LiveBooking: "Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus"

Chapter 2 tackles the question, "Why a Jewish rabbi?"

by Sam O'Neal

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Welcome to our second week of "LiveBooking" for Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg. If you don't know what LiveBooking is, or what this post is all about, I suggest you check out our explanation from last week.

Onward!

Cool Quotes
Here are some of my favorite soundbites from chapter 2:

Would it surprise you to learn that the rabbis thought that study, and not prayer, was the highest form of worship? They pointed out that when we pray, we speak to God, but that when we study the Scriptures, God speaks to us.

The mission of a rabbi was to become a living example of what it means to apply God's Word to one's life. A disciple apprenticed himself to a rabbi because the rabbi had saturated his life with Scripture and had become a true follower of God. The disciple sought to study the text, not only of Scripture but of the rabbi's life, for it was there that he would learn how to live out the Torah. Even more than acquiring his master's knowledge, he wanted to acquire his master's character—his internal grasp of God's law.

Summary
Chapter 2 focuses on understanding what it means that Jesus chose to impact the world as a Jewish rabbi in Israel. The authors include a lot of interesting nuggets and tidbits, but what I found most helpful was the description of how rabbis functioned during that time. (Interestingly, the term "rabbi" was a label of respect in Jesus' day—one given to those who taught Scripture well. But "rabbi" did not become a formal title until A.D. 70 at the earliest. That's why it made sense for Jesus to serve as a carpenter before launching his teaching ministry at age 30.)

Here are some of the primary functions of a rabbi during Jesus' time:

They interpreted the Torah and explained what the Scriptures meant—often through parables.

Many rabbis travelled from village to village and taught in the synagogues. They relied on the hospitality of others during their travels, but they accepted no salary.

Rabbis spent a good deal of time training disciples. These men usually travelled with their rabbi for years with the goal of becoming like him and eventually spreading his interpretation of the Torah.

The authors make a good point at the end of the chapter in regard to that last item: "So often we focus on Jesus' mission on the cross to save us from our sins. As marvelous as that is, it's critical for us to grasp the importance of his mission on Earth as a rabbi. His goal was to raise up disciples who would become like him. As followers of Jesus, we are still called to live out the adventure of discipleship, becoming like Jesus through the power of his Spirit at work within us."

Jesus started a movement, in other words—one that has changed the course of human history forever. We are all the continuation of that movement, which means we have work to do.