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Jennifer FelsbergJesus’ Kingdom ActivityJennifer FelsbergGrand Canyon UniversityBIB 123, New Testament HistorySeptember 13, 20091
 
Jennifer FelsbergThe 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 toget him to see Jesus to be healed. There was a large crowd and Jesus was inside teaching thePharisees. The friends finally lowered the paralytic man on a mat from the rooftop right in frontof Jesus. Jesus told the man that his sins were forgiven and told him to pick up his mat and gohome, which he did. Everyone was amazed except the Pharisees Jesus had been teaching. Theyfelt that only God alone could forgive sins and they were not open to the fact that Jesus was theSon of God. This story is important because the Pharisees had become so preoccupied withmanmade 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 faithcan 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 thetax collector’s booth and Jesus told Matthew “Follow me.” Matthew gave up his position of taxcollector to follow Jesus. Tax collectors made a lot of money; they over charged taxes and keptthe profits. For this reason the Jews hated tax collectors. They considered tax collectorslowlifes. Matthew invited Jesus to dinner at his home. There were many other tax collectorsand sinners there. The Pharisees were outraged that Jesus would eat with such people and askedJesus’ disciples why. Jesus heard them and replied, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, butthe sick. But go and learn what this mean: ‘I don’t desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have notcome to call the righteous, but sinners.”- (Life Application Study Bible, 1997, p. 1550). Jesuswas trying to tell the Jews that we must repent to enter the kingdom of heaven. The Jews madethemselves appear good by publicly doing good deeds and pointing at the sins of others (LifeApplication Study Bible, 1997, p. 1678 footnote). The Jews were always trying to trap Jesus2
 
Jennifer Felsberginstead of seeing Him for who He really was: The Son of God. The Jews were also moreconcerned with trying to appear holy than with trying to help other people. Jesus was concernedfor everyone, the rightous and the unrightous.The final story I chose comes from Luke 11:37-54. This is a rather long section whereJesus 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.” -(LifeApplication Study Bible, 1997, p. 1699). The burdens Jesus is talking about were the added manmade laws they added to God’s law. One of the Pharisees additions to God’s law to keep theSabbath Holy. They decided to come up with instructions on how far a person could walk onthe Sabbath, which kinds of knots could be tied, and how much weight could be carried before itwas 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 theyuse the power and telephone lines to block off their communities. They decided that it is okay todo certain things on the Sabbath inside of these communities. There is also a book withhundreds 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 atthe synagogues on the High Holy Days, which are Rash Shana and Yom Kipper, so they will beseen 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 askedwhat the greatest and most important command was he replied, “Love the Lord your God withall your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatestcommandment . And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Land the3
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