Today was Jim’s day in the candy shoppe! Yesterday was a truly moving experiences of holiness and awe. Today was something completely different, though equally amazing.
We started a little later this morning and headed to the south of the Sea of Galilee where the Jordan River empties itself and begins it long journey to the Dead Sea. When I read the Old Testament passages I’m taken by how imposing this body of water must have been to the Hebrew people. It’s rushing torrent needed miraculous intervention for the Hebrews to enter the Promised land. But the river is not nearly as imposing as my biblical imagination had been lead to believe. It’s quite narrow and quite shallow. And while it’s true much has changed in 2000 years, the River itself is not very large.
I was struck by this river, now damed and used by multiple countries to bring life to the region. Of course that’s the point of the Jordan – it’s a life giver. To a Hebrew wandering in the desert for 40 years, it must have seemed a tremendous beast to cross – more water than they had seen in a generation. And when they crossed, in front of them lay a land that was already bursting with life and possibility. If you’ve ever pictured the Holy Land as completely desert – dry and barren, please delete that image. The land is bountiful! It’s green and, properly maintained, it can be a paradise flowing with, well, milk and honey!
We went to the mouth of the river and were invited to remember Jesus coming to the river for his baptism. This is not the place of Jesus’ baptism – that site is under Jordanian control and is not really accessible – but to stand there and realize that he was here was surreal. Jesus, the one who was baptized – not because he was a sinner – but because he would usher in a new covenant whereby all would be allowed full access to the Grace of the Father. He was baptized as the first of what would follow – an entire kingdom of priests that have been joined through the baptism waters of his death and resurrection!
The Bishop asked us to remember and share when we were baptized and then to come and touch the waters of the Jordan and hear the words that United Methodists (at least they should) utter often – “Remember your baptism, and be thankful.”
Leaving, the headwaters, we drove along the Jordan to the ancient town of Bet-Shein. Bet-Shein was one of the original Canaanite cities that the Hebrews were instructed to capture and destroy when they came to the promised land (Joshua). Instead, the hebrews were scared of the people and later in Judges would have to fight them. In 1 Samuel, King Saul battled the Philistines at Bet-Shein. In the 31st chapter, we read that his army was routed and Saul, in agony and hopelessness, fell on his own sword. The people of Bet-Shein took Saul’s body and hung it from their walls.
The city was conquered and reconquered over and over again through the centuries and in 65 CE/AD it was made a major city by Pompeii the Roman General. Pompeii turned the city truly Roman and by the 2nd century AD/CE it had become a true outpost of Roman culture. It had a theater, arena, places of worship and brilliantly paved roads. It also had a bath house with male and female rooms for bathing, working toilets, gym equipment, hairdressers and of course an onsite Pastor who would baptize and hear sins confessed. Around the 3rd century a great earthquake hit the whole land and leveled many places throughout the Holy Land, including Bet-Shein.
For over 100 years, archeologists have been uncovering this area and since the 1970’s they have been, slowly and methodically, rebuilding it. This was my candy-store moment! Seeing Roman culture oozing from the ruins was more than my nerdy mind could contain. The theater was massive. The bathhouses intricate beyond words. The mosaics, still after all these years, were as brilliant as ever. The detail and simplicity of the design was incredible. I was in my realm of happiness.
After seeing this, we went back and boarded a boat to cross the amazing Sea of Galilee. As the engine chugged us across, every story of Jesus’ life on that lake flooded back to me. The storms. The calming and peace. The time he walked on the water. The attempts to flee the crowds and seeing them follow him on land. The teachings from the shoreline. And of course the demoniac of the Gadarenes and his pigs. The lake was smooth as glass – it almost beckoned to come on out and take a stroll.
After a devotion in the middle, it was back to land for lunch and then a short drive where we would remember the feeding of the 4000 and peering up to the caves/tombs that the demoniac used as a home. I’d love to share more about this spot, but it’ll have to come in a sermon in the near future (see what I did there – shameless plug!)
One final thought before I end this post. As I stood on the boat crossing the sea, I couldn’t help but think of Jesus’ ownership of this amazing body of water. He spoke and it obeyed. When the disciple feared for death, he slept. They had every reason to fear. They knew how dangerous crossing was when sudden storms swept up. They knew the wreckages that lay beneath them. Yet for Jesus, the storms were nothing more than a nuisance that faith would see them all through. Peace, His Peace, is truly the longing of my heart as I stood on the deck of that ship. It’s not a bad prayer for us all. As you’ve read this today, know that I’m praying that for you. May His Peace flood your heart. May you know that the storms are things that he’s not worried about. May you find him walking in the middle of the night to meet you and offer you his Peace.
Shalom for now…
jim
