Day 10 - Jerusalem: Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, Pool of Bethesda, Saint Anne's, Via Dolorosa

We began our day on the Mount of Olives and in the Garden of Gethsemane. Terry read for us the story in Matthew 26, when Jesus goes to Gethsemane to pray. For Jesus, his last time in the garden was one of great sorrow. He felt the weight of our collective sin and asked for this cup to pass him by. He knew what was coming and laid down his life willingly; no one took it. His sorrow became our peace, because of this, Gethsemane should be a peaceful place for us, not a sorrowful one. As we basked in the feeling of joy and great peace, we each found our own small spot on the hillside to spend time in prayer. It was an extremely meaningful time for many.

We also saw the  oldest olive trees in the garden, dating back, at least, 1100 years. Because olive trees don’t have rings, and the older branches fall off, it’s impossible to get an accurate date. Many of us also purchased olive oil directly from the grove’s gardener, who said he’d been tending the trees for over 38 years.

Next, we headed to the Pools of Bethesda and the Church of St. Anne. The Pools of Bethesda are where Jesus healed a lame man, recorded in John chapter 5. The superstition during that time was, if the pools were stirred up, the first person in the pool would be healed because the water was stirred by angels. The man had been coming to the pools for 38 years in hopes of a miracle. Jesus approached him and asked if he wanted to be healed. Jesus told him to get up, pick up his mat and walk. Later, Jesus saw the man in the Temple worshiping and the man told of Jesus making him well.

We received a treat, and Laura taught us from this passage in John. Jesus asks the man if he wants to be healed.  After healing him, Jesus sees him in the temple. We can gather that as soon as the man could walk, he went straight to the temple. Why? For 38 years, the man had been lame. In that time, no doubt, there were countless things he would have wanted to do, constantly focusing on his needs and desires. For 38 years, he would have never been able to enter the temple because he could never be ritually clean. Upon being healed, he could have done anything, but he raced to the Temple. He was willing to allow the focus to shift to where it belonged; from him to God. Shouldn’t this be our immediate response when God heals us? Healing from Jesus means you have been completely changed. Now you have to live like it and be about God’s business. What a great reminder that our lives are no longer our own. What is your life about? Are you about God’s business or your own?

Next, just a few steps from the pools, we stopped in St. Anne’s Church (Anne was the mother of Mary, the mother of Christ). It’s a beautiful building and the acoustics are incredible! Afterwards, we all piled into the front of the church, and Larry led us in singing the Common Doxology. Then Yehuda led us in Amazing Grace. What a treat! 

Then it was off to lunch! I had the privilege of walking with Yehuda to pick up our Jerusalem bagels. As I (nearly) ran to keep up, he suddenly opened a door and we were in the most amazing little bakery! 54 fresh Jerusalem bagels were pulled from the ovens and placed in our possession. You wouldn’t believe the amazing smell! Once in the park, Yehuda had us assemble plates of olive oil, hummus, nutella, and labneh (thick yogurt dip). We enjoyed them all, family style, dipping our fresh bagels into our favorites. 

After lunch, we headed back into the old city. We saw the Armenian quarter and then headed to the Jewish quarter. We took some time to tour the shops and enjoy some food and drinks in the Jewish Quarter square. Then it was back to the hotel.

Just like that, our last full day in Israel has come to a close. Tomorrow morning we will visit some sights, and then we’ll have the afternoon to prepare for a long flight home. 

Until tomorrow…

Ashley Fuhr