How to Throw Barbs like Jesus
I suppose the title is a little misleading. I am not talking about Barbaras (e.g., Walters), Barbies (e.g., Barbie), or Barbaros (e.g., Barbaro). I am talking about subtle verbal jabs. So, here's how you do it. (This comes from an email exchange with my cousin Kirk.)
In Matthew 16:5-12, Jesus warns his disciples against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which he says is yeast. The point about yeast is that a little works through the whole. (In Luke, the Kingdom of God is like yeast worked into dough that feeds a lot of people. A little bit of good has a big effect--that's what the Kingdom of God is like.)
Here's the background: The Passover of the OT is commemorated by eating a lamb and unleavened bread. The are to cook the food with robes tucked in and staff in hand (Ex 12), eating bread that does not need to rise to show the haste of the exodus. The Festival of Unleavened Bread becomes one of three festivals the Israelites were to celebrate yearly [along with Firstfruits and Ingathering (Ex 23)]. Not cooking with yeast is not always forbidden--that's what makes it special during the festival and why those who have yeast need to get rid of it for the festival (otherwise they would never have had it).
Here's the burn: The Sads' and Phars' teaching is like yeast--inconsistent with celebrated traditions of the Israelites. They miss the point in a most fundamental way.
At least that's my opinion for now.
In Matthew 16:5-12, Jesus warns his disciples against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which he says is yeast. The point about yeast is that a little works through the whole. (In Luke, the Kingdom of God is like yeast worked into dough that feeds a lot of people. A little bit of good has a big effect--that's what the Kingdom of God is like.)
Here's the background: The Passover of the OT is commemorated by eating a lamb and unleavened bread. The are to cook the food with robes tucked in and staff in hand (Ex 12), eating bread that does not need to rise to show the haste of the exodus. The Festival of Unleavened Bread becomes one of three festivals the Israelites were to celebrate yearly [along with Firstfruits and Ingathering (Ex 23)]. Not cooking with yeast is not always forbidden--that's what makes it special during the festival and why those who have yeast need to get rid of it for the festival (otherwise they would never have had it).
Here's the burn: The Sads' and Phars' teaching is like yeast--inconsistent with celebrated traditions of the Israelites. They miss the point in a most fundamental way.
At least that's my opinion for now.
posted by Aaron Perry at
10:07 AM
5 Comments:
i never thought about how derragatory being called 'yeast' would be to the phars and sads until now. good observation.
AP,
Interesting post. It doesn't seem to me that Jesus "threw barbs" in the way we normally think about it, although sometimes what Jesus said cut to the bone, and deeper, and sometimes those "barbs" offended and hurt those who heard his words. The temptation for us (at least for me) is to take some glee in throwing barbs, showing someone else to be foolish or at least not nearly as wise as us. I think in order to truly "throw barbs like Jesus" we need to first cloak ourselves in the humility of Jesus. Jesus spoke truth because Jesus was (is) truth and he could do no other. But Jesus was also Compassion and Humilty and he was seeking to save the lost with a self-sacrificing love that was always pointing people toward the Father. If our "barbs" point people toward us and our "smarts" then they are not the type of barbs that Jesus threw. The same Jesus who threw these barbs, of course, died for ones such as these.
John
oh, John, there's just not getting around you compassionate types! of course, you're right. and perhaps barb is more of a word to get people reading. but as the Sads and Phars would hear Jesus' words (i can imagine that it would get back to the Sads and Phars that "Jesus says your teaching is like yeast!") i'm sure they wouldn't be thinking of his compassion and would likely get riled up. compassion is not always in the manner one calls people to repentance, but in the act of calling itself.
True dat!
oh, i forgot to sign my previous post, the profound "true dat"
John :o)
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