My Pilgrimage to Israel (2013) - Part Five

Jericho - the oldest city in the world

Leaving the Galilee region of Israel, we drove along the Jordan River that runs along the border of Israel and Jordan.  During the drive, we could see the countries of Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan for a short time.  While the Galilee region is lush with green plant life, much of the area of the West Bank lying east of the mountain range is extremely arid.  The rocky peaks along the road toward Jericho are speckled with caves that have housed people for thousands of years.  At one point during the drive through Samaria, Tsippi pointed to the top of a nearby hill where Jacob's well is located.

Mt Nebo as seen from Jericho

Without much background, the story of Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman at this well, would not seem unusual.  The meer fact that Jesus was in the vicinity of Samaria was radical enough.  But, to be speaking to an Samaritan woman who had been divorced 5 times and was living with another man was considered outrageous.  Samaritans were considered unclean and not to be associated with - add this background about the woman and you can imagine how scandalous this must have been (even Jesus' disciples questioned him).  But, again Jesus demonstrated that he came not to condemn but to save.  I'm not sure who the Samaritans of our day are...but, I think we could name a few if we thought about it long enough.

Greek Orthodox - Monastery of Temptation

Jericho is the oldest city in the world.  It sits across the River Jordan from Mount Nebo.  You may recall that Moses never stepped foot on the soil of the promised land of Israel.  He stood on the top of Mount Nebo from where he saw this place...and was buried there after freeing the Hebrew nation from the slavery in the land of Egypt.  The city was taken by the Hebrews led by Joshua without military force. Again, God didn't want anyone to be confused about who was responsible for the city being delivered to the Israelites.  God gave Joshua instructions that must have had the Israelites questioning their sanity: march around, blow trumpets, and yell really loud.  That's it.  The walls fell.  God did it.

Sitting above the city, the Monastery of Temptation is carved into the mountainside.  This ancient monastery sits above a cave thought to be where Jesus spent some of his 40 days of temptation in the wilderness while meditating and fasting.  Jesus also healed Bartimaeus of his blindness in Jericho.

Next, we went to Qumran which sits in the Judean desert next to the Dead Sea.  As Jericho is the oldest city in the world, the Dead Sea is the lowest place on the planet.  Outside of the small visitor center, this place seems to be stuck in the Old Testament ages.  That time in history is appropriate because this is where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.  These scrolls, written by an ancient Jewish sect called the Essenes, included all but one book of the Old Testament and are dated to approximately 400 BC.  

Qumran - photo by James Stewart

The scrolls have helped substantiate the fact that the Bible is the most recounted ancient manuscript known to exist.  It is entirely unique among antiquities in that hundreds of iterations from different sources reaffirm the same stories.  The scrolls were written to preserve the word of God and have also reaffirmed what our Bibles contain.  

Essene Scroll Writing Room (Dead Sea in background)

Within the scrolls, the Book of Isaiah was found to be accurate matching our current translations down to the most minute details.  "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." - Isaiah 53:5-6.  

These words were written by the prophet Isaiah 600 years before Jesus was crucified.  Also, Isaiah 53 is extremely fascinating in that it contains the only physical description of Jesus in the Bible:  "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.  Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem."  Next stop Bethlehem...where he was born.

My Pilgrimage to Israel (2013) - Part Four

Capernaum was home to several apostles - pictured are disciples from our tour group

Before this trip, I could not imagine being in any one of the locations we have visited.  On this day, we had been to four significant biblical sites and it wasn't even time for lunch!  After the Mount of Beatitudes and some very deep and meaningful worship, we entered one of the most significant towns in the New Testament:  Capernaum.  Several of Jesus' apostles came from this ancient fishing village located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.  Simon Peter, James, John, Andrew, and Matthew are believed to be from Capernaum.  The Gospels recount that Jesus taught in the synagogue in this town.  He also healed many people including Peter's mother-in-law and the paralytic [that was lowered through the ceiling to reach Jesus] here.

4th Century synagogue which sits upon one in which Jesus taught
(the darker stone at the bottom is the original's foundation)

Amazingly, excavations have revealed the remains of the original synagogue where Jesus taught.  That synagogue is located directly beneath a second, 4th century synagogue.  We stood directly over the site where the Messiah taught: "I am the bread of life.  Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty".

Within yards of this amazing site, there is also a church built over the home of the Simon Peter: this village was inhabited from the time of Christ until the 4th century.  During the 4th century, it was discovered that one of the homes underwent a great transformation that included meticulous care and inscriptions on the walls, plaster flooring, and ceremonial lighting.  Later, a church was built directly over this same home.  This site is the home of St. Peter.

A Catholic Church straddles Simon Peter's home

The town of Capernaum - The Sea of Galilee is in the background

I, like so many other Christians, can relate to Peter.  He was an exuberant follower of Christ that was simply a knucklehead at times.  One minute Peter asked Jesus to help him to walk on water.  The next, he is scared and lacking faith to the degree that he begins sinking.  Thinking that he needed to protect Jesus, he cut off a soldier's ear (that Jesus then healed) then only hours later denied he even knew Jesus.  After spending three years with Jesus, Peter still couldn't grasp what Jesus meant.  But, when he finally did, he became so very instrumental in growing the church.  Peter gives hope to many that realize that God used, and continues to use, the most unlikely of characters to accomplish his purposes.  It is one of the most reaffirming stories in the Bible.          

Next, we visited a local museum that featured a 1st century fishing boat that had been recently located in the Sea of Galilee.  The boat is believed to be of typical design as those used during the time of Jesus.  We then boarded a boat for a trip across the very body of water where Jesus walked upon water.  Once in the middle of the lake, we cut the engine and enjoyed a devotional on the calm, quiet waters of the Sea of Galilee.  These moments were deeply appreciated as they allowed for silent reflection.  The Quaker tradition of worship incorporates a fair amount of silence.  It is during this time that these disciples listen to the Spirit of God...or just pray silently.  We also share or testify to one another if the Spirit moves us to do so.  For most of the week, I took advantage of every opportunity to worship in this manner.  It was fantastic.

Sea of Galilee by boat - picture by James Stewart

    
For lunch, we ate St. Peter's fish!  The type of fish we ate is the only fish that is native only to these waters.  They are plentiful...and delicious.  It was a nice way to honor this place.  Soon after lunch, we went to the Jordan River baptismal site where I was baptized by Pastor David Hayes.  These are the waters in which John the Baptist baptized Jesus: "And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him."  Several of us took part in water baptism.  I was pleased to have the opportunity to share in the tradition of water baptism with other disciples in the waters where Jesus was baptized.  The river was very cold.  But, I felt nothing but blessed.

Next stop:  Jericho (the oldest city in the world) and Qumran

My Pilgrimage to Israel (2013) - Part Three

Pilgrimage - 1) a journey to a sacred place or shrine trip, 2) a long journey or search, especially one of exalted purpose or moral significance.

Day Two: this portion of the trip was as significant as any of the week: an early morning departure for a day at a variety of significant sites along the shore of the Sea of Galilee (also known as the Sea of Tiberius which is really a big lake surrounded by very hilly terrain).  Jesus spent a lot of time during his ministry in the area around the Sea of Galilee.  He also gathered his apostles, performed many miracles, and reappeared after his resurrection in this area.  Before coming to Israel, I tried to imagine what it would be like to walk along these shores, but I couldn't quite grasp what the experience would be like.  This is one of the legs of the trip that I was most excited to experience.

The Valley of Winds - Via Maris - picture by James Stewart

On our way to our first destination, The Valley of Winds - Via Maris, we drove past the village of Migdal.  This small village is a relatively new excavation and was once the home of Mary Magdalene.  Jesus was considered radical in so many ways including how he broke with societal norms when he included Mary in his ministry.  He turned the values of the world upside down and that included his treatment of all women.  Mary was with Jesus during his crucifixion, was the first to see the resurrected Christ, and announced that he had risen to the other apostles.  To see Mary Magdalene's humble village, even if just from the road, was inspiring.

Church of the Primacy of St Peter

We started the day at The Valley of Winds - Via Maris which is an ancient trade route pathway that leads through the mountainous terrain surrounding the Sea of Galilee.  It was very heavily traveled during Jesus' time and would have been used by anyone visiting Migdal and Capernaum.  In other words, Jesus undoubtedly used this road when he traveled from Nazareth to visit Peter, James, John, Matthew and Andrew in Capernaum.  Caves at the top of the tall mounts attest the age of this place.  It was serene, extraordinarily peaceful, and beautiful during this early morning.  Many of the group said that this was one of their favorite places.  We were right in the middle of a sacred place.  The atmosphere was palpable.

After considering Jesus' journeys through these valleys, we traveled along the shore of the Sea of Galilee to Taghba.  Within Taghba, there are two significant locations in Christian history: the Church of the Multiplication and the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter.  Among other evidences, these two buildings sit atop two 4th century churches that were built to honor one of Jesus' reappearances after his crucifixion and the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes.  Both of these sites sit along the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Sea of Galilee at Church of the Primacy of St Peter

"Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize it was Jesus" - this is the story where the resurrected Jesus appeared to his disciples again and instructed them, after they were unable to catch fish, to throw their net "on the right side of the boat" and they caught a large number of fish.  It is a wonderful story of God reuniting with his followers and encouraging them.  This is also where Jesus asked Peter three times "do you love me?".  After Peter answered each time that he indeed did love Jesus, the Lord instructed Peter to then "feed my sheep".  A wonderful and loving exchange.

After a walk along the road to the Church of the Multiplication (honoring where Jesus fed the multitudes), our bus left for the Mount of the Beatitudes.  Again, there is no absolute proof that this is the area where Jesus delivered the powerful (and extraordinarily challenging) Sermon on the Mount.  But, there is good evidence why these locations have been honored as such for 1600 years.  Even so, as our tour guide Tsippi stated, we didn't come to honor the site but to honor the event...to honor the Creator.

The Mount of Beatitudes is probably the most beautiful of all the sites we visited.  We stood next to the basilica, overlooking the Sea of Galilee and the Mount of Beatitudes, while Shelly Hayes read the Sermon on the Mount; Pastor Arturo Maine from Costa Rica by way of New York, read the same scripture in Spanish (Matthew 5-7)...blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven...blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted...blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth...blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled...  I stared over the Sea of Galilee and intermittently prayed silently while these disciples read these cherished scripture.  We entered the basilica, sang a hymn (well, some sang...I usually hum because my memory of lyrics is terrible) and prayed.  I absolutely love this place.

Sea of Galilee from Mount of Beatitudes - the view from where I stood while we read the Sermon on the Mount

Next stop: Capernaum, Crossing the Sea of Galilee, and Jordan River

My Pilgrimage to Israel (2013) - Part Two

View of Nazareth (upon the hills in background) and Mt. Tabor (on the right) from Megiddo

Day One (cont'd) - Our time in Caesarea was followed by a trip to ancient Tel Megiddo which translated to Hebrew is Har Megiddo or Armageddon.  The Book of Revelation describes a great end-times battle when all of the world's kings assemble in the valley of Armageddon.  26 civilizations dating back thousands of years before Christ are known to have been located on this ancient site that juts above the fertile valleys.  King David conquered Tel Megiddo after the failed attempts of others before him.  The city reached its height during the reign of the wise King Solomon (David's son).  This place is incredibly rich in biblical history.  

Manger from time of Christ - Tel Megiddo

After waiting out the rain while having lunch, we walked to the top of Tel Megiddo.  Despite the historical significance of this place, it is quite open to those who want to wander alongside its excavations. Even the pathways leading to the top are littered with thousands of ancient pottery shards underfoot.

Standing on top of the hill, I was struck by the close proximity of so many other significant biblical sites.  You could easily see Mt Carmel (see Israel - Part One), Mt Tabor, Mt Gilboa, Jezreel Valley and Nazareth.  Names associated with these places include Jesus, David, Solomon, Saul, Josiah, Gideon, Elijah...absolutely incredible.  One of the most inspiring of the Old Testament stories is that of Gideon.  That story happened in the valley in front of us.




Gideon's defeat of the Midianites happened in the Jezreel Valley.  Gideon's army was reduced to 300 men because God directed him to shrink his numbers.  God, in his wisdom, determined it best to demonstrate his strength through this small and weakened military (see "Our Weakness, His Strength").  Thus, there was no mistaking who controlled the outcome of the conflict.

Nazareth from Mount Precipice

As we wound our way from the top of the ancient hill, I was reminded of the same principal [that God demonstrated through Gideon] when Jesus was born.  Along the path sits a 1st century stone manger.  Christian, your King was not born in a position of power; he wasn't laid in a posh palace bed.  He was born in a cave used to house dirty animals and slept in a feeding trough made of stone.

While in Megiddo, I was completely transfixed on the small town of Nazareth that can be easily seen, sitting seemingly quiet atop a range of hills, across the the valley.  Jesus spent most of his childhood and adult years there.  God chose that small, unimportant town to be the home of his one and only Son.

For at least 1,600 years, this stone cave has been
celebrated as the young virgin's home

Nazareth sits in a bowl shaped indention on top of the hills overlooking Megiddo and the Jezreel Valley.   It occurred to me that, during his upbringing, Jesus would undoubtedly look over these same hills and valleys while standing on the ridges surrounding his town.  Before entering, we stood above the city Mt. Precipice - this is the location that is believed to be where the people of Nazareth attempted to kill Jesus before he "passed through the midst of them and went away".  Whether this was the exact cliff on which they attempted to kill him is not important.  I had no doubt that he once walked as a man - probably played as a boy - where we were standing.

Descending into Nazareth, we walked to the Basilica of the Annunciation.  This basilica sits upon ancient sites believed to be where the young virgin Mary lived and where the angel Gabriel appeared before her to say "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.  You will conceive and give birth to a son and you are to call him Jesus."  The village was very small during Jesus' time.  So, the likelihood remains that Jesus also lived, learned of His Father, and worshiped in this location.  To think that my God had resided in this humble little village was as spiritually moving as anything that I have ever experienced.

Next stop:  The Sea of Galilee
   

     

My Pilgrimage to Israel (2013) - Part One

Theater in Caesarea where St Paul testified to Herod Agrippa 

I had maintained a list of personal and professional goals for several years.  Some of the goals were short-term in nature.  Those would include items such as "read # books in 2013".  Other objectives would be longer term such as personal and professional aspirations, etc.  Most of my goals seemed noble enough.  However, in January 2012, I decided to clean the slate to "recalibrate" - to assure that I was properly aligning myself with God's plans.  So, I immediately eliminated every line-item on that sheet except one - a trip to the Holy Land.  I had that one marked as a "sometime before I die" objective.  One month after making these changes, my friend Pastor David Hayes, announced that he was arranging a January 2013 trip to Israel.  He was inviting whomever would like to join him in this pilgrimage.  I immediately contacted him to get the details.

Usually, a year in advance, most things seem easily doable.  That is, until the idea of leaving your wife and children behind as you hop a jet bound for the middle-east starts playing tricks on your mind.  It seemed that every fiber in my being was telling me that it wasn't a good idea.  In fact, only 6 weeks before we left, rockets were being sent from Gaza toward Tel Aviv (the very city in which we were scheduled to land). Nonetheless, as the trip approached, God made it very clear to me that this trip was meant to happen...and I followed his lead.

With the exception of a couple that were meeting us in Israel, our entire team assembled in Philadelphia.  We were joined by a group of Christ followers from Tennessee, Alaska, Indiana, North Carolina, New York, and Alabama.   After a long 12 hour flight, we landed in the rainy city of Tel Aviv and jumped on a bus headed for Galilee.  Within 10 minutes of leaving the airport, our tour guide informed us that we were in the land of the ancient Hebrew tribe of Benjamin.  That announcement was enough to start my head spinning and stirred a tremendous amount of reflection and emotion.  Soon after, we could see an outline of Mt Carmel where the prophet Elijah (you know, the guy who flew off to heaven in a fiery chariot) confronted the false prophets.  I was right in the middle of the land of the Holy Bible...of milk and honey...of Abraham, Isaiah, King David, John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.  To say that I felt inspired and somewhat overwhelmed is a major understatement.

I once read that 80% of Jesus' ministry took place in Israel's northern region of Galilee.  Our home base for three nights was in Galilee's ancient Roman city of Tiberius situated on the Sea of Galilee.  It was from this location that we would drive to visit Caesarea (also an ancient Roman city), Tel Megiddo (Armageddon), Nazareth and Bet She'an on our first day.

Caesarea sits on the Mediterranean Sea where 2,000 year old pottery shards are still washing ashore.  The Apostle Paul was imprisoned here for two years (either in Herod's palace or Pontius Pilate's residence) because of his testimony about Jesus Christ.  As our tour guide, Tsippi, explained the facts behind Paul's imprisonment, a rainbow (a biblical sign of God's promise to man after the great flood) sat over the location of his imprisonment.  Tsippi exclaimed: "God is so good".  There is no doubt in my mind that we were supposed to be there at that very moment - and I was glad that I followed God's lead.

Next stop: The Valley of Armageddon - the location where John prophesied the final battle between good and evil.

  

Gaining Life By Losing It

People from the world's western culture - especially those of us from the United States - seem to love being in control.  I'm not speaking of the type of control that equates to a desire for power (although there is a strong natural tendency for that too).  This isn't about being on a power-trip.  It's a discussion about our natural want to determine our destiny, eliminate surprises, always know where we are going, write our road map through life, or even merely preserve ourselves.

But, God wants his followers to depend upon him and his provision.  We can see this demonstrated throughout the entirety of the bible.  Jesus Christ told his disciples "whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it".  Jesus also said that "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me".  I believe that he was being quite literal about this.  And in the desert, God wanted the Israelites to be completely trusting in him even for their daily sustenance.  He provided food to the them, in the form of manna, for a period 40 years (after Moses freed them from the bondage of slavery in Egypt).  But, he only supplied them with one day's worth at a time.  God wanted them to trust and depend on him...completely...each...and every...day.  He wants that for us today.

That doesn't mean that the Creator wants to make mindless puppets out of his followers, forever in waiting.  This fact was demonstrated from our beginnings - our individual freewill is essential in his desire for us.  We also shouldn't think that relying on God means no motion on our part.  But, he wants us to actively put him at the very center of our lives and our actions.  I heard a pastor once describe the catastrophe that would result if the planet Mercury suddenly replaced the Sun at the center of our solar system...that arrangement wouldn't work any more than when we attempt to remove God from our center.

Unfortunately, my natural inclination does not align itself with these ideals.  Sometimes, it is incredibly difficult to lose my life.  In fact, it is something that I need to do daily...if even 50 times a day.  My notions of "what is best" occur throughout the day, every day.  It isn't until I realize my plans are merely my own human design and that God's are divine, that I realize how much I limit myself by attempting to save my life.  There is a paradox in that it takes real strength to truly release ourselves to God's will.  It can seem somewhat like jumping out of an airplane.  However, in this act of holy obedience, the parachute has never failed to open and the destination is always better than wherever we planned to land.  It is better because it is God's destination.

God is really really big.  He's huge.  He created a universe that has been estimated to have a diameter of 150 billion light years.  We can't comprehend that distance any more than we can fully understand his design for our lives.  But, with his abundant grace, our faith will be sufficient to see where that design leads.  Undoubtedly, our plans for life are small in comparison and these small plans have been outweighed.  This will surely be an exciting ride...if only we have the willingness to jump.

         

   

Religious People Hated Jesus

"Religious People Hated Jesus" was the name and theme of a sermon I was listening to while driving to work.  The preacher delivering the message was explaining that Jesus' ministry was entirely radical, extraordinarily controversial, and maligning to much of the prevailing religious community.  That assessment of Jesus and his message is correct.  Is it possible that he would receive the same reaction today?

During the time of Christ, the prevailing religious leaders thought that by maintaining the appearance of following God's law, they might inherit His promised blessings.  Jesus taught that, while we are absolutely expected to be obedient, the content of our hearts determines whether we are pure.  He taught that no matter how good the external appearances, the internal would finally determine whether we are truly obedient.  Jesus said: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness."  

While being internally corrupt, the religious leaders condemned those whom they felt unworthy of God's grace.  In the meantime, Jesus would dine with sinners and fraternize with the spiritually and physically unclean.  While those same leaders hypocritically preached of excommunication of sinners, Jesus' message was one of grace and forgiveness.  He taught that the poor in spirit were blessed and that the meek would inherit the earth...the last would be first.

Does our modern religious culture have any parallels to that which Christ preached against?  Do our outward religious practices belie our inward spiritual state?  Then, do we condemn the afflicted while we ourselves are also afflicted (we are all afflicted)?  Or do we act with grace in accepting the shortcomings of others...while duly recognizing our own? 

Are we like those proud teachers of the law, about to stone the woman to death for her transgressions, unable to see their own shortcomings?  Jesus - in his amazing way - offered to allow the stoning if someone, who hadn't sinned himself, would throw the first stone.  Even these Pharisees realized that they could not measure up to this standard and walked away.  Do we Christians realize that our own shortcomings should prevent us from this same condemnation of others?  That we are only justified through grace and not our own doing?  Should these passages make us uncomfortable?  With "fear and trembling", they should. 

Paul said: "...while we were still sinners, Christ died for us".  Being in an infinitely smaller state than God, we might challenge ourselves by asking whether we should feel [even remotely] justified when we self-righteously reject those for whom he died.