Messiah in Yom HaBikkurim Chapter 42
Parable #23. The Master and His Servant:
- Today is Day #23
- The Twenty-third Mashal of Messiah
- Four Observations
- Interpretation of what is required for our faith to be increased
Today is Day #23:
1. Today is “Day #23” in the forty-nine day Countdown to Shavuot.
2. Today is Twenty-three days in the Omer.
Today is twenty-three days which are three weeks and two days in the Omer.
.היום שלושה ועשרים יום, שהם שלושה שבועות ושני ימים בעומר
Haiyom shloshah v’esrim yom, shehaym shloshah shavuot ushnay yamim ba’omer.
“You shall count for yourselves — from the day after the Shabbat, from the day when you bring the Omer of the waving — seven Shabbats, they shall be complete. Until the day after the seventh sabbath you shall count, fifty days.” (Leviticus). “You shall count for yourselves seven weeks, from when the sickle is first put to the standing crop shall you begin counting seven weeks. Then you will observe the Festival of Shavu’ot for Adonai Eloheinu.” (Deuteronomy).
“Blessed are You, Adonai Eloheinu, King of the universe, Who sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us to count the Omer.”
ברוך אתה, אדוני אלוהינו, מלך העולם, אשר קדשנו במצוותיו וציוונו על ספירת העומר.פ
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, melech ha’olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al sefirat ha’omer.
The Twenty-third Mashal of Messiah:
מִי בָכֶם אֲשֶׁר לוֹ עֶבֶד חֹרֵשׁ אוֹ רֹעֶה אֲשֶׁר יָבֹא מִן־הַשָׂדֶה וְאָמַר אֵלָיו מַהֵר גְּשָׁה־הֵנָּה וְהָסֵב׃ הֲלֹא יֹאמַר אֵלָיו הָכֵן לִי אֲרוּחַת הָעֶרֶב וַחֲגֹר מָתְנֶיךָ וְשָׁרֲתֵנִי עַד אִם־כִּלִּיתִי לֶאֱכֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׁתִיתָ גַּם־אָתָּה׃ הֲגַם יוֹדֶה לָעֶבֶד עַל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה מִצְוָתוֹ אָמַרְתִּי לֹא׃
מי מכם, שיש לו עבד חורש או רועה, יאמר לעבד לאחר שובו מן השדה, בוא הנה מיד והסב אל השלחן? האם לא יאמר לו, הכן לי ארוחת ערב, חגור מתניך ושרתני עד שאגמור לאכול ולשתות. אחרי כן תאכל ותשתה אתה? האם יהיה אסיר תודה לעבד על שעשה את אשר צוה? פ
A. [Lukas 17:7] “Which of you has a servant that plows or shepherds, when he comes from the field, would say to him, ‘Quickly, come over here and recline’? Would he not say to him, ‘Prepare my supper and put on your belt and serve me until I have finished eating and drinking. Then you may eat and drink as well’? Would he also thank the servant for performing his mitzvah? I say no!”
כֵּן גַּם־אַתֶּם אַחֲרֵי עֲשׂוֹתְכֶם אֶת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר צֻוֵּיתֶם אִמְרוּ אֲנַחְנוּ עֲבָדִים אֵין־מוֹעִיל בָּם כִּי רַק אֶת־הַמֻּטָּל עָלֵינוּ עָשִׂינוּ׃
כן גם אתם, לאחר עשותכם את כל שצויתם, אמרו: עבדים אנחנו ותו לא, עשינו מה שמחובתנו לעשות. פ
B. [Lukas 17:10] “Likewise, you also, after you have done all that you are commanded, say, ‘We are slaves and nothing else, we have done what we have to do.'”
Four Observations:
Observation #1. In the Twenty-second Mashal, The Sheep, Gate & Shepherd, we spoke about the Master’s responsibilities to serve the flock of Adonai our God. Today we now look to ourselves and our responsibility to serve our Master, Teacher, and Rabbi (אדוננו מורנו ורבינו-Adoneinu Moreinu v’Rabeinu). This is a difficult task.
When we talk about our Rabbi (the Messiah Yeshua) and his good works we experience a sense of awe, wonder, and reverence. For when we behold him and his works we behold perfection. However, in great contrast when we compare our good works to that of our Messiah we experience a sense of great inadequacy. For when we behold ourselves and our works we behold imperfection. Being so *inadequate and yet being compelled to serve God through obedience to His Messiah is a most difficult challenge. Therefore, we cry out to our God please help us: “Increase (add to) our faith!” (הוֹסֵף לָנוּ אֱמוּנָה).
*Our best (alone) will never be good enough for God; for our heavenly Father rightfully demands perfection.
Observation #2. We cry out to God our Father (Adonai Avinu) that He might add to our faith so that we might dutifully do whatever good works that He requires of us. The Twenty-third mashal gives us needed direction as to what kind of attitude and behavioral change is required of us before our faith can be increased.
Observation #3. Messiah instructs his talmidin (disciples) that when we consider acts of service we must do so with a sense of sincere humility. The term “unworthy servants” does not mean the servants had acted irresponsibly for the Master goes on to indicate that the disciples are expected to say “we have done what we ought to have done.” Rather, the use of the phrase “we are unworthy servants” is our way of practicing a proper attitude when we pray to Adonai (our Father) for our faith to be increased:
We are simply asking Him to enable us to do what He and our Master (the Messiah) has a right to expect.
We can never make a claim on the Holy One or the Messiah because of some good work we have done since at best we will have only done what we are compelled to do and that is whatever pleases Him; for that is what the Holy One has a right to expect.
This means that we can never put Adonai (God) our Father or His Messiah in our debt.
Observation #4. This teaching puts an end to any boasting on our part. If we (Yehudim, Jews) wish to progress in our faith and service to God then we may only boast of Him and ‘never’ of ourselves. Humility, loyalty, and gratitude are required to be present in our lives before we may expect our faith to be increased.
Interpretation of what is required for our faith to be increased:
Regarding this humble practice of referring to ourselves as unworthy servants, we recall that there was one event in the recorded annals of Messiah’s life where several of our Jewish elders implored Rabbeinu Yeshua to assist—of all people—a Roman Centurion. This gentile was likely a Triar II. This was the highest rank of any centurion, therefore, this soldier would have commanded a force of around six thousand personnel throughout his assigned region of responsibility; throughout the (first century CE) region of Galilee. This Roman soldier was a man of great faith and great compassion. He is presented as a humane man, who was wealthy, powerful, devoted to the God of Israel, and in addition:
A man possessed of great humility.
This man cared more about his slaves than a lot of people today care about their own immediate family. He had asked the Jewish elders to petition Rabbi Yeshua to save the life of his slave. He was the leading military man and representative of Rome in Messiah’s adopted city of Capernaum (כְּפַר נַחוּם-*Kefar Nachum). So he no doubt was at all times aware of when the Master was in the city since he had become such a central figure in the religious life of the Galilean region and all Israel.
*City of {the} Comfort, Consolation, and Compassion {of God}.
We learn from the Jewish elders that this remarkable high ranking military professional was possessed of a love for our people (Israel) and he possessed an exceedingly great respect, reverence, and devotion to Adonai Eloheinu. For this reason the Jewish elders of Kefar Nachum personally approached the Rabban (the Rabbi of all rabbis) and said:
“He is worthy for you to grant this request to save the life of his slave; for he loves our nation (our people), and it was he who built us our synagogue.”
In this God-fearing Roman Centurion’s own personal appeal to our Jewish Messiah he humbly gives his reason for not, at the first, approaching him but instead he had sent our Jewish elders in his place:
“For this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I, too, am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, Go! and he goes; and to another, Come! and he comes; and to my slave, Do this! and he does it.”
This God-fearing gentile is demonstrating to all of us who are Yehudim (Jews) what Adonai (God) our Father is looking for when one is petitioning him for increased faith:
Adonai Avinu is looking for recognition of Who He and His Messiah really are.
The Holy One is looking to see what is our real motivation for our requesting that He further empower us to do acts of service on His behalf. Therefore, when Messiah heard the Centurion’s explanation he literally “marveled” at him and he turned to the multitude of his fellow Jews that were following him and said:
“I (the Messiah) say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith. And when those who had been sent returned to the household (of the Centurion), they found the slave in good health.”
The great faith of this converted high-ranking Gentile military officer was born out of the demand for selflessness that is such an important part of a high ranking military professional’s training and advancement. No doubt this military leader knew all about what integrity, loyalty, and complete devotion to duty are all about. We have no doubt whatsoever that is what the Messiah saw and admired so much about the character of this remarkable man.
He understood chain of command and assigned responsibility. He was an unworthy servant of God and His Messiah.
According to the directives of Adonai our God and His Messiah it was the duty of the believing military officer to do everything he could to save the life of his servant. For it is written:
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it (rule harshly) over them (the common people), and their great men exercise authority over them (the people). It is not this way among you (Israel), but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as ben Ha’adam (the Son of Man) did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
This is what is required of a great military leader and this is what is expected of the greatest of servants.
We will only be a great resource in the Hand of the Almighty (in the works of His Holy Spirit) when our only ambition and thought in life is to do our duty and only what is our duty. We are not to do one ounce more than we are asked or one ounce less. For it is our selfish pride and vanity that causes us to do too much or not enough.
Obedience is redeemed humanity’s love language to Abba Avinu.
Therefore, it is only right for us to maintain an attitude that is humble, loyal, respectful, and grateful toward God our Father as we do whatever small or great assigned task He has given us to do; according to the word that He has spoken to us through His Spirit and the teaching of His Servant, His Messiah Yeshua.