Old and New
Matthew 13:51-58
51 “Have you understood all these things?” “Yes,” they answered. 52 He said to them, “So then, every Torah-teacher who has been made into a talmid (disciple/student) for the Kingdom of Heaven is like the owner of a home who brings out of his storage room both new things and old.”
53 When Yeshua had finished these parables, he left 54 and went to his home town. There he taught them in their synagogue in a way that astounded them, so that they asked, “Where do this man’s wisdom and miracles come from? 55 Isn’t he the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Miryam? and his brothers Ya‘akov, Yosef, Shim‘on and Y’hudah? 56 And his sisters, aren’t they all with us? So where does he get all this?” 57 And they took offense at him. But Yeshua said to them, “The only place people don’t respect a prophet is in his home town and in his own house.” 58 And he did few miracles there because of their lack of trust.
Today, as we finish chapter 13 we need to ask ourselves, "Have you understood all these things?" That was Jesus' question to the disciples.
What a question to ask... I don't know that I ever understand ALL that is placed in front of me. And yet, these students had enough trust and confidence in Jesus that they understood what He wanted from them.
Jesus told them that "Torah-teachers" who want to learn (become a student) would bring out old and new. This is important to understand. The "old" never went away. Even in our lives, the "old" is important. I want my children to understand their heritage and hold memorable items with appreciation. However, I want them to find their own designs and ways of decorating or dressing. I don't want to force them to hold onto something that does not suit their personality.
It is the same with the "old teachings." We must hold them with a reverence and understanding that they are important. Obviously we must test them and make sure they are in the Word and from God, not man, however we cannot discard what God gave us. His Words are always living and active.
We also need to work with new ideas. We need to bring new ways of helping people understand His teachings. We do NOT compromise the teachings, but we bring a new way of drawing people close to His Truth.
Jesus took these parable teachings everywhere He went. Verses 53-58 show us that He tried to return to His "hometown." This was Nazareth. It is where He grew up. When He returned there and tried to teach in the synagogues, the "Torah-teachers" were amazed, but they did not trust Him.
I think the lesson we need to understand today is that we must be prepared. We must try to understand what God is telling us. We must be like the disciples and LISTEN to every Word. We cannot just say, "But I don't understand. I need someone else to help me interpret this." We cannot always rely on the others to give us what He needs us to know.
It is time again for us all to walk out His understandings and hear with our ears what He has for us. We must be willing to keep the old and bring the new.
Love and blessings,
Rose
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