Behaviour Revolution Scriptures

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YAHUSHA WENT BACK TO HIS HOMETOWN OF NAZARETH, BUT THEN MOVED TO CAPERNAUM. WAS HE DOING THIS TO EVADE THE AUTHORITIES? PERHAPS. BUT MATTHEW SAYS THAT THE REASON FOR THIS MOVE WAS TO FULFIL A PROPHECY FROM ISAIAH. IN OTHER WORDS, SOME OF THE THINGS YAHUSHA DID, HE DID PURPOSELY FOR LITTLE OTHER REASON THAN TO FULFIL ANCIENT MESSIANIC PROPHECIES CONCERNING HIS COMING AND HIS MISSION AS MESSIAH AND DELIVERER.

EACH MAN IS DOING WHAT IS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES. THE 10 NORTHERN TRIBES (ESPECIALLY) HAVE BEEN BLATANTLY BOWING DOWN TO OTHER GODS/IDOLS ALONG WITH INSINCERELY WORSHIPPING YAHUAH ALAHIM FOR A LONG TIME; AND THE 2 TRIBES THAT FORMED JUDAH ARE BEING SLOWLY DRAWN INTO THE SAME DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOUR. FINALLY THE BREAKING POINT IS REACHED; WHAT ISAIAH DESCRIBES NEXT IS THE ISRAELITES REACHING OUT FRANTICALLY IN ALL DIRECTIONS FOR THE SOLUTIONS TO THEIR GROWING FRUSTRATIONS, MISFORTUNES AND OVERWHELMING PROBLEMS. THEY TRY PRESSURING THEIR PROPHETS INTO CONTACTING THE DEAD FOR ANSWERS. THEY TRY SACRIFICE TO OTHER GODS/IDOLS HOPING FOR THEIR FAVOR. THEY QUIT CONSULTING YAHUAH'S WORD FOR DIRECTION AND LOOK TO OTHERS OR TO THEMSELVES. AND SO THERE IS ONLY ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE THE CONDITION OF ISRAEL AT THAT TIME: CONFUSION!!

THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN ISAIAH'S PROPHECY!

^{MATT 4:15} “Listen, land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, lands by the road that goes to the sea, the area past the Jordan River - Galilee, where those from other nations live. The people who live in spiritual darkness have seen a great light. The light has shined for those who live in the land that is as dark as a grave.” (ISAIAH 8-9)

IN 700 B.C. ISRAEL STILL HELD SUBSTANTIAL TRIBAL TERRITORIES HERE, BUT THAT WAS NO LONGER THE CASE IN YAHUSHA'S TIME. THEN WE HEAR OF THE GALILEE OF THE GENTILES BECAUSE SO MANY GENTILES OCCUPIED AREAS AROUND THE WEST SIDE OF THE SEA OF GALILEE, AND EVEN MORE SO ON THE EAST. FOR THE REALITY IS THAT ROME WAS IN CHARGE OF THAT ENTIRE REGION.

AND ISAIAH SAYS THAT ALL OF THESE AREAS AROUND GALILEE ARE HOME TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN WALKING "IN GREAT DARKNESS", BUT NOW THESE SAME PEOPLE HAVE SEEN A "GREAT LIGHT". IN HEBREW THE WORD "DARKNESS" HERE IS NOT A WORD THAT SPEAKS OF THE DARKNESS OF NIGHTTIME, BUT TO DESCRIBE GREAT OBSCURITY, OPPRESSION, AND DECEPTION. SO THE GREAT DARKNESS IS A GREAT SPIRITUAL DARKNESS…. EVIL … SHARED BY ISRAELITES AND GENTILES ALIKE. AND THE GREAT LIGHT THAT ISAIAH PROPHESIES ABOUT IS (IN ITS ORIGINAL HEBREW) A TYPE OF LIGHT THAT IS NOT THE KIND THAT COMES FROM THE SUN, BUT MEANS ENLIGHTENMENT….. TRUTH…. REVELATION - THE QUALITIES OF GOOD THAT ARE THE FOUNDATION OF YAHUSHA ALAHIM'S NATURE. THESE ARE THE SAME WORDS USED TO DESCRIBE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF ISRAEL'S EXPERIENCE IN EGYPT ALSO.

MATTHEW TAKES THE TERM "GREAT LIGHT" IN ISAIAH'S PROPHECY TO MEAN YAHUSHA THE MESSIAH, SO WHEN WE HEAR ABOUT THOSE LIVING IN THE REGION AS LIVING IN THE SHADOW OF DEATH, THE ULTIMATE MEANING IS THE SHADOW OF ETERNAL DEATH….. FOR A SPIRITUAL DEATH IS BEING CONTEMPLATED MUCH MORE THAN A PHYSICAL DEATH THAT ALL HUMANS WILL EXPERIENCE.

IN A NUTSHELL, ISRAEL HAD BEEN THE ONLY NATION TO BE GIVEN DIVINE LIGHT AND POWER IN ORDER TO SHAREE WITH THE WORLD, BUT INSTEAD OF BEING A SHINING EXAMPLE AND WITNESS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS - THEY FAILED THEIR GLOBAL MANDATE, CHOSE TO LIVE LIKE THE PAGAN NATIONS, WERE DIVORCED, EXILED AND NOW DARKNESS REIGNED GLOBALLY FOR 500 YEARS .... THEN ALAHIM CAME AS A MAN  !!

THOSE SAME WORDS WILL NOT BE WHAT YAHUSHA SPEAKS WHEN HE COMES BACK IN POWER AND GLORY TO WAGE ARMAGEDDON BATTLE. THIS IS BECAUSE UPON HIS FIRST APPEARANCE HE CAME TO REDEEM HIS BRIDE AS HER DELIVERER. THE NEXT TIME HE COMES, HE COMES TO CARRY OUT THE FULL FORCE OF HIS WRATH AND VENGEANCE AS ALAHIM. THE TIME TO REPENT IS NEARLY UP!

* FIRST COMING: DELIVERANCE.

* SECOND COMING: JUDGMENT.

THEREFORE THE MESSAGE IS THAT ALAHIM'S KINGDOM ON EARTH HAS JUST BEEN INAUGURATED (A NEW CREATION ORDER HAS BEEN USHERED IN THROUGH A NEW FIRST-FRUIT ALAHIM-MAN AND THE ONLY MEANS TO GAIN MEMBERSHIP IS TO SINCERELY REPENT.

WHY REPENT? BECAUSE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NOT JUST A HEAVENLY PLACE RIGHT HERE IN ANOTHER DIMENSION. IT REPRESENTS YAHUSHA'S LOVING REIGN AND RULE THAT ITSELF IS EXPRESSED IN THE LIVES  AND BEHAVIOURS OF HUMAN BEINGS. SO IF YOU ARE HIS WISE BRIDE, THE KINGDOM OF ALAHIM IS ALREADY WITHIN YOU, HAVING BEEN PLANTED IN INCORRUPTIBLE SEED FORM WHEN HE BAPTISED YOU IN HIS SPIRIT (NO WATER REQUIRED AS YAHUSHA WAS THE LAST LEGAL WATER BAPTISM.) SO WHILE THE KINGDOM IS (FOR NOW) FULLY SPIRITUAL IN NATURE, IN TIME THE SEED WILL GROW (AS YOU FEED AND WATER IT WITH HIS WORD) ACTIVATING IT INTO REAL BEHAVIOUR OF PREPARATION (THE EXTRA JAR OF OIL)... SO THAT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN TRANSFORMS YOU INTO A NEW CREATION ALSO (JUST LIKE YAHUSHA WAS) AND IT BECOMES THE SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL CONDITION OF THE NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH ... IT CONSISTS OF US !!

BEHOLD I SHOW YOU THE BRIDE, THE LAMB'S WIFE ... THE NEW JERUSALEM ... ALL LIVELY STONES FITTED TOGETHER ...

IT WAS JOHN THE BAPTIST WHO INAUGURATED THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ON EARTH, AND IT IS YAHUSHA AND LATER WITH THE HELP OF HIS BRIDAL DISCIPLES (THEN AND NOW) WHO ARE EXPANDING THE KINGDOM BY MEANS OF SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS, AND THEN FINALLY THE KINGDOM REACHES IT'S COMPLETED FORM WHEN YAHUSHA RETURNS AND THE OLD HEAVENS AND OLD EARTH PASS AWAY (FRACKLED BY THE SHEER MAGNITUDE OF HIS PERFECT RADIOACTIVE SET-APARTNESS) IN ORDER TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH.

THINK HOW FORTUNATE WE ARE AND CONTINUE TO BE. WE STILL LIVE IN AN EXTENDED ERA (THAT BEGAN AROUND 30 A.D) WHEREBY REPENTANCE AND SINCERE TRUST IN YAHUSHA AS ALAHIM, ALLOWS US TO FIND THE NARROW GATE AND PROCEED THROUGH HIS VEIN OF SPIRIT AND FIRE BAPTISM, TO TRANSITION FROM FLESHLY TO SPIRITUAL, IN ORDER TO DELIVER US FROM YAHUSHA'S COMING WRATH. YES, WE STILL LIVE IN AN EXTENDED ERA WHEN WE, AS YAHUSHA'S WISE BRIDE, CAN TELL OTHERS…. SOME WHO WE KNOW AND LOVE, SOME WHO WE DON'T KNOW AT ALL….. ABOUT ETERNAL LIFE IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, AND THEY STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPENT AND BE DELIVERED FROM THE COMING WRATH. THE TIME IS ALMOST UPON US THOUGH WHEN THIS OPTION AND OPPORTUNITY ENDS WITH NO EXCEPTIONS !!

DISCIPLES

^{MATT 4:18} As YAHUSHA was walking by Lake Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Simon’s brother Andrew. These brothers were fishermen, and they were fishing in the lake with a net. 19 YAHUSHA said to them, “Come, follow Me, and I will make you a different kind of fishermen. You will bring in people, not fish.” 20 So Simon and Andrew immediately left their nets and followed Him. 21 YAHUSHA continued walking by Lake Galilee, where He saw two other brothers, James and John, who were in a boat with their father Zebedee. They were preparing their nets to catch fish. So YAHUSHA told the brothers to come with Him. 22 So they immediately left the boat and their father, and they followed YAHUSHA also.

SINCE IT IS SEEMS APPARENT FROM THE WRITINGS OF THE NEW COVENANT THAT THE JEWS BELIEVED THEY WERE LIVING IN THE END TIMES, THEN THE BELIEF OF ELIJAH REAPPEARING AND PLAYING A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THOSE TURBULENT TIMES WAS EVER PRESENT. THAT WHY WE SEE THAT MANY HUNDREDS OF YEARS EARLIER (IN OTHER TURBULENT TIMES), IT WAS ELIJAH WHO SPOTTED AND THEN CHOSE ELISHAH (THE MASTER CHOSE THE DISCIPLE, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND AS IT NORMALLY WAS). THEN IN HIS GOSPEL, THE DISCIPLE JOHN REITERATES THE SAME PRINCIPLE ABOUT WHO DOES THE CHOOSING WHEN HE WRITES OF YAHUSHA SAYING TO HIS DISCIPLES: 

JOHN 15:16 “YOU DIDN'T CHOOSE ME, BUT I CHOSE YOU, AND I'VE APPOINTED YOU TO GO AND BEAR FRUIT, FRUIT THAT WILL LAST, SO THAT WHATEVER YOU ASK FROM THE FATHER IN MY NAME, HE MAY GIVE YOU”. 

THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION CENTRES AROUND JUST WHO THESE (SOON TO BE) DISCIPLES, AND THE MANY OTHER JEWS WHO WOULD FOLLOW HIM, THOUGHT YAHUSHA WAS OR WHAT IT WAS THAT HE REPRESENTED TO THEM. IN ORDER TO TRY AND SHED LIGHT ON THIS ISSUE LET'S TAKE AN INTERESTING DETOUR.

IN THIS ERA THERE WAS A TYPE OF MAN CALLED A TZADIK. WHILE LITERALLY IT MEANS "RIGHTEOUS ONE," TO THE JEWS OF THAT TIME IT MORE INDICATED A "HOLY/SET-APART MAN". THESE PEOPLE WERE MIRACLE WORKERS WHO, AMONG OTHER THINGS, HEALED SICKNESSES, DISABILITIES AND WOUNDS IN THE NAME OF THE ALAHIM OF ISRAEL. A FEW YEARS PRIOR TO 70 A.D (BEFORE THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE BY ROME) FOUR OF THESE SET-APART MEN WERE WELL KNOWN AND RESPECTED IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL - AND INTERESTINGLY TWO OF THEM WERE FROM GALILEE.

IT WAS BELIEVED BY THE JEWISH COMMUNITY THAT THESE "RIGHTEOUS MEN" WERE DIVINELY GIFTED AND MUCH CLOSER TO ALAHIM THAN THE AVERAGE MAN. RECALL THAT IN YAHUSHA'S DAY THE BELIEF OF JEWS WAS THAT THE ERA OF PROPHETS (OF THE OLD COVENANT VARIETY) WAS OVER. PROPHETS WERE THE MIRACLE WORKERS OF THAT BYGONE ERA AND NOW AROUND THE BEGINNING OF THE 1ST CENTURY THE MIRACLE WORKERS WERE THESE TZADIKKIM (RIGHTEOUS MEN). THERE WASN'T VERY MANY OF THEM AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO KNOW, EXACTLY, WHEN THIS ERA OF THE TZADIK AROSE, BUT AT LEAST AS EARLY AS 65 B.C. SCRIBES BEING THE CHIEFS AND MAIN AUTHORITIES OF THE SYNAGOGUE SYSTEM (THE ELITE OF THE PHARISEES) WERE HIGHLY REVERED. AND AS SUCH THEY HAD HUGE EGOS AND SO TENDED TO SEE AN ITINERANT "HOLY MAN" AS COMPETITION AND A THREAT BECAUSE THE COMMON FOLKS FLOCKED TO A TZADIK IN HOPES OF BEING HEALING OF THEIR VARIOUS AILMENTS (SOMETHING THE SCRIBES CERTAINLY COULDN'T DO), SO THERE WAS A TENSION BETWEEN THE TWO.

IT IS FURTHER KNOWN OF THESE FEW SET-APART/HOLY MEN THAT THEY PRACTICED POVERTY. THIS WAS A REFRESHING DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM AND THE ARISTOCRATIC SADDUCEES OR THE ‘WELL TO DO’ SCRIBES, SO OF COURSE THE COMMON JEW OF THIS ERA (WHO WAS GENERALLY ANYTHING BUT RICH) FELT MORE OF A CONNECTION TO THESE 'HOLY MEN' WHO HAD NO POSSESSIONS AND HELD NO PRETENCES. IT WAS ALSO MORE OR LESS THE NORM THAT THESE TZADIK WOULD PERFORM THEIR HEALING MIRACLES IN PRIVATE, AND OFTEN IN SECRET, IN ORDER NOT TO GLORIFY THEMSELVES.

NOW THINK: WHO MIGHT THIS SOUND LIKE IN THE NEW COVENANT WRITINGS?

YAHUSHA OF COURSE !!

WE SEE HIM CHARACTERISED IN THE GOSPELS AS A JEWISH RIGHTEOUS MAN (OF COURSE WE KNOW HE WAS FAR MORE THAN THAT IN REALITY). WE READ OF YAHUSHA CONSTANTLY HEALING THE SICK, EXORCIZING DEMONS, AND GENERALLY HANGING OUT WITH THE ORDINARY, THE POOR, AND THE LAME. IN FACT, IT WAS HIS DEEDS OF MIRACLE WORKING THAT ATTRACTED PEOPLE TO HIM BY THE HUNDREDS AND THAT GAINED HIM SUCH A FOLLOWING AMONG THE COMMON FOLK. BUT IT ALSO MADE HIM THE BANE OF THE RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES WHO COULDN'T DO WHAT HE COULD DO AND THEREFORE SAW HIM AS A THREAT.

SO TO THE JEWISH MIND AND CULTURE, YAHUSHA FIT THE IDENTITY OF AN AUTHENTIC TZADIK: HE WAS A SET-APART MAN WHO WORKED MIRACLES. THE PHENOMENON OF A "HOLY MAN" WAS NOT NEW, BUT RATHER SOMETHING WONDERFUL THAT SEEMED TO COME AROUND ONLY OCCASIONALLY, UNEXPECTEDLY, AT ALAHIM'S WILL. AND WHEN A SET-APART MAN APPEARED, PEOPLE OF COURSE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE PROOF OF HIS CREDENTIALS WAS HIS MIRACLE-POWERS OF HEALING. THE NEWS OF THE ARRIVAL OF A SET-APART MAN WOULD SPREAD QUICKLY AND JEWS WOULD COME CLAMOURING TO HIM FOR RELIEF OF EVERY KIND OF MALADY.

TZADIK WERE MEN OF THE COMMON PEOPLE, NOT MEN OF THE ELITE. THE GOSPELS PAINT YAHUSHA IN EXACTLY THIS LIGHT, BUT OF COURSE THE GOSPEL WRITERS ALSO EXPRESS THE JOY THAT HE WAS SO MUCH MORE THAN THIS: HE WAS ALSO THE LONG AWAITED DELIVERER AND ALAHIM IN THE FLESH. SO EVEN YAHUSHA'S CLAIMS TO BEING THE SON OF ALAHIM WERE NOT DENIED BY THE PEOPLE AT LARGE, NOR DID THOSE CLAIMS SEEM STRANGE, BECAUSE IT WAS BELIEVED THAT EVERY TZADIK WHO CAME AND WENT WAS A SON OF ALAHIM. IT'S ONLY THAT THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT FOR YAHUSHA, BEING THE SON OF ALAHIM (IMAGERY) WAS UNIQUE AND FULLY LITERAL AS OPPOSED TO BEING AN HONORARY TITLE.

YAHUSHA IS ALAHIM !!

NOW BACK TO THE QUESTION :

WHY WOULD THESE FISHERMEN AND LATER OTHERS (WHO DON'T SEEM TO HAVE HAD ANY PRIOR CONTACT WITH HIM) JUST JUMP UP AND FOLLOW YAHUSHA BECAUSE HE COMMANDED THEM TO? IT WAS BECAUSE THEY RECOGNISED HIM AS A TZADIK; A MIRACLE WORKER; A SON OF ALAHIM. A SET-APART MAN WHOSE PERSONA AND ATTRIBUTES WERE KNOWN, WELCOMED AND UNDERSTOOD WITHIN JEWISH SOCIETY. THEY HAD PROBABLY HEARD OF HIM BECAUSE LUKE'S GOSPEL SAYS THAT AFTER THE 3 TEMPTATIONS YAHUSHA RETURNED TO  GALILEE, BEGAN TEACHING IN SYNAGOGUES AND HIS REPUTATION BEGAN TO SPREAD BEFORE HE STARTED APPOINTING DISCIPLES. THE PEOPLE SENSED HE WAS SOMETHING MORE THAN A TYPICAL RIGHTEOUS MAN BUT EVEN IF HE WASN'T, BEING A TZADIK WAS EXCITING ENOUGH. THEY WEREN'T ABOUT TO QUESTION HIS MOTIVES FOR WANTING THEM AS HIS FOLLOWERS. SO IT WOULD BE AN INDESCRIBABLE HONOUR TO BE IN HIS INNER CIRCLE AND IT WOULD PROBABLY BRING THEM SOME KIND OF BENEFIT OR HIGHER STATUS. UNDERSTAND: AS OF THIS TIME THESE DISCIPLES HAD LITTLE IDEA WHO YAHUSHA REALLY WAS AND WHAT THEIR DISCIPLESHIP WOULD EVENTUALLY MEAN OR LEAD TO.

^{MATT 4:23}  YAHUSHA went everywhere in the country of Galilee. He taught in the Synagogues and told the Good News about Alahim's Kingdom. And He healed all the people’s diseases and sicknesses. 24 The news about YAHUSHA spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all those who were sick. They were suffering from different kinds of diseases and pain. Some had demons inside them, some suffered from seizures, and some were paralysed. And YAHUSHA healed them all. 25 Large crowds followed Him - people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, Judah and the area across the Jordan River.

FISHERMEN ??

AFTER CHOOSING ANDREW AND PETER, YAHUSHA ALSO FOUND ANOTHER PAIR OF FISHERMAN BROTHERS, AND CHOSE THEM. SO THE FIRST 4 DISCIPLES WERE FISHERMEN. LET'S PAUSE FOR A SECOND: HOW FAR SHOULD WE SPIRITUALISE OR MAKE APPLICATION ABOUT THE FIRST 4 DISCIPLES BEING FISHERMEN? HOW MUCH WEIGHT SHOULD WE GIVE THIS? NOT MUCH, FOR REMEMBER: YAHUSHA WAS NOW LIVING IN CAPERNAUM, A SEASIDE TOWN. FISHING WAS THE MAIN INDUSTRIES FOR THE RESIDENTS OF CAPERNAUM. AND WE FIND YAHUSHA WALKING ALONG THE SEASHORE SO HE WAS BOUND TO RUN INTO SOME FISHERMEN. 

FISHERMEN (DESPITE WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD) WERE NOT UNEDUCATED AND ILLITERATE. FISHING WAS NOT A LOWLY OCCUPATION OR LAST RESORT. FISHING WAS WHAT TODAY WE'D CALL A BLUE COLLAR JOB OR TRADE. THESE WERE GENERALLY HAPPY FAMILY MEN MAKING A SIMPLE BUT SUFFICIENT LIVING. THEY COULD READ AND WRITE, AND PROBABLY SPEAK AND UNDERSTAND AT LEAST TWO LANGUAGES: HEBREW AND ARAMAIC (A BABYLONIAN HEBREW MIXTURE). SOME ALSO HAD A WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF GREEK (EVEN IF THEY WEREN'T FLUENT), BECAUSE CAPERNAUM LAY ON THE IMPORTANT VIA MARIS TRADE ROUTE AND KNOWING SOME GREEK WAS NECESSARY TO DO BUSINESS.

THEY AND THEIR FAMILIES ATE SOME OF THEIR CATCH BUT SOLD MOST OF IT AT THE LOCAL MARKETS. THEY ATTENDED SYNAGOGUES, MADE THE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM FOR SOME OF THE SCRIPTURAL FESTIVALS, AND HAD A MODEST LEVEL OF SCRIPTURAL KNOWLEDGE. BUT…. AND THIS IS IMPORTANT….. LIKE ALL OF THE NON-ELITE JEWS THE MAIN RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY POSSESSED CAME FROM TRADITION BECAUSE THEIR PLACE OF LEARNING WAS THE SYNAGOGUE WHERE PHARISEE-DRIVEN LITURGY FLOURISHED.

YAHUSHA WAS RAISED AND LIVED IN THE SAME ENVIRONMENT, WENT TO THE SAME SYNAGOGUES, AND HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY FORMAL RELIGIOUS TRAINING. SO HIS ABILITY TO TEACH THE TORAH AND THE PROPHETS AT AN ASTOUNDING LEVEL MERELY ADDED TO HIS REPUTATION AND MYSTIQUE AS A SET-APART MAN PAR EXCELLENCE'. 

THAT SECOND PAIR OF BROTHERS THAT YAHUSHA COMMANDED TO BECOME HIS DISCIPLES WERE JAMES AND JOHN, SONS OF ZEBEDEE. THIS SAME JOHN (DECADES LATER) BECAME THE WRITER OF REVELATION, THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, AND THE THREE EPISTLES 1ST, 2ND, AND 3RD JOHN (NOT BAD FOR A FORMER FISHERMAN!). JUST AS ANDREW AND PETER IMMEDIATELY LEFT THEIR NETS AND BOATS AT YAHUSHA'S COMMAND SO DID JAMES AND JOHN.

DOES THIS MEAN THAT THEY LITERALLY ABANDONED THEIR VALUABLE NETS AND FISHING BOATS AND WALKED OFF WITH YAHUSHA? EVEN MORE, DOES THIS MEAN THAT THEY ALSO LEFT THEIR WIVES AND CHILDREN TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES, MEANING THESE WOMEN AND CHILDREN WOULD HAVE BECOME IMPOVERISHED AND MERE SURVIVAL WOULD HAVE BECOME CHALLENGING? OF COURSE NOT!!

THE BOATS AND NETS WERE RETAINED AND TAKEN OVER BY FAMILY MEMBERS. AND FOR THOSE NEW DISCIPLES WHO HAD IMMEDIATE FAMILIES THEY WOULD NOT HAVE DONE SUCH A THING AS TO SIMPLY WALK OFF AND LEAVE THEM HELPLESS. YAHUSHA WOULD NOT HAVE EXPECTED THEM TOO BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE VIOLATED THE MOST BASIC OF COMMANDMENTS TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOU DO YOURSELF. 

SINCE THESE DISCIPLES WOULD OPERATE ALMOST COMPLETELY WITHIN THE LAND OF ISRAEL FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN LISTENED TO OR RESPECTED IF THEY HAD DONE SUCH A THING AS TO MAKE HOMELESS BEGGARS OF THEIR WIVES AND CHILDREN IN ORDER TO GAIN THE PRESTIGE OF FOLLOWING A "HOLY MAN". SO THE STATEMENT THAT THEY LEFT NETS AND BOATS AT ONCE MUST BE TAKEN AS A VERY GENERAL STATEMENT ABOUT THEIR INSTANT CONNECTION WITH YAHUSHA AND THEIR IMMEDIATE OBEDIENCE TO HIS COMMAND.

IT MORE INDICATES THAT WITHOUT HESITATION OR RESERVATION THEY PUT THEIR OCCUPATION AND THEIR LIFE SECOND TO FOLLOWING YAHUSHA. NO DOUBT EVEN THIS WOULD HAVE HAD SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES AND PUT A GREAT STRAIN ON THEIR FAMILIES, IF FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN THEY WOULD SOON BE TRAVELING ON A REGULAR BASIS. 

THE CALLING THAT YAHUSHA HAS FOR US TO BE HIS DISCIPLES IS, JUST LIKE WITH THE FIRST 12, ABOUT COMMITTING OUR LIVES TO HIM JUST AS WE ARE. FOR MANY (IF NOT MOST OF US) THAT IS A RADICAL CHANGE IN AND OF ITSELF AND REQUIRES A TIME OF LEARNING AND ADAPTING. OUR NEW FOUND BELIEF IN HIM ALSO MEANS THAT WE MUST FOLLOW HIM EVEN IF OUR SPOUSES, PARENTS, CHILDREN, FRIENDS, AND BOSSES DON'T ACCEPT IT. DOES THIS MEAN THAT OUR SPOUSES MIGHT LEAVE US SIMPLY BECAUSE WE CHANGE, REPENT, AND BECOME DISCIPLES AND WORSHIPPERS OF YAHUSHA ALAHIM? MAYBE! MIGHT IT BE THAT WE CAN LOSE OUR JOBS OVER IT?  PERHAPS! ESPECIALLY IF ONE IS A JEW (OR OF ANY STRICT RELIGION REALLY) IN OUR TIME, IT VERY LIKELY WILL MEAN THAT YOUR FAMILY WILL SHUN YOU AND YOU'LL BE CONSIDERED A TRAITOR TO THEM AND TO WHATEVER RELIGIOUS MINDSET.

BUT AS YAHUSHA SAID:

LUKE 14:26 "IF ANYONE COMES TO ME AND DOES NOT HATE HIS FATHER, HIS MOTHER, HIS WIFE, HIS CHILDREN, HIS BROTHERS AND HIS SISTERS, YES, EVEN HIS OWN LIFE BESIDES, HE CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE”. 

SO MANY PEOPLE HEAR WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR IN THIS VERSE, AND TOO OFTEN THEY OVERLOOK THE KEY PHRASE “EVEN HIS OWN LIFE BESIDES". THEY THINK OF THIS VERSE AS A SEVERE YAHUSHA ACTUALLY SUGGESTING THAT A NEW BELIEVER OUGHT TO BE READY TO TURN AGAINST HIS FAMILY AND HATE THEM FOR HIS SAKE. THAT IS IN NO WAY WHAT IS BEING COMMANDED. THIS IS ABOUT UNDERSTANDING THE COST OF FOLLOWING YAHUSHA AND THAT YOU WILL FACE TREMENDOUS OPPOSITION. IT IS ABOUT GIVING UP ONE'S OWN LIFE SUCH THAT NOTHING IS TO RANK HIGHER THAN LOVE FOR YAHUSHA ALAHIM. LOYALTY TO ALAHIM COMES FIRST AND ALL ELSE IS SECONDARY.

NOW NOTICE YAHUSHA WENT ABOUT HEALING PEOPLE FROM DISEASE. THAT IS, HE CONTINUED TO LIVE AND PROJECT THE PERSONA OF A TZADIK….. A SET-APART MAN. FOR THE MOMENT THAT IS HOW THE JEWISH PEOPLE WERE PERMITTED TO PERCEIVE HIM.  BECAUSE (HALLELUJAH) A SET-APART MAN HAD APPEARED, NEWS OF HIM BEGAN SPREADING ALL OVER SYRIA AND PEOPLE BEGAN STREAMING TO HIM, EVEN FROM THERE WITH EVERY IMAGINABLE KIND OF AILMENT AND LAMENESS INCLUDING THOSE WHO WERE HELD UNDER THE POWER OF DEMONS. WHY THE MENTION OF SYRIA? SYRIA AT THIS TIME HAD A HUGE JEWISH POPULATION.

SYRIA WAS ON GALILEE'S NORTHERN BORDER AND THE POINT OF MENTIONING IT IS TO SHOW HOW FAR AND WIDE NEWS OF THIS MIRACLE WORKER SPREAD EVEN TO THE NOT-TOO-DISTANT JEWISH DIASPORA. IT ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THAT THE APPEARANCE OF A "HOLY MAN" WAS RARE AND WHEN ONE DID APPEAR, NEWS OF HIM SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE SO THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE MADE WELL MIGHT NOT BE MISSED.

BUT WHAT WE MUST ALSO NOTICE IS WHAT IS NOT SAID BY MATTHEW. WE'RE TOLD THAT ALL THESE PEOPLE WERE COMING FROM PLACES LIKE GALILEE, THE TEN TOWNS (THE DECAPOLIS), THE CAPITAL CITY OF JERUSALEM, THE PROVINCE OF JUDEA TO THE SOUTH, AND EVEN AREAS TO THE EAST OF THE JORDAN RIVER. GALILEE IS MENTIONED IN THE LIST, AS IS JUDEA, BUT WHY NOT SAMARIA THAT LAY IN BETWEEN THEM? WHY NO MENTION OF THE PROMINENT TYRE AND SIDON?

BECAUSE SAMARIA WAS A MOSTLY GENTILE, A MIXED-BLOOD PROVINCE, AS WERE THE MAJOR CITIES OF TYRE AND SIDON. THE GENTILES LIVING THERE WOULDN'T HAVE UNDERSTOOD THE NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF A TZADIK, WHICH WAS A PURELY HEBREW CONSTRUCT. BESIDES: YAHUSHA SAID THAT HE CAME FOR THE LOST SHEEP OF ISRAEL FIRST AND MATTHEW SEEMS INTENT ON MAKING THAT POINT BY USING THE LIST OF PLACES THESE THOUSANDS OF JEWS CAME FROM. GENTILES WERE BEYOND YAHUSHA'S SCOPE FOR THE TIME BEING. SO THOSE MULTITUDES WHO CAME TO BE HEALED AND TO HEAR A MESSAGE OF HOPE CONSISTED ALMOST ENTIRELY OF JEWS. 

WHAT WE HAVE BEEN READING IN THE LAST COUPLE OF VERSES ABOUT THE HUGE CROWDS COMING TO YAHUSHA FOR HEALING AND HOPE ARE THE PREFACE FOR WHAT COMES NEXT:

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.

WHO DID THEY THINK THEY WERE COMING TO SEE AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE DID THEY COME? THEY CAME TO SEE THE MIRACLE WORKING TZADIK. SOME CAME FOR PHYSICAL HEALING, OTHERS CAME BECAUSE OF HIS MESSAGE THAT TELLS THEM OF HOPE IN THE END TIMES, AND (SO VERY IMPORTANTLY) THE ONLY WAY TO GET RIGHT WITH ALAHIM IN PREPARATION FOR IT. 

SO NOW THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT THIS FROM THE FLESHLY TEXT, AND THE CULTURAL CLIMATE SURROUNDING YAHUSHA'S REPUTATION AS A RIGHTEOUS MAN (BEING A FLY ON THE WALL). WHAT ABOUT THE FACT THAT YAHUSHA IS LITERALLY ALAHIM IN THE FLESH, THE FULNESS OF OUR ETERNAL CREATOR IN BODILY FORM. JUST ONE GLANCE FROM HIM AND A PERSON WOULD FOREVER BE CHANGED, PIERCED BY THE POWER AND LOVE THAT SHONE FROM HIS EYES.

INSIDE THE BODY OF YAHUSHA ALAHIM IS THE VERY SAME SPIRIT AND FIRE-POWER THAT HE SHARED WITH THESE FIRST DISCIPLES, A WARMTH AND LOVING FEELING THAT DROVE THEM TO FOLLOW HIM WHEREVER HE WENT. A PASSION AND OBSESSION SO DEEP AND ALL ENCOMPASSING THAT THEY TURNED THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN FOR YAHUSHA AND COULD NO LONGER LOVE THEIR LIVES TO THE DEATH !!

ANY THOUGHT OR WORD OR BEHAVIOUR THAT HE IS NOT A PART OF HAS THE FEELING OF DEATH ATTACHED TO IT ... THIS IS WHAT YAHUSHA BRINGS WHEN WE ENCOUNTER HIM ... AN INSATIABLE HUNGER FOR HIS EYES, ATTENTION AND LOVE ! 

HE WAS THEIR EVERYTHING AND NOTHING ELSE MATTERED TO THEM ... CAN YOU RELATE?

HAVE YOU MET YAHUSHA ALAHIM LIKE THIS YET ?