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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 Just because we have an Old Testament, it does not mean that we call it the 'Outdated Testament'.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!

March 1st, 2025

3/1/2025

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This Sunday’s title is The Transfiguration of Our Lord, and the Gospel Reading for this Sunday is Luke 9:28-36. This Sunday is also the last Sunday in the Epiphany season. And looking at the transfiguration of Jesus on this Sunday is certainly a good way to celebrate an epiphany or, in other words, a very special appearance. And although there were only three people to see Jesus when he was extremely bright, it is still a significant epiphany.

We should be thankful that such an event was written down, and it appears very clearly in the three similar accounts. It is also unfortunate that, because of the slight differences among the three accounts, some people try to get at what really happened. If the focus of this epiphany becomes a history lesson, then it is quite difficult for particularly special gifts to be given out. And in this particular situation this particular gift comes in three slightly different ways.

If you are not familiar with the writings of this website, this writer is currently going through the Gospel according to Luke, giving a very literal translation a piece at a time, and giving it in the way in which it was laid out by the writer. At this point we are not as far as the transfiguration. There are many ways to translate our next text into English, and what is below could be called an extremely literal translation of Luke 6:17-38 (and for those unfamiliar with these writings, the hyphens below connect the words in English which are just one word in the Greek text, and even if you are familiar with this section of the text, because this translation is extremely literal, it may be helpful to look at other translations and/or a study bible for a better understanding of the text; this may just be a good starting point).

What is given is the first part of what could be called the Sermon on the Plain. If you are familiar with the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel according to Matthew, you may notice the similarities at the beginning of the sermon and at the end. There is probably a deliberate similarity here. Important things tend to be repeated.

Words give blessings, and the Lord’s blessings are an important and solid foundation. Our gracious Lord’s words do some amazing, foundational, and very strong things. And this fact can be forgotten within our complex and physical world. And here is the text:
And  having-come-down  with  them[the twelve disciples],  he  stood  upon  a-place,  level,  and  a-crowd,  great,  of-disciples,  his,  and  a-multitude,  great,  of-the  people  from  all  the  Judea  and  Jerusalem  and  the  along-the-sea  of-Tyre  and  Sidon,  who  came  to-hear  him  and  to-be-healed  from  the  diseases,  their,  and  the-ones  being-troubled  by  spirits,  unclean,  they-were-therapied,  and  all  the  crowd,  they-were-seeking  to-touch  him,  because  power,  from  him,  it-was-coming-out,  and  he-was-healing  all.  And  he,  having-lifted-up  the  eyes,  his,  into  the  disciples,  his,  he-was-saying:

Blessed  the  poor,  because  yours  is  the  kingdom  of-the  God.  Blessed  the-ones  hungering  now,  because  you-will-be-satisfied.  Blessed  the-ones  weeping  now,  because  you-will-laugh.  Blessed  are-you  when  they-hate  you,  the  people,  and  when  they-separate  you,  and  they-heap-insults-upon,  and  they-throw-out  the  name,  yours,  as  evil  for-the-sake-of  the  Son  of-the  Man.  Rejoice  in  that,  the  day,  and  skip,  for  look,  the  reward,  yours,  great,  in  the  heaven;  for  according,  the  same-things,  they-were-doing  to-the  prophets,  the  fathers,  their.

Rather  woe  to-you,  the  rich-ones,  because  you-receive  the  consolation,  your.  Woe  to-you,  the-ones  having-been-filled-up  now,  because  you-will-hunger.  Woe,  the-ones  laughing  now,  because  you-will-mourn,  and  you-will-weep.  Woe  when  you,  well,  they-say,  all  the  people;  for  according,  the  same-things,  they-were-doing  to-the  pseudoprophets,  the  fathers,  their.

But-on-the-contrary  to-you  I-say,  to-the-ones  hearing:  Agape  the  enemies,  your;  good  do,  to-the-ones  hating  you.  Eulogize  the-ones  cursing  you,  pray  about  the-ones  mistreating  you.  To-the-one  striking  you  upon  the  cheek,  provide  also  the  other,  and  from  the-one  taking  your,  the  cloak[outer garment],  also  the  tunic[under garment],  do-not  prevent.  To-every  one-asking  you,  give;  and  from  the-one  taking-away,  the  your-things,  do-not  ask-back.

And  just-as  you-want  that  they-may-do  to-you,  the  people,  do  to-them,  likewise.  And  if  you-agape  the-ones  being-agape  to-you,  what-kind  to-you,  a-favor  is-it?  For  also  the  sinners,  the-ones  being-agape  to-them,  they-agape.  For  also,  if  you-do-good   to-the-ones  doing-good  to-you,  what-kind  to-you,  a-favor  is-it?  Also  the  sinners,  the  same,  they-do.

And  if  you-lend  from  whom  you-hope  to-receive,  what  to-you  favor  is?  And  sinners  to-sinners,  they-lend,  that  they-may-receive-back  the  equal-things. 
Rather  agape  the  enemies,  yours,  and  do-good,  and  lend,  nothing  despairing,  and  it-will-be  the  reward,  yours,  great,  and  you-will-be  sons  of-Most-High,  because  he,  kind,  he-is,  upon  the  un-favor-full  and  evil.  Become  compassionate,  just-as  the  Father,  yours,  compassionate  he-is.
​

There is something interesting about that last paragraph. It is approximately the middle of the sermon, and it contains some unique things (middle things often do that). Within that short section, there is the very rare description of God as both ‘Most High’ (or ‘Highest’) and ‘Father’. Both of these titles are extremely rare in this Gospel account. You may wish to look up some of those occurrences as part of a bible study. Therefore, to have the ‘Most High Father’ is certainly a rare and very wonderful thing. And you have Jesus to thank for that.
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