I began reading John Howard Yoder's "The Politics of Jesus" this evening. It had been on my reading list for some time and I finally cracked it open. It may prove to be a little dull and different than expected. It seems to be quite academic. In any case, the following quote caught me:

First there is an enormous distance between past and present to be covered by way of hermeneutics from exegesis to contemporary theology.

I really have no idea what Yoder truly meant here, but what I gathered was that there is long way from the teachings and actions of Jesus and their contemporary relevance today. His purpose is of course politics and ethics, but for our purposes it goes beyond that.

Isn't that truly the problem though with much teaching and interpretation today, what did it mean and what does it mean. How can we translate the teachings in the times of Jesus to today. Some have changed, some still should remain, where are the barriers between the two? That is my struggle right now, and I am hoping to entertain a deeper study of the Gospels to begin to formulate an opinion on this.