PILGRIM LUTHERAN CHURCH
  • Home
  • About Us
    • What We Believe
    • History
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Photo Gallery
  • Pastor's Blog
  • Bulletin
  • Contact

A Sabbath Day's Journey

By: Rev. Paul Landgraf
What is a Sabbath day's journey? First of all, it is a Jewish expression. We measure distances in meters or yards. The Jews had a certain distance that they could walk on Saturday before it would be considered work. So their synagogues that they went to on Saturday could not be very far away. The word appears only in Acts 1:12 and indicates a distance of about three-quarters of a mile.

With that in mind, I think it is important to remember the origins of Christianity. Just because we have an Old Testament, it does not mean that we call it the 'Outdated Testament'. Much of the Old Testament has a literary structure that we are not aware of because of our modern emphasis on chapter and verse divisions. Within many of these blogs, I try to get the reader to see a bigger picture, a larger perspective that often includes the Old Testament and the environment that was present when the New Testament was seeing the Light of the day.

Second, a Sabbath day's journey is intentionally short. These 'journeys' with a text, almost always one of the three readings for that Sunday, are deliberately brief discussions. This blog was never designed to be a comprehensive look at any text. Sometimes a specific word is studied in detail. But, as a whole, a blog entry, by itself, is meant to be quite brief.

Finally, since the term 'Sabbath day's journey' appears in Acts, it is meant to appeal to a wide variety of people. This blog is meant for those who cannot come on Sunday mornings. And it is also for those who do come on Sunday mornings but would also like a further study of the text. It is also for those who live somewhere else in the world (besides Drake and Freedom, Missouri, USA) and would simply like a further study of the text. It was meant to get these different groups of people to start thinking about the biblical texts. Part of the reason for this blog is that I am not able to have a bible class on Sunday mornings with either congregation, and so, to have a blog like this seemed like a good idea. I hope it is helpful for you, in whatever situation you may be.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. And thank you for taking the time to read this!

December 02nd, 2017

12/2/2017

0 Comments

 
​Those Lutherans who look at the usual Gospel text for today, the first Sunday in Advent, and think that we should not be talking about Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, those are the Lutherans who like things in a strict order. And sometimes I like order.

If we are following a strictly historical view, then, yes, Jesus' entry into Jerusalem is certainly out of order. But this is not an historical view. The bible certainly has lots to say about history--it could even be called 'His Story'. But it is much more appropriate to speak of the bible as the record of a rescue mission and the church as a rescue shelter.

When someone needs to be rescued, the order is not that important. That the person gets rescued IS important.

At this time of year we can easily get caught up in the 'Xmas spirit', we can think about how nice it is to hear some 'Xmas music', and we can think about how cute baby Jesus must have been. But a rescue mission is not usually too pretty. People, even innocent people, can get hurt. 

But we are certainly not the innocent people. The record clearly shows how, basically from the beginning, we have tried to do away with the true God and have tried to make ourselves gods. We easily worship--that is, establish some worth--to the things that we do.

The usual text for this Sunday, from Mark 11:1-10, is most helpful when its context is described. This gospel account turns ugly quite quickly. Already at the beginning of the third chapter, Jesus' enemies are trying to destroy him. He has to watch out.

In the middle of chapter ten, Jesus is out in the lead as he is heading to Jerusalem, and the text says that the others were amazed (10:32). This word is different from the word 'amazed' after a miracle. This is a word used when a powerful person or thing shows up. 

And then, right at the end of chapter ten, Jesus heals a blind man--who, incidentally, if he had a Greek name it meant 'son of honor'--a man who liked to yell out that Jesus was the Son of David--which basically NO ONE was doing. And then Jesus does NOT tell this guy to be quiet as he did so many times before. But the last words of the chapter say that 'he followed him on the way (10:52).'

This area in Israel was a battlefield, and it continues to be so. That Jesus chooses to ride a colt and not a warhorse is significant. This is one of the accounts where the writer adds that no one ever sat on that animal--Luke is the other. While one account emphasizes a battle, the other, peace. Both are important things to talk about; and they do not have to be contradictory.

When the Romans would head into battle, usually the first line of troops would be heavily decimated [check out the history to that word sometime]. Jesus is out in front, with a colt who is a bit of a handful. That gives you a good hint as to what is awaiting him on Friday.

Now we know what awaits us.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About Us
    • What We Believe
    • History
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Photo Gallery
  • Pastor's Blog
  • Bulletin
  • Contact