Our biblical brothers and sisters rarely stayed in one place. Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden like naughty teenagers according to St Irenaeus, moved on to create a new way of life. Noah’s descendants migrated from Mount Ararat to Babel in Genesis 11:1-9. Abraham is called “Abraham the Hebrew” in Genesis 14:13, which is the first time that the word Hebrew is used in the Bible. The root letters mean to cross over or pass through. Abraham came from the other side of the river. He and his family had travelled from close to the river Euphrates, crossed over into Haran, and then God called him back over the river again to the land which we now call Israel. So God had commanded Abraham and Sarah to move from Ur to Canaan, down to Egypt and back again in Genesis 12. While Isaac, Rebekah and Jacob moved to and from Beersheba, Haran, Bethel and the Transjordan in Genesis 24. And Jacob’s son Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery and taken to Egypt in Genesis 37.
Therefore, the word ‘Hebrew’ means a person who travels, and as we know, the emerging group of Hebrews later called the ‘Israelites’ travelled for 40 years before they were liberated. Moses himself was a traveller, abandoned as a baby and left to drift along the river he is rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter. Then when Moses obeys God’s order and leads the people through the Red Sea onto dry land, he again travels through water to safety. The word Moses in Hebrew means to be ‘drawn out’ so Moses fulfils his own name as a child and as an adult.
The prophet Jonah ends up travelling to Nineveh in a whale because he disobeyed God by trying to board a ship in the opposite direction. While Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, leave Moab for Bethlehem due to the death of Ruth’s husband and a famine. All these people embarked upon unexpected but transformative journeys leading them to a new relationship with God and to a new freedom.
Fight or flight
Saul, David and Solomon travel as part of their divine commission and to start or avoid another battle. The Queen of Sheba travels to Jerusalem with a large caravan of camels carrying gold, spices, and precious stones to test King Solomon's wisdom. Yet Solomon’s wisdom does not always extend to human justice. The conscripted army and trafficked slave labour that he uses to build the Temple were predominantly made up of people who were forced to travel for work and were underpaid to maximise his wealth. How tragically similar is the plight of millions today seeking sanctuary and employment under oppressive regimes.
Most of the major and minor prophets travelled to preach what the Lord had commanded them. Even to escape death such as when Elijah flees from Jezebel, wife of Ahab up Mount Horeb where God protects him, yet later runs to Beersheba when his life is still in danger. In 2 Kings 5, Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, travels from Syria to Samaria to be healed by the God of Israel. People from outside of Israel who come to faith in the Hebrew God become important witnesses to the global nature of the faith, culminating in the wise men from the east at Jesus’ birth.
Once again we see how journeys shape the Old Testament as it deals with the Israelites in Exile and return from Exile at two different times before Jesus is born. In the New Testament we know that Mary makes her first important journey to see her cousin Elizabeth when they are both pregnant, recounted in Luke’s Gospel. The Magnificat song that emerges out of this family catch up has become a prophetic poem focusing on the physical and spiritual journey from suffering to deliverance through Jesus Christ.
Also in Luke’s gospel, Mary and Joseph have to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem while Mary is heavily pregnant because Caesar Augustus decreed that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. After Mary gives birth, they are soon on the move again and forced to flee to Egypt to avoid Jesus being killed. Although they will eventually settle down again in Nazareth, the beginning of Jesus’ journey to the cross has already begun.
Transitions of place and faith
Throughout the Bible, we see that journeys, people, places and God are always inter-connected. This relationship is as much about identity as it is about the purpose of the journey, about the lived experience as well as salvation. To show exactly how people related to God and to each other, our biblical writers used the concept of journeying and places to convey both geographical and theological meanings.
The Old Testament places carried a significance in their own right and in their relationship to the New Testament. The Garden of Eden in Genesis 2:8 is the focal point of creation and the Jerusalem Temple in 1 Kings 5-9 will become the focal point of worship. Both the garden and the Temple become compromised by humanity, yet when they are restored in Christ, Eden becomes a new paradise in Luke 23:43 and the Temple becomes Jesus’ body in Matthew 24:2. Jesus becomes the second Adam in Romans 5:12-25 and points towards a new Jerusalem at the end time in Revelation 21:1-27.
Moses leads the Israelites through the Red Sea to safety from Egyptian oppression in Exodus 14:19-31 and Joshua and his spies, cross the river Jordan in Joshua 1:1-3; 3:1-17 with the divine protection of the Ark of the Covenant. These two epic journeys mark a transition both in place and faith and anticipate the coming of Christ. So, Paul will connect the Red Sea with Christian baptism in 1 Corinthians 10:1-5 and the Jordan is where John the Baptist baptises many people including Jesus in all four gospels (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22 and John 1:25-34). The sea and the river become symbols of physical and spiritual freedom in both Testaments.
The gospel narratives are generally structured around different geographical places. The main locations for Jesus’ ministry were Galilee in the north and Judea in the south including some activities taking place in areas such as Perea (east of the Jordan) and Samaria (west of the Jordan).
Galilean ministry
Jesus' adult ministry begins with his baptism in the Jordan before he returns to Galilee and preaches in the synagogue at Capernaum. He meets his first disciples near the Sea of Galilee and continues his Galilean ministry with key events such as the Sermon on the Mount including the Beatitudes.
Jesus’ itinerant ministry sets a profound example as Luke 13:22 states,
22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.
His purposeful travel encompassed teaching, healing, and reaching various communities, illustrating that journeying can be a means of spreading wisdom and compassion. Luke’s gospel presents Jesus’ life through a series of journeys he must make culminating with the journey to Emmaus and the revelation of his divinity in the post resurrection fellowship meal.
Journeys beyond Galilee
Four key events occur that slowly begin to reveal Jesus’ true identity to his followers which are his meeting with: Martha in Bethany, the woman at the well in Samaria, Peter in Caesarea Philippi who all proclaim Jesus as the Messiah. Then on Mount Hermon Jesus is transfigured before some of the disciples. The rest of the narratives then deal mainly with Jesus' final journey to Jerusalem as he returns to the area where he was baptized.
Final week in Jerusalem
Jesus' final ministry begins with his entry into Jerusalem after raising Lazarus from the dead in Bethany. And ends with his crucifixion at Golgotha, close to the holy city - the heart of both Jewish worship and Roman occupation.
Post-Resurrection appearances
The accounts of Jesus’ various resurrection appearances to Mary Magdalene, the disciples and others, all take place in Judea and the Galilee area.
Acts of the Apostles
Once the Great Commission has been given, Acts is the account of those earliest missionary journeys. God’s Word is to be spread to all nations and all peoples, and Philip follows this command by going to Samaria in Acts 8:5. Saul is converted on the road to Damascus where he had travelled from Jerusalem to attack the Jesus movement in Acts 9. In Acts 11:19-26 Barnabas goes out from Jerusalem to plant a church in Antioch, but Stephen is killed travelling to Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch preaching the Good News.
In Acts 16:13 Paul and his companions sought places of prayer by the river, showing travel as an opportunity for spiritual reflection and bonding with fellow believers, in Acts 8:26-40 - Philip has a profound encounter with an Ethiopian Eunuch under the authority of Queen Candace while travelling for work. The Eunuch is so determined to understand the Scriptures and express his faith, that as soon as he sees water along the road, he asks Philip to baptize him and rejoices in his new-found faith.
The Apostle Paul's travels are among the most documented and significant journeys in the New Testament. In Romans 15:24, he writes:
I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.
In 2 Corinthians 11:26, Paul recounts the dangers he faced during his journeys:
25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
This highlights the hardships and perils that come with fulfilling the divine mission and the need for faith, persistence and resilience in the face of adversity. The Bible emphasises the importance of companionship and divine guidance during travels to protect those who have a role in God’s plan. The significance of this divine direction in biblical journeys and trusting in a higher authority despite uncertainties is evident in the Book of Tobit. The young Tobias is accompanied by the Archangel Raphael in disguise throughout his journey to retrieve his father’s money safely, marry his kinswoman Sarah reconciling their family lines, and restore his father’s eyesight.
Travelling in Scripture also leads to personal growth through mistakes and redemption. In Luke 15:13, the Parable of the Prodigal Son tells us:
13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.
This journey, though initially marked by wastefulness, ultimately leads to repentance and reconciliation. It captures the essence of human error and its consequences, and the possibility of return and forgiveness. While the Parable of the Good Samaritan tells us that travelling could be dangerous as a person was left for dead until the Samaritan took pity on him. A similar transformation occurs to Jacob when he decides to take a nap on route to Haran and dreams about angels on a ladder to heaven. The same concept of journey is used figuratively in the Bible to talk about our way of life and our faith. Noah, Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully with God in Genesis 6:9 and 48:15. The people of Israel were told to walk in obedience to God in Joshua 22:5. Proverbs instructs us how to walk, to conduct our lives well. And the New Testament tells us we are to walk by faith in 2 Corinthians 5:7.
Jesus challenges the idea that travelling to the Temple and the shrines should be the normal centres of divine encounter. He places true devotion within the heart of the believer, re-defining the old understandings of God, place and praise in one spectacular move with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:4-30. The holy place is no longer external but within the heart of a person. The sacred and the secular are separate no more, and God is no longer apart from creation.
The Bible's treatment of travel is multi-dimensional, exploring themes of mission, adversity, transformation, and divine companionship. By reflecting on biblical passages related to journeys, we can find deeper meaning and insights in our own physical and spiritual journeys. Embracing the lessons of perseverance, faith, and openness to divine guidance, every journey can become an act of spiritual discovery and growth. It becomes a pilgrimage.
The Church draws life not from herself but from the Gospel, and from the Gospel she discovers ever anew the direction for her journey. (Verbum Domini, Part 2: 51).
