Jesus was a devout first-century Jew. Thus, the calendar from the Torah (or Moses’ Law) in the Hebrew Bible established his yearly rhythm.
Holidays (or holy-days) restricted Jesus’ activity or required travel.
The following are key days and weeks.
- Sabbath, the seventh day of the week
- New Moon, the first day of the month
- Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread in Jerusalem, seven days during the first month, spring barley harvest
- Feast of Weeks in Jerusalem, seven weeks after Passover, third month, spring wheat harvest
- New Year, the first day of the seventh month
- Day of Atonement, the tenth day of the seventh month
- Feast of Huts (or Tabernacles) in Jerusalem, seven days during the seventh month, fall fruit harvest
On Sabbath and New Moon the Torah ruled that businesses were closed and people could travel only a limited distance.
The Day of Atonement included Sabbath-limits on work and a fast from food.
All adult males had to attend the three major festivals in Jerusalem.
Jesus was an itinerant Rabbi who lived by the rules of the Torah. The Torah’s schedule including travel destinations and activity limitations establish guidelines through which we better understand Jesus’ experience.
One day in October at 8am, SpendaYearwithJesus will send this text-message:
Heads down, Jesus and disciples shuffle silently in shoulder-to-shoulder traffic up the stairs to the Men’s Court on Temple Mount.
I can’t think of anyone who enjoys getting stuck in traffic. And I haven’t met anyone (yet) who hasn’t been pleasantly surprised by the thought of Jesus getting stuck in traffic.
There is something life-changing about the intersection of Jesus’ experience with our experience.
Scratch that. Life-changing evokes images of inheriting unexpected millions. There is something day-impacting about the intersection of Jesus’ experience with our own.
Jesus’ life story reads like ours with meal-times, friendships, conflicts, and even getting stuck in traffic.
Pausing to reflect on Jesus’ experience can be a pleasant diversion. More importantly, it anchors our experience.
Check out an overview of the story at spendayearwithjesus.com/story.php
Sign-up for the text messages at spendayearwithjesus.com/home/signup.php
30 days after the election of Pope Francis, a CNN blogger made this observation, “Whenever given the choice between clerical privilege and everyday human experience, he opts for the human.”**
It is a curious implication for one of Jesus’ followers, the gap between “clerical privilege” and “everyday human experience.”
“Clerical privilege” isn’t new. The culture of the ancient temple cultivated it, even the one in Jesus’ experience.
Jesus even told a story about loving one’s neighbor that contrasted the temple hierarchy with a looked-down-on foreigner (Luke 10).
Jesus himself: he rejected the choice and embraced everyday human experience. Yet clerical privilege persists.
Become better acquainted with Jesus’ everyday human experience. We invite you to follow this year to Easter withJesus.
————–
** Michael D’Antonio, “One month in, Pope Francis is on the right track” <http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/13/opinion/dantonio-pope-francis-first-month/index.html?hpt=op_t1>, Date Accessed: April 13, 2013.