Gospel Hero

Then He poured water into the basin, and began washing the disciples’ feet and wiping them with the towel which He had tied around Himself.  John 13:5  NASB Washing – Today I was reading Oswald Chamber’s and I saw this passage: “The real test of the saint is not preaching the gospel but washing the disciples’…

Manipulating the Word Order

It is time for the Lord to act, for they have broken Your Law.  Psalm 119:126  NASB For the Lord – Notice the change in the Chabad translation (the same by Robert Alter): “A time to do for the Lord; they have made void Your Torah.” What happened?  Here’s the Hebrew verse: עֵת לַֽעֲשׂ֣וֹת לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה הֵ֜פֵ֗רוּ תּֽוֹרָתֶֽךָ I’ve highlighted…

Does It Really Matter?

I am Your servant; give me understanding, so that I may know Your testimonies.  Psalm 119:125  NASB So that I may know – What is the job of a servant: to understand or to obey?  Of course, it’s nice to know why you’re asked to do something, but it certainly isn’t necessary.  Your job as a…

What’s His Name?

 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…

Revising the Text

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…

A Popular Mythology

“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…

Beneficiaries

“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…

Proximity

“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…

Buried By Desire

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…

Rush Hour

“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…