Reading 2

• Seven voices: Announcer, Yeshua, Reuben, Abigail, Abner, Hannah

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”
(Matt.5:9)

Announcer. Good morning and shalom, listeners to GAL Radio, transmitting once again from Beatitude Heights, overlooking the beautiful blue of Lake Gennesaret. We welcome again to the studio for his weekly talk-back the rabbi from Nazareth, Yeshua ben-Yosef. Over to you, Rabbi.

Yeshua ben-Yosef. And shalom from me, especially to any who are ill in body or spirit. May the healing energies within you, put there by the blessed One, do a good work and make you whole. Because it can affect our health, I want to pick up a topic we were talking about yesterday at the open-air meeting. If I didn’t get to speak with all of you, I’m sorry. It was hard to get around everyone.

Announcer. I was on duty here, Rabbi, so I couldn’t be there. Would you remind me what the subject was?

Yeshua ben-Yosef. Peace-making. Ah, it looks like we have our first caller. This is Reuben, calling from Jerusalem – the ‘city of peace’, no less! Good morning, Reuben.

Reuben from Jerusalem. Rabbi, I don’t normally get to hear you, but I was over your way yesterday on business. Late getting back here, and had to explain to a Roman sentry what I had been doing. It wasn’t the nicest experience. Those guys are only doing their job, I guess, but they’re a bit intimidating.

Yeshua ben-Yosef. Sure, Reuben. I know what you’re saying, and some of them who’ve been recruited in North Africa are big fellows, aren’t they. So, what’s your issue?

Reuben from Jerusalem. Like you say, Rabbi, they’re big – but they come on pretty strong, and make a man feel like he’s a nobody. Treated me like donkey droppings, he did.

Yeshua ben-Yosef. And that hurts, Reuben, doesn’t it. But there can never be peace in the world if we let stuff like that get to us. We have to try to get over it and move on. Resentment causes retaliation and retaliation causes counter-attack, and on it goes. Hang in there, pal. Blessings on you.

Reuben from Jerusalem. Thanks, Rabbi. I’ll try to do what you say.

Yeshua ben-Yosef. We have Abigail from Capernaum, down the road apiece. You calling from home, Abigail? Should I know you?

Abigail from Capernaum. I know you, Rabbi. I’ve heard you teaching in synagogue, and you may know me by sight. I heard you yesterday too, but there were just too many there for me to say ‘hello’ to you.

Yeshua ben-Yosef. So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call, Abigail?

Abigail from Capernaum. Rabbi, I heard what you said to Reuben, and I guess I would like to challenge you. I don’t think it’s easy to get over being hurt.

Yeshua ben-Yosef. Never said it was, Abigail. All I said was that it’s the cost of peace – but what’s worrying you?

Abigail from Capernaum. You won’t believe this, Rabbi – but there’s this girl who steals.

Yeshua ben-Yosef. Steals? What does she steal, Abigail?

Abigail from Capernaum. Sandals, Rabbi. She has taken my sandals.

Yeshua ben-Yosef. And now you’re barefoot?

Abigail from Capernaum. Not really. They were my old ones.

Yeshua ben-Yosef. Why did she take them, Abigail?

Abigail from Capernaum. She was barefoot, rabbi. She comes from a poor little village down the road, and her father has no work. Maybe she needed them? But she was stealing, and that’s against the law of Moses.

Yeshua ben-Yosef. Quite so, Abigail. But maybe there is a higher law in force here. If you can forgive this poor child, you will have made a very grateful friend, but if you report her, what is gained? Wouldn’t you agree with that?

Abigail from Capernaum. Yes, I do, Rabbi. I would sooner we stayed friends. Thank you, Rabbi.

Yeshua ben-Yosef. We’ve another call. This is Abner, from Bethlehem. Good morning and shalom, Abner. Did you have a question, or is it a comment?

Abner from Bethlehem. I fear you make it sound easy, Rabbi . . . all this forgiving stuff. There has to be a line drawn somewhere, doesn’t there? How many times do I have to forgive the one who does something bad to me?

Yeshua ben-Yosef. I’m not into the maths of magnanimity, Abner. Let me put it to you this way. Every time you or I hoard up some hurt that’s been done to us, we’re damaging ourselves. Resentment is a real killer when it gets a hold on you. I saw someone last week who was a prize hater. He was brought to me by the family because of this awful rash on his arms. I said “Who are you mad with?” He told me this gruesome story of someone he had been hating for years. I never know how this works, Abner, but I put my hands on him and said, “I’m freeing you from this demon hate.” He was back yesterday, rash all gone!

Abner from Bethlehem. Coincidence, Rabbi! Things don’t happen like that.

Yeshua ben-Yosef. I can’t explain it, Abner. But I stick with the point I made yesterday – that we actually hurt ourselves when we’re big on hating. It can rot your insides, man! Any way, thanks for calling. We’ve got Hannah on the line. Where are you calling from, Hannah?

Hannah from Magdala. Magdala, Rabbi.

Yeshua ben-Yosef. Uh, huh. I know someone from there. Very nice lady, too. What prompts your call, Hannah?

Hannah from Magdala. Rabbi, it seems to me that you’re making a clear connection between making peace and forgiving – or getting over hurt. Is that what you’re saying?

Yeshua ben-Yosef. Well, more or less. See, if we can’t get over some wrong done to us, we’re always looking for a way to get back at whoever did the wrong. So, the relationship is broken. You may not believe this, Hannah, but I believe that our Father in Heaven is wonderfully able to get over the wrong that we do to him. We hurt him so badly, and so much, but he forgives – and that’s really another way of saying that he gets over it. Do you follow me?

Hannah from Magdala. That sounds lovely, Rabbi. Do you really think our Father in Heaven is good at getting over hurts?

Yeshua ben-Yosef. I think he must be, Hannah. After all, we must often hurt our Father in Heaven . . . but we’re still here. He wants us to be friends, and I think that’s what he wants for us, with each other. That’s why I say “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Announcer. Sorry about this, Rabbi. We’re getting the dreaded wind-up signal from the control room. Not the heavenly control room. (laughs) Just the control room here. More next week, listeners. Tune in again for Torah Talkback.