For many a religious person in the days of Jesus, the synagogue was the place to be.  Synagogue is a Greek word which means "to gather together" or "to assemble".    The Hebrew word for this structure is Beit Knesset (bait kenes-set) which means "house of assembly".   True to both languages and definitions, the first century synagogue was a place of gathering.  Synagogues of that time period which have been uncovered by archaeologists are simple structures, but usually the largest building in the village; setting it apart from the homes and shops which surrounded it.  It is not surprising then that Jesus had many encounters with all kinds of people in these important buildings.

            Though prayer did occur in the synagogues, the main religious activity that took place there  was the reading of a Torah portion on the Sabbath and holidays, along with a reading from the prophets.  Unlike our churches today, where people sit casually while God's Word is read and the preacher stands while he/she speaks, men stood in the synagogue when they read from the Scriptures and sat when they taught from it.  This was done from a special chair, raised above the benches that lined the side walls, called the Seat of Moses.  Only guest rabbis and speakers could sit there. 

            In the days of Jesus, a particular order of reading the Torah or prophets was not set in place, so in Luke 4:16-17, when Jesus is asked to read, He most likely picked the passage out Himself.  The discussion which follows (vv. 18-28) would have been typical of the day since an established liturgy of prayer had not yet developed.  Instead of silent reverence, dialogue and discussion, along with people milling around while the dialogue took place, were typical of what occurred before and after the readings or teachings, and possibly even during them.  The main point of this was to make the Torah more than just a mental assent of faith.  It was interactive in one's life; not merely words, but life itself.
            The typical first-century synagogue featured an entrance with doors facing Jerusalem.  The bench seats along the wall were probably seats for the elders, while the rest of the congregation sat on mats on the floor.  Men and women were seated apart.  The congregation faced a "portable storage closet", the most sacred item in the synagogue, called the "Ark" which contained the holy scrolls.  After the service was over it was stored away for safe-keeping.

            The synagogue was the heart of the Jewish community in ancient Israel but it was never regarded in the same light as the Temple.  It was a place where faith was explored and encouraged.  Although it included activities like worship, its primary function was to bring the faithful together.  Some people like to associate the synagogue of ancient Israel with the church building of today, but in reality it is better to compare it to a small group that gathers to study the Bible in someone’s home.  It was a place where one could learn and discuss the Scriptures and put flesh on the skeleton of faith.  The importance of the fellowship which the synagogue promoted is evident in Hebrews 10:25 where the author encourages the faithful not to "forsake our own assembling together".   Consider becoming a part of a "synagogue".  Find a group of believers where you can grow in the knowledge of God's Word and strengthen your walk with Christ.  Whether it's a group that meets in someone's home on a week night, a fellowship group, or a Sunday School class, you'll find a dynamic community of support and friendship there.  Working through God’s word and praying with this gathering will help you to be more than ready for the road ahead.

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

          In Israel there is an archeological site on the ancient village of Korazin.  When you walk among its stones you get a glimpse of daily life in the Galilee region.  In its heyday Korazin was a busy little village whose principal industries were pressing olive oil and producing millstones.  The people there probably led a pleasant life surrounded by extended family and familiar faces.  In the center of ancient Korazin there remains a beautiful illustration of the words Jesus spoke in John 14:2, “In My Father’s house there are many rooms”.  The word we often translate as “rooms” is actually the word “monai” (moe-nay) which is the plural form of “dwelling place” or “abode”.  In Hebrew this structure is called an insula.  An insula is a large home which has had many additions attached to it; each being its own “abode” or home.  The largest insula excavated in Israel had 38 additions!  It was the custom in early spring in villages such as Korazin for the young maidens to dance through the streets so that prospective young grooms could catch a glimpse of a possible mate.  This method certainly would raise some objections in our day, but it was the custom then, and no one seemed to mind!  Once a groom spied a young lady he was interested in, he would approach her family with an offer and a dowry.  If the dowry was accepted, the couple was betrothed and the bridegroom would then return to his home and begin to build the addition which he and his bride would live in.  Jesus is alluding to this practice when He tells the disciples that His Father’s House has many “monai” (abodes).

            This style of extended family living is also alluded to by Jesus in John 14:2 when He says, “I go to prepare a place for you”.  In fact, many scriptures in the New Testament draw their imagery from Biblical Jewish wedding traditions because Jesus often illustrated what He was teaching about from the everyday culture around Him.  For example, while the groom was off building their future home, the bride waited for his return in her father’s house.  While she waited the bride wore a label, in essence a symbol of the accepted dowry, which said, “Bought with a price”.  She had to be patient, and so did the groom, for no one but the father of the groom knew the exact point in time when the groom would return. There was an element of surprise when his father gave the signal and the groom set off to collect his bride.  He would approach the bride’s house and call out, “If anyone is here, open up!”  The bride would then respond with the question, “What has this cost you?”  To which the groom answered with a list of the dowry.  It was a rather humorous way of keeping things honest as the exact contents of the dowry were only known by the bride, her family and the groom.  If the list wasn’t exact, then it wasn’t the groom!

            Oftentimes the surprise appearance of the groom occurred at night, which meant the bride and her attendants had to be ready to go at any time.  This often meant having an oil lamp trimmed and ready to be lit at a moment’s notice.   Jesus taught in The Parable of the Virgins (Matthew 25: 1-13) that His return would be a surprise and only His Father in heaven knew when that would be, just as the groom’s father was the only one who knew when the groom would be ready to bring his bride home (Matthew 24:36).  Some people have interpreted the oil in this parable to represent the Holy Spirit.  But they have missed the point of the parable in light of its cultural connection.  The wedding tradition teaches us clearly that Jesus will return at the most unexpected moment in time, but as His bride, we must be ready to go when He comes for us.

          The Book of Revelation also tells us that when our Bridegroom returns He will stand at the door and knock (Revelation 3:20).  In the same way that the bride asked her bridegroom what the dowry was, the same question will be asked of Jesus, “What has this cost You?”  To which Christ will reply, “I gave My life for you”.  The imagery of the Jewish wedding and the insula at Korazin demonstrate to us how great God’s love truly is.  Like the days of Moses when God dwelt in the Tabernacle, His desire to be with us has never ceased (Exodus 25:8).  This time He will bring us to dwell with Him forever (Jn. 14:1-3).  What an incredible thought!  We are that precious to God.
 
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

             I never met William Hamilton or Gerret Wolfertsen Couwenhoven but they are a part of my family tree.  William was born in Glasgow, Scotland and after the birth of his son John in 1819, he packed up his family of six and sailed across the Atlantic. The Hamilton family grew and eventually ended up in New Jersey.  Gerret is my great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather!  He left Holland in the 1630’s and settled in New Amsterdam, New York for awhile and then moved to Freehold, New Jersey.  Several generations later, two of their descendants, my grandmother and grandfather met, married and had a son who later became my Dad.  I have always enjoyed the history of my family tree.  It’s just another unique piece of who I am.

            Genealogy was important to the people of Jesus’ day.  If a man wanted to serve as a priest in the Temple he had to prove that he was a descendent of Aaron.  If he could only trace his lineage back to Levi, then he became a Levite.  The line of Judah was important too.  In 2 Samuel 7: 8-16, the Lord promises David (a descendant of Judah) that he would always have an heir on the throne of Israel.  In Jesus’ day King Herod was a feeble attempt by the Romans to placate the Jewish people with a ruler of their own stock.  But Herod was only half Jewish and he was despised by the people because of it.  They understood the covenant and wanted the real thing!

            As rulers, the line of Judah often failed.  Therefore in Jeremiah 22:28-30 we read that the Lord cursed Jeconiah (a.k.a Coniah) that due to his wicked deeds he and his descendants would never again rule on the throne of David.  But how could this be?  Jeconiah was a descendant of David and the Lord told David that his line would rule forever.  And why with this curse hanging over the line of David, would Matthew and Luke go to such lengths to prove that Jesus was of David’s lineage?

            Careful reading of these two family trees reveals that only Matthew’s account includes the name of Jeconiah.  Matthew, by tracing Joseph’s line, is building an argument for Jesus’ legal claim to the throne of David.  He was entitled to the throne since his father was a descendant of David.  Mary was also a descendant of David.  But her family tree does not include Jeconiah.  Mary’s lineage is traced through Nathan, a branch of David’s line that was not associated with Jeconiah’s curse.  This allowed God to fulfill the Davidic Covenant, that the Messiah would be a descendant of David and rule on the throne forever (Luke 1:31-33).  Luke goes one step further than Matthew.  He traces Christ’s lineage all the way back to Adam.  He wants us to realize that Jesus did not fulfill the Covenant merely for one nation’s sake, but for the sake of all mankind.

            Did you ever suspect you were part of a royal family?  Romans 8: 16-17 says, The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.  Royals walk around with a sense of dignity and purpose.  They know who they are, the importance of their position and their standing.  The royals we admire most are those who do not use their position as an excuse for self-indulgence or pride, but rather as a means to help the less fortunate in their homeland as well as abroad.  It seems we are quite fascinated with them too- especially when they break protocol and “do their own thing” as Prince Harry and his wife Meghan did recently when they announced they would step down from the British monarchy.  Marrying into a family is challenge enough but imagine marrying into a family with thousands of years of tradition, royal protocol and a pecking order that hasn’t changed for decades and you can imagine the drama that’s about to unfold if your “style” doesn’t match theirs.  But the family of God is different.  Our royalty does not come from marrying into it, it is something God confers to us out of His love when we place our faith in Christ (1 Pet. 2:9-10).

            In light of these thoughts, what should the children, the heirs, of the Heavenly King look like?  What type of attitudes and behaviors should they display?  How should they treat the people they come in contact with each day?  You may not be able to trace your earthly lineage as thoroughly as mine.  But your spiritual legacy is laid out for you in the Word of God.  So live your life as the royal you are!   

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            The Gospel of Luke is actually "Part One" of a two-part saga which traces the proclamation of salvation, first through the Messiah, in Luke's Gospel, and then through the Church in the Acts of the Apostles.  Luke's Gospel is addressed to "Theophilus" which literally means "God-lover".  We don't know much about this person other than he is addressed as "Most Excellent" a term that indicates he may have been a person of some rank.  The purpose of Luke's Gospel is to inform Theophilus of the life and testimony of Jesus.  But in essence it does not matter whom the Gospel was written to, rather, Who it was written about.  Luke's central theme is a question:  Who is Jesus?  The reader- Theophilus and you- must come to a conclusion about Him and respond.

            In his prologue, Luke articulates his desire to give his readers a clear and coherent presentation of the words and deeds of Christ (1:1-4).  By A. D. 62 there were undoubtedly many oral and some written accounts of Jesus' miracles and teachings.  Luke uses several words and phrases in his opening verses which show us he approached this task with the highest of integrity.  Luke's investigation included reading "accounts about the events" (1:1) and analyzing "reports...from the early disciples and other eyewitnesses" (1:2).    Luke did not criticize the other works; instead, he appealed to their importance as precedents for his own work.  He wanted to put these facts in an order that would make sense to the reader in order to help that person to understand Jesus' story.

            There are several things to note in Luke 1:1-4.  First, Luke has a reason for writing by using the word "since".  Secondly, Luke recognized the contribution of others who had also recorded the things Jesus did and taught (...many have undertaken).  Thirdly, Luke's Greek is among the best in the New Testament.  His introduction is done in the literary style of historians such as Herodotus of Halicarnassus, who also spoke of collecting information by interviewing witnesses and compiling the writings of learned men.  Luke contacted eyewitnesses such as the Apostles themselves.  He listened and learned from "servants of the Word"; the most notable of course was his traveling companion Paul.  These teachings and accounts were "handed down to us" from the first generation of believers which included the disciples and others who had been taught by them.  Luke testifies that he has compiled "an orderly account".  This means he has arranged the material (through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) in a way in which we can understand the narrative and what it teaches about Jesus.  This does not mean that Luke manipulated facts in order to promote his own opinion or agenda.  Rather Luke has organized the facts to present Jesus in such a way that we will know the truth about Him.

            Lastly, the events that Luke has compiled are "pragmata", that is they are historical facts that any historian would be interested in, but in Luke's Gospel they become more than mere facts, they are for Luke, events of salvation-history and their significance depends on the way one interprets what they have fulfilled.  These events refer not only to the deeds of the ministry of Jesus, His passion, death, burial and resurrection, but also to the sequel to all this, the spread of the Gospel from Jerusalem to the end of the known world.  Luke is pleased and excited to be sharing his findings for he believes that they "have come to fulfillment" and were "accomplished among us".  These events took place in Luke's recent past and have continued their effect into the present.  

            More importantly, Luke's precision and purpose in writing this book, demonstrates to us, that our Scriptures are to be trusted as an accurate and truthful account of Christ's life, and God's redemptive work among men.  Although Luke is not one of the original disciples, he employed a thorough and trustworthy method of fact-finding in order to compile this Gospel.  Perhaps William Barclay said it best, "There is no passage of the Bible which sheds such a floodlight on the doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture.   No one would deny that the Gospel of Luke is an inspired document; and yet Luke begins by affirming that it is the product of the most careful historical research.  God's inspiration does not come to those who sit with folded hands and lazy minds and only wait, but to those who think and seek and search.  True inspiration comes when the searching mind joins with the revealing Spirit of God.   The word of God is given, but it is given to those who search for it.  "Seek and you will find," (Matthew 7:7)."

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            The stadium is filled with thousands of fans.  The noise surrounds you as you take your seat.  On either side, avid spectators clad in team colors, converse with one another and munch on snacks while drinking soda and other beverages.  Music blasts over the loud speakers and cheerleaders do their routines on the sidelines while the team mascots run around on the field performing crazy antics.  There is an air of excitement as athletes enter the stadium and start warming up.  Each and every fan places their hopes of victory on the shoulders of these highly trained professionals.  Week after week, day after day, these competitors follow a regime in order to prepare for the BIG GAME.  No matter what sport, no matter what team, they all commit themselves to being the best in their field.  And today their hard work and dedication will hopefully pay off.  

            The crown jewel of football will be up for grabs this Sunday.  Two teams will place the best they have to offer on the field and battle for the right to be called the NFL Champions.  In the days of the New Testament the top sport was not football.  Back then running, wrestling and boxing were popular and the top athletic competition was the Isthmian Games (which later became the Olympics).  The Isthmian Games were held every two years in the city of Corinth.  And like their modern day counterparts, athletae (the Greek word we get athlete from) were devoted to a course of training which would enable them to excel in their chosen contest with agility and strength.  These professional training programs often required the athlete to endure extreme amounts of pain and took a tremendous amount of self-discipline.  But for those who remained committed, there were also great rewards. 

            Have you ever considered that your Christian walk is similar to the course an athlete takes in preparing for a competition?  In 1951 a sportscaster by the name of Jarrell McCracken did.  He read an article by a well-known athlete and was inspired to write and record an allegory which he entitled The Game of Life.  In it two teams, the Forces of Good and the Forces of Evil, square off on the grid-iron with God Himself as the Fair and Just Referee.  Jesus Christ coaches the Forces of Good and Satan is the coach for the Forces of Evil.  The quarterback of the Forces of Good, Average Christian, faces a variety of obstacles and challenges that you and I also face in our Christian walk as he makes his way to the end zone.  In the end, success lies in how well-prepared one is for the game.

            As McCracken introduces his allegory he states that "the rules of the game and how it should be played are found in God's Word, the Bible".  2 Timothy 2:5 says, "And also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules."  Our success then in our Christian walk depends on how well we follow God's Word.  And like the athletes of Paul's day, we would do well to be diligent for the "purpose of godliness" (1 Tim. 4:7-8).  The athletes who competed at the Isthmian games and their modern Super Bowl counterparts all compete for a temporal crown and prizes that eventually run out, but godliness leads to an eternal reward (heaven).  This is the idea Paul conveys in his last letter to Timothy.  "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course; I have kept the faith.  In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge will save for me on that day" (2 Tim. 4:7-8a).  The image of God as the One who rewards the faithful believer after he/she has run the course of their life is seen throughout the New Testament (1  Cor. 9:25; Phil. 4:1; 1 Th. 2:19; Rev. 2:10).

            What are you doing to prepare yourself for the game?  Are you reading God's Word?  Are you in fellowship with other believers, your teammates?  Are you communicating with the Coach so that you understand His game plan (prayer)?  It is my hope that you will approach the Game of Life with the same amount of enthusiasm and spirit that you show while watching the Super Bowl (or the BIG GAME of your favorite sport whatever that may be).  In writing to the church at Corinth (the Super Bowl city of the Roman Empire), Paul encouraged the Christians by saying, "Do you not know those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may win.  And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.  They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable."  (1 Cor. 9:25-27)  Our imperishable prize is Eternity.  Are you and I prepared to win the game?

Ann LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre