Rabbi’s Reflections – Saturday, September 5, 2020
Shabbat Shalom,
Living by Yeshua’s example – Part 2
By David Harwood
Yeshua knew the Father cared for Him.
Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. (John 15:9 TLV)
When the Messiah taught the Sermon on the Mount He revealed how He lived in the presence of the Father. A major section in the Lord’s instruction was about developing our awareness of the Father’s care.
Here is His thorough teaching:
26“Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your Father in heaven feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30Now if in this way God clothes the grass—which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow—will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32For the pagans eagerly pursue all these things; yet your Father in heaven knows that you need all these. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:26-33 TLV)
Challenging, right?
Please look at verse 32.
For the pagans eagerly pursue all these things; yet your Father in heaven knows that you need all these. (Matthew 6:32 TLV)
When the Lord Yeshua said, “Your Father knows…” He was not merely speaking about that of which God is cognizant. Yeshua was appealing to His listeners to believe in the care of the Father who cares.
Believe In the Care of the Father Who Cares
Follow me in this: A normal father loves his children. A good father is an image of THE Good Father. A father is generally not considered to be good at being a father if he does not provide for his children. Is our Father good at being a father? Yes, He is.
Yeshua had great confidence in His Father’s provision.
He taught us to pray for, and expect, daily bread.
Give us this day our daily bread. (Matthew 6:11 TLV)
In reliance upon His Father, He multiplied bread for multitudes.
and looking up to heaven, He offered the bracha. After breaking the loaves, He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. (Matthew 14:19b TLV)
We are to rely upon God through Yeshua in the same way Yeshua relied upon His Father.
Remember, God loves you, just like He loves Yeshua. He will provide for you, just like He provided for Yeshua and provided through Yeshua.
Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. (John 15:9 TLV)
The Messiah was confident of His Father’s care. As we grow in our awareness of the love of God we will share that confidence. That type of confidence is part of the sanctification process. It is good for us. Rely on Father’s love. Surely, He will care for you.
Yeshua trusted in the Father.
In Hebrews, it seems to be indicated that the Lord Yeshua is trusting God at this very hour.
11 For both He who sanctifies and those being sanctified are all from one—so He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12 saying, “I will proclaim Your name to My brothers and sisters. In the midst of the congregation I will sing praise to You.” 13 And again, “I will put My trust in Him.” (Hebrews 2:11-13a TLV)
His trust in the Father is communicated to us through His presence with us, and in us. Yeshua is with us, and in us, by the Ruach ha-Kodesh. Amazing. The trust in God we experience is an impartation of the Messiah’s trust in Him in our hearts and through our hearts.
Our trust in God is fellowship with Yeshua.
Trust in God is a necessary ingredient of our emotional health. The more trust the better. If, after having trusted God, things appear to fall apart, the faithful, faith-filled, believer continues to look to God for replenished strength. He continues to renew his trust in the God, that an onlooker might say, failed that trusting-person.
We rely on Romans 8:28 All things are working together for our good because we love God and are called according to His purpose. There is a divine alchemy at work so that even the worst things in life can be turned to gold if we trust in God because, through our trust based relationship, we are being transformed into the image of God’s Son.
Let’s talk about impossible circumstances… Look how Abraham negotiated the impossible demand to sacrifice Isaac.
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had received the promises was offering up his one and only son— 18the one about whom it was said, “Through Isaac offspring shall be named for you.” 19He reasoned that God was able to raise him up even from the dead—and in a sense, he did receive him back from there. (Hebrews 11:17-19 TLV)
This is how Yeshua trusted the Father.
21 For you were called to this, because Messiah also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you might follow in His footsteps: 22 “He committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth.” 23 When He was abused, He did not return the abuse. While suffering, He made no threats. Instead, He kept entrusting Himself to the One who judges righteously. 24 He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we, removed from sins, might live for righteousness. “By His wounds you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:21-24 TLV)
Yeshua entrusted Himself to the one who judges righteously. Amazing. Through your trust in the God who loves you, just like He loves Yeshua, you can entrust yourself to God, too.
Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. (John 15:9 TLV)
As with Yeshua, there is a resurrection awaiting all who trust in the Son of God. He loves you in the same way His Father loved Him. He has the power to bring all things to completion.
Trust.
So then, those who suffer according to God’s will—let them trust their souls to a faithful Creator while continuing to do good. (1 Peter 4:19 TLV)