Out Our Way: Ph.D. and a F.G.B.

"So they came into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath day Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. And the people were astonished and amazed by the way He taught, for He taught with authority and not like the supposed "experts" in the Law did.  - Mark 1:21-22

Out our way, if you want to talk about farming, you begin with a farmer. If you want to talk ranching, you talk with a rancher. You can learn a lot from books, and there are many who have written and discussed the ins and outs of agriculture at Bozeman and Missoula who are worth listening to. But someone who has never plowed a field, planted seed, fixed fence, delivered calves or lambs in the pleasant winter weather - doesn't really have the first- hand experience that is what really makes them an "expert."

Back in seminary, many of my professors were well educated in theology and biblical languages - but had never been a pastor. While there was a great deal they could and did teach me that I needed to learn, the real authority came from seasoned clergy who had lived the life and really understood what the ministry is all about.

Now the Scribes of the Pharisees were extremely well educated in the Torah (the law) and the prophetic books - but they were much given to debate and theoretical discussions. For example, if the Law said "Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy )that is, "set apart" from the rest of the week and reserved for God) - how did one best do that? Well, one thing was obvious - God commanded that it was to be a day of rest ... a day to lay aside the burdens of daily life. Just as a field has to lie fallow now and then to replenish itself, so the human life needs time off for self-nurture. That was the point of the commandment - but that was soon forgotten in the "technical" need to define and redefine that became the passion of the Pharisees.

"You shall not do work."  Let's define "work" a thousand different ways.  For example - to take a stroll is an act of refreshment. But to make a journey is to be considered work. How do we define a stroll and a journey?  We decide that anywhere less than a mile from home is a stroll - and to go further is a journey. Ah - but what constitutes "home"? Well let us define "home" as where you keep your things. Now based on this technicality, it is now possible to travel as far as you want on the Sabbath. All you do is load some of your things in your pocket and, in that way, you are always "home." 

Now this is an exaggerated example of how the scribes could and did find ways to technically obey the letter of the law, while totally disregarding the spirit of it.

When Jesus came into speak and teach, He went right to the heart of things - right to the heart of what the law was saying, ignoring the word games the scribes used to impress each other with their brilliance and confuse the people.  And He spoke with authority - that is, as one who didn't need to back up his words with what other scholars said - but simply spoke the obvious truth that was plain for everyone to see.  

You don't need a Ph.D. in agronomy or animal husbandry to know that if you don't take care of the land and the animals, they will not survive very long and neither will you. You don't need a Doctor of Ministry to know that if you love the Lord your God above all else, and love your neighbor as yourself - you will fulfill all the law and the prophets require.

Goliath doesn't need to know why he feels thirsty or how being well hydrated is necessary for his health. All he needs to know is thirst and where the water is.   

Unlike so many of the scribes of the day, Jesus kept it simple and the people had no problem understanding what He was teaching.

(John Bruington, Scout, and Goliath can be reached at [email protected]. Go to the website for more stories, cartoons and even sermons: http://www.havrepres.org.)