Weekly E-mail Reminder

	HIDDEN LDS/JEWISH INSIGHTS Lesson #19 New Testament Gospel Doctrine supplement by Daniel Rona Weekly E-mail Reminder "T H Y  F A I T H  H A S  S A V E D  M E" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (1.) Jericho – Three Biblical Events about Wealth: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In Joshua's time, Achan stole wealth when "the walls came tumbling down." Jesus experienced a temptation of wealth and then in a tax collector's conversion, wealth is returned. Just north of the Dead Sea, nestled at the bottom of the Judean Hills is Jericho, a quiet town of fruit and vegetable growers a trade-route city that has encountered at least twenty-eight different conquests. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (2.) Tax Collector in a Tree: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Zacchaeus, climbed up better see Jesus, who invited Himself to Zacchaeus's house to dine. People murmured. Tax collectors had to reach a quota set by the Romans. It is likely taxes were over collected when the economy was good making up for the quota when the economy was bad. People may have murmured that Zacchaeus might have abused that system for his own benefit. However, a better look into his personality shows a different story, or at least indicates a complete change. Zacchaeus became so impressed with Jesus' teachings that he offered half of his wealth to the poor and fourfold repayment to the people he had wronged. The important lesson underlying these accounts is that there is no ownership; it is all stewardship. Everything belongs to the Lord. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (3.) Tax Evasion – Robbery? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "The urge to evade payment of taxes has always been strong . . . tax evasion was seen as a form of robbery subject to severe punishment, for it was "robbery of the public . . ." "In the modern State of Israel, there is a taxation system similar . . . [to] most countries of the western world. However, because of the defense burden, Israelis pay the highest tax rate in the world." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (4.) Lazarus' Burial and Rising at Bethany: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The procedure in Jesus' day was to bury within a day of death and leave the burial chamber open for only three days as the family and friends begin a seven-day mourning period using the mourning chamber (except on the Sabbath day). ". . . Jesus came, he found that he [Lazarus] had lain in the grave four days already." (JOHN 11:6-17) Jesus asked, "Where have ye laid him? . . . take ye away the stone. . . . Lazarus, come forth." (JOHN 11:34-43) Lazarus's family was amazed! They knew that the body had been washed, completely immersed, and anointed with fragrant spiced oils. Now, before their very eyes, he was alive again. His "shuffling" out of the burial chamber must have astonished the mourners so much that Jesus had to reassure them: "Loose him and let him go." (JOHN 11:44) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (5.) Priests, Losing Popularity, Call for Deaths: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Lazarus was one of several people Jesus had raised from the dead. They would all eventually die again. Jesus himself would become the first to resurrect from the dead, never to die again. The miracle was reported to the high priests who immediately felt threatened. In their minds, Jesus' popularity imperiled their social and political standing. Caiaphas, the High Priest that year, suggested that Lazarus and Jesus should die – justifying his wicked proposal by  exclaiming that Jesus' popularity would imperil his influence throughout the Jewish world.
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