3793 AM (33 CE) – EXPECTATIONS
The Galilean Sea washed the sandy shores, leaving bits of wood and shells littered among the sand and rocks. Peter, the one who denied even knowing Yeshua, now walked in grief at his own lack of forbearance in the face of adversity.
“You have to leave?” Peter began again, “But you can’t! And if you do, take me with you! I will follow you to the ends of the earth.”
Yeshua looked at Peter, classic Peter. Peter was so full of self-doubt, and he was always sticking both feet in his own mouth – something chronic. He would just have to grow out of it, Yeshua decided, so he answered Peter this way, “Do you love me?”
Peter stopped walking with almost an abused look on his face, “Do I love you? How could you even ask that! I mean, ok the rooster thing. But, of course I love you! And I will follow you–”
“Then feed my sheep, Peter,” Yeshua cut in. Which is to say, Yeshua expected Peter to help shepherd the growing community of Jewish followers, now numbering in the tens-of-thousands.
“But do you really love me?” Yeshua asked again.
If Peter were a doll a young child might play with, it is quite possible that at this very moment he would have burst all the little stitching that would have held his little plush body together.
“What are you saying??! You are my king and master! Of course I love you!” Peter responded.
“Well, then, if you love me, tend to the lambs.”
Naturally, Yeshua meant that the Jewish followers of the way were inexperienced in what it means to live a life sacrificial to the Father. It was an extension of Judaism that had deep spiritual undercurrents, and they would need to be guided.
“Just to be clear,” Yeshua said with a slight grin, still trying to keep a serious demeanor, “what you are saying is that you really do love me?”
Peter looked as if he were to burst into a river of tears, threatening to overflow the banks of the Sea of Galilee itself!
“You know all things, Yeshua, which means you know I love you.”
“Yes, Peter,” Yeshua said gently, “I certainly do know it. But, do you know it? Prove you know how much I love you by tending to the flock that Adonai has put in your charge. There will be other flocks and other shepherds, and all you need to do is just tend to your responsibilities and to your commitment to Adonai. That is how you can show me that you love me. That is how you can show Adonai that you love him.”
Peter was quiet, “But why do you have to leave? We are just getting started!”
“Do you think I was sent here to lead an army and rule the whole creation?”
“Yes?” Peter answered sheepishly.
“No,” Yeshua answered him back, “at least, not yet. I have other flocks that you know nothing about. These flocks have not been raised as we have, knowing Adonai and learning about his love and law and living. They are like stillborn. Entire communities of people walking the earth, but completely dead.”
“You are scaring me,” Peter said, “I don’t like that imagery.”
“What has to happen, Peter, is bigger than you could possibly imagine, it will take the hand of Adonai himself to make it happen. The Father’s Spirit, the Ruach Ha-kodesh will be poured out to all who choose to follow Adonai in my name and my teachings. You will have the power to raise the stillborn, if you only have the faith of a mustard seed. You remember my teachings, right?”
“Uh, yeah. Of course. I mean, there was a lot of them. But, the mustard seed, I remember that one. We will start off small and then will grow large.”
“And that is why you must follow me in the little things. Trust me when I tell you the details matter. But you must also follow me in the big things. So, trust me when I tell you, the big picture matters as well. Peter, you have been given what you can handle. Be content. Have confidence. And most of all, know that Adonai and I love you very much.”
“But, uh, I just … I mean, what am I to say? What do I do?”
Peter’s fingers ran through his own dark, curly straggles of hair.
“Peter, you are well-versed in Hebrew teachings, are you not? Start there. Nothing I teach will contradict the teachings of Torah. Thus, nothing you teach will contradict my teachings, so long as you teach in the context of Torah. Ok, for example, what are the messianic expectations passed through the oral law by the sages?”
“Well,” Peter started, trying to think, “there is the obvious … the Messiah must be anointed King.”
“Ok,” Yeshua said thoughtfully, “and was I?”
“Well, Pilate posted that sign that said you were the messiah and the king of the Jews.”
“But a proclamation is not an actual anointing. It has to be someone sent by Hashem to anoint me for a very specific purpose.”
Peter thought. He cringed at his own ignorance and doubt – but why should he doubt?
“At the Jordan,” Peter blurted, “I mean, it wasn’t olive oil, but it was baptism in the Ruach Ha-kodesh and dedication to Adonai. We all heard Adonai’s voice and His acceptance of your works.”
“True,” Yeshua agreed, “but there was also a literal anointing with olive oil, though not by a priest like Samuel, but by one of the first who spoke prophetically and will always be remembered for her actions.”
“Her actions? Oh, the woman with the costly spikenard! It was cut with olive oil. What was her name?” Peter wondered aloud.
“What was her name, indeed,” Yeshua answered knowingly.
“Ok,” Peter redirected, “I guess that qualifies. I mean, it’s not like the kings of old, but then, you are hardly anything like the kings of old.”
“I will take that as a compliment, for sure,” Yeshua barely got out with a laugh, “So, then, what else? What other expectations are there for the Messiah?”
Peter thought more, “Well, the sages’ expectations – everyone’s expectations really – were that you would liberate us from Rome … or I suppose if we are talking about the sages, that would have been the Greeks.”
“Or the Babylonians,” Yeshua interrupted, “depending on how far you go back, but it ends up all being the same. What is the root of all the oppression of humans?” Yeshua offered.
Peter thought, pondered, silently. The root cause? Was it hate? Malice? Indifference? Greed? Lust? Those were all symptoms. But of what? Not following Torah? Or maybe not knowing Torah?
Suddenly Peter looked up, his eyes were like fire, “The absence of any knowledge of Hashem.”
“Correct,” Yeshua said, almost surprised at Peter, “if you do not know Hashem, or if you choose to rebel against Hashem, your actions will not only lead to the swift surety of your own death, but they will likely take the lives and liberty of many of those around you. The more powerful and influential you actually are, the more damage you will do in your rebellion. But even in our lowly state, Peter, if we rebel against Hashem, we can leave devastated children, broken business, or even death in our wake.”
Peter reflected on the words of Yeshua, “So, just so I understand, Yeshua, you are here to teach people about Hashem and teach them to live for Hashem, such that if everyone did that, we all would be delivered from our oppressors … because there would be no oppressors. And that would also fulfill the expectation that the Messiah would establish a just society and also the expectation of people having a knowledge of Hashem. So, in a sense, this would result in Israel being liberated from Rome, if Rome were still in power when this happened.”
“Exactly! Three for the price of one!” Yeshua lauded, once again pleased. Peter smiled. Yeshua continued, “But there is a key point you are still missing.”
The smile on Peter’s face disappeared.
“Peter, it is not for me to teach the people about Hashem and how to live for Hashem or even how to establish a just society. I taught you and the others that. It’s your job, now, and the job of all those who come after you. Remember, my time here is basically done. I have until the end of the counting of the Omers, and then I have to leave for a while because of what Hashem has planned next. But let’s not dwell on the parting. What is another expectation for the Messiah?”
They continued their walk along the shore in silence for some time. Peter was looking out into the sea, and Yeshua walked with him in simple patience.
Finally, Peter broke the silence, “I don’t know. I … uh … ok. Another expectation? Um, well, there is the ingathering of the Jews to Israel, right?”
“Ok, what about that?” Yeshua inquired.
“Well, since the return of Judah from Babylon, Jews basically live all over the world, so to speak. Not to forget about the ten lost tribes, of course. But, surely, if/when you do take the reins and rule the world, all the Jews would flock to Israel, especially if there was no Rome. I mean, with the Temple being the center piece of Judaism and our families here, as is our synagogues.”
“Indeed,” Yeshua said. His tone made Peter uncomfortable. The way Yeshua said, “Indeed” rang eerily in Peter’s ears.
“What are you not saying?” Peter asked.
“I might be King of Kings, but there are things even this King is not permitted to discuss. I represent Hashem. I answer to him. You will just have to wait and see.”
“So,” Peter continued, “there may not be a temple? You mean, seriously? I thought when you said, ‘destroy the temple and you will rebuild it in three days’ you were speaking of your own body?”
Peter fell silent once again as he sorted through his own memories. He looked up at Yeshua, and finally said, “not one stone on another.”
Yeshua nodded, “not one stone on another.”
Peter sighed more deeply than he ever thought possible, “But we just built this temple. Erm, I mean, it is still being built, ‘Herod’s Temple’ I mean. But without a temple? What will become of Israel?”
Once again, Yeshua said nothing. His silence told Peter volumes.
“What!?” Peter shrieked, “What?!? Israel will be destroyed as well? How? Why? I mean, How?”
Yeshua stopped walking and turned to Peter, “Peter, listen. Your intuition has served you well. But if you love me, you will not repeat a word of this to anyone. It is not your place, and this is not the time. You have a flock to contend with, which will be wrought with its own difficulties.”
Yeshua could see a great weight lay upon the heart of Peter. In compassion and dignity, Yeshua touched Peter’s arm, “Look, Peter, I can tell you this. When I do come for the flock that you so carefully shepherd, once the time of the nations has come to its fulfillment, I will establish a kingdom that will not pass away, and you will see, with your own eyes, peace and prosperity that will last a thousand years, even if I have to dig humanity out of the ashes of its own self-destruction. I assure you, Peter, you will see it with your own eyes.”
Immediately, Peter’s countenance lifted as their eyes met, “Yes, my master, I will do as you say.”
Used with permission by the author. Find the author’s complete works online: Complete Works of Mack Samuels
