GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 11-1
Ordinary Days
Nearly every day, life is filled with ordinary routines—usually unremarkable. Almost like a modern self-driving automobile, one threads one’s way through the schedule. It isn’t boring; more likely, it’s familiar and contented (or simply “comforting”). They make everyday decisions—what to eat for breakfast, what to wear, where to shop, and where to buy the cheapest gas. Nothing remarkable, mostly forgettable. They make no decision that changes the course of history—not even their own lives. For years, Alice kept a diary in which she recorded the ordinary events of her day—moments that might otherwise have been forgotten—a practice she had maintained since her teenage years. Ordinary days—like those of Jesus and his disciples.
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem for what would be his final visit. He left Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, walking about fifteen miles to the Mount of Olives, roughly two miles east of the city. None of the writers who were with Jesus left any record of that day’s journey—not Matthew or John, who were present, nor Luke, who later researched Jesus’ life. All Peter, who taught Mark about Jesus, said was, “And when they came near to Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,” (Mark 11:1)
The Gospels recount the dramatic events of Jesus’ life—moments of great importance, to be sure. Yet much of his life was like mine—ordinary, like walking fifteen miles. A casual pace, especially with a crowd, would have been about three miles per hour; that day’s journey likely took three to four hours. I often wonder what filled those fifteen miles. Teaching, perhaps? Where did they eat? What did they talk about? It’s hard to imagine them walking those miles in silence. No—just an ordinary day, not unlike most of my own—ordinary days with Jesus.
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