Thought for Today
Ecclesiastes 11:6 In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hands be idle; for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.
Amos 6:4 Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the stall; 5 who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and like David improvise on instruments of music;
Mark 6:31 He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
Luke 12:19 And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'
Did Jesus have a hobby? During their travels together, at night around the campfire, did the disciples play games, sing songs or tell stories? These questions may be on my mind this morning because the NCAA basketball championship tournaments are in progress right now. Last night the women’s semifinals were on television. Neither Greta nor I are particularly devoted to basketball at any level, yet she stayed awake long past her usual bedtime to watch the last game.
Did Jesus ever have any ‘spare’ time? Did Jesus ever need the refreshment and reenergization of sport or hobby? How about the disciples? Certainly there were times of stress, times where things became so complex, so contentious that some form of stress relief would have been beneficial. My own personal experience suggests to me that with any group of young people, there will inevitably be at least one who plays a guitar or harmonica, at least one who always carries a hacky sack (footbag) or something similar to wile away the hours.
My computer software suggests to me that the words ‘hobby’ and ‘recreation’ are not used in any of the translations I normally search. In the multiplicity of modern Bibles, especially all of the ‘themed’ translations, there probably is an Athlete’s Bible. Maybe there is even a Hobbyist’s Bible.
Much of our world is consumed with sports. An incredible amount of money is spent and is generated by sporting contests at every age and every academic and/or professional level. Many colleges in the U.S.A. generate more money from football than from tuition. I suspect that even the Little League World Series generates a large amount of money. Television and licensing rights generate revenue. The NCAA has recently modified their rules to allow college athletes to sell their NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) rights. Sports are highly profitable.
Even more mundane hobbies generate money. Stores like Hobby Lobby cater to hobbyists of all sorts. For outdoor recreationists there are stores like REI. The leisure time activities available to most of us are almost limitless.
But, did Jesus have a hobby? During their travels together, at night around the campfire, did the disciples play games, sing songs or tell stories? Who played the guitar? Who carried a harmonica? Who was in charge of the athletic gear, the baseballs, bats, gloves, etc.? Given its popularity around the globe, who was responsible for the soccer ball and the air pump? Reading the Pauline epistles, I’m fairly sure that Paul, at least, was an avid sports fan. Paul uses many track and field references.
I suspect Jesus’ hobby, Jesus’ leisure time activity was prayer. Think how often in scripture Jesus withdraws from the crowds, retreats to the wilderness and prays. We know that Jesus’ time was short. Most scholars agree that his ministry spanned approximately 3 years. That was a short (but sufficient) time to initiate the Christendom of today. I’m sure that neither Jesus nor the disciples truly had leisure time opportunities in the sense we do today. In their short window of opportunity, prayer was certainly the best possible ‘hobby!’ Still, I cannot help but wonder, who played the guitar? Who carried a harmonica? Who was in charge of the athletic gear, the baseballs, bats, gloves, the soccer ball and the air pump?
Stay safe, set aside at least some time for prayer, trust God,
Pastor Ray