THE WAY OF THE PILGRIM
2 Cor 5:17
Every year since 650 AD Muslims celebrate the Hajj. The Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca. According to Islamic beliefs every devout Muslim must attend at least one Hajj in their lifetime if they wish to guarantee their arrival in Paradise upon their death. This year the Hajj, which went from June 5 to July 6 , had over 2.5 million participants.
Do Christian’s make a pilgrimage? Many Christians would like to visit Jerusalem at least once in their lifetime. But, is it a requirement? Historically speaking, the Crusades would come close to being a mandatory pilgrimage. Pope Urban II in 1095 stated that anyone going on a Crusade to wrest Jerusalem from the infidels would have all their sins forgiven and a spot reserved for them in heaven. A rather cheeky promise since there is nothing in the Bible that suggests that a crusade would guarantee a trip to heaven.
However, in Christianity tens of thousands of people do make pilgrimages. A trip to Jerusalem is one. Another, is a trip to Rome. The third important pilgrimage is the one to Santiago de Campostella.
Santiago de Campostella is the capital of the province of Galicia, Spain. Located in the center of town is the Church of St. James. In a secure vault located in the church is a reliquary containing the bones of James, the Apostle. Or so they say.
Around 950 AD pilgrims began making their way to this church to pay homage to the sacred bones of James the Apostle. The numbers of people making this pilgrimage have waxed and wane over the centuries, but in 2023 over 300,000 Christians have made the trek. To go on this pilgrimage is a serious commitment. To be recognized as a pilgrimage and receive a document stating you have done so requires the following;
1. You must have walked the last 62 miles, or rode a bicycle or horse for the last 124 miles.
2. To verify that you have done so you must have a pilgrimage passport. Along the four main paths to St James are hostels, restaurants, and city halls that have special stamps. When you arrive at one of these stations, they will stamp your passport.
3. The five main trails to Santiago de Campostella can be found in:
France, which will require a trip over the Pyrenees Mountains
Germany, which will require a hike over the Alps
Poland, also requiring a hike over the Alps
Spain, starting near the border with Italy and going mostly along the coast line
Portugal, also going along the coastline.
The longest trail is almost 800 miles. The shortest is 125 miles. Most people surprisingly take the 500 mile trail in Spain, or the 300 mile trail in France.
This is a serious commitment. It can take almost 6 weeks to hike the 500 miles to the church. Fortunately, there are hostels that are free to the pilgrims along the way. Each one is placed approximately one days journey apart which on average is about 12 miles. All you have is what you can carry in your backpack.
Fortunately, most of the trail is well marked. It should be since people have been walking these trail for over a thousand years. Tourists also hop on the trail, but mostly for the scenery, especially along the coast lines of Portugal.
When you finally arrive at Santiago de Campostella, the Catholic diocese has an office where you present your pilgrims passport. They will confirm that you have abided by the rules and that you are serious pilgrim by asking a few questions and reviewing that all the stamps on your passport are legitimate. If you meet these requirements you will be presented a document, suitable for hanging on the wall, with the date and time of the completion of your pilgrimage.
Biblically, there is no requirement for you to make a pilgrimage to support your faith or ardor of your belief in Christ. Health wise, it couldn’t hurt to get a little exercise though. Many athletes will tell you that taking long walks, or biking a long distance is good for you mentally. It allows you to meditate on issues that maybe troubling you. But, as a requirement to show how devoted you are as a Christian? Not necessary.
Of course, as daunting as the miles one has to walk to Santiago de Campostella on a pilgrimage it pales in comparison to the hundreds, if not thousands of miles that Paul the Apostle walked as he established the various churches in the eastern Mediterranean.
Paul was a very talented individual and multifaceted. He was a church planter, administrator, theologian, writer and preacher. Of all the writers in the New Testament, Paul was the most concerned about what he believed to be the necessary hallmarks of a good Christian. In his Pastoral Epistles he would often chastise and correct the churches he helped establish. He also defined what the hierarchy and roles for each of the leaders should be. Furthermore, he established what kind of person should fulfill those roles in the church. He also mandated that each church should be actively evangelizing in their city, but at no time should they neglect their own members and their needs.
When Paul went on his missionary trips he almost always had a companion, Barnabas was one as well as Timothy. Titus was another. Titus, a gentile was converted by Paul when he visited Antioch. Titus was an educated man and became a close companion to Paul, who treated him like his son. On occasion Titus also acted as a courier , such as delivering the two letters to Corinth.
Eventually, Paul had such confidence in Titus that he appointed Titus to lead the work in Corinth, Dalmatia (modern day Serbia) and finally Crete.
Titus, like Paul was an administrator and an evangelist. He also appears to be a bit of a troubleshooter, as noted in Corinthians. Titus traveled with Paul to Jerusalem, Philipi, Corinth, Dalmatia and Crete.
Paul discovered to his dismay a church in much disarray on Crete and left Titus there to bring the church and its members into accord with the Lord. The people of Crete had a less than stellar reputation in the known world at that time. Polybius, a Greek historian called them fierce, lying cheats. Pliny the Younger a Roman statesman and historian called them a rebellious people, prone to laziness and lying.
In the book of Titus we find that Paul left Titus with a list of instructions on how to re-organize the church. In the first chapter is a list of offices in the church and what kind of person Paul felt should fulfill those roles. The qualifications for these offices are similar to the ones Paul had given Timothy as noted in 1 Timothy 3.
In Chapter two of Titus, Paul gave instructions on how the various members of the church should act within their homes as well as how they interact with each other in the church.
Paul’s wisdom on how to provide a firm foundation for the young church is still applicable today. His instructions would help the church to grow, increase the growth of discipleship and provide guidance in dealing with challenges from heretics and Satan.
Chapter 3 of Titus instructs how Christians should interact with the world and why. It is this chapter that I would like to spend a little time discussing.
Paul’s expectations were high, but not impossible to attain. Yet, one of the first things he mentions might have a been a tad difficult for the people of Crete due to their reputation.
That first expectation: submitting themselves to the authorities and the law.
Why? Why, is it so important to follow the civil law? Turn with me to Romans 13:1 Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God.
(Rom 13:2) Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment.
Paul also tells us that the earthly authorities have been granted their positions because God allowed it. If we disobey or disregard the laws and authorities then we are in effect disobeying God.
However, the one caveat to this admonition is that we should not compromise our beliefs and accept their theology or do something that is clearly against God’s Law. If the authorities insist then we must politely demur from obeying. If we do so, we must also be willing to accept the consequences of disobeying the authorities. Just as Christ and the apostles often did.
But it is much more than not wanting to disobey God. Paul wants the people of Christ to be disciplined in their life. To be respectful of the authorities placed above them. He wants them to show the world that their walk of faith should be above reproach and clearly apparent to all that they come in contact with. In other words the way we conduct ourselves on a day to day basis is a powerful witnessing tool for God. As we go through life and demonstrate and live our lives in the manner the Bible tells us, we would be examples to all of God’s love and grace. And thus, a powerful tool for God to use to all those we come in contact with.
It goes even further than this though. When we are out and about are we courteous to all we come in contact with? Do we readily stand in line at the Grocery store or at the bank? Or do we try to cut in because we are in such a hurry? Perhaps we encounter a clerk or cashier who is obviously having a very bad day and is curt with us. Do we return snark with snark or do we remain pleasant despite their bad attitude?
If we feel a bit rich and go to a restaurant to have dinner, do we still bow our heads and offer grace for the meal? What about being consistently on time for work or our appointments?
These issues may seem to be small potatoes in the grand scheme of things but, people will notice. And these simple acts can be a very powerful tool and testimony on how God has changed us.
Turn with me to Philippians 2:4 (Php 2:4) not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others
The second issue that Paul believes is very important is in the conduct of a Christian is how we speak about a person or to a person. He believes it is very important to show our commitment to Christianity not only in our actions but, also in our speech.
David said the same thing. Turn with me to Psalms 34:12,
(Psa 34:13) Keep thy tongue from evil, And thy lips from speaking guile.
(Psa 34:14) Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue it.
We should avoid at all costs from speaking evil about anyone. We are to avoid antagonizing anyone. We should refrain from slandering anyone or gossiping about others. Instead of starting a fight we should be the ones trying to establish peace.
The way we conduct ourselves and how we treat others whether in their presence or not, is a very powerful testimony of God’s Love towards mankind.
As a Christian we should guard the reputation of others, not tear it down. We should always extend courtesy to others, be slow to take offense and always be ready to end disagreements.
Turn with me to Romans 12:17 (Rom 12:17) Render to no man evil for evil. Take thought for things honorable in the sight of all men.
(Rom 12:18) If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men.
Colossians 3.12 has this to say, (Col 3:12) Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;
(Col 3:13) forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye:
(Col 3:14) and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness.
We live on a battlefield. Most of us will never see a gun being used and for that we should be very thankful. Neither will we need to worry about a cannonball ever coming our way. Yet, we will encounter something much worse, the tongue of an angry person. That tiny muscle can shred apart our soul,
destroy our peace,
debilitate our joy,
And turn us into quivering bowl of jello.
How do we respond to such warfare? To something that attacks are very being? This will be a test of your faith. A test also of your belief that Christ will always come to your rescue.
Turn to Galations 5:22 (Gal 5:22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
(Gal 5:23) meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.
If we truly have the faith and belief than we should put all our trust in Christ and follow his example. Anger towards us should be returned with gentleness and compassion. I know, it is very easy to say that, but extremely hard to do! Trust me on this, my temper can go from 0 - 100 in 2 seconds quite easily. You have heard the old axiom about counting to 10 before responding to someone who just belittled you I’m sure. Well, my count goes something like “1, 2, 10!”
That being said, I never give up on following the example set by Christ. I pray. I meditate. I study my Bible. Over time, I have had less flare-ups of my temper. My lack of patience is slowly turning more and more into patience. I am not cured by any means, but one could say my temper spends more time in remission.
Being gentle to someone who is angry seems like a weak response. But, consider this, it takes at least two people to have a decent fight. If only one person is fighting it kind of takes away the fun. A person who responds to an angry attack with gentleness, or meekness if you wish, de-escalates the war of words. This capacity to turn away anger in our world of conflict, battles, and disagreements is a powerful tool that can lead to discussion instead of battle.
Turn with me to Proverbs 15:1 (Pro 15:1) A soft answer turneth away wrath; But a grievous word stirreth up anger.
I think we can all agree that more can be achieved discussing issues rather that leaving a casualty on a hospital bed.
A Christian is a person who seeks reconciliation with others, to pursue peace wherever it has been lost and to restore peace when it has been broken. In the beatitudes Christ says that the meek shall inherit the world. Meekness has the ability to simultaneously control and discipline others. This is because when meekness is properly applied it has a strength greater than steel.
A Christian who has committed their lives to Christ will show on a daily basis gentleness, courtesy, kindness, compassion and grace to all whom we come in contact with.
A third principle proposed by Paul is for us to remember where we started on our walk with Christ. What kind of person were you before you committed yourself to Christ?
Chances are you were a foolish and ignorant,
conniving,
Disobedient,
Hateful,
Jealous individual. You lived in sin and satisfied your pleasures with diverse actions and substances. Whether you can check all the boxes of what I described or just one or two, Paul is saying we should never forget what we were like before we met Christ.
Why? If you remember where you started it will help you in understanding where a new convert started before they were baptized. There is an old Indian saying that we should “never judge another before we walk a mile in his moccasins.”
Empathy is a great tool to help a person adjust to being a new creature. For many folks the change wrought by accepting Christ into their lives is quite dramatic.
Paul is not chastising anyone in the church, he is just reminding us that we were never perfect. When we did not have Christ in our lives we most likely never had control over our own lives. We had no power to change the direction we were headed in as sin was in command of our lives. Thus, when we accepted Christ into our lives we were not just changed, we were reborn. We became a totally new and different creature. A change that for some people can be rather scary. This is where empathy on our part can be a very important help to the new convert.
Paul reminds us in 2 Cor 5:17 (2Co 5:17) Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new.
So, how did we change from a hateful, jealous, foolish and disobedient reprobate? Was it something we did unknowingly? Unlikely. We cannot change who we are by ourselves. Oh, we may try.
And try,
And try. At times we may even succeed. For an hour or two.
No, we cannot change ourselves successfully and permanently without the intervention of a higher power.
Let’s turn to Ephesians 2 beginning with verse 1 (Eph 2:1) And you did he make alive, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins,
(Eph 2:2) wherein ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience;
(Eph 2:3) among whom we also all once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest:--
(Eph 2:4) but God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
(Eph 2:5) even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved),
(Eph 2:6) and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus:
We were dead. Dead because of our sinful life. Dead because we couldn’t change the direction our current life was leading us to. There was no hope for us. Or, so we thought.
Our Lord and Savior however, thought differently. He looked at us and saw something worthwhile. Someone to treasure. Someone that was worth saving. Oh, sure he could have written us off. But, he didn’t.
He could have said it would be a waste of his time to try and change the direction our lives were heading. But, he didn’t.
He could have said that sin had too deep a grip on our souls. But, he didn’t.
He could have said that there was no hope or future in this person. But, he didn’t.
Instead of throwing us into the refuse pile, he took hold of us.
He washed away our sins with his blood.
He took off and burned our soiled raiments and placed a new and bright gown on us.
He then grabbed hold of our hand and led us to his table and sat beside us as he fed us with his love.
Unfortunately, even after we accept Christ into our lives we will stumble. We will get angry, spiteful and jealous. Does that mean that Christ will remove us from his table? Certainly not! In Ephesians 2:4 it says that “God is rich in his mercy” towards us! He will forgive us, provided we repent and cling to his grace towards us.
That being said, just because God will forgive us does not mean we have a licence to sin? Paul basically asked this same question in Romans 6:1 and his response was; “Certainly not!”
Let me ask you this question: When you look in the mirror who do you see? Someone who is hopeless and bereft of any chance of forgiveness and eternal life?
Let me assure you, God only sees one of his children. Someone who is worth saving. Someone that Christ was willing to die for on Calvary.
I would like to close with this note; Hebrews 11 says that we are pilgrims traveling this earth on our way to heaven. So, let us take the principles that Paul gave Titus to heart.
As Pilgrims let us continue along the trail to heaven with our hands firmly clasped with Christ’s hand. Never let go of his hand. Never forget the examples he left us on how to treat each fellow believer and anyone that we come in contact with. Never forgetting that it is because of his sacrifice on Calvary that we this hope. Hope that we can walk side by side with Christ throughout eternity.
For this is the way of a Pilgrim.
