PART 10 A

SECOND REJECTION AT NATZARET

Yeshua left there and came into His own area again and His disciples followed Him. When the
Shabbat arrived He began to teach in the synagogue. Many who heard Him that day were astonished, saying, "Where did this person get these ideas? What wisdom is this which has been given to him and how are such mighty deeds produced through his hands? Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Miryam, the brother of Ya'akov, Yosef, Yehudah and Shimon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" So they were offended with Him. Yeshua told them, "A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country and among his own relatives and in his own house." Therefore He could not do a mighty work, except that He laid His hands upon a few sick people and healed them. He was amazed because of their lack of trust. He continued from there to travel and teach all around in the cities, villages and synagogues. He proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom while healing all kinds of diseases and sicknesses. When He saw the crowds He was moved with compassion on them because they were tired and were scattered all over like sheep which have no shepherd.

SHALIACHIM SENT OUT

He instructed His disciples "Do not forget that the harvest is abundant, but the labourers in it are few. You should pray then that the Adonai of the harvest will send labourers out into His harvest." Yeshua called to His twelve disciples, He gave them authority to remove unclean spirits and to heal all kinds of sicknesses and diseases. Yeshua sent out the twelve and commanded them, "Do not travel the road of the Gentiles or enter any city of Shomron. Rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Yisrael. As you travel preach, declaring that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers and raise the dead, cast out deceiving spirits. As freely as you have received, freely share. Prepare no gold or silver or brass in your purses. Don't take a bag of food on your journey or two coats or shoes or even walking canes. Because the labourer is worthy of his food. Into whatever city or town you enter inquire there who in it is trustworthy and stay there until you depart. When you enter a house greet it honourably. If the house is trustworthy let your shalom rest upon it, but if it is not trustworthy let your shalom return to you. If they will not receive you or hear your words shake the dust off your feet as you leave that house or city. Amen! I tell you it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Amora [Gomorrah] in the Day of Judgment than for that city. Watch carefully! I send you out like sheep among wolves. So, you need to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. Beware of people, for they will turn you over to the councils and they will beat you in their assemblies. You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake as a testimony against them and the Gentiles. When they turn you over do not consider how or what you will speak. What you are to say will be given to you at that time. For it is not yourself who will speak, but it is Ruach HaKodesh of your Abba who speaks in you. Then brother will turn over brother to death and a father will turn over his child and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all people for my Name's sake, but the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, hurry to another. Amen! I tell you, you will not have travelled to all the cities of Israel until the Son of man arrives {behind you}. The disciple is not above his rabbi, nor the servant above his master. It is adequate that the disciple be like his rabbi and the servant like his master. If they have called the ruler of the house Ba'al-Zebul how much more {defamed will be} those of his household? Do not fear them though! For there is nothing covered, that will not be revealed. Nothing is hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in darkness, speak it in the light. Whatever you hear in your ear, proclaim it on the housetops. Don't be afraid of those who kill the body and are not able to kill the soul. Rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in sheol. Aren't two sparrows sold for small change? Yet one of them will not fall on the ground without your Abba's permission. The very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear because you are more valuable than many sparrows. Whoever will confess Me in front of people, I will confess him also in front of Avi who is in Heaven. But whoever will deny Me before men, I will also deny him in front of Avi who is in Heaven. Don't suppose that I came to bring shalom on earth. I did not come to bring shalom, but instead a sword. For I have come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter in law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies will be those of his own household. The one who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, also and the one who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. The one who does not take his execution-stake and follow after me is not worthy of me. The one who finds his life will lose it, but the one who loses his life for my sake will find it. The one who receives you receives Me and the one who receives Me receives the One who sent Me. The one who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward and the one who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. Whoever gives a cup of cold drink to one of these little ones, simply in the name of a disciple, Amen! I tell you, he will never lose his reward." When Yeshua had finished instructing His twelve disciples, He left again to teach and to preach in their cities.

DEATH OF YOCHANAN

When King Herod heard about Yeshua (for His Name was broadcast everywhere) he said, "Yochanan the Immerser has risen from the dead and therefore mighty acts are demonstrated in him." Others said, "It is Eliyahu." Still others said, "It is a prophet or as one of the prophets." However, Herod said, "It is Yochanan, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead." For Herod himself had sent and arrested Yochanan and bound him in prison because of Herodiah's influence, who was his brother Philip's wife.
Herod had married her, so Yochanan had said to Herod, "It is not permitted in Torah for you to have your brother's wife." Because of this Herodiah had argued against him and would have killed him, but she couldn't because Herod respected Yochanan, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man. He had observed Yochanan and when he heard him, he responded with certain deeds and heard him gladly. A convenient day came. Herod on his birthday made a supper to his leaders, high captains and chiefs of Galilee. The daughter of Herodiah came in and danced and it pleased Herod and those who sat there with him. So the king swore an oath to the young woman, "Ask me for whatever you want, up to half of my kingdom and I will give it to you." She went to her mother and asked, "What should I request?" "The head of Yochanan the Immerser," Herodiah replied. Immediately she came back hurriedly to the king and said, "I want you to give me the head of Yochanan the Immerser on a plate." Then the king was full of sorrow that he had sworn the oath, but because of those who sat with him he would not deny her request. Momentarily the king sent an executioner and commanded Yochanan's head be brought. He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the young woman. The young woman took it to her mother. When Yochanan's disciples heard about it they came and carried out his corpse and put it in a tomb.

SHALIACHIM RETURN

The Shaliachim gathered themselves around Yeshua and reported all the things they accomplished and taught. "All of you come with Me into a desert place and rest for awhile," Yeshua said. For many were coming and going, so that they had no leisure, not even to eat. They departed to a desert place privately by ship. The people saw them departing and since many knew Yeshua they ran toward Him from all the cities and out-paced them, eventually catching up to Him.

FIVE THOUSAND FED

When Yeshua came out of the ship, He saw many people and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd, so He began to teach them many things. It was close to time for the holy Feast of Pesach. When the day was now almost over His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a desert place and it is getting late. Send them away so they can go into the area around here and into the villages to buy themselves some bread, because they have nothing to eat." Yeshua instructed them, "You give them something to eat." "Are we to go and buy two hundred pounds of bread for them to eat?" they asked, incredulously. Yeshua asked Philip, "Philip, where can we buy bread to feed all these people?" He asked this to test him, because He already had planned what He would do. "Not even two hundred pounds of bread is enough for everyone to have a little bit," answered Philip. Then Yeshua instructed the disciples, "Find out how much food is already here and report back to me." Andrew, Shimon Kefa's brother, reported to Yeshua, "There is a boy here with five matzahs and two small fish. But how can that feed such a crowd?” Yeshua commanded them to make all the people sit down by groups on the green grass. They sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties. When He had received the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to the heavens and gave the blessing {"Baruch Ata Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha'olam ha'motzi lechem min ha'aretz} and then broke the matzah and distributed them to His disciples to serve to the groups. Yeshua divided the two fish among them all. Everyone ate and was filled. They gathered twelve baskets full of leftovers including the fish. There were about five thousand men who ate from the loaves.