traveling

April 23, 2019

Great crowds (Lk 14:25-14:25)

“Now large crowds

Were traveling

With Jesus.

He turned to them.”

 

Συνεπορεύοντο δὲ αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοί, καὶ στραφεὶς

 

Luke uniquely indicated that that there were great large crowds traveling with Jesus (Συνεπορεύοντο δὲ αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοί).  He was no longer going to places where crowds gathered.  They were traveling with him now.  He turned to them (καὶ στραφεὶς).  He was about to talk to them about the cost of being a disciple of Jesus.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), the German Lutheran theologian wrote the Cost of Discipleship (1937), outlining the problems of being a Christian in Nazi Germany, when he argued against cheap grace, the easy way out.  Do you go along with the crowd?

March 18, 2019

The Samaritan (Lk 10:33-10:33)

“But a Samaritan,

While traveling,

Came near him.

When he saw him,

He was moved

With pity.”

 

Σαμαρείτης δέ τις ὁδεύων ἦλθεν κατ’ αὐτὸν καὶ ἰδὼν ἐσπλαγχνίσθη,

 

Luke continued his unique story.  Jesus said that a Samaritan (Σαμαρείτης), while traveling (δέ τις ὁδεύων), came near to this wounded man (ἦλθεν κατ’ αὐτὸν).  When he saw him (καὶ ἰδὼν), he was moved with pity (ἐσπλαγχνίσθη).  Who then is this Samaritan?  Samaritans lived in Samaria, between Judea and Galilee.  This was the territory that had been formerly assigned to Ephraim and Manasseh.  The Samaritans were part of the former Northern Kingdom of Israel with the city of Samaria as their capital city, after the death of Solomon.  There was an example of kindness by the northern tribes in 2 Chronicles, chapter 28:12-15, but that was long before the bitterness set in between Samaria and Judea.  Over time, since the 8th century BCE, they had become a distinct ethnic group that was in dispute with the Judean Jews, since the territory of Samaria was between Judea and Galilee.  They became bitter enemies with the Jews of Judea in particular.  Luke showed Jesus interacting with the Samaritans more than any of the other gospel writers.  Luke had uniquely mentioned that Jesus had gone into some Samaritan villages in chapter 9:52-56.  It might even be questioned, why would this Samaritan be on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem?  Nevertheless, this unnamed Samaritan like the unnamed priest and Levite, came on the scene.  Unlike the other two prominent Jewish religious leaders, this Samaritan was moved with pity.  Samaritans were the underclass among the Judeans.  They worshiped a false Jewish God with their Samaritan Torah at the destroyed Mount Gerizim.  They were not at the top of Jewish society, quite the opposite.  Can someone at the bottom of a society do anything good?

March 9, 2019

They would not receive Jesus (Lk 9:53-9:53)

“But the people

Did not receive Jesus,

Because his face

Was set

Toward Jerusalem.”

 

καὶ οὐκ ἐδέξαντο αὐτόν, ὅτι τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἦν πορευόμενον εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ

 

Now there was a note of discord here.  Luke continued his unique story of Jesus traveling through Samaria, on his way to Jerusalem.  Luke noted that the people of this Samaritan town did not want to receive Jesus (καὶ οὐκ ἐδέξαντο αὐτόν), because he was only passing by on his way to Jerusalem (εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ).  These Samaritans did not look favorably on the Jerusalem pilgrims who passed by their towns on the way to the Temple.  After all, Jesus had steadfastly set his face (ὅτι τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἦν πορευόμενον) to go there, not stopping or staying to worship at Mount Gerizim in Samaria.  Thus, Jesus was not welcome, if he was going to the Judean place of worship in Jerusalem, and just visiting or passing through here.  Would you be upset if someone said that they were planning to visit someone else but just stopped by?

March 2, 2019

Who do they say that I am? (Lk 9:18-9:18)

“Once when Jesus

Was praying alone,

With only the disciples

Near him,

He asked them.

‘Who do the crowds

Say that I am?’”

 

Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ εἶναι αὐτὸν προσευχόμενον κατὰ μόνας συνῆσαν αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταί, καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτοὺς λέγων Τίνα με οἱ ὄχλοι λέγουσιν εἶναι;

 

Luke said that one time when Jesus was praying alone (Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ εἶναι αὐτὸν προσευχόμενον κατὰ μόνας), with only the disciples near him (συνῆσαν αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταί,), he questioned them (καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτοὺς λέγων) about who did the crowds say that he was (Τίνα με οἱ ὄχλοι λέγουσιν εἶναι)?  This question about who Jesus is can be found in Matthew, chapter 16:13, and Mark, chapter 8:27, as well as here, but there are major differences.  Here in Luke, he was not traveling in Caesarea Philippi, as he was in Mark and Matthew, but all alone with his disciples praying.  Mark said that Jesus was with his disciples on his way towards the village of Caesarea Philippi, an ancient gentile Roman city, about 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee at the southeastern base of Mount Hermon, where there was a shrine to the Greek god Pan, in today’s Golan Heights.  Jesus then asked his closest disciples who they thought that he was.  In Matthew, Jesus asked them about the Son of Man, but not specifically himself.  In Matthew, Jesus asked or questioned his disciples who did people think the Son of Man was?  Jesus wanted to know what the people were thinking about him, so he asked his disciples their opinion.   Who do you think that Jesus is?

February 15, 2019

Jesus was preaching the good news (Lk 8:1-8:1)

“Soon afterward,

Jesus went traveling

Through cities

And villages.

He was preaching

And bringing

The good news

Of the kingdom

Of God.

The twelve apostles

Were with him.”

 

Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ καθεξῆς καὶ αὐτὸς διώδευεν κατὰ πόλιν καὶ κώμην κηρύσσων καὶ εὐαγγελιζόμενος τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ οἱ δώδεκα σὺν αὐτῷ,

 

Luke uniquely said that soon after naming his apostles (Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ καθεξῆς), Jesus went traveling through the various cities and villages (καὶ αὐτὸς διώδευεν κατὰ πόλιν καὶ κώμην).  He was preaching (κηρύσσων) by proclaiming the good news (καὶ εὐαγγελιζόμενος) about the kingdom of God (τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ).  His newly named Twelve apostles were with him also (καὶ οἱ δώδεκα σὺν αὐτῷ).  While there is no explicit mention of this elsewhere, the other gospels often said that Jesus went from place to place preaching the good news of the kingdom of God with his apostles and disciples.  Do you think that people should go from place to place preaching about the good news of the kingdom of God?

September 21, 2018

Jesus and the disciples leave (Mk 8:10-8:10)

“Immediately,

Jesus got into

The boat

With his disciples.

They went

To the district

Of Dalmanutha.”

 

Καὶ εὐθὺς ἐμβὰς εἰς τὸ πλοῖον μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ ἦλθεν εἰς τὰ μέρη Δαλμανουθά.

 

Matthew, chapter 15:39, has a similar statement about getting into a boat and traveling, but there Jesus went to Magadan, not Dalmanutha.  Mark said that Jesus then immediately got into his boat (Καὶ εὐθὺς ἐμβὰς εἰς τὸ πλοῖον) with his disciples (μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ).  He went or traveled to the region of Dalmanutha (ἦλθεν εἰς τὰ μέρη Δαλμανουθά).  Are Magadan and Dalmanutha near each other on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee?  No one knows for sure, but this area might be between Capernaum and Tiberias near Gennesaret.

May 14, 2018

Jesus goes to Magadan (Mt 15:39-15:39)

“After sending away

The crowds,

Jesus got into the boat.

He went

To the region of Magadan.”

 

Καὶ ἀπολύσας τοὺς ὄχλους ἐνέβη εἰς τὸ πλοῖον, καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς τὰ ὅρια Μαγαδάν.

 

Mark, chapter 8:8-10, has a similar statement about getting into a boat and traveling, but there he went to Dalmanutha, not Magadan.   Jesus sent the crowds away (Καὶ ἀπολύσας τοὺς ὄχλους) after feeding them.  He then got into his boat (ἐνέβη εἰς τὸ πλοῖον).  He ended up in the region of Magadan (καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς τὰ ὅρια Μαγαδάν).  Are Magadan and Dalmanutha near each other on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee?  No one knows for sure, but this area might be between Capernaum and Tiberias near Gennesaret.  Magadan may have been where Mary Magdalene was from, but there is no concrete evidence to support that.

April 7, 2018

Jesus goes home (Mt 9:1-9:1)

“After getting

Into a boat,

Jesus crossed

The sea.

He came

To his own town.”

 

Καὶ ἐμβὰς εἰς πλοῖον διεπέρασεν, καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν πόλιν.

 

There is something similar to this in Mark, chapter 2:1.  Both here and there, there is an indication that Capernaum has become the home of Jesus.  He went back into the boat (Καὶ ἐμβὰς εἰς πλοῖον) and sailed across (διεπέρασεν) the Sea of Galilee, although this sea is not explicitly mentioned.  He then came to his own home town (καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν πόλιν) on the northwest side of the sea.  There is no indication of whose boat they were traveling in.  Perhaps it was the boat of one of his disciples since they were fishermen.

June 30, 2016

A poem in search of wisdom (Sir 51:21-51:25)

“While I was still young,

Before I went on my travels,

I sought wisdom openly

In my prayer.

Before the temple

I asked for her.

I will search for her

Until the end.

From the first blossom

To the ripening grape,

My heart delighted in her.

My foot walked

On the straight path.

From my youth,

I followed her steps.

I inclined my ear a little.

I received her.

I found for myself much instruction.

I made progress in her.

To him who gives wisdom

I will give glory.”

This appendix about wisdom is a Hebrew alphabetic or acrostic poem, like the ending of Proverbs, chapter 31. It follows the hymn to God’s mercy, but had the same numbers so I changed them. This author or Sirach was searching for wisdom since his youth, even before he started traveling. He prayed for wisdom in the Temple. He would continue to search her out until the end of his life. Just as you watch a blossom grow into a grape, he too grew in wisdom and enjoyed every minute of it. He always walked on the straight paths, following in her footsteps. He listened to all the instructions about wisdom as he progressed. Thus he can now give glory to the one who gave him wisdom.

March 12, 2014

Some particular rules about Passover (Num 9:6-9:14)

“Now there were certain people who were unclean through touching a corpse, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day.  They came before Moses and Aaron on that day and said to him, ‘Although we are unclean through touching a corpse, why must we be kept from presenting Yahweh’s offering at its appointed time among the Israelites?’  Moses said to them, ‘Wait, so that I may hear what Yahweh will command concerning you.’

What happens if someone died and you touched the dead body, which made you unclean? They were unclean and therefore could not partake in the Passover.  I am not sure if this is a real problem since if they waited until evening and washed they would be clean.  Anyway, they went to Moses, and he said, wait, I will check with Yahweh.

“Yahweh spoke to Moses.  ‘Speak to the Israelites, anyone of you or of your descendants who is unclean through touching a corpse, or is away on a journey, shall keep the Passover to Yahweh.   In the second month on the fourteenth day, at twilight, they shall keep it.  They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.  They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break a bone of it.  According to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it.  But anyone who is clean, and is not on a journey, and yet refrains from keeping the Passover, shall be cut off from the people for not presenting Yahweh’s offering at its appointed time.  Such a one shall bear the consequences for the sin. Any resident alien residing among you who wishes to keep the Passover to Yahweh shall do so according to the statute of the Passover and according to its regulation.  You shall have one statute for both the resident alien and the native.”

Here we have the first exceptions in this priestly tradition.  The response of Yahweh is that anyone who is unclean through touching a corpse or away on a journey shall keep the Passover in the second month on the fourteenth day, at twilight.  In other words, they move the Passover to the next month.  However anyone who is clean and not on a journey, and refrains from keeping the Passover, shall be cut off from the people as one who commits a sin.  The penalty of ostracizing someone is severe, but not the death penalty.  If a stranger is with you, keep the Passover with him, because there is one law for both the resident alien and the native. Obviously both of these cases refer to the time when they are settled in Canaan.