In class today someone commented on Jesus sitting while he's teaching.
They said, "I heard Jesus sat when he taught so that everyone who wanted to hear would have to move in close, because Jesus liked to put obstacles in front of people."
I didn't have a problem with the second part, as people would probably expect. I had a problem with the first part. It's what happens when we take our modern perception of culture and apply it to ancient customs.
It's like in 2 Samuel, it says Jonathan loved David. Of course, 21st century readers think, "Jonathan was a homosexual." Of course, until our modern context, nobody gave that serious thought.
That just makes me wonder: how many things do I believe that I don't realize are the result of my experience so far without considering outside of them? (I'm sure someone will answer: Christianity.)
Thankfully, our professor dealt with the situation very well, saying that it's probably not a good explanation of why Jesus sat. It's much better than saying, "Well, that person was an idiot."
Maybe one day I'll be a good professor.
DL
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