| DAY 20 - THE JEWS OF JESUS' TIME |
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The Choir of King's College in Cambridge sings here,
conducted by Sir David Willcocks.
It's from a Musical Heritage Society CD: THE PSALMS OF DAVID.
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From The Urantia Book
By the times of Jesus the Jews had arrived at a
settled concept of their origin, history, and destiny.
They had built up a rigid wall of separation between themselves
and the gentile world; they looked upon all gentile ways
with utter contempt. They worshiped the letter of the law
and indulged a form of self-righteousness based upon
the false pride of descent.
They had formed preconceived notions regarding
the promised Messiah, and most of these expectations envisaged
a Messiah who would come as a part of their national and
racial history. To the Hebrews of those days Jewish theology
was irrevocably settled, forever fixed.
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The teachings and practices of Jesus regarding
tolerance and kindness ran counter to the long-standing
attitude of the Jews toward other peoples whom
they considered heathen. For generations the Jews had
nourished an attitude toward the outside world which
made it impossible for them to accept the Master's teachings
about the spiritual brotherhood of man.
They were unwilling to share Yahweh on equal terms with
the gentiles and were likewise unwilling to accept as
the Son of God one who taught such
new and strange doctrines.
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The scribes, the Pharisees, and the priesthood
held the Jews in a terrible bondage of ritualism and
legalism, a bondage far more real that that of the
Roman political rule. The Jews of Jesus' time were not
only held in subjugation to the law but were equally bound
by the slavish demands of the traditions, which involved
and invaded every domain of personal and social life.
These minute regulations of conduct pursued and
dominated every loyal Jew, and it is not strange that
they promptly rejected one of their number who
presumed to ignore their sacred traditions,
and who dared to flout their long-honored regulations
of social conduct. They could hardly regard with favor
the teachings of one who did not hesitate to clash with
dogmas which they regarded as having been ordained
by Father Abraham himself. Moses had given them
their law and they would not compromise.
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Don't let the title put you off. This is a bunch
of experienced musicians from central Texas who go out of their way
to get creative and sound different than 'the same ol' thing.' Their genre
is progressive/folk/rock/contemporary Christian, and they're good at it.
The group is named WEAR THAT SHOE, as is the CD, which they put out
in 2005 on their own label.
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By the time of the first century after Christ
the spoken interpretation of the law by the recognized
teachers, the scribes, had become a higher authority than
the written law itself. And all this made it easier
for certain religious leaders of the Jews to array
the people against the acceptance of a new gospel.
These circumstances rendered it impossible for
the Jews to fulfill their divine destiny as messengers of
the new gospel of religious freedom and spiritual liberty.
They could not break the fetters of tradition.
Jeremiah had told of the "law to be written in men's hearts,"
Ezekiel had spoken of a "new spirit to live in man's soul,"
and the Psalmist had prayed that God would
"create a clean heart within and renew a right spirit."
But when the Jewish religion of good works
and slavery to law fell victim to the stagnation of
traditionalistic inertia, the motion of religious evolution
passed westward to the European peoples.
The Urantia Book, Part IV, 121, 7
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Make no mistake, this is NOT the gospel song you've heard for eons,
but rather a Jewish perspective that principally sings of "tyrants disappearing."
It's from the above CD: Erran Baron Cohen Presents: Songs In The Key Of Hannukah.
It came out last year on the New Line Records label.
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As was said (John 1:11),
To his own he came,
yet his own did not, and could not,
recognize the true being of Jesus Christ, and the
indwelling Logos to which he constantly attempted to
draw their attention.
Even when he was right there in front of them,
the very lighthouse of palpitating spiritual energy,
their untrained eyes could not perceive his real nature.
They were too occupied with their
religious observances, traditional ideas, scriptural authority
and the approval of the leaders.
Ravi Ravindra
Christ The Yogi
A Hindu Reflection on the Gospel of St. John
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A woman goes to the post office to buy stamps for her Hanukkah cards.
She says to the clerk "May I have 50 Hanukkah stamps please."
"What denomination?" says the clerk.
The woman says "Oy vay, my god, has it come to this?
Okay, give me 6 orthodox, 12 conservative and 32 reform!"
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This silliness is from The Rest Of Tom Lehrer, which
came out in February of 2010 on the Shout! Factory label.
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