Contemplative Bible Reading

John 10:22-23 (New International Version)

²² Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.

The Festival of Dedication doesn’t mean much to me. I recently learned that this festival is today known as Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights. Wikipedia has a good article on Hanukkah. From Wikipedia we have,

From the Hebrew word for “dedication” or “consecration”, Hanukkah marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem (Second Temple) after its desecration by the forces of the King of Syria Antiochus IV Epiphanes and commemorates the “miracle of the container of oil”. According to the Talmud, at the re-dedication following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate fresh olive oil.

Hanukkah is not described in the Old Testament. The Jews, however, believed it was a miraculous occasion and celebrate it to this day.

Let’s note a few things and at the same time try not to infer too much.

• An event that was not recorded in scripture is regarded as a miracle from God.
• Jesus, as a Jew, participated in this festival.
• This little note in John’s Gospel provides yet another link between Christians and Jews.

For much of my life, I believed that events recorded in the Bible were important (I still do) and that events not recorded in the Bible aren’t important. I am changing my opinion on the second part. There have been many events not recorded in the Bible that many  people regard as miraculous. It is easy to relegate these events, and these people, to the large pile of human vanity. “Those people didn’t recognize what they saw. They are merely superstitious or just plain silly.” Such disregard for people isn’t very loving and the Bible clearly teaches about the importance of loving one another.

Jesus noted this Festival of Lights. I could infer that He approved of it and thus confirmed the miracle that originated the Festival of Lights. Perhaps that is inferring too much, and perhaps it isn’t quite a stretch. Regardless of what I infer, we have it recorded here that Jesus was in the temple courts at the time of the festival.

Maybe the third bullet is the most important for me today. My Lord and Savior was at an event that Jews still celebrate today. I can learn about the Festival of Lights and love those who celebrate it today. I confess that at age 50+ I know almost nothing about this event. That is my shame, one which I will strive to correct.

Loving others everyday in every way as I should is another thing I will strive to correct. I don’t know that I will ever master it, but I will strive to.