the parable of the reed and the oak

Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus�

“The Parable of the Reed and the Oak”�By Dr. Richard Booker�

Modern scholars have greater access to documents and research developments�relating to first-century Judaism than at any other time in history. Many scholars, who�only a few years ago were trying to disprove the Bible, are now working together to�gain a better understanding of the ancient culture in which Jesus lived. Archaeological�finds have become so plentiful that some have hailed these times as the beginning of�a golden age of biblical archaeology.�

All of these discoveries have not only given us further proof of the veracity of the�Bible, but have given us a greater understanding of the period in which Jesus lived�out His life on the earth and further evidence of the Jewishness of His teaching. He�was Jewish and His teachings reflect His Jewishness.�

The church at Rome was admonished by Paul that the Christian faith was never�intended to be a repudiation of its Jewish roots, but rather, the engrafted Gentile�Church was actually a branch that grew out of these roots (Rom. 11:18). The essence�of these teachings is that without Judaism there would be no Christianity.�

Perhaps the most convincing evidence of the thorough-going Jewishness of Jesus is�His method of teaching. Over the past fifty years, studies of the Jewish nature of the�early Church have brought to light many new insights into the first century docu-�ments, especially concerning the idioms and Galilean teaching methods of Jesus. In�these articles we will study some of the more common idioms in the life of Jesus and�His disciples.�

One of the most powerful idioms was referred to as The Parable of the Reed and the�Oak. This concept is seen in Jesus reply to the Jewish crowd in Matthew 11:7,�concerning John the Baptizer. He Asks, "What did you go out into the wilderness to�see? A reed shaken with the wind?"�

There was a well-known parable during first-century Judaism. The Reed and the Oak�Tree was often used by teachers to illustrate an important truth regarding conviction�and commitment. Without an understanding of this parable it is difficult for us to�grasp the imagery behind this passage.�

According to the parable, a giant oak tree and a thin reed were both planted by the�river. Whenever a storm came, the deep roots of the oak kept it firmly established,�enabling it to withstand most winds. It could, however, be blown over by a wind of�sufficient strength. There was nothing wishy-washy or compromising about the oak.�The reed, on the other hand, would bend to the right or left, even with a slight�breeze.�

Blowing in the Wind�

The conclusion of the story was that the oak, because of its refusal to compromise,�could end upon losing its life in the storm, but the reed, though it might survive,�could only do so by continual bending. Jesus was clearly pointing to this familiar�Jewish story when He asked, "Did you expect John to be a reed blowing in the wind?"�In other words, Did you expect this prophet of God to be a weak-kneed compromis-�er? The Jews who heard this immediately understood what Jesus was saying and�asked no questions.�

The Priestly Family�

An interesting Jewish concept is seen after the resurrection of Jesus, when Peter and�John rushed to the empty grave. John 20:5 records that Peter went in immediately,�but John stooped down and waited. Was John stopping to catch his breath after the�dash to the tomb or was there more to the story?�

A Hesitating Priest�

The reason John hesitated was because he was from a family of priests, and�according to Jewish law, he would have been defiling himself had he entered a room�where there was a dead body. He waited to get the report from Peter who was not�from the priestly line.�

On another occasion John was permitted to enter the high priest's quarters while�Peter had to stay outside (John 18:15-16). In Acts 4:6 we are informed that John�was a kinsman of the high priest. We read, "And it came to pass, on the next day,�that their rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John�and Alexander, and as many were of the family of the high priest, were gathered�together at Jerusalem" (Acts 4:5-6).�

Unfortunately, because several individuals in the New Testament are named John,�the text is often unclear as to which person is being discussed. Although scholars are�

not certain which John accompanied Peter to the tomb of Jesus, there is general�agreement that it was this same John because of his actions.�

Personal Application�

As people in covenant with God, we should be firm in our convictions and commit-�ment to the rule of God in our lives. We should stand firm like the oak rather than�blowing with every wind of compromise. As priests of the most high God we should�be careful to live our lives in such a way that we do not touch death by our words�and deeds. We should be full of God's life in order to minister His power and mercy�to those around us.�

About Dr. Richard Booker�

Richard Booker, MBA, Ph.D., is an ordained Christian minister, President of Sounds of the�Trumpet, Inc., and the Founder/Director of the Institute for Hebraic-Christian Studies.�

He is the author of thirty books which are used by churches and Bible schools around the�world. He has also developed many seminars and Bible college level courses and writes regu-�larly for Christian magazines.�

Dr. Booker has traveled extensively for over thirty years teaching in churches and at confer-�ences on various aspects of the Christian life as well as Israel and the Hebraic roots of Christianity.�

Dr. Booker and his wife, Peggy, lead yearly tour groups to Israel where, for eighteen years, Dr. Booker was a�speaker at the International Christian Celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem attended by over�5,000 believers from 100 nations.�

Dr. Booker’s teachings are designed to help believers better understand the Bible and their covenant God. He�has a God-given ability to communicate the Scriptures in clear, easy-to-understand language with practical ap-�plication for everyday Christians that brings life out of the Bible and into people’s hearts.�

Dr. Booker and Peggy founded the Institute for Hebraic-Christian Studies (IHCS) in 1997 as a ministry to edu-�cate Christians in the Hebraic culture and background of the Bible, build relationships between Christians and�Jews, and give comfort and support to the people of Israel.�

Their tireless work on behalf of Christians and Jews has been recognized around the world as well as being rep-�resented at the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus.�Dr. Booker has a daily television program which can be seen on the internet at www.godslearningchannel.com�and around the world via satellite. He has produced over 350 programs.�

 Dr. Booker is a spiritual father to many believers around the world.�

Visit Dr. Richard Booker online:�www.drrichardbooker.com or www.rbooker.com�

Sounds of the Trumpet, Inc.�Institute for Hebraic-Christian Studies�

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