Articles: Jesus' Jewish Reality Archives - Our Rabbi Jesus https://ourrabbijesus.com/category/articles/jesus-jewish-reality/ His Jewish Life and Teaching Thu, 06 Nov 2025 17:41:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 31550207 Greek Brain, Hebrew Brain: How Parables Worked https://ourrabbijesus.com/greek-brain-hebrew-brain-how-parables-worked/ https://ourrabbijesus.com/greek-brain-hebrew-brain-how-parables-worked/#comments Tue, 24 Jul 2018 02:17:38 +0000 http://ourrabbijesus.com/?p=7146 (An excerpt from my book, Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus ) Jesus’s parables fit perfectly into a non-Western, Jewish culture that expressed itself through tangible metaphors. He was engaging in sophisticated theological teaching, but we miss it if we are looking for the deductive abstract arguments of the Greeks. Jesus often based his reasoning […]

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]]> https://ourrabbijesus.com/greek-brain-hebrew-brain-how-parables-worked/feed/ 12 7146 Where Two or Three are Gathered… https://ourrabbijesus.com/where-two-or-three-are-gathered/ https://ourrabbijesus.com/where-two-or-three-are-gathered/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2018 02:34:16 +0000 http://ourrabbijesus.com/?p=6895 I recently received a question about Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” which I discussed in my book Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, page 72. Many read this line as meaning that Jesus promises to be present when his […]

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]]> https://ourrabbijesus.com/where-two-or-three-are-gathered/feed/ 8 6895 The Reality of Disciples and Rabbis https://ourrabbijesus.com/a-question-about-disciples-rabbis/ https://ourrabbijesus.com/a-question-about-disciples-rabbis/#comments Mon, 16 Sep 2013 19:44:52 +0000 http://ourrabbijesus.com/?p=3372 I recently was asked about how disciples studied with rabbis. What age were disciples, and did they pay the rabbi a fee to study? How did they support themselves at the same time? Did the rabbis work at some craft to support themselves? (They were not like rabbis of today, which like pastors are to […]

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]]> https://ourrabbijesus.com/a-question-about-disciples-rabbis/feed/ 18 3372 Abortion: What the Early Church Said https://ourrabbijesus.com/abortion-what-the-early-church-said/ https://ourrabbijesus.com/abortion-what-the-early-church-said/#comments Fri, 26 Oct 2012 17:46:10 +0000 http://ourrabbijesus.com/?p=2418 The woman in this picture is explaining how she ended her newborn daughter’s life. Believe it or not, she’s actually done this to eight of her children, all girls. In her village in India, it is common practice. You can read more of her tragic story on this blog, “The Three Deadliest Words in the […]

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]]> https://ourrabbijesus.com/abortion-what-the-early-church-said/feed/ 20 2418 The Shema and the First Commandment https://ourrabbijesus.com/the-shema-and-the-first-commandment/ https://ourrabbijesus.com/the-shema-and-the-first-commandment/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 21:57:14 +0000 http://ourrabbijesus.com/?p=1899 Years ago I used to scratch my head at Jesus’ response to the question “What is the greatest commandment?” in Mark 12:28. Why does he start with the line “Hear O Israel, the Lord is Your God, the Lord alone” before stating the command: “Love the Lord your God…”? Why state a fact before giving […]

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]]> https://ourrabbijesus.com/the-shema-and-the-first-commandment/feed/ 4 1899 The Night of Watching https://ourrabbijesus.com/the-night-of-watching/ https://ourrabbijesus.com/the-night-of-watching/#comments Mon, 09 Apr 2012 20:37:56 +0000 http://ourrabbijesus.com/?p=1787 The “Night of Watching” (Leil Shimurim – ley-EEL shi-mur-EEM) is the name of the night after the Passover feast, when God redeemed Israel by slaying the firstborn sons of Egypt (Exodus 12:42). In Jewish tradition, it is said that “just as God redeemed his people on this night, so he will one day redeem them […]

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]]> https://ourrabbijesus.com/the-night-of-watching/feed/ 8 1787 Covered in the Dust of Your Rabbi: An Urban Legend? https://ourrabbijesus.com/covered-in-the-dust-of-your-rabbi-an-urban-legend/ https://ourrabbijesus.com/covered-in-the-dust-of-your-rabbi-an-urban-legend/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:41:35 +0000 http://ourrabbijesus.com/?p=1422 Some time back ago, pastor/blogger Trevin Wax posted an article called “Urban Legends: The Preacher’s Edition.” There he lists several “urban legends” that he’s heard floating around lately in sermons. Like Internet rumors that people forward on ad infinitum, these preaching illustrations don’t have much grounding in fact. One potential fallacy on his list caught […]

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