Moshe C.: Sivan - A Sacred Promise [2024/5784]

Read the transcript below, or watch a video of the teaching by Moshe C..

Shalom from Jerusalem. Tonight begins the month of Sh'vat, a time of cold and wet here in the land of Israel, a time of looking forward to the warmer and drier weather. The 15th day of this month is called the Festival of the Trees, Tu B’Shvat. We could talk about trees or Moses, but I wish to talk about the King of the Jews. The Jews have a king? Yes, they do. We also have a prime minister, but we're going to talk about the King of the Jews. His name is Jesus, Yeshua. The wise men from the East came looking for him. Remember what they said to Herod:

"Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East and are come to worship Him."

Pilate gave him the title at his crucifixion. He had his name or the title written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Today, disciples of Yeshua are awaiting his coming. What will he do when he comes? Matthew 25:11-46 tells us, so let's read it together:

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right hand: Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him: Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? Or when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you? And the King will answer and say to them: Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it unto me. 
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"Then he will also say to those on the left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me no food. I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink. I was a stranger, and you did not take me in. Naked, and you did not clothe me. Sick and in prison, and you did not visit me. Then they also will answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to you? Then he will answer them, saying: Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

This parable seems fairly straightforward, doesn't it? But let's make sure we get what Yeshua is trying to say. First, let's identify the characters in the parable. Who is the Son of Man? It is Yeshua. He links himself with this title at least 80 times in the Gospels. During Yeshua's time on Earth, the title Son of Man had Messianic overtones. The titles Lord and King also refer to Yeshua. Second, who are the sheep and who are the goats? They are all the Gentile nations of the world. The sheep are also referred to as the righteous in this parable. Third, who are the brethren? They are the Jewish people, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Remember, Yeshua is born of a Jewish mother.

Okay, let's unpack the parable. Sometime in the near future, Yeshua the King will come. He will sit on his throne, and every nation will acknowledge him as King and make an appearance. The one big "O" who was crucified and rejected as Savior is now the Sovereign and the Judge. Since his ascension to heaven over 2,000 years ago, Yeshua's flesh and blood brethren have been persecuted, starved, imprisoned, and killed. How many Gentiles have had compassion on the Jews during the centuries? The Romans? No. The Muslims? No. The Crusaders? No. The Inquisitors of Spain and Portugal? No. The Czars of Russia? No. Sir, the Nazis were compassionate? A big no. Throughout the millennia, there have been righteous Gentiles who put shoes to their faith in God. They have fed Jews, clothed Jews, and housed Jews, to the risk of their own lives. Works alone won't get us a seat in heaven; neither will faith alone. Remember, James the Apostle said: Faith without works is dead. What separates the sheep from the goats? A heart of compassion.

The Gospels record several instances where it is stated, "Yeshua had compassion on..." (you fill in the blank). Unless you have compassion, you will miss the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, stranger, imprisoned people that are around you. Unless you are born from on high, you cannot get this heart of compassion that Yeshua has. But once you become a new creation in him, then his Spirit will create in you a heart of compassion. Hell will no longer be your destination. You can become a sheep if you are a goat today. Rosh chodesh samech.