Mary is slowly getting better but on a very bland diet. Looking forward to celebrating her birthday on Sunday. I like to think our prayers helped.
I decided to be very Jewish and do a lot of reading especially from the Jewish point of view.
I will be using the book "Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg.
The Torah for them meant a book that can produced endless new insights. From the beginning we are all called to be God's image bearers.
Evidently in the past the study of the Torah was "the elixir of life" for the Jewish man. What we translate as law, Jews more correctly understood as "guidance" or "teaching". They were trying to uncover the very thoughts of God.-- from The Treasure of the Text They saturated their lives with these scriptures. For example "A tree of life is she to those that lay hold on her". Wisdom was feminine.
There was great excitement in 2Kings :22 when Hilkiah, the high priest found the book of the Law and then the King called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem and all the people and read to them from the temple the ancient words so that they could renew their covenant in the presence of the Lord. Keep these commandments, regulations, and decrees with all your heart and soul.
Certainly the words of Jesus are Jewish and bring to life the ancient scriptures in a new light. He knew the stories and the prophecies that had been established long before his birth. Over the centuries Jews have met to discuss what are the essential meanings that give life meaning..
I have also finished reading the book "A Cup of Friendship" by Deborah Rodriguez about the horrors in Afghanistan. The bombings, the Taliban, the warlords, the indoctrination of young people using the Koran to turn them into Terrorists and the vile and ugly treatment of women. They are abused from an early age and really have no protection from men and can be stoned or imprisoned if they refused to be prostitutes. Their families who are in debt to the warlords have to sell their children to be beggars or prostitutes.
It is very hard for us to understand people who lived so differently from us. Uneducated wandering tribes who had to fight for their existence and called upon the gods to help them.
I know that I question what I can learn from the old patriarchs, with their multiple wives and concubines? What was the point of all the sacrifices? Why did Joseph's older brothers hate him so much? There would certainly be problems in polygamous families and rivalry even among family members, they were warriors.
The whole point is that we can learn from their mistakes and discover time and time again we reap what we sew.
Some of the quotes that Jesus makes are better understood by those who knew the ancient scriptures.
3 comments:
l am reading a book about war in iraq written by a member of a bomb disposal unit about his dangerous and gruesome work and the effect it has on his subsequent life. lt's not one l would have chosen but it is insightful. " The Long Walk" - a story of war and the life that follows ".a rather strange birthday gift.
Jane.
All I can say is enjoy the hot weather while you can. We are having more rain and cold southerly winds!
Ken
Covenants make me worried. Associated with "chosen people" and all that nonsense.
Love,
Rick
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