Walking the path

(4-minute read)

I’ve been on the quest to understand the common man that Jesus spoke to when he walked the roads of Israel. Understanding the common man is part of the context of understanding what Jesus said.

The largest and most significant city in Israel is Jerusalem. The religious life in Jerusalem was primarily controlled by the Sadducees. They controlled the temple, the sacrifices, and the offerings. They didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead, angels, demons, heaven, or hell. They believed that God had a relationship with the nation of Israel, but not with individuals. They believed that when you’re dead, you’re dead and no longer exist.

I couldn’t help but wonder why anyone would follow such a religion. When I began trying to understand the Sadducees, the question came up: “Why do you decorate the house for Christmas?” It’s what we do, it’s what our friends, family, and neighbors expect. Even beyond its actual meaning, I enjoy the holiday. I enjoy the customs and traditions of that season. Time spent with friends and family is enjoyable. Similarly, the Sadducees and those who followed them loved the traditions and customs that their faith brought. If God wanted sacrifices, they would offer them. It was part of their duty as members of the nation and as Jews.

The Sadducees had a culture of religion, but not of believing. There was nothing personal. When many Christians think about what the Jews were like during the Second Temple period, they think of the Jews in Jerusalem. This presents a very distorted view of what Jews were like.

Outside of Jerusalem, the most significant influence was the Pharisees. They were really quite different from the Sadducees, and it showed up in their everyday life. The composite common man, our John of Doe, is not a cleric. He is a working man.

There’s a common expression that dates back centuries: “You can tell a lot about a man by how he treats his wife and children.” It was the father’s responsibility to teach his family. His wife would help him do that with the children. Until the synagogue schools were established, just before the birth of Jesus, it was the father’s responsibility to teach his children to read. If his wife could read, she would help him do that. It was very different in Jerusalem under the Sadducees, as only the men were taught to read.

At this point in history, Jews did not celebrate birthdays, but at some time during a boy’s 12th year, his father would lay hands on his son and say, “Your sins are on your own head.” He would be proclaimed a man, and his life would change dramatically. After the 12th year, men were only taught by men. Older men taught younger men, and older women taught younger women. By the age of 13, a son became his father’s constant companion until he became skilled.

Women in Jerusalem under the Sadducees were treated as property, whereas under the Pharisees, they were not. Women were treated much better and had more rights, including the right to inherit property.

The Pharisees looked upon scripture as if it were the written version of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They weren’t worried about hell. Jews don’t believe in hell the way it’s taught in Christian churches. They wanted to live their lives in a way that was pleasing to God and didn’t know any better way than not to sin. They lived in a sin-conscious world. They even developed lists of sins. Before doing something, they would often ask each other, “Is this a sin?” With this, Jesus came on the scene.

The Pharisees had heard of and even seen men with a messianic complex come preaching a new way to follow the Lord. Some even used magic tricks and deception to draw crowds. Such men didn’t last long, and when they left a city, they were soon forgotten. At first, they weren’t worried about Jesus at all. But then he sent out his disciples 2 by 2, doing the things he did. This was new. Those pretenders before him couldn’t do that. Even after his disciples had left their city, those who had been healed remained well; it wasn’t trickery. They realized there was a supernatural power, and thought if it wasn’t from God, then it must be from the devil. The Pharisees wanted to protect their people. If you’ve ever seen a father protecting his children or a mama bear protecting her cubs, then you know they can become a bit harsh and single-minded. This is how the Pharisees came off to the disciples.

According to Jewish history, prophecy ceased during the Second Temple period. During this period, Jesus was born. He ministered with prophecy as did his disciples after his resurrection. It was new and different. It was personal.

The common man lives his life steeped in traditions, even if he doesn’t recognize them. There are religious, family, seasonal, and work traditions. It’s easy to go through the Christmas season with all of its traditions and still miss the living God standing beside us. It’s easier to see the historical than the current reality.

Just like the common man during the Second Temple period, we are individually drawn by the Lord. That drawing is so soft that it does not interfere with our free will. I find it easy to miss it unless I spend time alone, willing to perceive the Lord’s leading.