The Keener Way

  Merry Christmas everyone! Although I generally don't make it a secret that I consider the birth of Christ to most likely be mid autumn, some time between September/October, the vast majority of people insist on observing it smack-dab in the middle of winter. Whereby, at least for the moment, my December postings take on a more Christmas-y tone.  Today, I'd like to explore a topic that was inspired my my very wonderful oldest brother. After I re-shared my last year's posts on Christmas carols, he approached me with an article on how western culture has appropriated the nativity story and taken things out of their middle eastern cultural contexts. One of the things this article suggested was that Yeshua was born in a stone feed trough in a guest room, rather than a wooden manger in a barn, a concept of renaissance Europe. In truth, it is possible that English has misinterpreted the idea of 'no room at the inn'. The Greek word is 'kataluma', which can be take...

  "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." ~Matthew 5:17-20 BSB Not gonna lie, this section of Yeshua's Sermon on the Mount is perhaps one of the most difficult sections to fully grasp. There are so many ways to take this. Here's the thing. Yeshua said: 1. I have come not to abolish, but to fulfill 2. Till heaven and Earth pass away, not one yod (the smallest Hebrew l...