By Dr. Victoria Sarvadi
Mark 12:17
It is common for most Westerners to approach the Bible from their own personal perspective of culture and language. We often forget that the Bible was written by ancient Jewish thinkers, not in English but rather in Hebrew and Aramaic for the First Testament and Greek for the Second. Foreign concepts of Middle Eastern lifestyle and traditions and archaic language and idioms for that time period are not easily understood or considered by modern readers of today.
The Church has developed a mindset that was passed down by our Greco-Roman Church Fathers. Christians rarely realize that Yeshua and all of his disciples were speaking and thinking from a Jewish mindset called “block thinking” which is quite unfamiliar to non-Hebrew speakers
Greco-Roman thinking is based on linear or sequential thoughts. The Greeks taught us to move from point A to point B and come to a calculated conclusion. As western thinkers, we have always assumed that opposite positions of a matter both can’t be true.
However, block thinking is different. Opposite ideas are actually considered in order to derive at a conclusion. Dynamic tension seems to be contradictory to westerners. This is why so many think the Bible contradicts itself.
On the contrary, the Bible, at times, holds only a sense of conflict, but is in reality, a perfect balance of Godly love and mercy and at the same time righteous indignation. There is good and evil; Light and dark; God’s ways and man’s ways; Heaven and Hell and right and wrong.
I create light and darkness, happiness and sorrow. I, the Lord, do all this. Is 45:7
How would recognize light without darkness? How could one know goodness if evil could not be discerned?
Yeshua is called The Prince of Peace, but He declared “Don’t think I’ve come to bring peace but rather the sword” Matthew 10:34. Hmmm!
The first coming of Yeshua 2000 years ago brought many to receive Him as Lord and Savior but for others only to vehemently reject Him. The coming of the Divine Healer and Deliverer eventually resulted in Jewish factions rising in intransigent revolts against Rome as Yeshua prophesied “the Temple would be destroyed”.
Though His coming again at the End of Days will also bring great distress, in the end, perfect peace will be achieved. So…both are true. Yeshua brought conflict, the sword and a splitting of a nation but He is coming as the prophesied Messiah that will usher in World Peace and the Restoration of the whole Earth as He rules all nations and causes every power to bow to His glorious authority.
A good example of Jewish block thinking is a familiar scene from Fiddler on the Roof. Tevye is considering the dilemma of his daughter Tzeitl and Motel the tailor. After learning that his daughter and Motel gave each other a pledge for marriage, he considers what he should do concerning this untraditional betrothal. Tevye expresses his inward thoughts out loud:
“He’s beginning to talk like a man. On the other hand what kind of match would that be? With a poor tailor? On the other other hand, he’s an honest hard worker. On the other hand, he has absolutely nothing. On the other hand things could never get worse for him they could only get better.
This typical train of thought purposely considers both sides of a coin, explores the good and the bad, the pros and the cons. All the while both sides of the argument are true.
Is God a God of Judgment? Yes and He has all power and authority to punish those who hate and oppose Him.
But Is God a God of Mercy? Absolutely, He has the power to pardon, forgive and bless those who deny themselves and choose to love Him.
It is essential that we look at the Bible through balance. One who is “righteous in the Lord” can cross the line into “self-righteousness and dogma”. It’s often just a small tweak in one’s critical thinking that blurs the line. One that has Godly anger concerning the evils of the world, if not tempered with mercy, can cross the line into intolerance even murder. One that is pure of heart not desiring to succumb to sin can easily cross over into judgment of those that do.
Being a believer in Yeshua is walking in His grace as He guides the believer in truth and righteousness. It’s His Righteousness only that one can boast in.
His merciful Righteousness and perfect justice make Him the only Wise King. We wait for Him to come with His government to take His throne and relieve this yoke of government from the nations. To this day man has not done such a good job – right? We so need you, Yeshua!
