Mel  Gibson’s movie, The Passion, depicting the life of the Messiah,   sparked irate controversies as to whether it was anti-Semitic in nature. Gibson used “artistic license” to reinterpret many scenes from the Gospels, thus stirring resentment in those who guard the literal interpretation of these events as sacred. The use of artistic license though, does not always  spark high criticisms.  William Shakespeare’s historical  plays, for example, use artistic license and grossly distort the historical facts of the times, but because of their highly esteemed literary value, they have been hailed as great works throughout the centuries.

HOW MUCH HAS THIS LICENSE COST US?

When it comes to Bible translation, we cannot afford the liberties that such a license promotes. The Word of God is inerrant, divinely inspired and meant to be understood and interpreted according to the specific chosen Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek words found in its texts. We have paid a high price because of those who have used this license to interpret the Scriptures in an allegorical (non-literal) fashion. Consequently, we find ourselves struggling to decide such things as when the Messiah will return, if indeed He will return at all to the earth, or when the Rapture will occur, if indeed it will occur at all. Another area of doctrine adversely affected by allegory is Israel’s position in and outside the Body of Messiah. Is she still chosen or has she been replaced? To whom do God’s covenantal blessings of the Old Testament belong, and is there any future for national Israel?

How patient should we be? To what extent is godly patience practiced? How many chances should we give to someone who knowingly has bad intentions and wants to harm us? Very often, we act hastily at the first hint of an offense, and we are quick to condemn. Is our patience contained in a shallow vase that needs only a few drops more to overflowing which then pulls the trigger of condemnation? To bring truth even closer to the surface, we need to question the extent to which partiality plays in our rush to rebuke one and not the other. Our quick sentencing of others shows that we are not much better than they are.

What then, should we do when we are confronted with an abuse that makes our hair stand? We turn to the Word of God to find both answer and example; the example of perfect patience, one that is without partiality. This divine attribute is fully developed and exposed in the life of Messiah Yeshua. Our Messiah was  in  fact,  confronted  face  to  face  with  such  an  individual  –  an  individual  who    followed  Him throughout all His ministry, perpetrating a crime that would be remembered as one of the worst ones in the annals of  human history. The offender in question here is Judas Iscariot, who sells the Son of God for what was at the time, the price of a dead slave; 30 pieces of silver.

The sanctified signature of the Creator surfaced once again with His autograph of love, a relentless appeal for all men to come to salvation.  And this call persists, despite the mistreatments and insults on the person of the Messiah. Oxymoronically, Yeshua’s attempts to bring those  to a  saving knowledge increased as His  own suffering increased. As Yeshua was dying on the cross a series of miracles occurred in the city of Jerusalem. Even at the time of His greatest suffering and in death itself, His pursuit and purpose did not lose foresight, and these signs at the crucifixion prove it.