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Luke 22:26
Let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves. In the ancient world of the M.E., hospitality was the main virtue that defined a man’s character and integrity. ‘To welcome people is like welcoming God’, was a famous adage in those days. Jewish sages say that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was to abuse visiting strangers. Their attitude came in direct contrast with their contemporary, Abraham, whose hospitality was proverbial. Lot followed Abraham’s sample and wanted to honor the visiting angels (Genesis 19), while the Sodomite wanted to abuse them. When Abraham saw the ‘visitors’ by the Plain of Mamre, he ‘rushed’ towards them, he hurried towards them like a man fearful of missing a blessing (Genesis 18). He served the festival foods, opened the best wine, broke out the special ‘dishes’. He also washed their feet, called them ‘lord’, and himself their servant. He was not doing all this in regards to the caliber of his guests. He was simply doing everything he normally did and acted the way he always did with all people who visited his camp. Abraham was a wealthy sheik, he had many servants, but he tended to the visitors himself. The whole idea of being a guest was of honoring a host, blessing someone by the opportunity to serve us. This is very different from our present-day Western mind frame with the ‘buffet-style’ serve yourself type of mentality. The Torah teaches us to obey God’s commands for their own sake, not in view of receiving any reward for it in this world, but a famous Rabbi said that, ‘Hospitality is one of the things for which a man enjoys reward in this world. He also says that’ Hospitality to strangers is more important than attendance at the House of Study’ (Rabbi Yochanan, Shabbat 127a). I would like to say that the Master followed the example of Abraham by being among us as one who serves (Luke 22:27), but since Yeshua was before Abraham was (John 8:58), I would rather say that that it was Abraham who was faithful to the Master’s teachings. Through His relationship with Messiah Abraham understood God’s heart and ways. Abraham’s lifestyle and attitude with others was his statement of faith. In the same way, the ‘religion’ others see in us should also be our statement of faith. We should wear our ‘religion’ on our ‘sleeves’ by the way people see our ‘sleeves’ as we serve them the way Messiah Himself would serve them, were He in our place. And how would He serve them? Abraham knew: He would serve the best food, open the best wine, break out the best dishes, wash their feet, and call them ‘lord’ though He Himself is Lord of all. He really did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:6-7).
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Revelation 18:2
"Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! Abraham was brought up as one coming from the East to deliver Lot his nephew from the captivity of foreign kings. No, Abraham would not take a blessing from the heathen king of Sodom; the patriarch had better rewards than those on earth in his mire. His faith was duly rewarded when Melchizedek, the King of Righteousness came to bless Abraham with the recompense no-one can ever take from him (Genesis 14). In the same manner, King Cyrus, whom Hashem called over two hundred years before his birth ‘My shepherd’ also came from the East (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1). Not desiring a bounty in God’s people, he captured the city of Babylon. Isaiah prophesied, And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground (Isaiah 21:9). After his valiant conquest of the impregnable city, Cyrus’ hand was moved to free Judah and Israel from captivity and allow them to return to their country and rebuild their beloved city Jerusalem with its Temple (Ezra 1:1-3). God’s children are still in captivity. This world is certainly not our home. We, along with all the holy elected ones who died before us declare plainly that we seek a better country that is, a heavenly country solely ruled by the Messiah King and His Torah. Wherefore Hashem is not ashamed to be called our God: for He has prepared for us a city (Hebrews 11:13-16 KJV). Even so our Messiah Redeemer also comes with dyed garments from Bozrah. He is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength. He speaks in righteousness. He is mighty to save. You may ask, Why is He red in His apparel, and His garments like him that treads in the winefat? And He answers “I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come” (Isaiah 63:1-4 KJV). Yes, like Abraham of old flew upon the heathen kings to deliver Lot; as God Himself formed a king to conquer Babylon in order to deliver His people, the moral, social and economic collapse of today’s’ societies uncover the distant cry heard 2,000 years ago by Yochanan the Beloved disciple of the Master saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living." Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues (Revelations 18:2-4). May it be soon Abba, even in our days! |
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