Day 09 - Susita, Bet Shean & Jerusalem

Hello Friends,

After breakfast this morning we gathered down by the Sea of Galilee, had devotions, and David, our Jewish teacher friend, bid us a very meaningful farewell. He said that most Christian groups come to Israel and tour the land as if the people of the land don’t exist. He thanked us for befriending him and trusting him. He also exhorted us, as people who have been grafted into The Vine, to remain faithful and on mission because tough times will be ahead for us all. It felt very prophetic.

We boarded the bus and headed south, high up into the hills that overlook Galilee. We hiked even further up to the ruins of a sophisticated city with both Greek and Roman history. Alexander the Great founded this city of Susita, one of ten cities like it on the western shores of Galilee. The gospel writers refer to these cities as the “Decapolis.” Susita was likely the city that the disciples were looking at when Jesus taught them to be a “city on a hill.” It was in this region that Jesus met the man who lived in the tombs, possessed by a legion of demons. Again, reminiscent of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus heals the demon-possessed man and models to the disciples that no one is too far gone, or beyond the healing power and grace of God.

After the teaching, we each grabbed a rock and added it to a pile which Ray Vanderlaan had started years ago. Our rocks represented people in our lives who need to encounter the living Christ, the holy one of Israel, who alone has the power to deliver us from the spiritual bondage of guilt and shame. After our rocks were on the pile, we spent some time in prayer and then headed back to the bus.

From Susita, we went to another Greco-Roman city in the Decapolis called Bet Shean, or “House of Comfort.” It was a great object lesson for us because when we first laid eyes on it, we were all pretty blown away, which made us putty in the hands of the Rabbi. Bet Shean was Hellenism at its finest—the architecture, the art, the music, the sport, the spas, co-ed public bathrooms, and the worship of Caesar and two other major dirties, Asclepius, the god of healing, and Dionysius, the god of wine. (In Roman culture, it was called Baccheus) This is the god of the frat party, drunkenness and sexual immorality. When we walked into the ruins of Bet Shean, we were impressed, which gave us just a hint of the seductive nature of Hellenism. In the West, this is our roots, and we are returning to our roots in the growing absence of a Judeo-Christian ethic.

Around 4pm, we arrived at our final destination for this trip, Jerusalem. Before going to our hotel, we went to a high lookout point, where Libby gave us a visual orientation. It’s hard to believe we’re here, in the city where Jesus taught, was tried, crucified, buried, rose, and ascended into Heaven. It’s so bustling with 21st century activity, it seems surreal, like everyone should stop and take notice of the significance of where they live. But for the one million people who live in Jerusalem, it appears to be just another day.

Before dinner, we had a couple hours of free time, so some of us went out to explore. Turns out, our hotel is quite close the Jaffa Gate into the Old City of Jerusalem. Through what seemed like an endless maze of roads, alley ways and staircases, we found our way to the Western Wall, thanks to Andy Bast’s internal compass/GPS. Apparently he has a superpower, which led us back through the Old City and back to our hotel. (So cool, but a little bit freakish!)

Off to dinner. More to come tomorrow!

Shalom.