May we do the same

We started day six at Gamla. A Zealot stronghold, site of a bloody, intense battle, where in the end, the people there threw their children, wives, and themselves off of the mountain to death rather than surrender to the Romans. Thousands of lives. Gone. What would Jesus say to this? How do you pull out what is good and noble of the heart of the Zealots and leave the rest behind? That is the question we were asked to ponder for ourselves. Jesus fought violence with love the whole time He was on this earth. May we do the same…

We sat in the synagogue where Jesus would have been. What an indelible moment, when we walked across the threshold where He had done the same. In. The. Footsteps. Of. Jesus. I can’t describe the feeling of joy and awe at the thought.

To bring things momentarily to the current age, we stopped briefly to view the Syrian/Israel armistice line; an agreement of “border.” But there was no Syrian flag flying because ISIS now controls the area. Please pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
(And read Psalm 122).

Then to Caesarea Philippi, the home of the most horrible, out-of-control debauchery to “honor” the name of Pan, the god of fertility. The most vile and repulsive things were done here. And Jesus brought His disciples here. And asked them, “Who do you say that I am?” They were going to need this experience to fortify them for where the Holy Spirit would be sending them – Asia Minor – where this perversion was normal. Who do you say that He is? Upon this rock (the Gates of Hades are at Caesarea Philippi, where it is said Pan descended) Jesus builds His church – we can redeem it all when the Church lives into the Kingdom of Heaven!

Our last stop of the day was a relatively new discovery – Omrit was excavated (and is a working archeological site) in 1998. It is thought to be a border crossing entry gate for Caesar. Here people were required to pay tribute to Caesar. At first, the Jewish people had an exception; they didn’t have to pray TO the ruler, only FOR the ruler. As time went on things got more intense for them. One of the things that has been uncovered at Omrit is a Roman road. The name? The Damascus Road! I can picture Paul on that road, full of fire that his way is the right way…and then…

Our group is already such a tight one. Such a blessing to get close to these brothers and sisters as we have our own “insula.” We’ve already celebrated milestones, birthdays, hard places, and we take care of each other. Jesus, may we be some of the ones who usher in the Kingdom of Heaven!

Lil Yates