only then - understood that everything in the mashal mirrored his despicable conduct toward Uriah and Bathsheba.

The Mashal

The Nimshal

There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. "The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.

“You are that man”

The normative Rabbinic teaching method was the two-part parable.  The fictional story is given.  It holds the treasure of wisdom until it can be unlocked.  The nimshal is the key that reveals the mystery, the treasure that was purposefully hidden inside.  The Parable of the Ewe Lamb is a perfect example of how both parts are needed to understand the parable (mashal+nimshal) rightly.

Trying to interpret a mashal without its nimshal is not advised.  David has provided us with an example of how dangerous that can be, as after he heard Nathan's story he commented, "As the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die.  He must make restitution for the for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion".  David tried to interpret the story and in the process condemed his own self.

Let's look at another example.

R. Simeon b. Yohai says: They parable a parable.  Unto what is the matter like?  It is like one who was walking along the road, and he encountered a wolf and was saved from him.  And he was going along recounting the story of the wolf.  Then he encountered a lion and was saved from him.  He forgot the story of the wolf and went along recounting the story of the lion.  Then he encountered a serpent and was saved from him.  He forgot the story of both and went along recounting the story of the serpent.

Now this is only the mashal part of the parable.  Know what the rabbi is talking about?  Can you interpret it and what it means?  Are you sure?  Here is the nimshal:

Even so is Israel.  Later troubles cause the former ones to be forgotten.

The Mashal

The Nimshal

It is like one who was walking along the road, and he encountered a wolf and was saved from him.  And he was going along recounting the story of the wolf.  Then he encountered a lion and was saved from him.  He forgot the story of the wolf and went along recounting the story of the lion.  Then he encountered a serpent and was saved from him.  He forgot the story of both and went along recounting the story of the serpent.

Even so is Israel.  Later troubles cause the former ones to be forgotten.

It's only after the mashal and nimshal are brought together that the impetus of the parable can be surmised.   

Some of the foolish might have tried to interpret this parable on their own.  Remember what happened to David?  A mashal without it's nimshal requires - because of it's intentional opacity - great respect and a slow tongue.  It could even be a trap waiting for the one who boldly explains it to be snared instead.  The explanation must be provided by the author of the mashal or by one who has direct knowledge of its genesis.  Now can the meshalim (plural of mashal) be hijacked for other purposes?  Sure.  But if we want to know what the author meant when he spoke it, then we need the nimshal that has proceeded from him.

Jesus and His student Matthew used this method as well. 

To be continued.

Jesus the Genius

Ever heard anyone call Him that?

Our leaders don't because they obviously don't believe it.  Otherwise, they'd be studying His every move, memorizing all His teachings, preaching about Him every week, and modeling their ministries completely after His.  And like I've said before, they'd rather teacher Paul or Nehemiah or some other.  But Jesus? 

I've spent the last 7.5 years of my life studying the teachings of Jesus.  Now I'm not slow, or a dullard, or uncommitted.  And I'll admit, I've only cracked the surface of the depths available to me. 

Over these last few years I've come to understand the organizational pattern of the Gospel of Matthew.  The apostle used an ancient Hebrew literary construct to organize the First Gospel that will guide the knowledgeable explorer to the teachings of Jesus in a way that is, sadly, quite foreign to the Westerner. But this was not so with the first Hebrew Christians who held/read/studied his gospel.  Most were well aware of these organizational methods. 

As a side note, I've also become convinced that modern man is ultra conceited.  He thinks that because he can fly and traverse the globe or go into outer space or build computers that fit on a pin's head that he is wiser and smarter than those who came before him.  So much so, so conceited is he, that their wisdom or brilliance is not even a consideration, it's naturally assumed to be inferior.  Still, we wonder how those 'cro-magnons' built the pyramids.  Things that make you say, Hmmm...

The brilliance of the Gospel of Matthew is incredible, though most of its luster remains hidden because of our unfamiliarity with its true nature.  The rabbinic teaching technique that the apostle employed is far more advanced than what's currently employed in our modern universities.  The intricacy of the structure is artful and purposeful.  The work on the whole surely took years to complete.  It's understated and confident to the point of hiddenness.  The depth of the work and the deepest wisdom lessons INTENTIONALLY hidden within remain beyond my current ability, though with much time and effort I am making strides.  Each and every word was crafted with meaning.

But most theologians/pastors/teachers think Matthew was a simple biography written by a simple man, so that once you've read it, you've pretty much got what it's saying, worthy of prominence at Easter and Christmas only.  Each and every word was not crafted with meaning, they think.  It's the story that's important.  That kind of thinking leads to such works as 'The Message' (well-intentioned, I'm sure) which I deem for Matthew, an utter travesty.  I do think conceitedness plays a large part in their misunderstanding and unacknowledged dismissal.

The Ancient Hebrews were a brilliant people.  The Old Testament is far more intricate than has been supposed.  Inroads are being made literarily now with books like The Literary Structure of the Old Testament by David Dorsey (Buy that book at a better price here). The Ancient Hebrews used literary structure and certain teaching methods to communicate meaning and teach lessons that we've not yet noticed, even though we are obviously so much more advanced than they.  Secret teachings - like buried treasure - lay just out of our reach.

I speak here with confidence.  Jesus was a Genius.  He left patterns - given to us by His student Matthew - for us to follow.  They ARE the key to our survival.  These wisdom teachings - which appear to have remained hidden once again since about the 6th Century CE - ARE His original discipleship curriculum.  But these precious jewels do not reside on the surface of the Gospel.  These wisdom teachings - like all the wisdom of the Hebrews (taught by countless sages and written in books like Proverbs, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, etc.) - were not available for free.  Wisdom in Israel was never free.  It was costly - worthy of the price - not handed out like bits of candy - but treasured like fine silver and gold - difficult to obtain - seeking out the worthy among the people.

The most precious teachings of Jesus the Sage were purposefully veiled in the Seven Mysteries of the Kingdom.  Since they were His teachings, surely He could have reduced them into elemental platitudes or explained them in such a simple form that any and all could partake.  So why didn't He?

Remember the list I gave earlier?  Being able to fly around the globe, go into outer space, make computers that can fit on a pin's head?  All these accomplishments are knowledge based and consequently make us puffed up.  We love knowledge and can't imagine a Jesus that wasn't a free-knowledge-dispenser.  But wisdom does not enter into these modern equations.  Wisdom cannot be manipulated in simple forms.  It cannot be learned in quick lessons.  It cannot be disseminated in direct ways. 

Wisdom requires a painstakingly intimate relationship, one of time, and effort, and rumination.  Mysteries are not broken quickly or easily, hence their name.  Lessons of real value can only be imparted through time and effort, not through a simple, easy to undersand saying.  Here in lies the truth and brilliance and Genius of Jesus.

The wisdom of Jesus - who was and is God's Wisdom (Proverbs 8:22-31) incarnate - is still available.  But it's not free and it's not easy and it doesn't reside on the surface of the Gospels.  Our churches are full of people who want to be taught God's Word.  The elementary things can be taught, though teaching like most Western pastors and teachers do - lecture style - is rarely effective.   

The difficult things must be learned.  Are you ready?

Next Post: The Rabbinic Teaching Method 

   

   

   

Jesus the Simpleton

Listening to the preachers and teachers of the Christian faith today, we'd have to assume that this title was right.  So often Christian leaders choose to teach Paul or another Epistle or get all wrapped up in the so-called rapture.  Or they'll give us some platitude or simple saying of Jesus.  Yet, we're virtually never presented with the deeper teaching mysteries of this Man who changed the course of history.  Maybe He didn't have any.  Maybe it was just that He died on a cross and was resurrected.  That'd be enough, I'm sure.  But a dull and doltish Jesus? 

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi.  For real.  He was an extraordinarily brilliant man.  Smarter than Paul and all the rest.  Yet, he's been so deified that most have left Jesus the Teacher somewhere on page 43 of their New Testament. 

Christians today have surprisingly little knowledge about First Century Israel.  They have almost no understanding of what Rabbis did or why they had disciples.  Ask them what a yoke was and they'll likely tell you it was an implement used on a farm. This lack of understanding is a great curiosity, seeing how Jesus was a Rabbi and His earliest followers were disciples.  The founders of the Christian faith spent their time together in a Rabbi/disciple relationship.   

In Hebrew antiquity, each Rabbi had a set of teachings or interpretations that were commonly known as his yoke.  These teachings were usually very difficult, deep, and because of this depth, sometimes known as mysteries.  These pearls were the identifying mark of a Rabbi; what set him apart from his contemporaries.  Sure each Rabbi taught the standard material of Torah.  But it was their special teachings - their yoke - that was coveted by those who would seek to follow. 

Just like the other Rabbis of His day, Jesus, too, had a yoke.  This original curriculum was left in a manual by one of His Apostles.  The Mysteries of the Kingdom, found in Matthew 13, and their hidden meanings are that special yoke of Rabbi Jesus.

Just like the other Jewish Rabbis, Jesus kept His yoke strictly for those who were His own followers.  Matthew (13:11) tells us what Jesus said to the disciples in this regard: 'To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom, but to them (the multitude) it has not been granted.'  Those who were outside this inner circle received only the basic teachings.  But those outsiders weren't permanently locked out of this extraordinary wisdom.  If they wanted to obtain the mysteries for themselves, they could.  The price?  Following as a disciple.

Now I know that many will object.  Many will say that all of Jesus' teaching was plain and simple and out in the open.  But my friends, let us not jump to conclusions based on what we suppose He was like.  Let us not project onto Jesus our own egalitarian and simplistic thoughts about His methods.  Let us see - without prejudiced eyes - how He went about teaching.

Maybe we'll see that His methods were far more advanced than we ever dreamed, worthy of the greatest praise.   

We'll examine a few thoughts regarding the Great Teacher and His methods.  We'll also look at how Matthew concealed Jesus' original curriculum within his gospel.  And we'll not neglect the namesake of this blog, the Seven Mysteries of the Kingdom.  These are the secret discipleship teachings of Jesus.  I do hope you'll join me on this journey.