Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Jesus Practiced What he Preached

Throughout the Gospels we see Jesus practicing what he preached and commanding his listening audience to do the same. For example, Jesus is seen eating with "sinners," a word that can only apply to two classes of people: non-religious Jews and the uncircumcised, i.e., Gentiles. So it would make sense that Jesus broke Kosher laws, similar to the allegations against Peter in Acts 11:3; Gal 2.12.

In Mark 7 Jesus uses his criticism of the tradition of the Jewish elders to make a further teaching on the food laws.

"Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. 'All of you listen,' he said, 'and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart'.”
(Mar 7.14-15; NOTE some manuscripts add verse 16, "Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.")

As a result, Mark later says that by saying these things "Jesus had made all foods clean." (Mar 7.19)

The Apostles likely broke the once a year law on fasting from Lev. 16, i.e., for the Day of Atonement. In Mar 2.19 Jesus clearly says: "They can’t fast while the groom is with them." And we all know that the ministry of Jesus lasted for at least years.

In Numbers 5 God commands the removal of people with all kinds of illnesses "so that they will not defile their camps." The same in Numbers 9.10 where God commands anyone who has been in contact with the dead not to take the Passover. Yet, Jesus and his followers are recorded time and again as having to touch the sick, demonized in order to heal them.

In Matthew 12:1-6 and John 5:17-19 we see Jesus and his followers breaking the Sabbath yet, not making them lawbreakers, i.e., sinners.

Lastly, under Moses you could kill your enemy and even the "intruder: (Lev. 24.20; Ex 22.2) but under Jesus you have to unconditionally “love your enemies” (Mat 5.38-39; cp. Luke 6.28-29).

And under Moses a certificate of divorce was granted (Deut. 24.1-4) but under Jesus divorce is allowed for only one reason (Mat 5.31-32; 19).

The fact is Jesus was sent to preach and practice New Covenant Law (Heb. 9.15; 12.24). As a result, Jesus was under his own Law, what Paul later calls the Law of Messiah (Gal 6.2; 1Cor 9:21, not the same as the Law of Moses!). Hence, Paul clearly says "imitate me as I imitate Messiah" (1Cor 11.1). And though we all know that both Paul and Jesus were "born under the Law" of Moses, it doesn't mean they had to remain Torah-observant for the rest of their life!