Its honestly pretty amazing that it was over so quickly. I have been at this challenge for 16 weeks now. I wont like and say that I have read every single day, but I have always caught up at the end of the week. And what is amazing is that I have 36 weeks to go. What is even more amazing about this is that I will go another 36 weeks without reading a direct account of the life of the founder of the faith. I will not read the story of his birth, the story of his death, or the story of his resurrection again. And just how little space the story of this remarkable man's life takes up in the bible as a whole is strange to me. And generally speaking, I want to know so much more. So here are some reflections and thoughts after finishing these stories.
Jesus lead a truly remarkable life. - Whoever this man was, he was, he has become the most influential man of all time. Perhaps no man or woman in history has the legacy, the popularity, or the misconceptions surrounding them as Jesus of Nazareth. As for me, I believe that the majority of these events happened, one way or another. For instance, there is a lot of scholarship around the idea the the sermon on the mount was actually a collection of teachings by Jesus, and that that actual sermon didn't happen but the words are authentic. But I believe Jesus rose from the dead for the forgiveness of sins, and I think I believe in the miracles he performed. Hard Time Picturing the Stories For some reason I want to know what he looked like. One of the major issues I had reading the gospel is that I can be a visual reader. I make pictures in my head about the scene and the people playing their parts. I feel like through most of the gospel, I got none of this. I cant pretend that I am an expert on the landscape of ancient Jerusalem, and not being able to see the scene in my mind's eye with the clarity that I am used to messed with me throughout the gospels. With that said, the lack of a mental image at times did two things for me. - The first was allow real human emotions to come through. There are scenes where you can feel the disappointment in Jesus's voice when talking to the disciples, the quick responses to religious officials and the bewilderment of those men that heard the radical teachings of Christ, and the passion and deed sadness of the death of a son and of a friend. The deaths of Lazarus and of Jesus are perhaps the two most powerful stories in scripture, and when the authors decided to get away from some of the repetitive language, the story exploded off the page. - The second is simplify a complex story. The word choices, repetitive nature of story telling devices, and made the stories easy to follow, and the readers were not dragged down into the weeds of extensive plot lines, subplots, and literary excess. I want to know what I's supposed to do with the differences I see in the gospels. - What am I supposed to make of the places where the gospels differ in their telling. Did events that are only told in one gospel works of fiction, or just something that the others didn't find important enough to add? I find this part of the study of the bible fascinating and a conversation that has to be had. As for what it means, I do not know. John was probably my least favorite Gospel - I might make some people mad with this take because I know that many people love this Gospel. When compared to the other Gospels, the difference in tone is so apparent that I feel like I lost Jesus and his teachings and could only hear the authors understanding and thoughts regarding Christ. That isn't to say that I disliked it. There are many stories from John who are perhaps the most popular in all of Christianity and for good reason. It just wasn't my favorite and stood in stark contrast to the others. Finally - this was quite the journey. And truthfully I am a little nervous for what is to come. What if I read the prophets and their prophecies don't match what I think I have read about Jesus? That could shake my entire foundation. Or what if I get to Paul and am just floored by his teachings relative to the teachings of Jesus? Whatever comes next, I look forward to seeing God's word acted out in the people of the the bible. And I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you.
1 Comment
Mom Julie
10/23/2017 04:53:20 pm
What an accomplishment! Fascinating insights - I agree with you about John. Jesus seems to take on a whole different persona - not as relatable. But it adds another layer as well. Let's go to the Holy Land together someday! Love you
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