The Jesus I never knew

Philiip Yancey

"Martin Buber said, "We Jews know [Jesus] in a way -- in the impulses and emotions of his essential Jewishness -- that remains inaccessible to the Gentiles subject to him."  He is right, of course.  To know Jesus story I must, in the same way I get to know anyone else's story, learn something of his culture, family and background."

Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew , pages 28-29.

The corollary to this, is that unless you know something about Jesus' culture, family and background then you will struggle to understand what he is trying to say.

He was a Jew, speaking to other Jews, in their language, using figures of speech, idioms and humor familiar to them. 

If you don't know anything about what is was to be a first century Jew, then I venture to say, you won't understand what he is trying to say at all, however much you think you do.

Torah Portions for children (8+)

Last year I shared some resources we used for teaching Torah to our children. Now they are another year older and I felt the two older ones (now aged 8 & 10) were ready to read the Parasha for themselves. Unfortunately reading the passages using a "grown up" bible would be too verbose for them.  Fortunately Nanny Reuben has kindly paraphrased the Torah portions for intermediate readers. Click the above screenshot to find her website where the Torah portion pdf files may be downloaded.