A little picture of home

It’s our final night on the Sea of Galilee. I’m looking out to the sea from our back door and it still hits me. I’m seriously here. I’m in Israel. Everything I’ve ever read in text now has a physical image. I’ve walked along paths that have thousands of years of history. Evidence of the Bible is LITERALLY being dug up from the ground! It’s hard not to freak out, yet, you almost expect something like this to happen. Why not? It’s God!

Today we visited Bet She’an which sits in the Decapolis. Upon arriving, you’ll see the settlement sits at the crossing of the Jordan River Valley and the Jezreel Valley. As has been for the entire trip, the scenery throughout our hikes have been incredible. This being no different. Walking through the valleys and climbing a hill, Bet She’an begins to reveal itself. The ruins are captivating since it something I’ve never seen before. We walked upon the ruins but with a little imagination, you can see the entire city. Cobblestone roads, some columns still intact, the architecture is great! But in the greatness, we are reminded of the darkness that takes place in areas like these. Hellenism is amongst the people here and is avoided by most Jews. When discussing of places like this and the question of whether Jesus came through, I try to picture what his entrance might have been? Briefly, I picture him breaking through the doors announcing his arrival with the posse...No worries, I know it wasn’t anything like that. The thing I am being reminded of Jesus is that no matter where he goes, his intention is to talk in the language that the people will understand. Not everyone was open to him, but he made sure they knew what he was about.

Next stop was at Kursi. Here we learned about how Jesus travels outside of the the Orthodox Triangle. Now remember, there’s intentionality in everything he does and this was no different. In Mark 5, Once Jesus arrives to shore, he has an encounter with the demoniac. Now this is a man possessed by Legion (meaning man) who at first sight, realizes who Jesus is. This story was interesting as has been many of the text we read while in Israel. As we know, the demon is commanded to remove itself from the man and go into the herd of pigs nearby. The pigs then run over the ridge and into the lake, or as we know, the Sea of Galilee. We discussed the picture of Jesus possibly handing the demon free man his outer garment in order to be clothed. The question was then asked, “Who do you know that you pray would have an encounter with Jesus just as the demoniac did?” This picture is about Jesus removing something that was out of control and offering a part of himself. It’s bringing light to the chaos and redeeming yet another life or story. Several friends shared about loved ones they prayed over to have this type of encounter. As I’m processing through what I just heard, I realized that not only do I have people who I pray for to have an encounter as in Mark 5, but there are several areas in my life that could use the same encounter as well.

Our final stop for the day was a refreshing visit to the Jordan River. So many stories have been shared of this place and so many references of the Jordan River have been made through prayer. It was at this place where a promise was fulfilled. The crossing that took place at the Jordan River is a remembrance of where God brought you from, where He has you, and where He’s taking you. It’s at this crossing that God asks the new generation of Israelites to step out in faith as they head into the promise land. WOW! Summary to me...Here’s what I promised you, now trust me and walk in faith! The season I’m in is one that requires a constant step in faith and one I struggle with the most. But it’s the picture of the Lord calling me to the water and promising to remain by my side that keeps me going. After, my friends and I got to step into the river and take part in remembering our baptisms. One by one, friends stepped up and where dunked into the flowing river by our leaders. Some had the privilege and taking part as a whole family. Heck, a vow renewal was thrown into mix (Congrats Adam and Faye!). But the best part of the trip, seeing the community of Riverside in action throughout the entire trip. Relationships are being built, love is being shared. To me, it’s a little picture of home while visiting our home.

To wrap it up...We are sunburnt, bodies are aching, some are exhausted. But the experience of the trip has been worth it.

Shalom Y’all!

Jay Sanchez