Only a few find it

Today we left the northern area of Galilee and headed towards Jerusalem.

Our first stop was a powerful one: The Jordan River.

The river was flowing very fast and wide, due to a lot of snowmelt coming down from Mount Hermon. It was a weedy, muddy hike but in the end, the river was beautiful!

A few members of our group practiced Mikvah, which is the ancient Jewish tradition of the ceremonial cleansing of our hands, feet, head, and heart. Additionally, one member of our group decided to get baptized! They told some of their story and how they’d had seen the power of God in their life, and were then dunked in the (cold!) water by Rod and those who had made an impact on this trip. It was wonderful to watch and a joy for each of us there.

From there we visited the ancient Roman town of Scythopolis. There were no Biblical accounts here, but it continued to give us a flavor of the Roman, Hellenistic world that was in stark contrast to that of the Jewish world. It was a clear visual of when Jesus said: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” – Matthew 7:13-14

After lunch we headed for our last hike of the day, and it was a humdinger. Not only in difficulty but also in significance.

While the bus took us the majority of the way from Galilee to Jerusalem, we did experience the intense walk from the ancient city of Jericho on the narrow, wilderness trail through the mountains. This was the same trail that Mary, Joseph, and Jesus would have taken up to 3 times a year to worship in Jerusalem.

It was also the area Jesus spent 40 days in while fasting in the wilderness. Contrary to what I thought (that Jesus spent these 40 days totally isolated amongst cactus and tumbleweeds), it’s highly likely Jesus interacted with people during this time. The “wilderness” to the Jewish people is where they lived. To us, that’s a place where we avoid, but they’re desert people. So Jesus, most likely, walked the path we walked to day, encountering numerous types of people during His fast and preparation. All while being tempted by the devil.

This was also the same trail Jesus walked on His way to, what He knew would be, His death.

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem… – Luke 9:51

It was humbling to step on the same path our Savior once walked on, as He willingly walked towards His death and the payment for our sins. Not only that, but we learned the last thing Jesus did before making this journey to His death, was have dinner at the house of Zacchaeus! This man who was an unclean traitor in the eyes of his fellow Jews, Jesus took the time to dignify, love, and empower, despite what was waiting for Him in Jerusalem. What an amazing example of love!

After our hike, we read Psalms of praise to God on the bus as we ascended to the place where God’s presence dwelled, the temple in Jerusalem. This was a journey and a place where God’s people have traveled for thousands of years to worship Him and it was an honor to experience a very tiny taste of that.

And tomorrow we explore the city! Can’t wait!