Life's two biggest questions: Jesus answers

Rabbi:

Mt 5:13-16   -  You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?  It is no longer good for anthying except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14. You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your lght shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven. 

 Jesus is telling his disciples the answers to their biggest questions:

1.  Who am I?

2.  What is my purpose?

Who am I?  - Numbers 18:19 - (I make a covenant of salt with you).

You're in heritage with the Levites.  You are the salt of the earth.  Your job is to steward the spiritual lives of the people.  I'm putting them in your care.  They're your responsbility.  You're their shepherds.  

What is my purpose?   You are the light of the nations:  refers to Isaiah 42:6-7
As the light, we are to "open the eyes that are blind to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon from the prison those who sit I the darkness"

Here are some notes on the Levites that I won't preach but you may find interesting.  

 

Why Levites Matter:  Who was Levi? 

12 Tribes: 

The land of ancient Israel was divided into 11 sections corresponding with 11 of the 12 tribes, which are based on the 12 sons and grandsons of Jacob (renamed 'Israel').

   

There is an inconsistency, though, since one of the sons/tribes was not assigned land, yet there are still 12 tribes.

n  Jacob had two wives and two concubines by whom he had 12 sons and a daughter.

o   Jacob's favorite wife was Rachel who bore him Joseph.

o   Jacob was quite open about his preference for Joseph, the prophetic dreamer, above all others.

§  Joseph's brothers were jealous,

§  sold Joseph into slavery,

§  covered his coat of many colors with animal blood, which they then showed to Jacob,

§  and ultimately led to the movement of the Hebrews into Egypt.

n  Just before Jacob died, he pronounced benedictions and maledictions with predictions on the future to each of his sons.

o   Judah was assigned the role of leader.

o   Jacob predicted Zebulun would live by the coast.

o   Three of the sons, Reuben (the first-born), Simeon and Levi were scolded;

o   the last two for their massacre of the people of Shechem.

§  Their sister Dinah had been raped by a man of Shechem and Simeon and Levi had exacted what they considered appropriate revenge.

§  Reuben was criticized for sleeping with one of his father's concubines.

§  As punishment, Levi was not assigned a territory, but each of the other brothers was.

o   This should mean 11 tribes, but Joseph received two portions (which should have been the right of the eldest legitimate son),

§  one in the name of each of his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.

The "sons" and tribe names are:

Eastern

· Judah
· Issachar
· Zebulun

Southern

· Reuben
· Simeon
· Gad

Western

· Ephraim
· Manesseh
· Benjamin

Northern

· Dan
· Asher
· Naphtali 

n

Although Levi was dishonored by being denied territory,

o   the tribe of Levi became the highly honored priestly tribe of Israel.

o   It won this honor because of its reverence for God during the Exodus.

We carry many traditions even until today in to many of our mainline demoninations and how they treat “clergy”.

o   Parsonage

§  They don’t own property, the church provides a home for them

§  They are exempt from paying their tithes

·      Exempt from taxes.