PART 14 B

DISCERNING THE TIMES

Then Kefa said unto him, "Adonai, do You speak this parable only for us or for everyone?" Adonai Yeshua said, "Whoever is the trustworthy and wise steward, whom YHVH shall make a ruler over His household, to give the portion of food in due season! {Compare this to the patriarch Yosef in Egypt.} Blessed is that servant, whom his YHVH will find him doing this when He comes. Remember, I tell you, that He will make him ruler over all that He has. But if that servant says in his heart, Adonai delays His coming and begins to beat the servants and handmaids and to eat, drink and to be drunken, the Adonai of that servant will come in a day when he does not look for Him and at an hour when he is not aware. He will cut him off from Himself and will appoint him his portion with the untrusting. Then that servant who knew the will of Adonai and did not prepare, nor act according to His will, will be beaten many times. But the one who did not know, yet committed things worthy of punishment, shall be beaten a few times. For whoever is given much, much will be required from him and the one to whom people have entrusted much, they will ask him for more. I came to send fire on the Earth and what if I will it to be already kindled? But first I have a mikveh to be immersed in and now am I committed until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to bring shalom on earth? I tell you, no! Rather I come to bring division. From now on there will be five in one house divided, three against two and two against three. A father will be divided against a son and son against father; a mother against a daughter and daughter against mother; a mother in law against her daughter in law and the daughter in law against her mother in law. When you see a cloud rise out of the west you declare immediately that a shower is coming and so it does. When you see the south wind blow you say that there will be heat and it happens. You two-faced actors! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but why can't you discern this time? Don't you even judge what is right among yourselves? Yes! When you go to the magistrate with your enemy, on the way be diligent that you may be delivered from him. Otherwise he will bring you to the judge and the judge will deliver you to the officer and the officer will put you into prison. I tell you, you will not depart from there until you have paid the full fine."

ZEALOTS OF GALIL AND SINFULNESS

There was present at that season some who told Yeshua of the Zealots of the Galil, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. Yeshua said to them, "Do you suppose that these Zealots of the Galil were sinners above all those in the Galil because they suffered such things? I tell you, no! Yet, unless you do t'shuvah you will all perish like them. Also, those eighteen people upon whom the tower in Shalo-am fell and killed them, do you think that they were sinners above all people who live in Yerushalayim? I tell you, no! Yet, unless you do t'shuvah you will all similarly perish." Yeshua spoke this parable also, "A certain person had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came and looked for fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the dresser of his vineyard, 'Notice this! The last three years I have come to get fruit from this fig tree and there is none. Cut it down! Why even have it burden the ground?' The vine-dresser said to him, 'Adon, let us leave it alone one more year until I have tilled and fertilized it. We can see if it bears fruit and if not, then I will cut it down.'"

WOMAN WITH INFIRMITY SPIRIT

He was teaching in one of the synagogues on Shabbat. There was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years and was bent over. She could not lift herself up. When Yeshua saw her He called to her, "Woman, you are now loosed from your infirmity!" He laid His hands on her and immediately she straightened up and glorified Elohim. The ruler of the synagogue was indignant that Yeshua had healed on the Shabbat and said to the people, "There are six days on which people are to work. Come on those days and be healed, but not on Shabbat." Then Adonai answered him, "You two-faced actor! Does not each one of you on Shabbat free his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead it away to get water? So, shouldn't this woman, being a daughter of Avraham, whom ha’satan has bound for eighteen years, be freed from this bondage on Shabbat?" When Yeshua said these things His adversaries were ashamed and the people rejoiced because of all the glorious things that were done by Him.

KINGDOM SYMBOLIZED

Then He said, "What is the Kingdom of Elohim like? What does it resemble? It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man planted in his garden. It grew and became a large tree and the birds of the air nested in the branches of it. How will I symbolize the Kingdom of Elohim? It is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until the whole batch was leavened." Yeshua continued through the cities and villages, teaching and journeying on toward Yerushalayim. Then one asked Him, "Adonai, are there few who are saved?” Yeshua answered, "I tell you, try very hard to enter in at the narrow gate, for many will seek to enter in and will not be able. Once the Home-owner has risen up and shut the door, you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Adonai, YHVH open the door for us.' He will answer, saying, 'I do not know you or where you are from.' Then you will say, 'We dined and drank in Your presence and You taught in our streets.' But He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know you or where you are from. Depart from Me, all you who work against the Torah!' There will be weeping and teeth grinding when you see Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya'akov and all the prophets in the Kingdom of Elohim, but you all are shut out. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south and will sit down in the Kingdom of Elohim. Notice this! There are those who are last who will be first and there are those who are first who will be last." That same day some of the P'rushim came to Yeshua and said to Him, "Leave now and get away from here because Herod will kill you." Yeshua said, "You go instead and tell that fox, 'Notice this! I remove deceiving spirits and I perform healing today and tomorrow and the third day I will be finished. Nevertheless, I must walk today and tomorrow and the following days, because it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Yerushalayim. Oh Yerushalayim! Yerushalayim! You kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you. How often I would have gathered your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not allow me! Now your house is left to you desolate. Amen! I tell you, you will not see me again, until you will say, 'Baruch haba b'shem Adonai [Blessed is He who comes in the Name of YHVH]'."