Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewish Words of Jesus Can Change Your Life

by Lois Tverberg

His Greco-Roman, gnostic leanings caused him to develop an extreme case of “double vision,” which split the God of the Old Testament entirely away from Christ.

Much of Marcion’s difficulty with the Old Testament came from the fact that the God he found there refused to conform to this philosophical ideal.

The idea that emotions are irrational and unnatural arose from Greco-Roman philosophy and has influenced Western theology for thousands of years. We moderners find God’s passions in the Old Testament embarrassing. But what if we looked at Israel’s God from a Middle Eastern perspective, which embraces his emotional reality?

But if you hear Jesus’ parable in its Jewish context and consider it in light of Jesus’ Scriptures, you find very much the opposite.

Bailey’s insights on this parable reveal a basic error in how Western Christians understand sin and God’s response. We see sin as the breaking of arbitrary rules, as accruing parking violations and speeding tickets in a heavenly court system. If we put our faith in Christ, his atoning sacrifice will pay the fine. In this scenario, God is a callous, uncaring judge whose concern is that the law be upheld and the penalty paid in full. The portrayal of sin in Jesus’ parable, however, is that of a broken relationship, a personal offense against a loving Father. The son’s actions would have been profoundly hurtful to his family as he cashed in their property for his own gain. Sin does not just “break the rules” and annoy a strict policeman; it is a direct, personal rejection of our loving heavenly Father, who cares for us deeply.