Week 15 - Binding and Loosing

We are starting a new section of the Yoke. For the next six lessons we will be examining some of Jesus’ “new” interpretations of the Law. These teachings all follow a pattern of beginning with the phrase “You have heard it said…” and end with “but I say to you….”

If you remember from our first few lessons, we learned that this language was common for s’mikah rabbis. We contrasted the language used by Torah Rabbis, who would say “It is written…..and it means…..” with the s’mikah Rabbis and their phrase “You have heard……BUT I tell you……..”

To a rabbi and to a first century Jew, this phrase was part of the “Binding” and “Loosing” formula. In the next six weeks we will see several examples of Jesus “binding and loosing” so we need to have an understanding of what that is.



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Week 13 - Light to the Nations

Jesus has spent his introduction telling the listeners what his yoke is about, now he is going to tell them why God wants them to take up this yoke. Jesus uses four metaphoric images to accomplish this. We covered the first of those metaphors last week: Salt of the Earth. The other three are very closely related: Light of the World, a City on a Hill, and a Lamp on a Stand.

Jesus grabs hold of these metaphors to continue to remind the followers of God’s purpose for them. He reminds them of their purpose, to be a beacon of hope to the world. Jesus starts this part by reminding the audience about the role God had intended for His people to play in the world all along. Since the time He set them apart (Genesis 12:3)#, God has expected His people to act as a pointer to Him for the other nations of the Earth (Psalms 67, 96, 117 and Isaiah 42:1, 4, 6).
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Week 12 - Salt of the Earth

Jesus has spent his introduction telling the listeners what his yoke is about, now he is going to tell them why God wants them to take up this yoke.

We now move away from the principles of the yoke and look into the purpose of the yoke.  This is the first of four metaphors utilized by Jesus to call his followers to his purposes.
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