As important as understanding Jesus in his original context is, modern Christians have a number of hurdles to overcome to do so. For example, Sabbath observance, sacred calendar issues, and ritual purity were of highest importance to Jesus’ generation, but are simply not on the radar screen of the average follower of Jesus today.
In addition to this, another hurdle is the accepted view that Jesus was a radical iconoclast — breaking rules, shattering norms, and rewriting laws and customs that had been in place for centuries. Because of what we have often read and heard, we typically think of the Master as taking on longstanding institutions such as Sabbath observance and ritual purity. We picture Him as regularly setting aside the Law of Moses and established Jewish tradition in favor of a “new” way of life that focuses on more nebulous, broader philosophical concepts like “love” and “mercy.”
This article was originally published with AG NEWS. “JESUS ON (RITUAL) PURITY” AG NEWS, April 25, 2018. https://news.ag.org/features/jesus-on-ritual-purity
