Show how Lukes presentation differs from Jewish expectations Essay Example

Show how Lukes presentation differs from Jewish expectations Essay Example Show how Lukes presentation differs from Jewish expectations Essay Show how Lukes presentation differs from Jewish expectations Essay Essay Topic: Great Expectations One of Lukes main interests in Jesus was his preaching on the Kingdom of God. As Luke was arguably a gentile, he wanted to prove to all people that the Kingdom was present and that everyone is welcome to become a member. However what Luke wrote about the kingdom in some areas did contradict the Jews expectations. For example, Jewish understanding of the kingdom was that a divine rule would be the counterpart of the earthly kingship. This goes back to Old Testament when the prophet Samuel first anointed the first Jewish King Saul, as so was King David. The anointing of a king meant that they would represent Gods rule and would be regarded as God-sent.Jewish understanding of the kingdom increased significantly after Israel lost her independence in C6 BCE. Concepts of King and Messiah emerged during the inter-testamental era. The heavenly hosts of angels would defeat the devil and his armies and heaven would literally be created on earth. Essenes took particular interest in this belief as they searched for liberation and the coming of the kingdom of God. Another concept consists of no war. However gentiles would realise that there is no other saviour than Israels God, and would thus worship God and acquiesce to the Jews.Jesus concept however of the Kingdom differed to that of the Jews as to them, the Kingdom of God would be much more earthly. As in Mark 1:15, the Kingdom of God has arrived. Jesus thus believed the kingdom to be a present reality in himself and his ministry the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). However there have been three suggestions about the real meaning of eschatology. Futurist eschatology embrace Jesus teachings as a meaning that Gods kingdom will come in a tangible form at a time that is still in the future. This can be rectified as the parousia. According to Albert Schweitzer, who first popularised this idea meant however, that Jesus held the same expectations as many Jewish apocalyptic writers of his day. He suggested that Jesus b elieved God would intervene immediately in the affairs of humanity and that his own lifes work would be the divisive climax that would come within Jesus lifetime.However C.H. Dodd contradicted Schweitzers theory on futurist eschatologyand introduced his theory on realised eschatology. According to Dodd what Jesus was really saying was that the new society had arrived in his own person through his teachings thus Jesus teaching is inaugural eschatology. The coming of Jesus is thus the coming of Gods eternal reign.Miracles are much easier to understand if they are regarded as signs that God was creating a new society right there and then. To put these miracles into context, according to 1st century Jewish thinking, if one was ill, it was either due to their parents sins, or their own. However when Jesus healed the sick, for example the lame man, Jesus himself said, friend your sins are forgivenpick up your mat and walk. This healing shows scholars today that to heal a person, was to fo rgive them, thus bring them back to God.Parables that appear to be concerned with the last days, such as the 10 bridesmaids or the rich fool, may not be a clear explanation of the final days however the challenge that all people when they are confronted with the message about Jesus and Gods new society. Dodd argues that the parable of the Great banquet does not in fact suggest that those who didnt turn up to the banquet would not get a place in heaven however he states that those who didnt turn up to the banquet, in fact turned up late and thus be given a second chance. This does seem to agree with his theory on realised eschatology, in that the kingdom is present and that everyone is given another opportunity.A third theory of eschatology is called inaugurated eschatology. This recognises that Gods new society did actually come in Jesus however the complete fulfilment was still seen in the future. This theory takes the best of both futurist and realised eschatology. This view recog nises that Gods new society came in Jesus hence his teaching is inaugurated. This theory also recognises Schweitzers theory on futurist eschatology as it considers Jesus background as a first century Jew thus his teaching includes future events such as the downfall of the Temple, and the resurrection as part of the consummation of Gods society.What did Jesus mean about the Kingdom of God? The kingdom is defined as the state or territory ruled by a king. In this case, as Luke suggests, God was going to set up a new state and rule it himself, however rather than being a material state, such as Israel, as it was in the Old Testament, it would be spiritual state for all mankind.When Jesus spoke about the Kingdom he mentioned in the Lords prayer FatherThy kingdom come. Jesus uses the word Abba as if talking to an earthly father. This becomes much more personal and develops a much more loving relationship in comparison to that of the Old Testament, where all Jews feared a jealous God. The word Abba indicates the uniqueness of the relationship between Jesus and his Father.Jesus saw the Kingdom of God as a New Israel, just as all first century Jews of his believed. Jesus taught that Gods rule requires realm in which to work. He speaks of men entering or being cast out of the kingdom. Parables such as the mustard seed with its reference to birds nestling in its branches shows that Jesus has the gathering of a whole society in mind, or it could be described that if anyone has a small amount of faith, it will grow and influence others, just as the disciples preached and converted many to Christianity and those who died in Jesus name also influence others and strengthened their faith. Jesus also speaks of himself as a shepherd gathering his flock. In order to put his beliefs into practice however, Jesus had to ordain others to carry the Kerygma far and wide after his death and resurrection as prophesied in Luke 24:47-48, repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nationsyou are witnesses of these thingsI am going to send you what God has promised.Jesus called the twelve disciples, in parallel to the twelve tribes of Israel. This symbolic meaning could be translated into the fact that Jesus wanted his Holy word to be spread round the whole world beginning in Jerusalem, as mentioned in Luke 24:26. This would be beginning of the creation of the New Israel. The disciples were sent out to proclaim the Kingdom (Luke9:1-2) He gave them power to drive out all demons and to cure diseasessent them out to preach the kingdom of God.In the Last Supper, Jesus himself shared the New Covenant; I will not eat and drink from this cup until it finds fulfilment of in the kingdom of God. The significance of the Last Supper in context of the kingdom, is that in the Old Testament Moses made a covenant with God using bulls blood, however it was not eternal as it had been broken several times by the Israelites, however Jesus died on the cross to bridge an eternal relationship with God, for all people.In Lukes gospel, the kingdom is centred in Christ, (Luke 18:29) for the sake of the kingdom of God. Mark writes, the Kingdom of God came with power. The gospel writers all assumed the same meaning between the kingdom of God and Christ. Jews believed that the Christ would rather lead an earthly kingdom following the Torah laws, however they didnt expect a heavenly spiritual Christ. What Jesus says, was originally taken from Daniel 7: Son of Manand he was given dominion and a kingdom that all peoples and nations would serve himthe saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever.This means that God gives the kingdom to the Son of Man and the Saints of the Most High will also receive it. This could explain why in Lukes gospel, Jesus promises the kingdom to those who believe in His name (Luke 9:24) for whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. Howev er in order to fulfil his destiny Jesus had to suffer, die and rise again on the third day, therefore fulfilling the scriptures and Isaiahs suffering servant prayer.Jews believed that in order to inherit the Kingdom of heaven you had to be a Jew and follow the law, which God gave to them. However in Lukes gospel, Jesus tells his disciples and followers, to carry his cross and follow him. In order to inherit the kingdom, just as Jesus suffered and died for our sins, to be a disciple, you must not carry material possessions but put others before yourself. Jewish teaching on an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth had now changed to forgiving others and treat others as yourself.The consummation of the kingdom however is still yet to come. Despite Jesus prophecies that he will die and rise on the third day, Jesus also prophesied of a second coming as mentioned earlier, the parousia. Mark 13:26, and they will see the Son of Man coming in cloudsbefore him will be gathered all the nation s and he will separate them from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from goats. Schweitzer believed that Jesus death was in vain and did not fulfil its purpose, however Dodd has argued that Jesus fulfilled Old Testament scriptures and is still yet to complete the coming of Judgement day. It has been argued that the fire of Rome was arguably the beginning of the end as all Christians were persecuted, (Luke21:12) but before all this they must first lay hands on you and persecute you. The destruction of the Temple was also predicted, thus many people perceived the end of days were near. In Pauls writings, he writes with a sense of urgency and says do not marry, or sin for the end of days are near, be ready! However many Christians today believe that the end of days are still to come, which both Jews and Christians alike await.In conclusion, Jewish understanding of the Kingdom of God slightly differs to that of Jesus teachings. Jews expected an earthly king to come and libera te them from the occupation of the Romans, as Jesus entered Jerusalem, they expected him to ride on a horse with armament as a fighting leader, on the contrary Jesus was humble and instead rode on a donkey. In Lukes gospel as well as the other gospel writers, the Kingdom is portrayed as a spiritual kingdom for all people united as one. Jewish leaders of the day took this teaching as an insult to the Jewish nation as they had been waiting centuries to be set free and yet they didnt get their earthly response. However one agreement between Christians and Jews alike, is that they still await the Judgement Day in earnest and the coming of Christ in order to consummate the kingdom.

22 Signs Your Boss Hates You

22 Signs Your Boss Hates You We all think from time to time that our bosses hate us.   Rest assured, 9  times out of 10, the problem is entirely in our heads. But just in case you’re in one of those rare situations, it’s best to know the truth. At least that way you stand a chance of changing his or her view of you. Here are 22 possible signs that your boss  probably hates you, a lot.1. Your gut tells you soYou’ve just got a bad feeling about it. Are you usually spot on with your gut feelings? If you are, you might consider taking this as a preliminary clue, rather than as a sign that you are crazy or overly anxious.2. You’re out of the loopYour boss doesn’t come to you with tasks or questions or involve you in big decisions and discussions. In general, you’re not asked for input on anything of import, which may mean you aren’t valued.3. He doesn’t look you in the eyeThis could be a sign that your boss  is harboring a bit of hostility and would rath er that go undetected. Also eye contact in general signals a certain degree of attention and trust, which you aren’t getting.4. She never smiles at youOr even around you. If this can’t simply be explained by a mood swing or a bad week, then you might start asking yourself questions.5. You’re the only one getting micromanagedMicromanagers are the absolute worst. But if you notice that no one else in your office is being subject to the same treatment, that’s a surefire sign you’re on the naughty list.6.They avoid youIf your boss is always nipping out of the room when you enter, waiting for another elevator, swerving around a cubicle to avoid your eye, and never overlapping during your main work hours†¦something is up.7. You barely existYour boss doesn’t acknowledge your presence or arrival with a simple nod or hello or â€Å"have a good night.† Seriously, how hard is that? There has to be a reason.8. You’re getting monosylla blesAll your questions, even â€Å"How are you?†s are met with one word answers. And emails are perfunctory with no nice greetings or signatures. Basically, if you feel you’re getting the silent treatment from a teenage girl.9. Bad body languageCrossed arms, impatience, not looking up when you enter their office†¦ and generally projecting an air of standoffishness.10. You’re in email jailWhereas your boss routinely has small meetings or conversations with your coworkers, she communicates with you solely over email, as if avoiding face time.11. You’re not on the insideAnytime there is a special project or important meeting, you’re not involved.12. She keeps her door closedThough, that might be a sign that your boss hates everyone, not just you.13. The wall of â€Å"no†You can’t get anything right. Every suggestion you make is put down. Every answer you give is corrected. You ask for something and you get a big fat â€Å"no.† It’s even more telling if your boss is not like this with your other coworkers.14. He  doesn’t ever get personalEven in a particularly all-business office, personal conversations crop up now and again. If your boss is asking your coworkers about their kids and weekends and hobbies, but never you? Bad sign.15. You get all the grunt jobsYou keep getting assigned all the jobs that no one else would touch with a 10-foot pole, well below your pay grade and experience.16. She’s stingy with the feedbackEven when you ask for it. She doesn’t seem to care whether you progress or your work improves. This sort of indifference is not good for your relationship or your career.17. She gives you plenty of feedback (negative, and publicly)You’re voted Most Likely To Get Dressed Down at the Meeting. If your boss is going out of her way to embarrass or humiliate you, you’re in big trouble. That disrespect is highly unprofessional, so it’s probably c oming from somewhere deep.18. You’re not in on the jokesIt’s like middle school all over again and you’re on the outside of all the inside jokes. If there’s a lot of banter in your office and you never have to take a turn getting roasted, that could also be a bad sign.19. He takes the creditEvery good thing you manage to accomplish, and every good idea you have, seems to be presented in the end as his.20. Your good projects get reassignedThe one thing that kept you getting jazzed about coming into work? Gone next Monday. Given to someone else with little explanation. It’s like someone took your toy away.21. You hear the phrase â€Å"personality clash†If your boss says something like this out loud to describe your relationship, then chances are she doesn’t like you very much. This is polite speak for I HATE YOUR GUTS GET OUT OF MY FACE.22. You seem to make her  horribly impatientYour boss has all the time in the world for the office dunce, for other people’s mistakes, but zero for you. She’s always short and curt and jiggling her foot.If any of these 22 warning signs ring true for you, it might be worth a conversation, a strategy on how to change the situation, or even a search for another job. But, like we said, better to know!