“The Enemy Within” Erev Yom Kippur

0:00 I'd like to invite Rabbi Sean to come and give us a message this evening for Yom Kippur. May our father in heaven. Lord, I thank you for Rabbi Sean. I thank you for his preparation and his dedication to serve you. Lord, I pray that you would open up our ears, that we can hear from you through his lips today. We bless you in Yeshua's name. Amen. Amen. Thank you Rabbi Ari. Thank you Ensemble Hare. I will be in Matthew chapter 25 this evening. If you have your Bibles and wish to turn there.

0:53 It was June 17th, 1994 and I was 11 years old. Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks were taking on Hakeem the Dream, Elijah One and the Houston Rockets. The series was tied at two games a piece. I was at home with my parents watching the game in the living room. It was the NBA finals. It was a physical game as both teams played with passion and fights would occasionally break out as these teams battled. The Knicks had the lead in the second quarter as the game was interrupted by another event that would become far more impactful in American culture.

1:38 OJ Simpson was a cultural icon. He had won the Heisman Trophy as a senior at USC. He was the first NFL running back to Rush for more than 2000 yards in a season. He went to the Pro Bowl five years in a row. One season he averaged 143 yards per game as a play on his initials. OJ had the nickname The Juice when he would outrun all the players on the field. The common expression was the juice is loose. After retiring in 1979, he was a prominent actor in film and television. He became a commentator during football games with his nice leather gloves.

2:25 He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 on the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. Although I had not witnessed O J's illustrious football career by the time I was a kid, OJ was a cultural icon, a celebrity. His status was so great that during the biggest basketball game of the year, the networks repeatedly stopped broadcasting the NBA finals in order to watch a slow speed chase in a white Bronco in which OJ was a passenger waiting to visit his mother and threatening to kill himself. Legend has it that that Bronco was driving slowly so that OJ could listen to the end

3:10 of the Knicks game on the radio. Although the Knicks won game five, they would lose the series. Furthermore, OJ would go go on to trial for the murders of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The courts would not reach a verdict until October 3rd, 1995. What this means for those of you who weren't around during that time is that for a year and a half and even longer, as the case continued to be debated, the OJ Simpson trial dominated national news. It did not matter if you were a sports fan. The OJ Simpson trial dominated the airwaves. It seemed like it was the national focus all day, every day

3:59 for a year and a half. That is a massive cultural event. 95 million people watched the police chase on live television. 67% of American households tuned in. It was the highest rated program of the year, and Domino's Pizza had its biggest day ever as Americans didn't want to leave their TVs to prepare dinner. Why? You may be asking on the holiest night of the year, am I bringing up a cultural event from 30 years ago? Here's why. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement is a time where we consider our conduct. It is a time where we reflect

4:46 upon our transgressions before the Lord. It is a day of fasting and afflicting ourselves at the conclusion of the 10 days of awe. It is a time that represents the final judgment before the Lord when the books are sealed and we hope for our names to be inscribed in the book of life. I am grateful to have not spent much time before a judge in court. If you have had this kind of experience, you know that it often comes at a cost. Apart from the lawyer fees, we can be judged for our actions. People can be imprisoned or even sentenced to death.

5:32 Standing before the judge is a weighty matter. For approximately a year, the OJ Simpson trial dominated the airwaves. Its impact was felt far beyond that year. However, for that year and a half or so at the impressionable age of 11, through the modern marvels of television technology, I was transported into a courtroom with dynamic personalities such as Alan Dershowitz, Robert Kardashian, and Johnny Cochran. Why watch Law and Order when you can see the real thing instead, perhaps you remember Johnny Cochran's famous line, if the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit

6:20 and Johnny's strategy won the case more than any other time in my life. During that season, I became aware of courtroom proceedings. I learned about prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, and juries. I learned how justice could be carried out or subverted. I learned the power that celebrities hold in the American mindset. Yet here on aero Yom Kippur, I'd like to guide us to a passage that speaks about righteous judgment, not based upon fame or celebrity, but rather how we conduct ourselves in regard to the Messiah Yeshua. In our private and personal lives, we will look at a passage

7:08 that causes us to consider that Yeshua will judge our lives. The title of my message is The Enemy Within. I would like to ask three questions in regard to this passage. Where will you stand when the son of man judges your life? Will you stand with the with the righteous or will you stand with the wicked? We will be reading from Matthew 25 verses 31 through 46. I will be using the Tree of Life version of the of the Bible, and my outline can be found on the you version app. Matthew 25 verses 31 through 33, read as follows.

7:56 Now, when the son of man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate them one from another just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats and he will put the sheep on his right, but the goats on his left. Where will you stand when the son of man judges your life? First, a note about the term son of man. In one sense, as the term is used elsewhere, such as in the book of Ezekiel, the term son of man

8:42 can simply mean human. However, Yeshua's use of the term son of man reflects a higher meaning of the term. In Daniel seven, a son of man is given dominion that will never pass away and a kingdom that will not be destroyed. As noted by Daniel Boyan, the Jewish scholar, the references to Yeshua as the son of God denote his humanity while the references to Yeshua as the son of man devote his divinity. Here we have a picture of Yeshua returning in power with heavenly beings taking his rightful place upon the throne of judgment. I'd like to discuss hermeneutics for a moment.

9:30 A hermeneutic is a method or theory of interpretation. You have your own hermeneutical lens, even if you are not aware of it. There are several ways to look at a passage. For instance, one hermeneutical lens is to view this parable as judgment of the nations not including Israel. Some would say that Matthew 24 deals exclusively with the judgment of Israel and that Matthew 25 deals exclusively with the judgment of the nations. An argument can be made for this case and I am not here to refute it. However, this is not the only lens that can be applied to this passage. After all, our father Abraham was promised

10:18 that God would make his descendants a great nation. In one sense, we have Israel and the nations, and in another sense we have the nation of Israel. In other words, the parable of the sheep and the goats that we are considering today is a cautionary tale. Yeshua is causing the reader to consider whether they themselves are sheep or goats. Personally, it does not seem wise to assume that this warning does not apply to me as a messianic Jew. I would rather be safe than sorry. Matthew chapter 20. Matthew chapters 24 through 25 make it clear that judgment comes to all people.

11:05 So when Yeshua gives a parable a warning about our conduct, I think it is best to take it to heart and not assume that it concerns someone else. Additionally, Yeshua tells this parable to his aladin, 12 Jewish followers. Even if you study the lives of the apostles, you'll see a separation between the sheep and the goat. Furthermore, Yeshua sends his talde into the nations. All this to say, when I read a passage about Yeshua judging the nations, I think it is wise for both Jews and Gentiles to take it to heart. Even if we don't know exactly how it will play out in the future, it is important

11:52 to remember that we are reading a parable. We can get hung up on the details of the parable. Yeshua is not giving a historical account of an event. The point of a parable is to understand the moral or the spiritual lesson. Sometimes it may not have to do with the thing that it is referring to. For instance, one might assume from this parable that Yeshua loves sheep and hates goats. This is not the point. It is normal for a shepherd to separate sheep from goats among other reasons, goats can become rambunctious and have different grazing habits.

12:38 If you have kept sheep or goats, I'm sure you could tell me the strengths and weaknesses of each animal. Yet this would also be missing the point of the parable. Yeshua used shepherding analogies many times including teaching that his sheep knew his voice. You know, I'm personally offended by the way that goats are depicted in this passage. I actually prefer goats to sheep. I love goat More specifically, I love on a brisk fall evening to roast seasoned goat meat on the fire. I suppose that's different than loving goat, huh? Perhaps goats wouldn't be so happy about this.

13:24 Maybe Yeshua was also craving some goat meat when he shared this parable. Kidding aside, pardon the pun, the hearers would understand that Yeshua was not talking about judging animals. He was referring to the son of man on his throne judging people. Or I suppose if you wanna change the hermeneutical lens, once again, you could say that he was judging nations as sheep or goats depending upon their treatment of Israel. You might also change the lens once again and consider that this is about how others treat Yeshua's Jewish followers. Yet as we consider this text on a Yom Kippur,

14:12 I encourage each of us to take this judgment personally and apply it to ourselves rather than scapegoating it upon others. So I return to the question, where will you stand when the Son of man judges your life? Matthew 25 verses 34 through 40 read as follows. Then the king will say to those on his right, come you who are blessed by my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.

14:58 I was a stranger and you invited me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you something to drink? And when did we see you a stranger and invite you in or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you and answering. The king will say to them, amen. I tell you whatever you did to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. Will you stand with the righteous?

15:43 Of course, if we are somehow stuck in a literal interpretation of this passage, the metaphor will break down. Although sheep can feed the hungry and clothe the naked, I haven't witnessed sheep doing hospital or prison visitation. Rather, the hero would quickly understand that Yeshua was not speaking literally about sheep, but rather comparing sheep with those who obey the voice of the master. We may be reminded of the proverb that says, one who is kind to the poor lends to otai and otai will reward them for their good deed. So perhaps the moral of the story, the point of the parable is that we should be engaged in doing mitzvah.

16:30 We should do good deeds for others, especially for those who need it. Most charities, soup kitchens, prison and hospital ministries have been established based upon this passage and that is a wonderful thing. However, I would like to poke at this hermeneutic just a bit more. Suppose you read this parable and come to the conclusion that you ought to be more hospitable. Is that a good conclusion? Yes. Is it an ethical conclusion? Most certainly. Is it the point of the parable? Not completely Allow me to explain. I imagine that if you have been a a follower of Yeshua

17:15 for any length of time you have engaged in some or all of these kinds of activities, if you have experienced the love of the Lord, it is natural to want to share what you have with others. However, if your final conclusion from this passage only concerns the treatment of those in need, I think that you have missed the greater point. Let me illustrate this in a different way. When my family was planting a messianic community in California prior to us coming here to Baruch Hashem, we ran into a dilemma in our service. While we felt called to minister to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and saw a few stragglers along the way,

18:01 we had more encounters with those in need, particularly the homeless population. While I am grateful to have been able to have shelter for my entire life up to this point, if I did find myself homeless, California would be the place to be. The weather is generally nice year round and there are lots of social services. However, as a young congregational leader with few resources myself, I was overwhelmed by the demand and could not satisfy the needs of those around me. My family would prepare food for our small community, but could not manage the demand of those that would show up. There was even a homeless shelter across the street,

18:48 but when people heard that our food was better, they would come to us instead. It was a bit confounding for me because even though it wasn't a thing that we felt called to do, I couldn't deny that it was a mitzvah and I felt a great deal of guilt in turning people away once while I was at a conference. During this period of time, an older leader admonished me that we would never fulfill our mission if we were sidetracked by the needs of the community which we could not fulfill, such as homelessness and drug addiction. So you may be asking, what am I suggesting on this era of Yom Kippur that we cease from hospitality? Heaven forbid what I am saying

19:35 is if we only draw the importance of hospitality from this passage, we have not drawn enough. If the final conclusion was taking care of the needy, it would lead us to a false sense of security. As I said, I imagine that all of you have been hospitable to those in need as followers of Yeshua, but have you been hospitable to every need around you? We are here in Dallas. Imagine if on your way home tonight you find someone asking for money and you oblige, ah, you are a sheep and you will inherit the kingdom. What if you get to the next corner and you don't give?

20:21 Do you now become a goat? I'm being a bit extreme. For the sake of making a point, none of us can respond to all the needs around us. Even Yeshua in his earthly ministry didn't solve every ailment around him. Though he ministered to myriads of people. So good deeds are wonderful. If we are followers of Yeshua, we should be growing in kindness and generosity. However, we will quickly burn ourselves out if we think that we must respond to every need around us. Furthermore, there are many who will line up to take advantage of your kindness should your generosity become known.

21:07 Although there is surely a place for Jewish guilt in this passage, and we are known as followers of Yeshua by our love, there is also a place for discernment, choice and personal boundaries that the Lord has given us that we would be foolish to abandon. So how do we know whether we stand with the righteous? Let's read on in the passage as we continue to ponder this question. Matthew 25 verses 41 through 46, read as follows. Then he will say also to those on the left, go away from me. You cursed once into the everlasting fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.

21:54 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in naked and you did not clothe me sick and in prison and you did not visit me. Then they too will answer saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not care for you? Then he will answer them saying, amen. I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. These shall go off to everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life. Will you stand with the wicked?

22:40 In a comedy skit, a Christian prayer group gathers to seek the Lord concerning care for the needy in their community. Amazingly, God responds with an audible voice informing them that he will now answer their prayer with precise instructions. The entire group gets down on their knees eager to receive guidance from the most high. The Lord responds, I want you to sell all of your earthly possessions immediately and give the proceeds to the poor. All of our possessions, they ask yes, everything. The Lord clarifies, panicked.

23:26 The prayer group glares at one another before one of the member shouts. The house is haunted and they all sprint for the exit. This comedy skit shows the challenge that comes with following Yeshua. He walked in perfection, and when we seek to follow him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we quickly run into our own limitations, selfishness and hypocrisy. We learn that our mitz vote don't add up before him. We learn that we may not have what it takes to walk with Yeshua. While I don't think that this passage is all about guilt, there is certainly an element of it and this Yom Kippur, let's take it to heart.

24:13 If there is ever a time where we should lament fast and afflict ourselves before the Lord, knowing before whom we stand and realizing that our deeds have come short, it is Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur especially is the time where we seek to humble ourselves and align ourselves with the Lord, recognizing that our goodness is like filthy rags before the Lord. He alone is holy. However, this era of Yom Kippur, I want to encourage you. Although the temple no longer stands in Jerusalem and Yeshua prophesied its downfall, he pointed to a greater sacrifice at that time.

25:00 Even his disciples didn't understand what he was saying if his disciples didn't fully understand. Just imagine everyone else. Yeshua represents quite a bit in this parable. He is the son of man, the divine figure who would be given dominion above all people and all nations, he is the shepherd who separates the sheep from the goats. He is the king who invites his people to inherit the kingdom. He is the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. He is the judge who sentences the wicked to eternal punishment. How do we wrap our hearts and minds around a passage like this?

25:46 As I said, there are different hermeneutical lenses that we can place on a passage. Some may say that this doesn't apply to Israel at all, only to the Gentiles. Others may say this only applies to nations and how they relate to Israel. I want to offer you an alternative lens, acknowledging that this is not the only lens that can be used. It is like going to the eye doctor when they try different lenses and say one or two. Sometimes I can hardly tell the difference myself. However, some lenses make things a bit clearer for me, so I will share my interpretive lens that I am using to understand this passage, especially in relation to Yom Kippur where we find ourselves tonight.

26:34 Although I believe that charity and kindness is essential for displaying Yeshua's love, I do not think that human kindness and charity alone can ultimately atone for our sin and reconcile us to the Lord. Just like in temple times, God requires a sacrifice. I admit that this can be difficult to understand in human terms. Yet just like the parable where Yeshua plays different roles in terms of atonement, Yeshua serves both as our high priest reconciling us to the Father as well as the offering without blemish, the only one whose record stands without fault and the only one who can afford the high price of the sacrifice that was paid on our behalf.

27:23 Even if we follow the logic of this parable, it does not end with our treatment of those in need. Rather, our treatment of those in need points to our treatment of Yeshua. Ultimately, the underlying principle, the lesson or moral of the story concerns our treatment of Yeshua. So it begs the question, what is your relationship to Yeshua? Do you respond to his word? Do you respond to his voice? Do you respond to his call? In what ways do you demonstrate gratitude and thankfulness to the one who paid the price for you to be reconciled to the Lord?

28:11 Now, while I believe that this passage asks us to consider our relationship to Yeshua, it does it in a peculiar way. Even though Yeshua is personified as a king and judge in the parable, he's simultaneously depicted as humble and needy. This paradox is also reflected in the lowly fashion in which he came to earth and suffered even to the point of being punished, tortured, and killed. Yeshua knew suffering and could associate with the afflicted, yet he represented the coming of the kingdom and will return in power, glory, and eternal dominion. Even if we might accuse Yeshua

28:58 of utilizing Jewish mother guilt in this parable, he does it for our sake so that we might learn to turn from our own ways, receive Yeshua and inherit the kingdom. For those of you who have been trying to attain goat status, I warn you to be careful what you wish for. Upon further reflection, I'm not sure that the parable is as simple as it appears while sheep and goats are born into a particular species and remain that way. Humans are different. God creates us in his image, but then gives us agency to choose. Perhaps at some moments you feel the pleasure of the Lord showing kindness to others,

29:44 exemplifying the Lord's love and being confident of the assurance of your salvation. Yet at other moments, something different rears its head. You may become painfully aware of your own selfishness, cruelty, and the failure to respond well to the needs of others around you. It may be that the more the Lord reveals to you, the more that you realize that you are not the greatest of all time, but may be a goat. In the eyes of Yeshua, I have entitled my message, the Enemy Within. Apart from being a great book by Abraham Tosky, available at the BHS library for a Limited Time, the enemy within is a reality we all must face.

30:32 Even among Yeshua's original disciples, they each had to face a unique battle of endurance in the faith. Not all of them emerged successfully. The Rabbi speak of the Yetzer rah, the evil inclination, and the yetzer hat or good inclination that resides within each of us. Yeshua's teaching could be simple on the surface, yet we cannot reach the depths of their meaning. While a shepherd can easily discern between sheep and goats, the hearts of people can be far more complicated. While Yeshua is the good shepherd that can see through our masks, we often fail to realize what is in the hearts of those around us.

31:19 Furthermore, we can easily deceive ourselves even if we embrace a view in which we are sure of our own salvation, our conduct may fail to reflect Yeshua. On the contrary, we can heap judgment upon ourselves to the point of self-destruction, failing to perceive the pursuing kindness of the Lord and our lives. This YM Kippur, I wish to offer you a third way. I invite you to embrace the middle path and to avoid these unhealthy extremes. There are some of us here tonight who excel in service and meeting the needs of others.

32:04 I know this because I usually feel guilty when I'm around you. I want to encourage you to continue in good works. Keep shining for Yeshua. You are truly making a difference in the lives of others, and I think you should feel good about that. Yet, as you know, those deeds won't overcome the burden of your sin. Only Yeshua can do this. So this Yom Kippur reflect on Yeshua's atoning sacrifice for you and continue in your good works. On the other hand, there are some listening tonight who have been negligent concerning the ways of Yeshua. You have ignored his voice. You have knowingly and willfully rebelled against the truth. You have known the right thing to do

32:50 and chosen not to do it. I've got good news for you too. Tonight is your night. Now is the opportunity to acknowledge your sin. Now is your opportunity to enter the gates of righteousness and recognize that though you do not have the power in yourself, Yeshua has made atonement for you too, and though beginnings are tough day by day, you can put your trust in the Lord and begin to walk in his ways a little bit more each day. As you continue to walk in it, you will grow stronger and your habits will change. Perhaps you do not fit neatly into either of these categories or you find yourself to be a bit of both. This is the time to be honest with ourselves

33:37 and honest with the Lord. This week I learned that there are crossbreeds of sheep and goats as I imagined they could be referred to as sh or giep. However, Aho I learned can also refer to a weaned pig or an idle worthless person. The more you know in conclusion, Yeshua will judge our lives. As we continue to fast on this Yom Kippur and afflict ourselves. I seek to comfort you with the following three questions. Where will you stand when the Son of man judges your life?

34:23 Will you stand with the righteous or will you stand with the wicked? At this time, I'd like to invite Elder Barry buff forward to lead us in the recitation of the Alette. It is an exhaustive list of violations that we commit against the Lord. We stand as a community confessing our sin, realizing that even if you have not personally committed all of these sins yourself as a community, we stand guilty before the Lord. Take this opportunity to honestly reflect upon your conduct, recognizing the weight of Yeshua's atoning sacrifice,

35:10 as well as our continual need to grow in walking like Yeshua. Have a meaningful fast. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace

36:09 In the name of our Messiah, Yeshua, see you in the morning.