PILGRIM LUTHERAN CHURCH
  • Home
  • About Us
    • What We Believe
    • History
  • 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 Just because we have an Old Testament, it does not mean that we call it the 'Outdated Testament'.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!

March 25th, 2017

3/25/2017

0 Comments

 
​This is probably my most favorite time of the three-year series. Essentially all four accounts are taken into account when you look at some of the interactions that Jesus has in the Gospel according to John. I've mentioned before the wide variety that we have, from a ruler of the Jews in chapter 3 (Nicodemus), to a Samaritan woman who was married five times in chapter 4. What's interesting is that both of them eventually stand up for what they believe. Later in the book, Nicodemus speaks up for Jesus to the other Pharisees, and later in chapter 4, the woman speaks up for Jesus to the others in the town, and the text says that 'many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony (v. 39)'.

The next set of interactions could be considered chapter 5 with the man who couldn't walk for many years and chapter 9 with the man born blind; that set of people also has some extremes. Is there a connection between sin and problems on earth? In chapter 5 (verse 14), Jesus says, "See you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you." In chapter 9, Jesus insists that neither this man sinned, nor his parents, to have something like this happen, "but that the works of God might be displayed in him (verse 3)."

These two men also end up standing up for Jesus. In both of these healings, Jesus heals on the Sabbath, and people weren't supposed to work on that day. Jesus gets into some serious trouble both times, but he's okay with that. He's also okay with the two men standing up for him. He even takes the trouble to find them later. The man in chapter 9 ends up worshiping him, and that's the only time that happens in this account.

The first three accounts, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and quite similar, and there are a few ways that they could be considered a set. With that perspective, it's interesting to get these detailed conversations with these wide ranges of people in the fourth account.

I also find it interesting that the use of the word 'answer' or 'reply' is different in this fourth account. In the previous accounts it could be considered a secondary verb. Often times the person, 'answering, said...' In this structure, the main verb is 'to say'. But in the fourth account, to answer or respond is predominantly the main verb.

How does one 'answer', 'reply', or 'respond' to Jesus? That's a great question. And that's one we continually will have to answer.

As a side point, I don't think that the fourth account uses 'the Jews' as a negative thing. Some Jews turn around and believe in him. Some Jews, sadly, don't. It's pretty much the same thing in Acts.

Whether it's one or one thousand who end up following, it's still an interesting story. And we still can ask questions and receive some answers. And the wonderful story will certainly continue. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    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
  • Pastor's Blog
  • Bulletin
  • Contact