The work of our Creator

Hello family and friends! Day 6 of our journey was another incredible adventure. The passing clouds and cool breeze made for a relatively comfortable day outdoors, and the sky was much clearer today, which gave the water a beautiful deep blue-green color. We had our devotional next to the Sea of Galilee, a moment of prayer, and sang together one of my favorite songs, "Lord I need you - oh I need you, every hour I need you, my one defense, my righteousness, oh God, how I need you." Then we were on the road again, headed for our first stop of the day, Mount Arbel.

As we drove, Yehuda continued to provide education on the history of Israeli culture, contrasting the old ways with they way things are today, and they way one hopes they will be in the future. This man is an encyclopedia of knowledge about his country, and the pride he feels for Israel is evident when he shares his knowledge. We are very blessed to have him as our guide on this trip.

When we arrived at Mt. Arbel, he had a 1 km walk up with an increase in elevation of about 300 feet. When we reached the top, I was stunned by the beauty of the panoramic view. There was lush green of the tended crops, dry and dusty rocks, the cool blue of the Sea of Galilee, resting under that vast blue sky. Pastor Terry talked about when Jesus was preaching and healing throughout Galilee, and He sought a lonely, desolate place, where He could meditate and pray, as depicted in Mark 1:35. The geography of the area makes it very likely that Jesus Himself sat upon the very mountain where we traveled some 2,000 years later, in search of a deeper understanding of our Savior. I had goosebumps and a lump in my throat then, as I do now typing this account. Yehuda talked about the life of the people of this area during Jesus' time, explaining they were very hard workers. The men fished at night (or very, very early in the morning), then tended their crops during the day. While here, we had some time to ourselves. I found as quiet a place as I could (there were many large groups here today) and sat on a rock admiring the work of our Creator. I considered the greatness of The Father in relation to the smallness of this world, and my soul felt comforted in knowing that He knows my name and He created me for a purpose, and He loves me. Neither in spite of, nor because of, anything I do or don't do, but absolutely and completely because of WHO HE IS.

As we walked down from Mt. Arbel, we saw beautiful wildflowers along the rocky path and talked with others from our group about the experience. Then back to the bus for our next stop at Chorazin.

On arrival at Chorazin, Yehuda talked about the excavation of the city, and the architecture of the synagogue at this site. The steps going up the the entrance of the synagogue are of different widths. This was done to keep people from running or hurrying up the steps, so that they would be sure to enter with reverence and respect. The synagogue was the center of the village and would be artfully carved and well appointed, to the extent that the wealth of the village would support. Pastor Terry talked about Jesus going to the synagogue on the Sabbath, reading from the Scroll of Isaiah, as shown in Luke 4:16. The passage was a prophecy about one who heals and works miracles and sets free the oppressed. After He read it, He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and proclaimed "today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing". Wow. Understanding the way things were at the time, this seems very bold and maybe a little "in your face". But I know He really got their attention this time! This was Him proclaiming He is Messiah, which was offensive and inflammatory. He told them to repent and believe the good news. They drove Him from the town, intent on throwing Him down the cliff. But His purpose had not yet been fulfilled, and he slipped away through the crowd. Pastor Terry talked about how the crowd was offended by what Jesus had said, and asked us to think about how the message of the cross of Christ could be offensive today. Several people gave examples such as: we are called intolerant when we reject ungodly behavior, isolationist when we refuse to participate in some current events, taking "the blood" and "a wretch like me" out of our beloved hymns so as not to offend people. Christianity is offensive to many, because they want the blessings of the faithful, without the responsibility of following Christ.

We finished up our time at Chorazin with Yehuda describing the construction of the houses of this era. When a son found a bride and was betrothed, they would add a room on to the family house, and the marriage would not take place until the room was ready for them. The father was the one who said when the time was right. Terry related this to the way eternity will be. God's timing is perfect, His wisdom, unfailing. We, His church, are the bride, waiting on her groom. But Our Savior has gone to prepare our place in His Father's house. Until our room is ready, we shall continue on, growing in faith and sharing His message. We were left with a question: What will heaven be like? The biblical theme is that it will be an extended family. When we go there, we will be greeted and welcomed as the most honored guest, surrounded by love and comforted, safe and secure, in Our Father's house. I am so thankful that my family on earth has already given me a pretty good idea of what this might be like.

Our next stop was for lunch, and we enjoyed delicious falafel, cold drinks, and ice cream. Then we moved on to Capernaum, known as "Capharnaum, City of Jesus" according to the sign at the entrance. This is a Catholic site, with beautifully maintained landscaping surrounding antiquities of Jesus' time. The House of Peter stands here, and there is a wonderful bronze statue of Peter, with the inscription on the base from Matthew 16:18 - "Thou are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church." There is a synagogue here constructed of limestone, which Yehuda explained would have been very expensive at the time, as the limestone had to be brought from far away. The local stone was basalt, which is very difficult to carve. He explained, according to Jewish law, when a synagogue is destroyed or demolished, nothing else can be built on that site except for another synagogue. So with further excavation, another synagogue was found beneath it, and this was the synagogue where Jesus preached. Here come the goosebumps again! It was very emotional to be in that place, where Jesus Christ served and taught. We had some time at this location to wander the grounds. I found another lonely, desolate place, this time on the rocky beach of the Sea of Galilee; the quiet here was only interrupted by the wind in the trees and small waves lapping the shore. I prayed and worshipped in quiet song, asking God to show me how to seek Him, to create in my heart an unquenchable desire to share His love, and to open my eyes to the opportunities around me every single day to show others who Jesus is by the way I live. I left here feeling as though places in my heart had been filled by that experience. Places I didn't even know were empty. I love how He works!

We then went to the Mount of The Beatitudes (Areamos Topos) which offered yet another amazing view of the land and the Sea of Galilee. We are all familiar with the Bible passage known as "The Beatitudes", which tells us "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven", blessed are the mourners, the meek, the hungry, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers. It sounds like He is listing the qualifications for what the world would call a loser, an outcast, or a nobody. But this is a perfect way to illustrate the Kingdom life. The Lord's way is backward in comparison to the world. Those shunned by society, are welcomed in Our Father's House. In my personal worldly existence, this passage speaks volumes about the trials and struggles and pain through which I, and probably every one of you reading this, have traveled. If we had never known the badness, how could we comprehend the goodness? When we ask God to fix me or right this wrong or answer my prayer and He doesn't just snap His fingers and set the dial to happy, we may wonder and doubt His faithfulness. But His timing and His plan are perfect. Perfect in ways we cannot understand. And sometimes, when a season of suffering has passed, we receive the grace to look back on it with gratitude, at last able to see that He was working in us all the while.

Our last stop of this very full and enriching day was at Tabgha, a site where once flowed seven springs, but today only a few continue to flow. Yehuda gave us some historical facts about the site and we had continued opportunities to marvel at the beauty all around us. Pastor Terry shared a very moving lesson as we sat on the steps of the beach at this location. When Jesus heard of John the Baptist being arrested for preaching the truth, He left Nazareth and went to Capernaum, preaching of repentance "for the Kingdom of heaven is near." He was walking here by the Sea of Galilee, when he recruited Peter and his brother Andrew, then James and his brother John, and on His word, these hardworking men dropped what they were doing to follow Jesus, and became "fishers of men." Jesus worked miracles here, with a massive take of fish where it appeared there were none. When Peter saw this miracle, he fell at the feet of Jesus and basically said "I am a sinful man" declaring himself unworthy of Jesus. But Jesus said "do not be afraid." He knew they were all sinners, and He knew also that they could repent and be saved, and do the work of the Lord as His disciples. Jesus was brilliant in using whatever was available, in this case, fish, to make His point. Pastor Terry ended our time here recounting the story of the disciples coming here again to fish after Jesus was crucified. They got tired of waiting for Him and just went back to what they were doing before knowing Jesus. They, who had been out in the boats fishing all night, had caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but they did not realize it was Him. He asked if they had caught any fish, knowing they had not, and told them to cast to the other side of the boat. As Terry said, in a way that made Jesus so real and so human, He must have been smiling and maybe was thinking, "this is gonna be good!" For he knew that the little bit of faith they had left would be enough. The men did as He said, and brought in an incredible catch, just as they had when Jesus had worked this miracle before. Peter was so excited, he jumped out of the boat and swam to Jesus, and they ate together. Jesus came to find them. Not when they wanted Him to come, but when the time was right. He knew they were human beings; sinners, as are we. Peter denied Jesus three times. He had gone off track. And Jesus rebuked him gently and graciously, through questioning Peter of his love for Him.

I keep returning to the thought that we believe the trials of our time are the worst they have ever been; but in reality, every generation feels that way, as I am sure people did in Jesus' time. Since a large crowd gathered wherever Jesus went, I can surely understand why He would need to seek out a desolate place, where He could feel closer to The Father, and center Himself for the work that lay before Him. Don't we do the same thing? Although not always in such a healthy and fulfilling way. When the hustle and hassles of daily life fill us with anxiety, maybe we should seek out that place of desolation as Jesus did, leaving the trappings of the world behind, even if only for a little while, and center our eyes, our ears, our bodies, minds, and souls, on our heavenly home. I know I am going to try.

This was an incredible day in Israel. I know these posts are getting longer each day. But as my experience on this trip grows ever deeper, I can't help but share how much this is impacting who I am, and who I hope to become.

Thank you for reading.

~ Terri