So now we are getting into some cool context. The differences between Galilee, where Yeshua/Jesus grew up and lived as an adult, and Judea to the south, where Jerusalem and the Temple were, could be extreme. One of the biggest differences was in rulership. In the north, Galilee was ruled by Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, but in the south, Judea was ruled directly by Rome. This month, we are going to be talking about why Judea was ruled by foreigners, what powers they had, what kind of military force they had at their disposal, taxation – and Pontius Pilate!

So, we are delving into the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, and each month I will present a week of 15-ish minute lessons on Yeshua’s/Jesus’s teachings. This last week, we explored the Beatitudes, in their first-century context.

Part one covered the Ashrei “Blessed are” teachings in the Bible, notably Psalm 1, and we talk about the theme, setting and audience – which gives us a lot more insight into their meaning:

Part two continues with the setting, which uses some hidden Temple language, and we covered the poor in spirit:

Part 3 covers the meek and the mourners:

In part 4 we explored those who hunger and thirst for righteousness in the context of the Exodus out of Egypt, and the merciful by delving into the Parable of the Ungrateful servant:

In part 5 I covered the last three, the pure of heart (as opposed to the Sadducees and Herodians), and Peacemakers (the Pharisees vs the zealots) and the persecuted for righteousness: