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What’s His Name?

Monday, November 26th, 2012 | Author:

 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion: Greetings.   James 1:1  ESV

James – If we’re going to study the work of someone, it might be useful to know the author’s name.  It might be useful to know the author’s heritage and past influences and culture.  Those kinds of things might tell us a lot about the author’s thinking and help us understand what he says (it’s too bad so few paid attention to this when Barak Obama wrote his books).  Unfortunately, when it comes to the work called “The Letter of James,” most of these useful insights are either ignored or lost in translation.  So let’s correct some of these and see what we can learn.

First, his name isn’t “James.”  In fact, the “J” sound, as distinguished from the Latin and the Greek “i,” didn’t appear until 1524 in Middle High German.  Our English sound for the letter J was acquired from the French.  Obviously, “James” didn’t exist as a name when this man wrote.  His name was Ya’aqov (Hebrew).  It has a meaning, supplied by the story of the Patriarch by the same name – the “heel catcher”, the one who supplants, who seizes.  Our author, Ya’aqov, carries a very famous Hebrew name that has a very long history.  And just like Ya’aqov (“Jacob”) of old, this author was at first someone who opposed God’s direction, found himself wrestling with the Lord and became a great pillar of the faith.  If we think his name is “James,” we are likely to miss the historical significance of his name.

Ya’aqov (sometimes spelled Ya’akov) is the brother of Yeshua (cf. Matthew 13:55 and Acts 12:17).  He does not introduce himself with this prestigious relationship.   Rather than claiming authority based on sibling connection, Ya’aqov calls himself “a servant of God and of the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach.”  The word he uses is doulos, technically not “servant” but rather “slave.”  That alone is significant.  The man with the name “supplanter” describes himself as “slave.”   There could hardly be a more contradictory appellation.  But even this isn’t all that we find.  The order of words in Greek and Hebrew often reveal the emphasis of the thought and here the order is literally “God and the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach slave.”  Even in word order, a slave does not come first!

This man had every opportunity to take advantage of his unique status.  He had a distinguished name and an impressive relationship.  He was a leader in the assembly.  Yet he makes nothing of this.  In the first few words of his letter, we encounter complete humility.   The letter of “James” is often viewed as the most practical letter of the New Testament.  In fact, its emphasis on actions (“works”) seemed so opposed to “grace” that Luther and others wanted it removed from the Canon.  But the very first thing we discover about this man is his meekness, his submissiveness.  We who are struggling to be the hands and feet of the Messiah might take a lesson from the man who was his brother.  Perhaps before the first action step is taken we must find the place of humility.

Topical Index:  James, Ya’aqov, name, doulos, slave, servant, James 1:1

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Revising the Text

Monday, June 25th, 2012 | Author:

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.  Isaiah 53:3  NASB

Despised and forsaken – In Messiah Journal, Special Supplement of 2011[1], Steven Lancaster and James Monson examine the Isaiah scroll found among the Dead Sea scrolls.  They discover that some traditionally interpreted passages which rely on the much later Masoretic text are not the same in this much older Isaiah scroll.  Their discussion of the entire “servant song” of Isaiah 52 and 53 requires more than 60 pages of detailed analysis, but one passage in particular should catch our attention.  It is the verse above, the well-known and often repeated passage about the rejection of the Messiah.  Lancaster and Monson demonstrate that the older text (and therefore most likely the more accurate one) does not include the idea of the Servant’s rejection, so popular among Christian musicians and story-tellers.  Rather, the older text means that the servant was unremarkable and ignored (disregarded).  “Rather than a sense of ‘scorn,’ we translate nivzeh as meaning that the exalted servant was ‘disregarded,’ i.e., that he gave no evidence of exulted status.  Moreover, to those who knew him, he was chadal ishim, ‘lacking the importance of me.’  This interpretation of the Hebrew, while perhaps troubling to those emotionally attached to the traditional translation, fits the context of this opening division of the son far better and sets this statement within that context, for indeed the community ‘gave him no thought!’”[2]

The Isaiah scroll also alters the meaning of the phrase “like one from whom men hide their face.”  Lancaster and Monson show that the Isaiah scroll should be translated, “as one concealing his face.”  The point is that the Servant disguised his true identity, not that the people turned away from him.  It is the servant, not the people, who conceals the truth.  This is exactly what the gospels say about Yeshua and what Paul reiterates in 2 Corinthians 4:3-6.  The Isaiah scroll makes it clear that the reason the community did not recognize the exalted status of the Servant is the result of the Servant’s deliberate concealment, not the community’s lack of spiritual insight.  The scroll goes on the say “we disregarded him,” (not “we did not esteem him”), indicating that the community did not have any reason to think of him as other than an ordinary man.

Why is the radical (though it might not seem so at first) change important?  Christian teaching about Jesus has focused on the sinful obstinacy of the people, claiming that anyone who had “eyes to see” should have recognized Him as the Messiah.  From this position, Christian theology often asserts that the Jews were “spiritually blind,” either because of sin or because of an act of God.  But the Isaiah scroll says something very different.  It says that the Servant himself kept his true identity secret.  Only those who diligently sought him saw the truth – and, as we know from the gospel accounts – even they lacked unmistakable evidence.

Does this change your view about why Yeshua wasn’t universally proclaimed as the Messiah by his own audience?  Does it give even more meaning to his statement that only those whom the Father draws will find him?  Does it alter your perception of the later Christian idea that the Jews were personally culpable?  Does it give you a new view when reading the gospels?

The idea of blindness to the Messiah takes on spiritual and theological significance only when the Church begins to develop an anti-Semitic polemic.  If the Isaiah scroll represents the thinking of the first century, we should not have expected anyone to exclaim, “He is the Messiah!”  No wonder Yeshua can say to Peter, “Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you” (Matthew 16:17).

Now do you see?

Topical Index:  Isaiah 53:3, despised, forsaken, esteem, disregard, Matthew 16:17, Servant

 

[1] Messiah Journal, Issue 107, Special Supplement, Spring, 2011

[2] Lancaster and Monson, p. 22.

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A Popular Mythology

Saturday, November 12th, 2011 | Author:

“But the greatest among you shall be your servant.”  Matthew 23:11 NASB

Servant – Are you a servant?  Have you adopted the Christian virtue of being an enabler for others?  You might think you have.  After all, servant language is very popular these days.  From “servant-leadership” to foot-washing ceremonies, many of us attempt to instill a sense of humility in our practices.  But until we understand the culture of Yeshua, we probably won’t realize the full extent of His comment or the definition of “servant.”

First, a little Greek.  The word here is diakonos.  In a previous verse in Matthew, it is paralleled with doulos (slave).  This might lead us to think that servants and slaves are equal in Yeshua’s eyes, but that would be an exegetical mistake.  There is a difference between these two, but it isn’t the kind of difference we normally associate with “slave.” Our perception of “slave” has been altered by the history of abuse found in all pagan societies.  If we rely on the Greek text alone, we might mistakenly think of diakonos in terms of doulos, the description of someone who was owned by another.  In the Greek-speaking world, slaves were property.  Servants had some rights but not those of citizens.  In the pecking order, slaves were at the very bottom, servants were in between and citizens rested at the top.  It is the order that Yeshua reverses.  But He doesn’t do it from a Greek perspective.

In the Hebraic world, slaves were not property.  They were people with dignity, rights and worth, even if they were temporarily indentured to someone else.  In fact, under Torah no man or woman would be an indentured servant (slave) for more than seven years.  Furthermore, even those who were taken as slaves in war had specific rights and redress when they were not treated properly (this was especially true of women).  The same Hebrew word (‘ebed) describes both servant and slave.  It is worth noticing that this word is used to describe all the subjects of a king, the worshippers of God and a self-designation for humility.  Obviously, being ‘ebed did not mean being someone’s property.  None of this was true of the pagan world outside Israel.  When Yeshua speaks in Hebrew, He does not employ a Greek word that has connotations of property ownership.  To be a servant (or a slave) is to be under the authority of someone else.  But being under that authority doesn’t mean the person has no status, no rights, no dignity.  Quite the opposite is true.  The “servant of the Lord” is a designation of very high regard even if it describes someone who exhibits extraordinary humility.

Now that we know a little of the differences between the Greek and Hebrew, what conclusions can we draw about Yeshua’s statement?  First, we can set aside that false humility that we often see when people emulate servant behavior without voluntarily submitting to another’s authority.  The issue is not washing feet.  The issue is wholeheartedly following orders.

Secondly, we should notice that permanent servitude is always a voluntary act.  It is possible to be ‘ebed for life, but not because any rule, regulation or situation requires it.  ‘ebed for life is strictly a personal decision.  It is a decision to place the control of my life under the authority of another.  No man can force this upon anyone else, not even God.  But this is precisely what is needed in the Kingdom.  Volunteers, not conscripts.

Finally, since ‘ebed describes all subjects of the king, all worshippers of YHWH and all those who recognize their true status under God’s banner, the Greek equivalent diakonos actually applies to everyone who follows Yeshua.  We are all servants simply because we fall into that divine category.  The only question is whether or not we act like servants.  In the end, being a servant is not a matter of title.  It is a matter of behavior.  In fact, those who reach for titles have probably misunderstood what it means to be diakonos.  There is only one determination of the true diakonos (‘ebed).  Does this person treat others as God would treat them?  Hmm?  Sounds like the “Golden Rule,” doesn’t it?

Topical Index:  servant, slave, diakonos, doulos, ‘ebed, Matthew 23:11

 

 

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Beneficiaries

Tuesday, January 04th, 2011 | Author:

“YHWH, Elohey Yisrael, there is none like You, Elohim, in the heavens or in the earth, keeping covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.” 2 Chronicles 6:14 (Darby)

Servants – God keeps His promises.  And God is merciful.  That is very good news!  But who are the beneficiaries of this good news?  Solomon answers, “His servants.”  How are they distinguished from the rest of Mankind?  His servants walk before Him with all their hearts.

‘eved is the Hebrew word translated “servant.”  It usually means “slave,” a facet we should not overlook.  While slavery did not carry the same nuances that we associate with the word today, the idea of unwavering commitment and ownership stands behind Hebrew concepts of service to another.  This noun is derived from the verb ‘avad, “to do, make, carry out or perform.”  The basic tasks of a slave are to do the will of the master, to carry out the master’s instructions  and to perform one’s duty to the master.  Certainly Solomon has these actions in mind when he calls those who experience God’s covenant keeping and mercy avadecha (“Your servants”).

This thought is particularly distressing.  Why?  Because we want to experience the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, and this thought suggests that only those who walk before Him with all their hearts are the beneficiaries of His covenant and His mercy.  If that’s the case, most of us (if not all) are not going to make it.  Try counting the number of days that you walked before the Lord as His ‘eved with all your heart.  Actually, try counting the number of hours or even minutes.  Days is probably far too much.  Can Solomon really mean that unless we are walking before Him with all of our hearts, we are not going to experience His covenant and hesed?  I don’t see how that can be the case.

Paul assures us, in case we didn’t know it already, that we have all sinned and deserve punishment.  Paul also assures us that we are no longer condemned because of the grace of God and the obedience of His Son.  Mercy triumphs!  We are beneficiaries of His love in spite of our faltering commitment.  But that doesn’t excuse faltering.  Just as the biblical concept of the wicked describes those who over a course of time reject the instructions of YHWH, so the concept of servants describes those who over the course of time continually strive for obedience.  God’s beneficiaries are not the perfected ones.  They are the broken but repentant ones. To walk before Him with all of our hearts is to set the course of our lives so that His purposes become our purposes.  That takes a long time, but God is patient.  He might not be patient with excuses and rationalizations, but He is patient with those He loves to transform.  Someday, upon the arrival of the renewed covenant, we will serve Him without wavering.  Today we serve Him in spite of wavering.

Topical Index:  servant, ‘eved, obedience, 2 Chronicles 6:14

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Proximity

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 | Author:

“If any one serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be; if any one serves Me, the Father will honor him.” John 12:26

There – Where is a servant supposed to be?  With his master, of course.  How can a servant fulfill his duties to the master if he is someplace else?  Makes perfect sense, right?  But in this context, the proximity requirement isn’t so appealing.  Oh, we’re happy to be with Jesus when everything is joy and peace and light.  Remember Peter?  “Where will we go, Lord?  You have the words of life.”  But that’s not the context of this verse.  Just back up a few verses and you will discover that Yeshua is speaking about the necessity of suffering.  A grain of wheat dies.  A man loses his life.  The Son of Man has come to the hour of trial.  Where are the servants of the Master supposed to be now?  With Him.  Where will they be when all hell breaks loose?  Running scared.

The Greek adverb, ekei,  means “in that place.”  There, in the place where the Master is.  Servant and master belong together.  Remember YHWH’s question to Adam in the Garden?  “Where are you?”  Not where are you located, but why aren’t you here with Me?  It all seems so reasonable.

But Yeshua goes to some pretty terrible places.  Not all of them are on a rise outside the city wall of Jerusalem.  In fact, if He should venture to Zambia or to Haiti or to some other “god-forsaken” geography of the planet, we would probably volunteer to be with Him.  If He should decide to spend some time in the prisons or the mental hospitals or the cancer wards, we would go along.  We might have a moment of trepidation, but those aren’t places we actually fear.  But there are places Yeshua goes that frighten us to death.  They are usually places deep within us, places that we keep well covered, locked securely behind protective walls, places that we don’t even want to peek into because we know that we are helplessly out of control in that territory.  There are places within that are far more terrifying than anything we might encounter on the planet.

Oswald Chambers once observed that in moments of real crisis most human beings are able to muster self-abandonment and heroically charge ahead to save others.  The experience of 9/11 demonstrates this indubitable fact.  But the needed heroism to open those locked doors within?  That’s quite another matter.  Yet Yeshua is not afraid to descend into hell, even our personal hell.  And if He does, where are we supposed to be?

Topical Index:  there, ekei, servant, master, John 12:26

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Buried By Desire

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 | Author:

But the greatest among you shall be your servant.  Matthew 23:11

Greatest – Yeshua was a great rabbi; the greatest rabbi who ever lived.  But he wasn’t famous.  The difference is crucial if we are going to understand our role in the Kingdom.  The rabbis taught that “authority buries those who assume it.”  They exhorted disciples to “love work, hate lordship, and seek no intimacy with the ruling power.”  Just as Yeshua taught, they saw that the desire to assume control over others was a mark of ungodliness and a terrible danger to spiritual sensitivity.  God calls reluctant leaders; those men and women who are quite certain that they are not qualified and who would rather not have the job.  Why?  Because they know that their usefulness depends entirely on God’s grace.  Woe to the throng that follows the man who desires to lead.  His ego will bury them all.

Yeshua expanded the teaching of the rabbis with this simple statement.  The greatest will be a servant to all.  The Greek is megas.  The Mega-Man, the superhero of the Kingdom, is the least among us; the one at the bottom lifting others, the one in the shadow, not the limelight.  How hard it is for us to really hear this!  Standing in the pulpit, the center of attention or running the company or directing the program, we are constantly tempted to let just a little of the light fall on us.  Oh, we deflect the compliments with quick acknowledgments of God’s help, but deep inside there is always that little bit of interest in being recognized for how wonderful we are.  It is such a subtle trap.  Andy Warhol once commented that everyone wants fifteen minutes of fame.  He was, unfortunately, right.  Just tune into the latest “reality” TV show and you will see people clamoring for a moment of stardom.  A culture fixated on celebrities is a culture far, far away from the things of God.

Yeshua’s observation reveals something else about our popularized version of Christianity.  Servants are background people.  Even as a group, they do not command the spotlight.  They go quietly about the Kingdom’s work, seeking anonymity because they know that God’s grace is their only operating power.  Just as God’s hand proceeds secretly through human history in order to accomplish His purposes, so His children remain the hidden heralds of His power.  Once in awhile, God promotes a reluctant leader to a place of prominence, but that leader remains a servant, not a master, because he has spent forty years in the wilderness tending dumb sheep.  God doesn’t hire on the basis of a resume of accomplishments.  He chooses humility, demonstrated in a life of being unimportant.

One of the systems of this world that Paul pleads with us to avoid, is the desire for fame.  To seek fame is to accept the offer that Satan gave to Yeshua.  “Serve me and all these kingdoms I will give to you.”  He offers every follower of the Way a version of the same promise.  Of course, the offer is modified because we are not as worthy a catch as the Son would have been.  We settle for far less, don’t we?  Today is a good day to review your “fame” quotient, your desire to be someone, to be recognized, to move out of the shadows.  The path to greatness is to become invisible.  Is that your direction?

Topical Index:  character, servant, greatest, Matthew 23:11, megas, celebrity

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Rush Hour

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 | Author:

“They are Your servants and Your people whom You redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand.”  Nehemiah 1:10

Rush Hour

Servants -  Life can be terribly frantic, can’t it?  There are days when it just seems that you will never catch up.  In fact, one of the systems of this world (those things Paul tells us not to be conformed to) is speed.  There are a few powerful spiritual amnesia narcotics in the culture and the rush hour rate of life is one of them (prosperity tends to the another).  Maybe that’s why God requires a Sabbath rest.  He has to force us to see that life is not about how fast we can keep going.  It’s wonderful that the first thing Adam did after his creation was rest, not work. 

We need to have this perspective when we come to the word eved in Scripture.  It’s the word that means “servant” or “slave.”  Of course, slavery in the Old Testament is not the same as the kind of human degradation that occurred in the rest of the world’s history and is still occurring in the world today.  In this verse, avadeikha (Your servants) is really a humble self-designation before the Lord.  We are His servants.  We bow before the King of the universe.  We belong to Him, not simply as His loved, adopted children, but also as His slaves.  It is only our cultural heritage that makes this term seem onerous.  We must overcome that cultural revulsion, for being a slave of the great I AM is the most wonderful role we could ever have.

What does it mean to be eved before the Lord?  Well, for one thing, it means that the Lord’s reputation is at stake in me.  When I place myself under His ownership, He takes responsibility for me.  When I confess that I am His servant, I imply that He acts as my protector and provider.  His honor is involved in my well-being.  Therefore, I am justified in calling on Him to uphold me.  He cares about His slaves because He is benevolent (but never forget that He is also the King).

So, what implications can we draw from this?  First, we should notice that those who are not His slaves cannot expect His protection and provision.  They don’t belong to Him.  This is what Yeshua meant with the phrase, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say?”  Anyone in that group isn’t His.  What right do they have to ask for His help?  None!  His honor is not at stake in their lives.

But for those who do belong, life is very different.  That doesn’t mean that life always works the way we want it to.  It means that the circumstances of our lives are under His command – for His purposes.  There are no accidents in the lives of His servants. Furthermore, we don’t have to worry about how crazy life might be.  We are not in a hurry.  We are in obedience.  Rush hour isn’t part of our day.  We are called only to obey His directives, not to make it all happen.  The secret to a life of shalom is listening before acting.  The master doesn’t expect the slave to know the game plan.  He only expects the slave to carry out his orders.  So, relax.  Life comes according to His terms.  Do what He says.  That’s enough.  All the rest is a reflection of His honor – and He won’t be insulted!

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