Jesus in the land of Jews

Today Jesus answers some tough questions in our selection from the One Year Bible. The reading is from Mark 9:30 - 10:12. The Pharisees come and try to trap Jesus with a difficult question about divorce. And Jesus answers the question based on what Moses said, but then gives them an even better teaching on His own authority.

I'm currently reading a book called "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok. It's a fascinating story about a young Jewish man who grows up learning the Talmud and beginning to understand how to be a rabbi. It's especially interesting to see how he learns to read what we call the Old Testament, and to interpret the parts of it that seem to contradict one another by referring to what other rabbis have said throughout history. There are times when there are so many contradictions that the contemporary rabbis throw their hands up and give up on trying to figure out what a difficult verse says.

And this is the culture in which Jesus lived and taught. When the Pharisees came to Jesus and tried to trap Him, they were giving Him the really hard questions that no other rabbis were able to answer. "Should we pay taxes to the Romans?" "What's the greatest commandment?" "Should a man be able to divorce his wife?" And Jesus not only easily answers all of their questions, He does so on His own authority. He doesn't say, "So and so said this, and this other guy says this..." He says, "Moses taught this, but I say to you...." and gives them a teaching straight from God.

Not only that, but He uses this opportunity (of them trying to trap Him) to teach us, 2000 years later, about life in general. That's because He was God, and was able to work even their treachery into a learning moment for all of us.

So don't be afraid. If He can use deliberate subterfuge for good, He can certainly use your life, which you're honestly trying to live the best way you know how. He will work things out for you, even when it seems to be total nonsense. He's good at that. He's been doing it a long time.

God, thank You for using even the worst things for good. Please help us to see how You're working our lives for good, too.