YES and YES

Today’s adventure began by driving northwest to the 1st century TEL-GAMLA, away from the ‘triangle of cities by the Sea of Galilea” where devoted Jews who returned to the home land once lived. Here Galilean Zealots had hoped one day to over throw Rome. Their symbol was a palm tree branch and their battle cry, “Hosanah, Hosanah.” History recounts that the city here was eventually destroyed by Rome in 66 AD as Rome made their way south to Jerusalem. We were challenged to live within the tension of “Yes and Yes”, working as a community of believers to challenge one another with “love, mercy, justice, truth, doctrine, and the question of how do we live this out in light of the calling God has on each of our lives.
We then walked down to the ruins of a 1st century Synagogue, where Jesus very likely taught. In the surrounding hills the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 came to life. While the miracle provided food to feed the 5,000, Jesus deeper message was for us not to live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. And with His WORDS we are to chew and digest and process and make them our own.

The TEL-DAN was our next stop as we traveled north with the borders of Lebanon and Syria in sight. TEL-DAN is a green, lush nature preserve with waters flowing, very different from anything we have walked thus far. Rabbi Rod recounted the Old Testament story of King Jeroboam building a temple here in DAN and another temple in Bethel, both with the exact dimensions of the temple in Jerusalem. King Jeroboam wanted the Jews to stay in the Northern Kingdom to worship. He added a “twist” by shaping a golden calf for each temple location, not wanting it to be worshipped because only God deserves worship but because Jeroboam was trying to stay culturally relevant. The challenge given to us is do we synchronize our worship with the world and what does it mean to really worship God?

*An interesting footnote to this site is that the chief Archeologist for TEL-DAN is Dr. Grier from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary!

After a picnic lunch, we found our way to CASEARA, PHILIPI, the capital at one time of Herod Philip’s kingdom. Here the temple worship of Pan, god of chaos/dark earthly god, took place. Pan’s image is one of lower half goat/upper half man. What stood out was a massive “grotto” (gate) that marked Pan’s temple. Interestingly we learned that Jesus brought his young disciples here before heading to Jerusalem for the last time. In Matthew 16 we read that Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter responds, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!” Jesus responds, “Peter, on this rock I will build my church and the forces of hell will not over power it.” Isn’t it like our God to go where we least expect Him to go. Are we up for the challenge, to go where He asks us to go?

Our last stop for the day was in the region of the Decapolis, in the city of SUSITA. Again we visited a TEL. Here we walked amongst the ruins of the temple of Dianicus, the supreme god of that day, known as the “party” god. Drunkenness and orgies marked these temple celebrations. Luke 8 recounts how Jesus rebukes the wind and waves while riding in a boat with His disciples to the other side of the lake in proximity to this TEL and then is the only one to step ashore from the boat to encounter a demon possessed naked and bloodied man named Legion. Jesus casts his many demons into a heard of “unclean” pigs and they rush into the lake and drowned. The man is possessed no more and sits dressed at Jesus feet. The eyewitnesses report to the region all that happened and they ask Jesus to leave. Jesus instructs this man to go back home and tell all that God has done for him, becoming Jesus’ first missionary. Our challenge from Rod is are we willing to “get out of the boat” as Jesus did for another?