Jesus' Kingdom Activity

Jennifer Felsberg

Jesus’ Kingdom Activity Jennifer Felsberg Grand Canyon University BIB 123, New Testament History September 13, 2009

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Jennifer Felsberg

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The first story from Jesus’ Galilean ministry I would like to share comes from the book of Luke 39: 17-26. This story is about a paralytic man. The man’s friends were determined to get him to see Jesus to be healed. There was a large crowd and Jesus was inside teaching the Pharisees. The friends finally lowered the paralytic man on a mat from the rooftop right in front of Jesus. Jesus told the man that his sins were forgiven and told him to pick up his mat and go home, which he did. Everyone was amazed except the Pharisees Jesus had been teaching. They felt that only God alone could forgive sins and they were not open to the fact that Jesus was the Son of God. This story is important because the Pharisees had become so preoccupied with manmade traditions and keeping the law that they forgot what the scriptures were really about. Jesus healed the man because of the faith of his friends. This shows how much our own faith can affect others. The Pharisees had no faith; they only had their traditions and laws. The second story I would like to discuss is found in Matthew 9:9-13. The gist of this particular story is about Jesus eating with tax collectors. Jesus came upon Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth and Jesus told Matthew “Follow me.” Matthew gave up his position of tax collector to follow Jesus. Tax collectors made a lot of money; they over charged taxes and kept the profits. For this reason the Jews hated tax collectors. They considered tax collectors lowlifes. Matthew invited Jesus to dinner at his home. There were many other tax collectors and sinners there. The Pharisees were outraged that Jesus would eat with such people and asked Jesus’ disciples why. Jesus heard them and replied, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this mean: ‘I don’t desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”- (Life Application Study Bible, 1997, p. 1550). Jesus was trying to tell the Jews that we must repent to enter the kingdom of heaven. The Jews made themselves appear good by publicly doing good deeds and pointing at the sins of others (Life Application Study Bible, 1997, p. 1678 footnote). The Jews were always trying to trap Jesus

Jennifer Felsberg

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instead of seeing Him for who He really was: The Son of God. The Jews were also more concerned with trying to appear holy than with trying to help other people. Jesus was concerned for everyone, the rightous and the unrightous. The final story I chose comes from Luke 11:37-54. This is a rather long section where Jesus criticizes the Pharisees. The main verse in this section I would like to focus on is verse 46: Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.” -(Life Application Study Bible, 1997, p. 1699). The burdens Jesus is talking about were the added man made laws they added to God’s law. One of the Pharisees additions to God’s law to keep the Sabbath Holy. They decided to come up with instructions on how far a person could walk on the Sabbath, which kinds of knots could be tied, and how much weight could be carried before it was considered unlawful. My husband was raised Jewish and much of this still goes on today. It is like the Jews are trying to find loopholes and ways around the laws. In some places they use the power and telephone lines to block off their communities. They decided that it is okay to do certain things on the Sabbath inside of these communities. There is also a book with hundreds of man made laws and additions to God’s laws. They go so far as to pre tear toilet paper the night before the Sabbath and there is a law about how many times a man can shake his private part after unrinating before it is considered masterbation. They also make reservations at the synagogues on the High Holy Days, which are Rash Shana and Yom Kipper, so they will be seen and can have good seats (Felsberg, 2009). I do not think this is how Jesus intended for it to be. In fact, I know it is not. Jesus came to free people from these man made laws. When asked what the greatest and most important command was he replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment . And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Land the

Jennifer Felsberg Prophets hand on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40, (Life Application Study Bible, 1997, p. 1582).

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Jennifer Felsberg References Felsberg, D. (2009, September 8). Mr. (J. Felsberg, Interviewer) Life Application Study Bible. (1997). Grand Rapids: Tyndale House Publishers. Luke 11 - IVP New Testament Commentaries. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2009, from Bible Gateway: http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/Luke/ControversiesCorrections

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