Eternal Israel

Continuing my reading of Chapter 4 of Papa Beni's book. He spends more time discussing Rabbi Neusner. MMajorFan has kindly offered an answer to my concern that the rabbi has 'met' Jesus and yet rejected him.
"The person who met Jesus and then rejected him who would be in the most trouble would be a person who rejects the right of God to challenge him and make demands upon him at all."
Certainly this is true and perhaps as the rabbi does not do this, he has a way to be saved through his love of God revealed in the Old Testament-the 'eternal Israel'.

"The hardest person to save is the one who puts his or her self over God."
The rabbi recognises that Jesus is saying He is God. He sees clearly that Jesus is announcing Himself as greater than the Torah and it is His NEW Israel which is to be the instrument of salvation. In the end the rabbi cannot accept that the eternal Israel he knows and loves can be fulfilled and made new as Jesus announces with the coming of the Kingdom. Is he putting himself over God? It's hard to say-and the pope seems to think not.
Jesus clearly states that He is Lord of the Sabbath and the rabbi sees that statement for what it is. (Bizarrely a lot of Christian's of an Arian bent don't). As the pope writes, "Jesus claim entails that the community of his disciples is the new Israel. How can this not unsettle someone who has the "eternal Israel" at heart? The issue of Jesus' claim to be Temple and Torah in person also has implications for the question of Israel..."

It does indeed. I am interested in the rabbi's view of the eternal Israel now that the Temple has gone. So much of Jewish practice was lost then-but the family and its holiness in practicing the Mitsvahs of the Sabbath remain of course.
But the family and the new Law of the Sabbath are whole in the Church that Jesus established-the new Israel. He is bridegroom-father of the bride-Church-Jerusalem/Israel and therefore head of the family. Perhaps the rabbi could not accept that.

Take a look at what MMajor wrote below. She makes very good points-and yes a HUGE book could be written on this!
I could go on and on....don't worry I wont :)

The Pope on Rabbi Neusner

I'm still on Chapter 4 of the Holy Father's book (hope he's busy writing the next book while he's away hehehe).
He talks about Rabbi Neusner's book "A Rabbi Talks with Jesus". The Rabbi spends a lot of time with the Gospels and puts himself in the position of being there and listening to what Jesus has to say. Neusner understands Scripture very well (better than some Christians sadly). He recognises that in the Sermon on the Mount the addition to the Law is Christ Himself and Neusner understands very well what this means. But in the end the Rabbi chooses to walk away.
Pope Benedict writes:

"This dialogue is conducted with great honesty. It highlights the differences in

all their sharpness, but it also takes place in great love.

The rabbi accepts the otherness of Jesus' message, and takes his leave

free of any rancour; this parting, accomplished in the rigor of truth, is ever

mindful of the reconciling power of love."

Earlier the Holy Father has explained that Rabbi Neusner has decided not to follow Jesus, rather to remain with the "eternal Israel."

I find this a struggle. The rabbi has, it seems, almost met Jesus-perhaps he HAS met Him for he has certainly dialogued with Him through the Scriptures and yet despite his apparent search for truth the rabbi chooses to walk away from Jesus, preferring to leave things unfulfilled. My initial reaction was that the rabbi's book was just an intellectual exercise and he hadn't understood who he was talking to.But the Holy Father has read the book and says otherwise. He says it is done in the "rigor of truth". I am perplexed therefore at why the rabbi has chosen to reject Jesus-because that is surely what he has done.

I know that after the huge miracle of the feeding of the 5000 Jesus said 'Eat my body and drink my blood' and many walked away. They had seen and yet still did not trust enough to listen and hope.

Obviously Rabbi Neusner has not seen Jesus in the way those with him that day saw Him-but he has understood Him.

I am concerned-how is Rabbi Neusner to be saved?