Day 03 - Safed, Rosh Hanikra, Acco

Good morning from the region of Galilee!

We began our day by gathering together at the Sea of Galilee. Though we didn’t have time to visit the site, on a mountain adjacent to where we were standing is the ancient city of Susita (or Hippos).

Susita was, if you will, pagan territory. It was a Greco-Roman city and it must have astounded the disciples when Jesus said, “Let’s go over there.”

Upon arriving near Susita, they are greeted by a demon-possessed man. You probably know the story. The disciples are still figuring out who Jesus is, but this man (or the demons possessing him) know exactly who He is. Jesus commands the demons to come out and drives them into a herd of pigs who, subsequently, run off a cliff and drown in the Sea.

What’s interesting, though, is that the previously demon-possessed man begs Jesus to let him come along. Jesus says, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” (Mark 5:19, NLT) So, he does. He goes and tells everyone in the whole region, the Bible says.

A short time later, Jesus returns to Susita and, this time, He’s greeted by a crowd of people wanting to see Him, hear Him, be healed by Him.

I wonder if it’s because that one man told his story.

You have a story of what God has done for you. The question is, “Are you telling it? Are you telling people what God has done and how merciful He’s been to you? Is there anyone who has come to know Jesus or is, at least, exploring who Jesus is because of your testimony?”

It’s something to think about.

We then had the unique opportunity of visiting a handful of sites that aren’t on the typical tour.

Our first stop was the city of Safed (or Tzfat). Walking through Safed feels like walking through a little Jerusalem. Safed has a thriving art scene so it’s colorful and just aesthetically beautiful.

We spent our time, primarily, at an operating orthodox synagogue. We see a lot of synagogues in Israel, but usually they’re part of an archaeological site. This one, however, is old, but modern. We talked through the different parts of a synagogue, elements of worship, and the Jewish form of prayer. So, though not a biblical site, it offered a bit of insight into how Judaism is practiced today.

We walked around the art district a bit before heading next to the gorgeous Rosh Hanikra grottoes.

Like Safed, there really is no biblical significance to Rosh Hanikra except that Tyre and Sidon lie just to the north.

It’s situated on the border of Lebanon. In fact, there’s a train tunnel that used to serve as a route between Israel and Lebanon. You can walk the tunnel, but a ways in you’ll come to a spot where the tunnel has been walled up, cutting off access between the two nations.

Though there’s no biblically story that took place in Rosh HaNikra, you can’t help but look out over the Mediterranean Sea and just marvel at God’s creation.

“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.

The world and all its people belong to Him.

For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas

And built it on the ocean depths.” (Psalm 24:1-2, NLT)

We wrapped up our day at the port city of Acco.

Again, it’s not a biblical site, but it gets us into Crusader history.

The Crusades are complicated, to be sure. They began as really a resistance movement to militant Islam in then Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). But, upon a victory there, led by Pope Urban II, the scope of the movement expanded to other territories - namely, the Holy Land. It also, to oversimplify, went from being a religiously motivated effort to a financially motivated one. And, along the way, much was done in the name of Christ that was anything but Christlike.

The Crusades weren’t Christian initiated, but they were Christian perpetuated. What began as defense turned into offense.

The truth, though, is that the Crusades are, understandably, a barrier for many Muslims and Jews coming to know Jesus. Our lives, then, ought to serve examples - in word and deed - to the peace God offers.

As Jesus put it, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9, NLT) and as Paul later exhorted, “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18, NLT).

In so doing we - both individually and as a community - represent Christ to a world in turmoil.

It was another wonderful day in the land. We’ll spend most of tomorrow around the Sea of Galilee and we can’t wait to see what God does.