9/5/17
The earliest Christians followed a Jewish tradition of pausing to pray, preferably together, first thing in the morning, about mid morning, at noon, about mid afternoon, and in the evening. “Just a Note” posts are brief observations made from Scripture readings not related to a lectionary. If I have one to post, it normally appears about 9:00 in the morning, at “the hour of prayer.”
In Acts 21:1-6, Paul is continuing his journey to Jerusalem. He has been warned that he will be arrested their. The news doesn’t deter him in any way. He is determined to go to Jerusalem, according to his plan.
There are some plans the Lord puts into our minds and hearts which are so important and so clear that we will endure almost anything rather than leave the plan behind. Why is Jerusalem so very important to Paul? The Scripture really doesn’t say. However, nobody is going to stand in his way for long. He insists on making his way to Jerusalem.
We see in this passage that the journey is complicated. He changes vessels quite a few times. he goes here, he goes there. Along the way, He meets with Christians, greeting them, encouraging them, then leaving them behind. In Tyre, it is not only elders but also women and children.
As we pass through this Christian life, we find people of different generations, different backgrounds, men, women, children, people of various nationalities and cultures, all working together. The Gospel erases much of what would divide us. In Christ we find an identity which goes far beyond our human preferences or habits. As with Paul, so our journey is leading us somewhere. It leads each one of us through life and to our eventual death, where we will await the resurrection. Our greetings, encouragements, and farewells along the way serve to bind us together in the one Lord. Even the journey to death is full of life. This is our Lord at work.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
The earliest Christians followed a Jewish tradition of pausing to pray, preferably together, first thing in the morning, about mid morning, at noon, about mid afternoon, and in the evening. “Just a Note” posts are brief observations made from Scripture readings not related to a lectionary. If I have one to post, it normally appears about 9:00 in the morning, at “the hour of prayer.”
In Acts 21:1-6, Paul is continuing his journey to Jerusalem. He has been warned that he will be arrested their. The news doesn’t deter him in any way. He is determined to go to Jerusalem, according to his plan.
There are some plans the Lord puts into our minds and hearts which are so important and so clear that we will endure almost anything rather than leave the plan behind. Why is Jerusalem so very important to Paul? The Scripture really doesn’t say. However, nobody is going to stand in his way for long. He insists on making his way to Jerusalem.
We see in this passage that the journey is complicated. He changes vessels quite a few times. he goes here, he goes there. Along the way, He meets with Christians, greeting them, encouraging them, then leaving them behind. In Tyre, it is not only elders but also women and children.
As we pass through this Christian life, we find people of different generations, different backgrounds, men, women, children, people of various nationalities and cultures, all working together. The Gospel erases much of what would divide us. In Christ we find an identity which goes far beyond our human preferences or habits. As with Paul, so our journey is leading us somewhere. It leads each one of us through life and to our eventual death, where we will await the resurrection. Our greetings, encouragements, and farewells along the way serve to bind us together in the one Lord. Even the journey to death is full of life. This is our Lord at work.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
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