THE ROLE OF THE MESSIAH
THESSALONIANS 1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
On the Lake of Galilee the sunrise was more than beautiful, touching the inner thoughts and the heart inside. Still the disciples were in a bad mood, because they were fishermen. The old wisdom holds that fisherman's bad mood is prevalent when there is no catch, or less than they expected.
“Let us go home”, said” Andrew. Their new Torah teacher met them at the berth of the boat, after he prayed all night. He saw that their ark was empty, so he urged them to go fishing.
“Dear Shul Principal”, said Peter formally, “we were busy fishing whole night, catching nothing, but if you say so, we hear You and we will do so.”
They went deep into the lake again, and in the presence of Jesus their nets were abundantly filled with fishes. The disciples understood that it was a miracle. Do not be afraid, said Jesus, I will make fishermen of people. Obviously it meant fishing people for the kingdom of God. Just like the old saying goes, that it is nice to give fish to the hungry, but it will be more expedient in to teach them how to fish in the long run.
Thus, practically Jesus told the carrier fishermen, that I will teach you, how to fish properly. It also means, that once you know, then do not wait for me, but go fishing by yourselves. Similar gesture happened in the desert when a great crowd followed Jesus to listen to him but they had hardly any food. Four thousand people, and and the disciples began to worry what will going to happen, asking Jesus to let them go to the nearby towns to buy food though they hardly had money.
You know the end of the story that Jesus multiplied the bread and the fish doe 4,000 people and in the end even just the leftover constitutes 12 basket. It is a marvelous miracle, though it should be taken as more marvelous but Jesus told them before sharing the five loaves and two fishes. He said you should feed them.
Which meant as I feed you, you should feed them. How to feed thousands of people by faith, requires emunah, which is faith with some Hebrew flavors, where emunah usually never is an idle contemplation or empty multiplying of prayers, but a leap of faith into the unknown to do the impossible.
Just as Jesus told the father of the epileptic or so son, that everything is possible to those who believe. The father, daring not to bother the Master, went first to the disciples to beg them to heal his son. The disciples got some confidence from having been schooled by Jesus himself, so they tried their best, but without any success. Jesus healed the boy, giving him back to his father, but his disciples became indignant, asking why we were not able to heal the boy? They were offended, because they have already learned, that nothing is impossible.
That is how-to or a know-how question.
And Jesus answered them, that the boy's sickness was caused by demon or bad spirit, a stubborn kind, which cannot be cast out, unless the healer fasted and prayed enough. Which also meant, that dear students, do as I say, learn, and next time you have to do it alone. He had to train his disciples, because the time was every day closer for him to leave this world, as this situation is well worded in the Gospel of John, when Jesus said, that "Most assuredly I tell you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these will he do; because I am going to my Father.
It was meant to be, as it was preordained, just as Jesus added, that Nevertheless I tell you the truth: "It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don't go away, the Counselor won't come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you."
Thus the Messiah's role was not really to give the fish to the hungry, but to teach the people how to fish,and that is a very Good News, and it is the part of the Gospel. Jesus did not really told his disciples, despite the popular view, that do nothing, I will carry You, I will carry out everything, You just sit back and believe and behold. He rather said, that if You may, please follow me.
The unified Book of Isaiah was considered by the Church as the Fifth Gospel, as it is deemed to contain major prophecies regarding the coming and the deeds of the Messiah or in English the Christ. According to Christian scholars it contains many referrals to the Messiah King, as a servant of God. The Christian tradition assumes an explicit and straightforward Messianic prophecy, can be found in chapter nine, which says that “ For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty
God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever.”
In all religious streams, that respect the Hebrew Scriptures, there is a great expectation, that a Messiah will be coming, soon or not quite soon, but for sure. There are some predictions that when it should happen. According to the old tradition, in every single generation, there are at least one person, or maybe even more candidates, who could be eligible to be filled up completely with the Holy Spirit in order to change the world for the better.
The expectations are high in our generations as well, however one major point has to be made regarding the high expectations. Not long ago, one faithful and observing man from the old tradition asked a famous Rabbi of these days, hailing from B'na Barak, that dear Rabbi, are You able to tell us, when the Messiah will appear among us?
The Rabbi answered, what if I tell you, that the Messiah will come, within three months. The faithful and observing man from the old tradition by hearing that, began to sob, crying. “Why are you crying”? asked the rabbi. He answered, that I am not ready for that, it is too near, I have a lot of unfinished businesses, moral, spiritual and material as well, I am not ready, not ready, not ready.
The Rabbi said, that I said only what IF within three month. However, we all know that before the Messiah comes, prophet Elijah will come to announce not only the time of the appearance of the Messiah, but he will testify who is it. Until that happens, why are your bothered, when the Messiah will come or rather still tarrying. God forbid, that you can die way sooner than that, and you have to appear before the Almighty God to give account of your everything. You should rather worry about your appearance before the Almighty God, than speculating on the earthly arrival time or being late time of the Messiah.
Like waiting for the Messiah can be a nice hobby, but when we live, the arrival or the tarrying of the Messiah is irrelevant, because the true Judge will judge us according to our own deeds. Until that we have to learn how to fish, how to feed the hungry, how to heal the sick, by taking the leaps of faith, and do the impossible by following the Lord, by the Spirit,
Amen.
