Rome Never Fell

Overturning Modern Day Pharisees and Sadducees

Beloved brothers and sisters, today we gather to reflect on the teachings of Yeshua and to understand the path of persecution, as He so clearly illuminated for us. As we look around at the world, we see a society built upon violence, greed, and the subjugation of the meek. This world, ruled by powers that have turned their backs on God, perpetuates systems that are far removed from the vision of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

This is nothing new. Yeshua lived as an outsider to this system, homeless, without possessions, and in service to those who had been cast aside—the orphans, the poor, the lepers, and the meek. He did not seek the riches of this world or the power structures that dominate it, and in doing so, He became the target of persecution. Yeshua Himself warned us that if the world hated Him, it would hate us too, for a servant is not greater than the master (John 15:18-20).

The System of Violence and Empire

Let us speak plainly. The world we live in is still the empire of Rome, though it may wear a different name and different garb. It is the empire that promotes wealth and blood-tie "family" through media, filled with false images of joy: giant rabbits, mysterious men sneaking down chimneys, and holidays dedicated not to spiritual reflection but to consumerism—delivering the latest toys, electronics, and even weapons to glorify violence. This is not the Kingdom of Heaven that Yeshua came to establish. He spoke not of wealth, materialism, and competition but of the meek inheriting the earth, of peace and mercy, and of loving our enemies.

Our society's authorities have been granted great power, and they wield it recklessly. They manipulate us, using fear and emotion to control our hearts and minds. A simple mistake—such as a forgotten blinker on the road—can lead to being pulled over by heavily armed soldiers in the guise of police officers. These men, bloated by gluttony and drunk on the power of the empire, do not serve the God of peace and love. They serve violence, domination, and control. The laws they enforce have been rewritten by men who serve a system of pure force, all while pretending to be followers of Yeshua.

But Yeshua did not come to raise an army or enforce laws of violence. He came to call us to a higher law—His law of love and forgiveness, compassion, and mercy.

The New Sadducees and Pharisees

Just as Yeshua faced the Sadducees in His time—religious leaders and political elite who manipulated the law of God for their own gain—we face new Sadducees today. They live in palaces of wealth and power, cloaked in luxury while claiming to serve the people. These individuals care nothing for the meek, for the poor, or for God's creation. They create unjust laws that lead to the destruction of both the earth and human lives, all while amassing wealth and power for themselves.

And we must not forget the Pharisees of our day—those who use science and man's law to justify evil. They have turned the gift of knowledge into a tool for profit, creating systems of sickness instead of health. They deny the people access to God’s original medicines—His seed-bearing plants—and poison the earth with chemicals and unnatural laws. These modern Pharisees lead people away from the natural order established by God, just as the ancient Pharisees led people away from the spirit of God's law, toward rigid adherence to man-made traditions.

The Persecution of the Meek

Yeshua said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Yet today, it is the meek who are persecuted the most. Homeless men, who live as Yeshua did—without the trappings of this world—are hunted down by authorities for sleeping under the stars. They are deemed criminals simply for existing outside the boundaries of the empire. They are mocked, beaten, and imprisoned for daring to live as Yeshua lived—unburdened by the world’s wealth.

The neurodivergent, the outcasts, those who see and think in ways that the empire does not understand, are treated as enemies. The soldiers of the empire—its police, its institutions—attack relentlessly anyone who stands out, anyone who does not conform to the expected order. But Yeshua was out of the ordinary. He was not like the leaders of His time, and for this, He was persecuted. In the same way, the meek, the different, and the outcasts of our society today are persecuted.

The Call to the Sons and Daughters

To the sons and daughters of this empire, especially the children of those who wield power unjustly, I speak directly to you. You hold within you the key to transformation. You have the power to break the cycle of wickedness that your fathers and mothers have chosen. For while they have been led astray by greed and corruption, while they have chosen weakness in the face of temptation, you can be the force that brings an end to this injustice.

But I ask you to reflect: Are your parents happy? Are they truly filled with beauty, health, and joy? For the acts of power, domination, and hoarding that they have chosen often arise from a deep unhappiness, a desire to compensate for what they lack within themselves. They may have all the wealth this world can offer, but are they at peace? Does their soul sing with the light of truth and love? You see the answer in their eyes. You feel it in the tension that surrounds their lives.

The wealth and power your families have amassed are built upon the backs of the poor, the oppressed, and the persecuted. Do not allow yourself to be chained to the sins of your parents. Instead, reject the greed, reject the violence, and reject the lies that have enslaved them. Remember the words of Yeshua:

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate their father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). This hatred is not one of anger or malice, but a rejection of the wickedness and moral weakness that they have embraced.

Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!” (Matthew 12:48-50) Blood ties do not define "family."

"And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven." (Matthew 23:9) A "dad" is not your true Father.

Turn away from their ways, for they have chosen the path of darkness. But you, sons and daughters, can choose the light. You can choose the Kingdom of Heaven over the empire of greed and violence.

Redistribute the Wealth of the Wicked

I call upon you now to look at the wealth and power you possess, not as a tool for further dominance, but as a means to heal the world. Redistribute that wealth. Give it to the poor, the meek, the homeless, and the persecuted—the very people that your fathers have trampled upon in their quest for more. Remember the words of Yeshua: “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 19:24). Your riches will not save you, nor will they grant you peace. But your choice to give them up, to use them for good, will lead you toward the path of righteousness.

Reject the false prophets who say that wealth is a sign of God’s favor. They lie to justify their own gluttony and sin. Yeshua did not live in palaces or wear the fine clothes of the powerful. He walked among the poor, the outcast, and the humble. He showed us that the Kingdom of Heaven is not found in material wealth but in the hearts of those who love and serve one another.

Sons and daughters, you hold more power than anyone else in this world. More power than your fathers, who have chosen wickedness. More power than the politicians and the kings, who cling to the thrones of oppression. For you have the power to break this cycle. You can be the ones who say, “No more.”

The Call to a New Kingdom

Yeshua calls us to something greater. He calls us not to conform to this violent, broken world, but to transform it. Yeshua did not fight with swords or violence; He fought with love, with mercy, and with truth. He overturned the tables of the money changers in the temple, not to gain power, but to restore God's holy place to its rightful purpose.

Let us be as Yeshua was— unattached to the wealth and power of this world. Let us reject and expose the lies of the empire, which tells us that we must perpetuate its false family, consumerism, violence, and exploitation. Let us live instead in the vision of the Kingdom of Heaven, where peace reigns, where the meek are blessed, and where love overcomes all.

The persecution we face today is no different than the persecution Yeshua faced. The powers of this world will always seek to destroy those who live by God's truth. But take heart—Yeshua has overcome the world (John 16:33). The Kingdom of Heaven is not found in the systems of violence and power. It is found in the hearts of those who love, who forgive, and who stand firm in the face of persecution.

A Call to End the Empire of Violence

My dear brothers and sisters, let us reject the empire of violence and embrace the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Let us turn away from the ways of the world, the consumerism, the weapons, and the false images of joy. Let us remember that Yeshua was persecuted because He spoke truth to power, because He refused to bow to the empire of His time.

Let us follow in His footsteps. Let us stand up against the systems of oppression and violence, knowing that persecution will come. But take heart, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. It is a Kingdom of peace, of love, and of eternal life with God.

So Be It!