Jesus, the Jubilee, and Prozbul: Understanding the Financial World of the New Testament and Why the Savior Clashed with the Pharisees

This post examines why Jesus often disagreed with the Pharisees - specifically on financial issues, such as debt forgiveness. Here we discover the Prozbul clause which was one of the main points of contention between the Savior and the religious leaders of the day. This clause defied biblical law about the the seventh year and Jubilee cycle and undermined God's social welfare programs. It completely altered the financial workings of the New Testament world, making it easy for the rich to prey on the poor. Learning about this clause will help us to understand the context of the Messiah's words throughout the Gospels. 

In Jesus's first sermon, recorded in Luke 4:16-20, he quoted Isaiah 61 announcing the Jubilee year. While Christians today read that as an innocuous declaration of how great things are with the Messiah on the scene, many of the religious leaders and powerful financiers of that time found that reference to be offensive and even threatening.

If you read through the Gospels, it doesn't take long to see that the Jesus and the Pharisees didn't see eye to eye and often clashed on issues of the day. But it's not always clear to us why that was. A lot of people believe that Jesus was more about the 'spirit' of things and religious leaders were often obsessed with the 'letter of the law,' but there's more to these standoffs than the Savior thinking these guys were annoyingly focused on small details.

Something to keep in mind about the Pharisee movement at the time of the Gospels was that it had been strongly influenced by a man named Hillel. Also known as Hillel the Elder, he is remembered for playing a leading part in developing and recording the Mishnah and Talmud - two books on Jewish oral law and tradition. While these writings offer invaluable historic and cultural insight, it's important to recognize that these are considered different than Scripture. Hillel lived until the year 10CE, so his teachings and ideas were very much still present and influential in the days of the Messiah.

Hillel's most famous influential act was his endorsement of what is known as the Prozbul clause. 

What that clause did was create loans that were not eligible for forgiveness during the Jubilee, or Shmita years - something that is in direct contrast to biblical law. Deuteronomy 15:1 tells us that every seventh year we must cancel the debts of anyone that owes us money. (Jesus's prayer "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors," was not a parable.) The Prozbul clause disregarded this law, making debts lifelong and making it nearly impossible for anyone in debt to get free of that.

The Prozbul clause was an absolute economic bombshell in the New Testament world! It touched every aspect of life. It made the poor poorer and created substantial opportunities for the well-off to exploit those of lesser means. Most of us are familiar with the burden of debts that follow you throughout your life. Imagine going from a world where every seven years those debts were erased to suddenly being weighed down with them - in many cases by religious leaders. It also created a precedent for setting aside God's laws in favor of what men decide is more expedient.

There are many arguments made that the Prozbul clause was not created to stoke greed and let the wealthy gain more control of regular people, but rather it was intended to ensure that the poor would always find a willing lender to provide them with lifesaving loans so they could buy food for their families. The logic being that lenders would not be incentivized to give money if they didn't think it would be repaid before the seventh year. It could very well be that Hillel was well-intended when he made this clause, but of course this suggests that lenders were acting in ways that directly contradict Scriptures such as Leviticus 25:37 that says no one should lend money to the poor at interest or sell them food at a profit. 

Jesus comments on this issue directly in Luke 6:35 when he says to lend without expecting to repaid. His words are literally the opposite of Hillel's Prozbul clause. 

Note that this idea was not new to Jesus, and that the forgiveness of debts is at the core of biblical law. Scripture is filled with protections for the poor and those in debt...protections that benefited not just individual debtors but the economic and spiritual health of society. One of the main criticisms of kings of Israel and Judah had to do with them letting oligarchies control the land, and we see Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and Micah denounce kings for refusing to protect the poor from creditors. Jeremiah and Ezekiel in particular were major advocates of debt forgiveness, because they recognized forfeitures of land and personal liberty were violations of the Jubilee covenant that YHWH created.

The New Testament world was filled with men ignoring and breaking that covenant. Unethical money lenders were entrapping the people in debt, in direct opposition to God's directives. This was offensive to the Savior who placed so much importance on the Passover story and remembering how God redeemed his people from bondage. Of course he would have been angry with religious leaders for working to ensnare his people in debt! 

When we realize much of the Old Testament has to do with the conflict between debtors and creditors, it only makes sense that this issue would continue to come up in the Messiah's day. This is why Jesus was angry with the money lenders in the Temple, why he encouraged people to sell their possessions and give to the poor, why he told parables about debt relief (Matthew 18:21), why he believed it was hard for a rich man to enter God's kingdom (Matthew 19:23), why he was against wage labor (Matthew 20), and why he did not believe YHWH and money could be served simultaneously. 

This means the Savior didn't think the Pharisees were too focused on God's laws - he was angry that they disregarded them. Understanding the Prozbul clause is a key to seeing the words of Jesus as he truly meant them.

Related posts:
How Did John the Baptist Prepare the Way for Jesus?
What Jesus Meant by the Poor Will Always Be With You
What the Laws and Rulings of Ezekiel 25 Mean

The Forgotten Lesson of Rhoda in Acts 12

This post takes a look at the life of Rhoda, a servant girl in the house of Mary, mother of John Mark, as glimpsed in Acts 12:13-16. Though the mention of her going to the door when Peter knocked after a divine prison breakout is brief, we have a significant lesson to learn from this woman of faith.

Who is Rhoda in the Bible?

We are told that Rhoda is a female servant, likely a young one, in the home of Mary. While Scripture doesn't overtly say she was a follower of the Messiah, we have reason to believe that she was based on her actions in this story. We also know that she was able to recognize Peter's voice, which meant she was in the thick of the action of the early church and had heard people preach and discuss the Gospel. The story we have of her takes place during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, where she was working in a home that was hosting gatherings of believers.

Rhoda comes up in Acts 12:13-16 and is usually treated like an amusing anecdote. 

This passage of Scripture immediately follows the miraculous escape from prison that Peter had after he was awoken by an angel who distracted the guards, released his chains, walked past soldiers and through a gate that opened by itself. It was such a dramatic scene that Peter didn't think it was actually happening. He presumed it to be a vision or dream according to Acts 12:9. Once the angel mysteriously disappeared and Peter found himself outside the city did he realize it was a divine rescue-mission so he could avoid whatever Herod and the religious leaders planned to do to him at his trial the next day. It's such a wild and exciting part of the Bible that it's easy to gloss over the next detail.

Peter decided to head to the house of a woman named Mary. She was the mother John Mark, who wrote the gospel of Mark. She had apparently been using her home as some sort of base or gathering place for the Disciples and followers of the Messiah. Peter knew he would be welcomed and sheltered there, and that he could reconnect with other believers. Sure enough, many of Jesus's followers had come together there to pray, despite the late hour. 

Peter knocked on the gate, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. When she heard Peter's voice, she was too excited to open the gate. She ran back into the house and said Peter was standing there. "You are crazy!" everyone told her. But she kept saying it was Peter. -Acts 12:13-15

In the past, I have consistently heard this story told in a way that highlights the shock of the disciples, in order to emphasize just how impossible this prison breakout was. It only happened because of divine intervention. It was so unlikely that Rhoda's joy at the surprise of Peter's presence was so encompassing that she was too excited to open the gate. 

But what's really noteworthy here isn't just the joy at Peter's safe return. Rhoda usually gets treated by pastors like she's fan-girling over Peter and is such an airhead that she doesn't even think to let him in. But she doesn't forget to let him in, she can't let him in. This isn't a matter of opening an unlocked screen door. Believers at this point are facing heavy persecution. Peter is in prison. James has already been killed. It seems likely that they are taking security precautions, especially given that it's the middle of the night during a Biblical holiday. The gate would have been large and heavy. It would have been tricky and cumbersome to open under the best circumstances, but the joy and surprise Rhoda experienced kept her from being able to open up the gate for him. 

What stands out is that no one listened to her. No one took her at her word that Peter was there. No one offered to help her open the gate so they could check. They came up with elaborate explanations about what she had heard. They actually insisted to her that she was crazy!

But she kept saying it was Peter!

This isn't the first time that the Bible tells a story about a woman who is not believed. The same thing happens to Mary Magdalene when she follows the instruction of Jesus to go and tell his brothers what he's said to her.

It's interesting that the Bible records this happening. More than once. We have a lesson to learn here, and it's a simple one: it's okay to believe women and it's okay to hear them talk about the Gospel.

Scripture literally puts this detail in: a woman knew the truth, a woman shared the truth, and she wasn't believed.

Many women continue to be treated this way today. Having their words, devotionals, teachings, and insights be disregarded and then being verbally abused for talking about truth. The inclusion of this detail of Rhoda's life highlights that not believing women has backfired on people and the church in general. Her story reminds these women to keep saying it. 

Rhoda's story teaches us that we can keep speaking the truth of Scripture even when we don't have the support of the people around us. We see from her story that all of God's children deserve to be treated with respect and care, regardless of their gender, societal rank, or socioeconomic status. 

Before calling someone crazy, go check the gate.

More posts about women in Scripture:
The Significance of Sarah in the Bible
Who Was Phoebe in Romans 16?
What the Mary and Martha Story Actually Means

The Poor Will Always Be With You - What Jesus Meant (Matthew 25:11)

Here we take a closer look at the words of Jesus when he said that the poor would always be with us in Matthew 26:11. We will see that Jesus was not showing a callous disregard for those who lacked financial and physical provision and he certainly didn't ignore the many parts of Scripture that call for the poor to be cared for. We will see that his words come from the book of Deuteronomy and take a look at what that means for our understanding of this passage. We will also learn a handy tip for studying the Bible!

In Matthew 26:11, Jesus defended the choice of a woman to anoint him with a very expensive oil, even though the cost of the oil could have done much to help the poor. The words he chose were, "The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me."

This verse has been really misapplied and it's caused many believers to think that any sort of anti-poverty initiatives are just a waste of time, because Jesus said there would always be poor people, so there's just no fixing that. Many people use that as their reason for not giving more or not paying their employees better, or for not advocating for government and workplace policies that would help alleviate poverty. I mean, it can't be fixed...Jesus said so, right?

But viewing the Messiah's statement this way means it doesn't fit with what the rest of what the Bible says.

Blessed is he who is generous to the poor. -Proverbs 14:21

Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but who is generous to the needy honors him. -Proverbs 14:31

Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, he himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." -Acts 20:35

From this handful of verses alone, it would make absolutely no sense that the Messiah would suddenly go against these Biblical tenets, and say to ignore the poor.

So why did Jesus make this statement?

He is referencing a Bible verse! It's not so much that he's making a blanket statement about the poor, and he's certainly not rolling his eyes to say, 'there will always be poor people, so who cares?' By saying "the poor will always be with you," he's agreeing with the disciples, that yes, the poor should be taken care of.

When he spoke he was referencing this verse from Deuteronomy.

"There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to open wide your hand to your brother, to the poor and the needy." -Deuteronomy 15:11

In his culture the disciples and many of the people he was around would have been very familiar with Scripture. Several times Jesus brings up a phrase from the Scripture but does not complete it. Not because he's cherry picking to make a point, but because those around him would have immediately understood what he was talking about.

This is similar to phrases we hear today such as, "We the people." Most of us don't need that phrase to be completed to know that is a reference to the US Declaration of Independence, and have at least some idea of the historic and symbolic significance of that. 

When his audience heard him briefly reference the Bible it immediately brought to mind the entire passage of that verse and what it stood for, as well as the cultural and personal customs they had around this. Jesus validated their work in giving.

So rather than disregarding the needs of the poor, Jesus is actually reminding us that we should be helping them! In fact, when you look at the rest of that verse, it says "Open your hand wide to the poor." I think part of the point is that I am called to be generous, even if those around me are not or if I think someone should be spending their money differently.

The Messiah believed in caring for the poor. 

This is a great Bible study tool in general. When you see a quote from elsewhere in Scripture, take a moment and flip to that verse and see the rest of what it says because the authors of the Bible knew! 

Related posts:

Misconceptions about the Bible
How John the Baptist Prepared the Way for Jesus
Fifty Ways to Love Your Neighbor

Passover: The Meal that Tells the Gospel Story

This post highlights the deep symbolism and rich meaning of the foods in the Passover meal. When Jesus needed to let his Disciples know the meaning of his fast approaching death, he didn't give them a sermon or write them a book. He gave them a meal. And this meal tells the Gospel story. If you've ever wondered about the foods of the last supper or why the Savior compared himself to a certain kind of bread, this post is for you!

Where do we see the Passover meal in Scripture?

The first so named Passover meal that appears in the Bible happens in the book of Exodus, just before the Israelites are suddenly, finally expelled from slavery in Egypt.

"That same night they are to eat the meat of the lamb roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast." -Exodus 12:8 

Roasted lamb. Bitter herbs. Unleavened bread.

What are the significance of these foods?

The roasted lamb was slain and it's blood painted around the doors of the homes of God's people, which kept them safe from death.

The bread was unleavened which means it was not naturally fermented like sourdough bread or raised with a leavening agent like yeast or baking soda. The bread would have been flat or close to it. The reason for this was that things changed so quickly for the Israelites that they did not have time to prepare their bread in the normal way. This reminds us that God provides, even if it's not exactly in the way we expect.

What about the herbs? The reason for the bitter herbs is not expressly stated in Scripture and the Bible also uses a fairly vague word for them so we don't know exactly what vegetable or herbs may have accompanied the first Passover meal. I believe that highlights YHWH's intention to be inclusive to all people around the world, since there are many vegetables that could be described as bitter. It also shows that God provides for us since many of these herbs are wild or perennial.

Scripture calls us to "eat to remember all the days of your life" when God quickly lead his people out of slavery. By eating these foods and taking part in this meal, we remember the miracles and how the Living God came through for his people.

These foods speak of God's promises! 

Jesus and the last supper:

Many, many years after the first Passover meal, the Savior gathered his followers for a meal the night of his arrest.

Most scholars believe this was a Passover meal. And it seems obvious that it would be. Here Jesus is connecting this meal to the Exodus. It's not a coincidence that the Messiah died on the very same day that God's people were freed from slavery. God planned this.

We have reason to believe the menu was similar to the original. This was practical, of course. Jerusalem bakeries wouldn't have been selling leavened bread at this time of year, and bitter herbs and greens are abundant in the springtime. But that wasn't the only reason. This would have been an important custom to the Disciples, to follow Scripture's instructions for this meal. Eating the same meal or at least a similar one is a way to connect to the original event.

N.T. Wright points out that, "when Jesus wanted to explain to his followers what his forthcoming death was all about, he did not give them a theory, a model, a metaphor, or any other such thing; he gave them a meal, a Passover meal." 

Of course, when Jesus serves this meal, the climax isn't on the roasted lamb. The New Testament insists that Jesus is the worthy lamb who was slain, and his connection to the Passover lamb whose blood stopped the angel of death is not one to be missed.

The bread and wine were the highlight of the last supper. Jesus literally likens them to himself.  

Why would the Messiah opt for a Passover meal in his final moments with his Disciples? Because that was the context he saw his death in.

Jesus did not face the cross and look at it like he was getting punished instead of us because God had set an impossible standard for humans to live up to and was angry when we didn't.

Jesus looked at his death the way he looked at the Exodus story. God's people were enslaved and they needed to be freed so that they would be free to worship him and to bear his image while representing his truth to the world. 

The foods he served indicated this. The roasted lamb stood for the Messiah and how his blood would stop other powers from controlling our lives, something that Jesus also chose to highlight when he served wine and called it his blood. The bread of life wasn't just provision, it was also broken for our benefit. The green herbs speak of new beginnings and that God provides for us, even amidst bitterness.  

The foods of the Passover meal speak of God's promises and when we take part in these meal we remember that we are not enslaved, but set free of by the Messiah so that we can worship him and show his love and truth to the people around us.

Related posts: 

The Spiritual Meaning of Unleavened Bread
What are the Differences Between Passover and Easter?
What Scripture Says about Passover